Cellulite is simply “fat pockets” that occur when connective tissues underneath the skin do not hold in the underlying fat, which pokes out causing dimples like you would see on a golf ball.

However, it is important to remember that cellulite is simply normal fat. It looks bumpy because this fat is pushing through the connective tissue that usually keeps the fat distributed evenly beneath your skin.

Cellulite occurs in most areas around the body where the skin is thinnest. Places like the thighs, legs, and buttocks of women. Your total percent of body fat, your age, and your genetics all combine to determine if you will have cellulite or not. Basically, there is a big genetic component to having cellulite, so if you do not like it you can blame your parents. (But there are ways to overcome your genetic predisposition.)

Cellulite affects women more than men because of the female hormone estrogen, and a woman’s tendency for thin skin. You see, estrogen tends to increase the fluid buildup in fatty tissue and women tend to have thinner skin than men so their superficial fat shows more easily if it pushes through the surrounding connective tissue.

It is estimated that 85% of all women have some cellulite regardless if she is heavy or thin. Even women under 100 lbs can have cellulite!

<<< CELLULITE CURES? THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

Before I reveal several new and exciting cellulite solutions, it is important to mention techniques that plain DO NOT WORK. Here they are so you don’t waste your time and money:

1. SOME CELLULITE CREAMS: There are countless creams available as supposed cellulite treatments. However, the scientific research does not support most of them. Generally speaking, slathering gobs of cellulite cream onto your skin and expecting it to do something is nothing but wishful thinking. These creams only absorb into the top layer of skin, not to the deep layers of connective tissue where cellulite is found.

After all, your skin is specifically designed to keep things from “soaking in” to your body. It is a protective mechanism. Otherwise, anything that touched your skin would be absorbed and circulate throughout your body.

Thankfully, this does not happen.

Thinking that a cellulite cream is going to work by absorbing into your body is kind of like spreading pudding on your belly and expecting it to “soak in” to your stomach and make you full.

If you are set on using a cellulite cream, look for one that contains both caffeine and theophylline. There are some studies that indicate these ingredients MAY have a positive effect on cellulite by causing fat cells to shrink.

2. LIPOSUCTION: A lot of people are under the impression that liposuction is a cellulite cure. But that is not the case. The fact is, liposuction can make cellulite look worse!

You see, liposuction is designed to suck away the fat that is deep down beneath the skin. But cellulite is generally to close to the surface for liposuction to help.

Therefore, by sucking away deep-fat, your surface fat could “cave in” and make your cellulite look much worse. Besides, liposuction is extremely expensive and, like all surgeries, can be dangerous.

3. MESOTHERAPY™: This cellulite treatment was originally developed in France and involves a series of injections directly into the small pockets of cellulite fat. These injections contain a solution of homeopathic medications that supposedly break down and dissolve fat so it can be excreted by the body.

The problem is, there are no scientific studies to back up this procedure and there is a lot of skepticism surrounding it in the medical community. The other problem with mesotherapy is you have to get a LOT of injections, which can have side effects and problems. Mesotherapy is also very expensive with individual sessions costing hundreds of dollars. Until further research is done, I would stay away from this procedure.

4. LIPODISSOLVE™: Lipodissolve injections, also called injection lipolysis, is a technique, similar to mesotherapy, where a combination of substances, including vitamins, enzymes and phosphadatidylcholine, a natural substance derived from soy, is injected into fat-pockets to help break apart the cellulite fat-pocket.

Again, there is no scientific research (to my knowledge), to show that lipodissolve injections are effective. Furthermore, it is recommended that you get two to four treatments every week for six to eight week intervals to see results. This can be very expensive and injections can be painful.

Common side effects include local pain, minor burning sensations for a few hours, temporary bruising, along with itchiness and soreness for one to two days after treatment.

Some patients may feel a few bumps under the skin, which will dissolve within two weeks and the injection areas may experience tenderness and swelling for 48 hours.

Anyway, those are the four techniques I DO NOT recommend at this time. New studies may prove differently in the future, but in the mean time… stay clear.

Darn it… I have a meeting to catch and I’ve run out of time. If I get at least 20 comments/questions to this blog post, I’ll write a “Part Two” to this post.

In everyone’s life, at some point or another comes a turning point. A who or what that makes us stand up and take notice. It can be anything from finally achieving weight loss and maintaining it, to a complete body transformation with a whole new healthy lifestyle or maybe it’s going back to school and pursuing an education for that dream career. What ever it is, there was a turning point that was strong enough to create the motivation to finally achieve it. What or who was your turning point? How did it positively effect your life? Please comment below and share your turning point.

