There is a very crucial difference between losing weight strictly by dieting, and losing weight with exercise – the difference is that although starvation will equal weight loss, it also includes muscle loss, and subsequently it causes exhaustion and fatigue.
The key is to lose fat, not muscle, and exercise is the only way to truly monitor this and stay healthy and motivated. Muscle is active tissue, it is connective tissue, it is needed to maintain a healthy body; excess fat has no purpose other than to store as energy, but energy can be obtained on a daily basis by eating the right foods, so the best and healthiest way to lose weight is, quite simply, to lose fat.
Exercise does not deplete muscle, it increases it, it increases lean body mass and decreases excess fat. This, combined with a healthy diet, is the key to a slim, lean body, healthy heart, healthy mind, energy and vitality. Exercise is the key to fat loss, and with that comes the loss of cellulite.
Contrary to popular opinion, cellulite is not just something that overweight or obese people experience. The term ‘Cellulite’ refers to a chain of wrinkled fat cells and connective tissues just underneath the surface of the skin. Many people have cellulite who are not even remotely fat, and so this misconception can come to an end right here.
Nobody really knows why cellulite accumulates, but there are undoubtedly certain factors that health experts have come across which do contribute to it’s structure. Some of this includes poisons entering the body, and some is simple unavoidable hormonal changes within the body. None of this is proven; just merely suggested by scientists as a possible link.
The reason cellulite is more abundant in women than in men is that woman have far more rigid and firm connective tissues than men do. When a woman gets fat, the fatty cells swell and get bigger, and this creates a protruding appearance on the skin producing that unfavourable ‘orange peel’ look. It is important for women to be very careful with their body and maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet for many reasons, but if cellulite tips it for you, then so be it – keep fit!
Cellulite and Fats
Many people who are overweight believe that their cellulite is caused by being too fat. Not all overweight people develop cellulite, but it is something that can certainly be triggered by having too much fat on the body. Too much fat under the skin pushes the connective tissue and creates a strain on the skin, thus causing cellulite to form.
It is important to remember though that not everybody’s cell structure will inhibit the tendency to bulge or expand, thus even if fat does accumulate; not everyone will get cellulite.
To be on the safe side, try to keep your connective tissues strong and firm, and avoid the build up of excess fat as a preventative method. The best way to do this is to stick to a regular exercise routine.
Decrease fat – do this by decreasing food intake, avoiding high fat foods or trans fats, and increasing physical activity and keeping this regular.
An hour vigorous physical exercise burns between 300 and 600 calories. If you combine this with cutting 300 to 500 calories from your daily diet (a simple change with a little planning and dedication) you can lose weight at a rate of around 1 to 2 pounds each week (the optimum rate for making sure you keep it off) Without exercise the amount of calories you would need to cut would be between 500 and 1000 to have the same effect. If you are severely obese or concerned in any way about beginning a new exercise regime, consult your doctor to be on the safe side before you start out.
If you want to lose cellulite, you have to lose fats, rather than simply losing ‘weight’ like we talked about in the beginning. If you lose those connective muscle tissues you will be more prone to accumulating cellulite, thus the opposite of what you desire will be achieved.
Increase your Metabolism to burn fats and decrease cellulite. To do this, you need to exercise. Regular exercise is a massively important factor when it comes to achieving a cellulite free body.