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Angelina Jolie's Got Cellulite? My Theory
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I stumbled across a recent blog post titled, "Angelina Jolie's Got Cellulite."
It's a photo taken on the set of her new movie, a scene where her character is running barefoot from what seems to be an exploding building.
Now, there is an ever-so-slight RIPPLE visible on her left thigh.
And guess what?
She is RUNNING.
You ever see a slow-motion replay of like, a guy operating a jackhammer? You will see all of the flesh on the man's body rippling like crazy.
Well, when people run, the downward force of gravity will cause a bit of the same rippling effect, and when you are captured by high-speed photography, especially in harsh sunlight which casts strong shadows, those ripples will be frozen in motion and give the appearance of nasty cellulite where there is none, or make a moderate case of cellulite look absolutely horrendous.
Which I believe is what happened in this photo of Angelina:
no cellulite
+
running
+
harsh sunlight
+
high speed photography
=
the appearance of (very mild) cellulite.
+
running
+
harsh sunlight
+
high speed photography
=
the appearance of (very mild) cellulite.
:)
You can see it for yourself here: Angelina Jolie's Got Cellulite
See also Stars with Cellulite (and some moons, too)
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Nivea GoodBye Cellulite Challenge - I'm Going to Do It
Monday, March 16, 2009
Last summer I bought a bottle of Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite, but just used it now and then so can't really say if it had an real effects or not. However, being as I'm now a blogger on the topic of cellulite, and today is the start of Nivea's official Goodbye Cellulite Challenge for 2009, AND a lot of people are curious about this product, I'm going to do it! It also helps that I ran out of my regular moisturizer today. :-) I already have opinions about this cellulite lotion, but I'm going to keep an open mind. Stay tuned for regular updates.
And if YOU are taking the Goodbye Cellulite Challenge, tell me what you think!
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You Don't Have to Spend Money to Reduce Cellulite
Recently I wrote about the benefits of caffeine applied to the skin (see A Cellulite Lotion Ingredient that Actually Works).
The good news is that for pennies you can give yourself a spa-like cellulite-wrap at home, with that same effective active ingredient. The main drawback to doing it yourself is that it's messier and a bit more time consuming than using a store-bought cellulite lotion.
Still want to give it a try?
Here's how to do it:
You'll need:
- ¼ cup of warm used coffee grounds (must be caffeinated! Obviously, decaf won't work!)
- tablespoon of olive oil
- roll of plastic wrap
As I wrote above this can get messy since you're using loose coffee grounds, so there are some extra instructions to take care of that.
1. Mix about a quarter-cup of used coffee grounds with a tablespoon or so of olive oil. (You can microwave them for about 20 seconds to warm them up)
2. Lay a few sheets of newspaper on the floor (the bathroom would probably be the best place to do this!).
3. While standing on the newspaper, apply the coffee grounds "paste" to your cellulite-afflicted areas. Don’t worry if a lot of the coffee grounds fall to the floor; enough will hold to your skin to do the trick.
4. Wrap the area in plastic wrap and let it remain on for several minutes. If you have time, for maximum results leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove the plastic wrap and any remaining coffee mixture. Shower as usual.
*According to most of what I've read about this treatment, you get the best results when you repeat it twice a week.
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Lose Cellulite in Four Weeks?
Sunday, March 15, 2009
I feel it's my duty as a Cellulite Blogger--somehow that sounds less glamorous than Celebrity Blogger-- to let you know that this Monday, March 16th, is the start of Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite, Hello Bikini Challenge. Tyra Banks pretty much went insane over these Nivea products on her show last year. This is one product that has a LOT of hype.
It's a 4-pronged attack-- focused on:
- diet: cutting down on chips and cookies, for starters
- fitness: mostly simple exercises with dumbbells
- cellulite: applying the Nivea gel cream 2x's a day, patches 2-3 times a week, and optionally taking the new Nivea Goodbye Cellulite supplement. The supplements come packaged together with the gel cream.
- style: which swimsuits are "in" this season, choosing the right sunglasses for your face, pedicures, and of course getting a (fake) tan. Their resident dermatologist says, "Tan cellulite looks better than pale cellulite." We needed an M.D. to tell us that?
Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite Body Gel Cream ($12.99 x's 2) = $25.98
OR
Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite Gel Cream+Smoothing Supplement ($18.99 x's 2) = $37.98
+
Nivea's Goodbye Cellulite Patches( $13.49 x's 2) = $26.98
Total: $52.96 to $64.96 (depending on whether or not you take the supplement)
The numbers above are a minimum if you follow their program as instructed. You may need to buy more than two bottles of the gel-cream if you are applying it two times a day as instructed. The patches come in boxes of 6 and you are supposed to use them 2-3 times a week. The capsules you can take 1 to 3 times per day, and they come in packs of 30.
You can sign up on their website for the details of their plan, laid out week by week, and to get support from other people taking the challenge.
Does this stuff work? It's active ingredient, in both the gel-cream, patches, and the supplement, is fat- burner L-carnitine.
L-carnitine is found naturally in avocados, dairy products, red meats and tempeh (thats a fermented soybean product). L-carnitine helps your body use fat as an energy source and is commonly taken in supplement form as a diet aid. I wasn't able to find information about the effectiveness of L-carnitine when applied to the skin for the treatment of cellulite, though it has been patented for topical use.
