Being a personal trainer and nutritionist, one subject that comes up quite often with new clients is, “How can I make my cellulite go away?”
That’s a touchy subject, because not only do 90 percent of all women get some degree of cellulite, they sometimes don’t know how to get rid of it.
First let’s go over what cellulite is exactly. And by the way … some men get it too. Actually cellulite is plain old body fat.
So, why does cellulite have a somewhat “dimpled” appearance?
The reason is the body fat is compartmentalized by connective tissue in the deep layers of the skin. While everyone has connective tissue under their skin, men’s connective tissue tends to have horizontal patterns, which make it more difficult for fat to accumulate.  Women’s connective tissues tend to have more of a “honeycomb” pattern. That allows fat to bulge out and give a dimpled affect.
There are also many other variables that influence the amount of cellulite a person might have. These include gender, genetics, age and skin thickness.
The question is can you get rid of your cellulite? The answer is yes, but make no mistake, there are no quick fixes. I’ve had clients lose significant amounts of cellulite, but it takes planning and effort.
First, let’s go over what doesn’t work. Stay away from creams aimed at reducing cellulite. If you read the label of these creams carefully, you’ll find that most of them only reduce the “appearance” of cellulite, because they just temporarily tighten skin.
Also, treatments like liposuction are expensive, and can actually be contraindicated, because they are designed to remove deep body fat, not cellulite, which sits just below the skins surface.
Beware of herbal extracts designed to reduce cellulite. There’s not much evidence that they actually work at all, and some can even be dangerous, because they can interact with certain prescription drugs.
What does work?
I use a combination of treatments with clients. First is a proper weight-training program. This is important for women and men for two reasons. First, for every ounce of muscle you work, you burn extra calories 24 hours a day, which means you burn fat 24 hours a say. Second, muscle that isn’t toned tends to sag, which makes the cellulite look even worse.
Aerobic exercise comes next. This helps you burn more calories, and also, helps tone muscle. I also help clients design an individualized eating program to help them lose even more excess body fat.
In fact, one Charlotte client lost 72 pounds of body fat with just simple changes to her diet. I also make sure all my people get proper rest. Remember, rest is the glue that ties everything in your fitness and nutritional program together.
Finally, make sure your supplement program supports you. While there are no supplements that in and of themselves get rid of cellulite, there are vitamins and minerals without which, cellulite would stay.
For example, vitamins C & E are necessary for red blood cell formation, and collagen production, both of which affect connective tissue below the skin’s surface. Without firm connective tissue, cellulite is much more apparent. Also, B vitamins are important, because without them you can’t metabolize fat or synthesize protein to build muscle.
By properly using these techniques together in a program, you can significantly reduce the amount of cellulite you have at any age.
Diet or fitness question?
Email me at dwcrocker77@gmail.com or visit fitness4yourlife.org.
David Crocker of Landrum has been a nutritionist for 24 years. He served as strength director of the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., head strength coach for the S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, USC-Spartanburg baseball team, Converse college equestrian team, lead trainer to L.H. Fields modeling  agency, and taught four semesters at USC-Union. David was also a regular guest of the Pam Stone radio show.