If you exercise day in and day out and still do not see the weight loss results that you want, it’s time to get more for your effort! Interval training makes a whole lot of sense. This precision workout can provide the calorie burning push you’ve been lacking in your routine.

Understanding Interval Training

Interval training involves a precision workout that combines intense, but brief, bursts of activity with less intense physical measures. The idea is to blend an aerobic and anaerobic workout into a single training session to maximize caloric burn.

Let’s say a runner does great at 4 miles per hour on a treadmill, but starts to tire at 5 mph. An interval session might include a normal warm up period, several minutes of that runner working out at 4 mph and then a minute or two at 5 mph before the workout goes back down to the 4 mph range.

Essentially, an interval workout pushes the body farther, but not for extended periods of time. A short, but effective sprint in the case of the runner can maximize workout time and increase calorie burning.

Does It Work?

The simple reality is interval training does work and can produce a number of benefits. While that 4 mph run does burn calories and helps tone and trim the body, that burst of energy expended during the one-minute run can increase the overall effectiveness of the same amount of workout time without overextending the body in the process.

The benefits of interval training include:

• Decreased chance of injury – It’s okay to push the body to its limits or near them, but not for too long. Interval training sessions help reduce the chance of injury and undo wear and tear because the burst of energy in the extreme range is very short and occurs after a person is properly warmed up.
• More effective use of time – Where it might take 45 minutes to gain results running at a single pace, an interval training session can shave time off the routine. Basically, interval training makes for a more effective workout.
• Increases fat burning – Interval training sessions put the body to work in the fat-burning sense. Studies have shown that interval sessions improve efficiency of mitochondria. These are tiny cells that use oxygen to help create energy. This more efficient use of them can increase fat burning properties of a workout.

Interval training is a great way to get a bigger bang out of your workout time. We recommend working with a Personal Trainer to assist you with this program. This type of workout isn’t for everyone and you want to make sure you are working out appropriately for your fitness level and goals.

About the Author

Vern Gauthier is co-owner of “Fit For You Health Club”, Traverse City’s leading fitness and fat loss center.  If you’re ready to begin your fat loss journey please call 1-231-922-7285 right now or click here to receive a complimentary nutrition and fitness Consultation (valued at $87).

If you’re not yet ready for our free consultation offer, please click here to instantly download free tips and ticks to help you with your workouts.

Everyone has a story. And it’s your story that makes you who you are today.

When we were younger, we didn’t think much about what went into our mouth. We thought that it didn’t matter much because “we’re young and our bodies would burn it off fast anyway”.

Pete is now 50 lbs lighter and healthier then he has ever been. He now has normal blood pressure, normal blood sugar and normal cholesterol. Pete graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with high honors. Today, he loves cooking nutritionally sound meals for him and his wife.

Before                                       After

So the question is, how would you like us to write your story?

Maybe you need help getting started to create the ending you want. Click Here!

P.S. We have a new nutrition program that I’m really excited about. Click Here and watch the demo, it’ll only take a few minutes of your time.

I read a very interesting article called, “What Seperates The Have’s From The Have Not’s In Life”. The article was about two men who went to the same collage, had similar grades and were both very personable people. They were very much alike, and both went on to work at the same company. 25 Years later, one of the men was a manager of a small department within the company. The other was the company president. After telling this story, the article then askes, “What made the different in their lives?”

And that ‘something’ is truly what separates the have’s from the have-not’s, the middle managers from the company presidents, the average couch potato from the extremely motivated fitness enthusist.

As Socrates said, “an unexamined life is not worth living.”

The sad reality is that most people rarely take the time to think about WHO they are and WHY they are the way they are, do what they do, say what they say.

Instead they just react…salivating at the sound of the bell much like Pavlov’s dogs.

There are definitely times when thinking too much just gets in the way. It can actually interfere with performance, or stop you from even trying to perform.

But even that is worthy of thought, isn’t it?  (You can really go deep with this stuff.)

OK, let’s get to our question for you…our little quiz.

And there is only one correct answer.

Let’s see if you can get it right.  Everyone who does will be entered into a drawing to win a VERY valuable prize. I promise the winner will not be disappointed.  And really, you win just by participating, because this gets you thinking analytically – and that’s a good thing.

Here’s the question…

All other things being equal (just like the two young men in Conroy’s letter), what is it that separates the “have’s” from the “have not’s”…

…at the most fundamental level?

It is truly the ultimate success secret.

Now, it’s not a character trait, like self-discipline, determination or perseverance, for example.

It’s not your values or your principles, although they play a role.

It could be considered a “behavior” – but it’s NOT something you physically do.

It occurs only in your mind.

So it’s NOT “action” – or “intelligent action” – or “informed action” – or “massive action.”  All of which are often referred to as the ultimate success secret.

The answer I’m looking for…PRECEDES action.

