Cellulite-Blasting Secrets

This article just came out March 1st on eDiets.com. How exciting! Check it out...

Cellulite. An estimated 90 percent of women have it, experts say. And most women fear it. Can you get rid of it or not? And if you can zap it, how do you do it?

We consulted two fitness experts who gave us the lowdown. New York Times best-selling fitness author and certified physical trainer Joyce Vedral, Ph.D. and exercise physiologist and former supermodel trainer Teresa Tapp are in the trenches day in and day out with women in the battle of the bumps.

"Is it possible to become cellulite-free?" we asked our experts. The good news is yes, they say -- you can kiss most, if not all, of your cellulite goodbye. How? Through good old-fashioned diet and exercise. That's a balanced diet and the right kind of exercise.

The bad news? You guessed it: "You mean I have to work at it?" we hear you saying.

"I get furious when I hear fitness and medical professionals say you can't get rid of cellulite," said Vedral, who at 50+, has the tight, toned body of an in-shape woman half her age. When the fitness guru appeared on a talk show with a physician who said that nothing could remove cellulite, she did everything she could to maintain her composure.

"Cellulite is just bunched-up fat," she says. "Build lean, shapely muscle underneath those dimply thighs, and the skin will become smoother and firmer as the fat melts away."

Most experts agree that cellulite owes its waffled appearance to strands of tissue that connect fat to your skin. As soft fat bulges through these connective fibers, it pushes against your skin to produce the dreaded rippling effect.

Vedral used to have cellulite. She found her secret weapon in weight training, in her 40s, and says she has coached hundreds of women to do the same.

Tapp, on the other hand, says she has helped hundreds of women become cellulite-free through a preventive wellness program that took seven years to develop. The copyrighted T-Tapp workout combines dance theory, tai chi and theories of Western strength training in a regimen that is designed to fatigue muscle groups layer by layer. "My system works from the inside out," she says, because the carefully planned moves stimulate the body to rebuild its digestive system, flush out toxins, and improve lymphatic function and neuro-kinetic flow. The movement sequences affect multiple muscle groups, organs and body systems. The result: You burn calories and develop muscle density instead of muscle mass. No equipment is necessary. As a bonus, says Tapp, the workout is rehabilitative, especially for the lower back and knees.

You may be surprised to learn that both fitness experts believe just about any healthy, balanced eating plan that avoids refined carbohydrates will aid in reducing cellulite. Tapp also advises staying away from carbonated beverages.

If you want to see sleeker thighs and buttocks in as little as three weeks and near perfection in 12 weeks, Vedral says, try her Cellulite Be Gone package. It consists of three workout videos that are designed to be used in rotation to shock the body for maximum fat-burning and body-shaping results.

Tapp, who has helped supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell get and stay in top shape, says you can tighten up and drop a dress size in two weeks with T-Tapp. Other skin-tightening solutions she recommends are body brushing and specially developed supplements. Tapp recently released a book about her program, Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes.