How to Take Your Lumps

My last post dealt with body fat, a perfect seguay into the nasty world of …(drum roll please)… cellulite! Ugh! Ok, here’s the deal - cellulite is genetic. Believe it or not, even ultra thin models and super fit women can have it (did I just make your day?), and no diet can completely eradicate it.

If you don’t have cellulite, count your lucky stars! If you do, there are a few diet and exercise strategies that just might help. #1 – shrink your fat cells. Cellulite happens because fat cells are round, so they will always appear somewhat “bumpy,” even when they’re small (think of the surface atop a layer of loose grapes on a flat plate). As the cells grow in size, the width of the “valley” between the bumps expands (now imagine they’re apricots vs. grapes). Some people are lucky enough to have a thick layer of connective tissue covering the fat which masks the bumps, while others have a wimpy layer which reveals them (this explains why even heavier men rarely have “cottage cheese” legs when they sit – thicker tissue, those lucky blokes).

Alas, you’re stuck with the type of connective tissue you were born with but shrinking your fat cells may lessen the severity of cellulite. #2 - take in adequate fluids throughout the day. Some people believe that plump, well-hydrated skin can aid in camouflaging the appearance of cellulite (or it could be that dehydrated skin worsens it). In either case, aiming for six to eight 8-ounce cups of water each day isn’t a bad idea. And if all else fails, avoid mirrors and have all of your photos airbrushed – just kidding!!! Learn to love your body despite its lumps and bumps. After all, life is too short to obsess about cellulite.

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