It’s what happens before any action can occur.

That’s why I say it is what separates the have’s from the have-not’s at the most FUNDAMENTAL level.

The answer is just one word, and using either the noun or verb is acceptable.

OK, that’s enough clues. Go ahead and post your answer in the comments section below. Write as much or as little as you feel is necessary – but correct answers MUST include either the noun or verb form of the word.  We’ll announce the winner, and the killer prize, early next week.

Noodle it through – unless it’s nose-on-your-face obvious to you already.

Have fun and good luck.

Jeff and Vern Gauthier

P.S. If you’re not sure of the answer, think this through BEFORE reading others’ comments – it’s a great mental exercise. Then, if you’re still not sure…you can cheat a bit

Most Women at some point want to lose weight in their lives. If you fall in to this category right now, then you’ve made up your mind that you need to eat a little healthier, and you need to exercise a little more.

Exercise is so broad though… what is your game plan? To walk, run, take an aerobics class? All of these are, of course, workouts but are they enough to help you lose your body fat?

Unfortunately for most women, the answer is no.

The best exercise to burn body fat and keep your body trim and tight is all in weight training. Don’t let this be intimidating… women are completely different than men in our composition so you don’t have to worry about bulking up.

In fact, weight lifting not only helps you lose fat during a workout by burning calories but your body works hard to recover afterwords by keeping your metabolism raised for up to 48 hours afterwords! Running and aerobic based workouts can’t claim this.

It gets better, for each pound of lean, sexy muscle you have your body will burn an extra 50 calories (roughly) daily, even if you’re sitting on the couch watching Dancing With The Stars. That is because it takes energy to keep muscle happy, it needs fuel and protein to keep it happy!

Another great thing about lifting weights is that it’s never boring. The number one reason a woman quits her workout regiment isn’t because she’s not getting results, it’s because she loses motivation. Stay motivated with weight training by changing up your exercises regularly, learning new moves, and watching your strength and confidence increase from workout to workout.

If you have never picked up a dumbbell before, don’t let that stop you. There are several options.

First we have a few openings in our Body Transformation Programs with all different monetary commitments! Our transformation programs are 100% money back guaranteed. That’s confidence, our programs are that good.

Click Here consultations are FREE and will take us about 30 minutes to really understand you, where you are now, where you want to be, how much time we have and if your up to the task. We also have openings in our group training.

No matter what you want to do, remember if what you’re doing now isn’t working don’t you think it’s worth giving it a go?

All weights aren’t created equal though. Just like you don’t burn as man calories walking as you do running, you get different results from different weight training techniques.

Sure those weight machines span the floors of most gyms but these are small, isolated moves that create little calorie burn and little muscle toning. The best results come from total body workouts, and to get that from these machines you would have to spend a long time on all the machines available.

That is why free weights are great. Not only can you work several big muscles at once, you can create larger range of motion moves that will blast more body fat and give you better results faster.

If you’re ready to give it a go, here are a few of my favorite exercises:
Dumbbell squats
Split squats
Bench press
Curl to press
Single arm dumbbell clean and presses

These are just a few examples but all of them work several big muscles and will have you out of breath by the end of your set. Which takes us to the next questions… how many sets and reps should you be doing?
To keep from just spinning your wheels with all these questions Go Here
and make sure everything you’re doing is, first, effective and second, safe.

Good Luck

Why will I benefit from weight training prior to cardio?

Muscles will store glycogen in the cell for quick energy which comes from carbohydrates. During anaerobic training (weight resitance) the body requires hot quick burning energy to contract the muscle at it’s highest potential for a very short period of time, with lactic acid being the by product (burning in the muscle). When you finish your anaerobic session you have burnt most of the stored fuel (glycogen) and your heart rate is elevated. Go directly to cardio and your body will convert to a fat burning mode much faster. Remember your body is very efficient at burning fat as fuel if you keep it low intensity (heart rate 120 to 130).

What is your favorite low intensity aerobic exercise?

We are always in constant and steady improvement mode. Do you like our improvements? We would love to hear how much and why! Do you have an idea for another improvement or something you think we should change? Please let us know!

Our success rate at weight loss has been astronomical. We have hundreds upon hundreds of people just like you that has been very successful at not only achieving their goal of weight loss but maintaining it. We have created this section to speak out about it! So tell us or ask us! Do you have a success that you would like to share and possible help a person just like you? Do you have a question or concerns about weight loss? There is probably another person that has been in your shoes so don’t be afraid to help yourself now.

We all know it’s best to have a healthy snack after working out. Studies have shown that eating a small meal of protein and healthy carbs helps increase the benefits of your workout and speeds up the fat loss process. So what’s your favorite post workout meal?