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Cellulite
Health | April 06, 2015
Ladies, we definitely need to get over our OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior) with cellulite. It’s not a disease or a flaw or the result of losing out on the genetic lottery. It’s also not an indication of being out of shape or unhealthy unless you know for certain that your body fat percentage is less than ideal and that you need to shed some pounds. There are much more important signs of being out of shape and unhealthy then some cellulite on our buns or thighs.
Upwards of 90 percent of women have cellulite. From overweight to skinny to athletic (yes athletic!) women have cellulite. It’s just how we are made.
Cellulite has more to do with the nature of our skin than anything else. As Vanessa Bennington points out in a great piece on cellulite and female athletes, the structure of skin for men (and very few women) tends to behave like a compression sock while for most women the skin behaves like a pair of fishnet stockings. In other words, a man could conceivably have more fat on his thighs than a woman, yet the woman would have cellulite because what little fat she may have still pokes through the gaps due to the structure of her skin. Again, it’s just how we are made.
It’s really too bad that magazines, TV shows and blogs obsess about cellulite and insist on shaming celebrities as well as everybody else for having some. Even worse, those ideas and images can get into our heads and have a terrible affect on our sense of self and wellbeing. That, in turn, shifts our focus away from true health and wellbeing and toward neurotically obsessing over things that are, in fact, normal. Never mind the fact that in this day and age of photoshop we rarely get to see what real, strong women actually look like in the first place!
All those creams and weird brushes that promise to get rid of cellulite are just pointless gimmicks. What we should really be focusing on is eating healthy and kicking butt at the ZGYM. Diet and exercise go a long way in ridding our bodies of unhealthy fat and, therefore, diminishing the amount of cellulite we may have. Again though, don’t obsess over it!
Let me now what you think about cellulite and how you got over it (or are getting over it). 🙂
Private Member |
First off, you are Amazing! I have cellulite and I am not over it. It does bother me a lot, but I still wear shorts and show my legs. I just try to remind myself that I have healthy strong legs and I’m blessed and shouldn’t worry about a cosmetic issue. I also don’t want my daughter to pick up on my bad habits of over obsessing about stuff like that.
Private Member |
Sunless tanning lotion is a good way to diminish the look of cellulite!
Private Member |
I disagree. Sport and healthy eating is great but it won’t cure cellulite. Creams and massages help a lot.
Private Member |
I do not have any cellulite. It’s weird because I have a “bubble butt” but it is smooth. I also have bigger (yet athletic) thighs ad none there either. I realize I am very luck but I have something that I am not lucky for. VERY STUBBORN BELLY FAT!! I make it sound worse than it is but I have a thin layer of fat that covers my abs that is literally impossible for me to get rid of. I have tried working out with Zuzka 7 days a week and doing intense (not beginner) workouts everyday and even though I was fit like her, I still had the layer on my stomach. We all have things that aren’t perfect and we need to just accept our flaws as things that make us unique. I am vegan and never eat sugar or chocolate or any junk food at all actually and perhaps that it why I have no cellulite but I was told by a lady I met who was fit like Zuzka that it is because I don’t eat animal protein that I have the belly fat problem. Maybe, maybe not. I had the problem before I was vegan. I started being vegan when I started working out with Zuzka though in 2010 so I guess I’ll never know!!
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
It could be just a hormone imbalance that can be fixed with slight changes in your lifestyle. Belly fat usually correlates with high levels of cortisol, lack of sleep and lack of protein. Stress reduction would be important as well as making sure that you have a good source of protein more frequently.
Private Member |
Thank you Zuzka! I really appreciate your response! I think I need to search out a good vegan protein powder. I do get a lack of sleep and my stress level is high for many reasons. I need to get to the bottom of that and hopefully it will help me. The fat (and stress) has been an issue since I was a teenager. I guess I just never thought of them going hand in hand.
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Stress is a such a huge factor that I believe can affect anything. We all stress, but it’s so important for us to manage that and stay focused on keeping calm. It’s not easy but it’s doable.
Private Member |
Yes, it is hard. I am very calm for the most part but I tend to bottle up my emotions instead of getting them out in a healthy way. I have had some trouble in my relationship recently and it has been very stressful. It’s not something I feel comfortable talking about with anyone really so I need to figure out a way of managing my situation in a positive way and not let it take over my thoughts and feelings negatively. It is difficult but sticking to your workout schedule seems to help a lot. Thank you for your caring words. I really appreciate it 🙂
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Im sorry for that. Relationships are not easy to deal with. What I find very helpful is to have friends or someone to talk to. Sometimes hearing that everyone goes through the same things helps a lot, because then your problems seem more as a part of life and relationships rather then something severe that only you have to deal with.
Private Member |
I definitely agree. However, the problems I have been facing lately are unique to my partner and it is something that I may not be able to move passed. I did talk to a friend about it today and she reacted just as I thought she would. With shock. I do love him very much but he lied to me and hurt me deeply. I’m just trying to work through the emotions as best I can without feeling too hurt but it is very difficult. I have been with him for 6 years so the thought of being without him seems impossible. I don’t know what it’s like to go through a separation. I know it must have been very hard for you to leave Freddy. I don’t know what the reasons behind it were and obviously it is private but if you have any advice on how to deal with struggling with whether or not to leave a partnership I would be ever so grateful. I know it is personal and this isn’t really your specialty (your workouts are) but I think you are an amazing and strong woman and any help you can give me during this time of heartbreak would be a true gift. Thank you Zuzka.
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
Hi Zoe, I have actually never experienced such a heartbreak that you seem to be going through. I went through some bad relationships,and have experienced pain however my breakups and even my divorce brought me great amount of relief. I know I would be heartbroken if Jesse and I split up. I don’t know what your partner did, but all I can tell you is that you have to look at the big picture. Relationships are not easy and it’s something that requires constant work. There’s no relationship that wouldn’t go through ups and downs. You have to ask yourself, is this someone that you’ve been truly happy with? Do you think you’ll be able to trust him moving forward even if you decide to forgive him? What does the action he did tell you about this person? Was it a selfish act, that could have put you in any kind of danger? Do you truly believe that someone that really loves you would be ever capable of hurting you like this? We’re always scared of the unknown, that’s why we get often stuck and unable to leave a relationship that is unhealthy, because it’s the only thing we know. Nobody likes change. However people change and people grow. Just because you’ve been with someone for 6 years, doesn’t mean you truly know him or that he’s the same. Sometimes people get divorced after 20 years of marriage because they grew apart. 20 years!! And they move on and find happiness in another relationship. Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you’ll never fall in love again with someone else. People are designed to fall in love with each other, they just don’t always know what to do with it 🙂 I feel like you and I know that we would never hurt the person we love so much, and we deserve to be with someone that is that same way. I believe you’ll make the right decision for him and for yourself. It should come from your heart, not from your fears. XO
Private Member |
Thank you for this, it has made me feel much better xxx
Private Member |
I couldn’t reply to you again on our thread so I am simply leaving one more comment. Thank you so much for replying to me. You made me feel much better. As I mentioned, it is something I feel I cannot talk about because of the nature of what he did. Basically he breached an agreement we had and took it to a point where I did feel it could definitely be dangerous. I “busted” him and his reaction has not been remorseful. It has been anger and frustration. This has made me very confused because I thought he would be sorry for what he has done but he doesn’t seem to be. He actually admitted to me that he doesn’t really think it’s a big deal. I have made it very clear that it is to me and it just seems to frustrate him even more. I am very put off by his reactions to my hurt feelings and have explained why but he keeps finding ways of telling me what I’ve done wrong instead of taking responsibility for his actions. We had a very heated exchange this evening and he broke up with me. I was completely caught off guard and I can’t believe it is actually happening. I’m not sure if he meant it but it feels like he did. It feels good to tell someone. I have definitely been caught in that trap of being in a relationship with the wrong person before and I thought this one was different. We have been friends for 16 years! It is going to be a tough one because we play in a band together so I will still have to see him all the time. We always promised to stay friends so I guess we’ll have to make our best efforts. Again Zuzka, thank you for hearing me out. I know you are very busy. Don’t feel obligated to respond to this message. I just kind of feel like you are my friend because I have been following your workouts for 5 years! I wish I could send you a picture so you at least know what I look like but I’m not sure which email to use through your site 🙂
Private Member |
I had asked my boyfriend years ago what he thought on my cellulite on my thighs. He simply said “I don’t really care, you are still beautiful. Doesn’t bother me at all.” It’s always in the back of my mind but I remember that to have no cellulite isn’t a logical nor possible goal. It’s there hanging about, but it sure as hell doesn’t have to get any worse. Since working out the appearance of my thigh cellulite hasn’t bothered me. It’s just a reminder that perfection isn’t a logical goal, it’s one of many perfectly flawed things I have to show the unique me 🙂
Private Member |
Dear Zuzka, thank you for your post and for your genious programs!
Its a very big problem for me, i have cellulite since i was 12 years. My diet is ok, i do your exercices twice a day, morning and evening, i do masages regularly and i visit a sauna once a week. No changes in my cellulite. So i just feel very desesperated and i dont believe i can get rid of it. I just dont know what more can i do …