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Past Member
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Posted: 14 Nov 2006 11:41 pm |
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I've been on a diet since 1999. Sounds strange, but it's true. I take a break every weekend and don't count calories, but from Monday to Friday, I watch everything I eat and write it all down. I exercise three times a week and do weight training (arms, legs, and stomach crunches) burning at least 450 calories per session.
So until just recently, it's been working well for me. I got down to a weight that I thought was healthy (165 lbs, 5'11") and I've stayed at this weight for a while. This January, I got a brown recluse spider bite (yuck!) and I was off my feet for a month. I gained 8 pounds, and I haven't been able to lose it since - but my clothing all fits.
What's worse is that my cellulite seems to be increasing. I've developed some cheese across my stomach right above my bellybutton, and my thighs look worse than they did before.
I figure one thing I can do to lose the eight pounds is to diet during the weekends. I'd be glad to hear any motivational ideas. But what about the cellulite? Is it going to get worse? Is this a result of my getting older? Or is it because I'm losing muscle mass?
I read in one of the earlier forums that skin brushing helps loose skin tighten up - would this also work for cellulite?Last edited on 14 Nov 2006 11:42 pm by
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SoSoHot
New Member
| Joined: | 2 Jan 2006 |
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| Posts: | 15 |
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Posted: 15 Nov 2006 12:28 am |
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| When I got a bit of cellulite on my stomach, my aunt showed me how to smooth it out and it worked even though it's probably not the healthiest thing to do. We wrapped my torso in lots of plastic wrap very tight, put a sweat suit over it, turned up the heat in the bathroom, and steamed up the shower. I saw in there about 45 minutes sweating. Of course, I lost a bunch of water weight but when I rehydrated myself the weight and inches came back but my stomach smooth again. And, my skin looked really nice. My aunt told me that she does it occasionally at the first signs up cottage cheese. I don't know if it works for thighs but it may be worth a shot.
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Past Member
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Posted: 15 Nov 2006 12:56 am |
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| Not a bad idea! I've thought about getting a body wrap, but it costs around $100...
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SoSoHot
New Member
| Joined: | 2 Jan 2006 |
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| Posts: | 15 |
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Posted: 15 Nov 2006 01:25 am |
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$100 !?!?!? Geez, saran wrap and a jogging suit from kmart for about $15. 
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jumpkick
New Member
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Posted: 17 Nov 2006 09:19 pm |
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Hi,
Not sure whether I was just thinking it was looking better, but I did find dry body brushing effective.
Bad news: I've read that since cellulite is fat trapped just beneath the surface of your skin, the more fat you lose, the worse it looks. Drinking lots of water and staying away from refined carbs and sugars is supposed to help. At least it is not unhealthy to have cellulite - just fake tan whenever you have to show off that bit of skin 
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Heavenseventeen
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 18 Nov 2006 11:37 am |
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jumpkick wrote:
Bad news: I've read that since cellulite is fat trapped just beneath the surface of your skin, the more fat you lose, the worse it looks. Drinking lots of water and staying away from refined carbs and sugars is supposed to help.
Are you sure? That's depressing....
I thought it would go away...since the fat is under the skin, and the cardio burns it off, I thought that would reduce the cellulite.
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jillybean720
Senior Member
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Posted: 18 Nov 2006 12:34 pm |
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I've read on multiple occasions that cellulite is greatly influenced by genetics. Some women can weigh 300 pounds and not have any cellulite (I'm a living example of this), while even some super-thin models have cellulite that gets smoothed out with photo retouching so you never see it in the magazines  You will always have some fat on your body (if you don't, you die), and cellulite is not necessarily caused by excess fat, just whatever fat is there and how it happens to group itself.
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Heavenseventeen
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 19 Nov 2006 08:31 pm |
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jillybean720 wrote: I've read on multiple occasions that cellulite is greatly influenced by genetics. Some women can weigh 300 pounds and not have any cellulite (I'm a living example of this), while even some super-thin models have cellulite that gets smoothed out with photo retouching so you never see it in the magazines
Thanks! I've heard the genetics thing before.
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JustWendy
New Member
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Posted: 15 Dec 2006 06:40 pm |
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I don't know about those wraps... sounds like temporary fixes to me. But we are genetically pre-disposed to cellulite and it's worse for women than it is for men because of the child-bearing factor. Which is why I'm surprised someone had cellulite on their stomach.
But anyway, it doesn't get worse as you lose more fat. Think about that for a minute. You are losing fat and cellulite is just fat. What makes it so pesky is its appearance... distributed through the thighs in a "quilted" fashion. Yet another cruel joke of nature.
So get your fat down to where it ought to be, eat as clean a diet as you possibly can, watch your sodium and flush yourself out with plenty of water, and what remains is what remains. At the very worst, you won't notice the cellulite when you're standing. You'll only notice it when you're sitting or "pinching" the skin.
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 16 Dec 2006 03:39 pm |
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The thing about cellulite is that it tends to look worst over untoned muscle. Taking that thought a little further, if you could tone, or even build, the muscle beneath, then that would stretch whatever deposits there were more evenly...
It is just fat, and it should go, eventually. But it must be distressing, if you've successfully shed some fat and you think it's not much of a reward!
Persevere. It'll be worth it.
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Corina
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 9 Jan 2007 05:30 pm |
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| I had pretty bad cellulite on my thighs, but as soon as I incorporated weight training & Tae Bo (which includes both cardio & strength exercises), I was able to greatly reduce the appearance of the cellulite. I agree w/ nevd that it will eventually go away so long as your burning the fat through cardio and combining muscle building exercises.
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NevD
New Member
| Joined: | 26 Oct 2005 |
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| Posts: | 1536 |
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Posted: 10 Jan 2007 06:35 am |
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Great, Corina. Good to have some independent corroboration...
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