Have you tried Nivea Goodbye Cellulite? What do you think of it?
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Warning: Loss of Muscle Mass Leads to Cellulite
Saturday, March 14, 2009
There's a new article appearing on the news wires about how the loss of muscle mass with age plays a big role in the development of cellulite in women.
The article is a bit heavy on numbers and percentages, but those numbers might shock you:
Because the average woman loses five pounds of muscle every decade of adult life, she has reduced her muscle mass by one-third by age 50.If that's not motivation for taking up strength training, I don't know what is. If you're older, you can work on regaining lost muscle. If you're young, you should start now to keep the ill-effects of aging at bay.
Because muscle loss typically doubles during the menopause years, a 60-year old woman may have less than half of her original muscle tissue.
The average American woman adds about 15 pounds of fat every decade during the midlife years. Consequently, the average 50-year old female has 15 pounds too little muscle and 45 pounds too much fat, for a 60-pound undesirable change in her body composition. She is almost 50 percent fat.
Too little muscle and too much fat are largely responsible for cellulite.
Generally speaking, cellulite is the name given to excess fat that is no longer evenly distributed under the skin, giving a smooth appearance, but is clumped together in uneven bundles, giving a rippled and dimpled appearance.
When the firm, foundational muscle layer is decreased and the soft, overlying fat layer is increased, the result is the lumpy, cottage cheese-like appearance referred to as cellulite.
A relatively brief training program coupled with a sensible nutrition plan can be highly successful for reducing cellulite.
The full text of the article can be found at the following link: http://www.wickedlocal.com/danvers/sports/x792889877/Staying-fit
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View more...Stars with Cellulite: Guess the Celebrity Cellulite
Friday, March 13, 2009
Okay y'all, we here are focused on how to lose cellulite, but I think that a bit of celebrity diversion is good now and then, no?
This is a link to Entertainment Wise, and their popular Guess the Celebrity Cellulite.
I don't know about you, but I suspect that some of the magazines use Photoshop to make the celebs look even WORSE! Though honestly some of the ones shown there don't look that bad, either.
These are the kind of things that make me happy I'm not famous.
Great Links: Fight Cellulite Fast
Thursday, March 12, 2009
These are some great videos from health magazine Prevention featuring proven exercises to help lose cellulite! They are nice quality videos with clear instruction. Just follow the link below to smoother thighs. :-)
Fight Cellulite Fast from Prevention.com
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Lose the Granny Panties, Lose the Cellulite
You've probably heard of Dr. Lionel Bisson and his book The Cellulite Cure. Or if not, you've probably heard of his famous panty theory.
Dr. Bisson has appeared on numerous TV talk shows to promote his book, usually holding up a pair of lacy red thong panties.
He says that after five years of careful observation of ladies' derrieres (in a clinical setting, of course) he's positive that traditional or "granny panties" are a key factor in the development of cellulite. Why? Because the elastic causes compression across the "lymphatic tissues" which sooner or later leads to the dreaded dimpling.
Many women have worn that type of underwear pretty much 24/7 since they were little girls, giving it plenty of time to do horrific damage. To quote Dr. Bisson, "tight undergarments are the friends of cellulite."
I was skeptical, as you might be too. But in his book he shows "case study" photos of women where you can clearly see that their cellulite is much worse all along their panty line! Seriously. Buy a copy of his book, get it from the library, or check out excerpts on Google reader. I'm pretty sure that after you see those photos, the next time you hit Victoria's Secret you won't be buying the cotton briefs.
So, for your information, here are his General Rules for Underwear (in his words, not mine):
- No elastic over buttocks
- No elastic over groin area
- Elastic is okay at waist
- Wear non-compressing lace instead of elastic
- Preferable to wear thongs and g-strings
- Not wearing underwear is an option
- Stockings/pantyhose are beneficial
- Sleep in the nude or pull-over nighty
- Don't wear underwear and pantyhose together
So how about you, have you made the switch?
The Cellulite Cure book on Amazon
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A cellulite lotion ingredient that actually works?
This article appeared on CBS news today:
Many of us just can't live without that daily caffeine boost. And now beauty regimens are getting a java jolt too. A growing number of products are energizing the skin with caffeine.
"I'm hoping to lighten up the dark circles, and to tone down some of the redness around my mouth especially (touches problem areas)," Lisa Nizzari said.
According to dermatologist Dr. Ariel Ostad, Nizzari is the perfect patient for caffeine.
Ostad said it can also help her other complaint -- cellulite.
"Well sometimes, in the summer especially, you can see it through clothing. It's a little embarrassing," Nizzari said.
"Cellulite, which women hate, which is that lumpy, bumpy skin on the outer thighs, basically can be improved by applying products that contain topical caffeine," Ostad said. "It primarily works by dehydrating those fat cells, which means that it shrinks those fat cells temporarily and therefore the skin is smoother."
Coffee is full of healthy antioxidants, so the caffeinated creams made with it are thought to make the skin look younger by renewing cells damaged by the sun.
The products range from inexpensive drugstore finds to the several hundred dollar prescription creams. And unless you have a specific allergy, they're safe.
If you're interested, some lotions with caffeine as an active ingredient are grouped together here at amazon.com.
This is just more confirmation that certain ingredients in cellulite lotion really do reduce the appearance of the lumpy, bumpy stuff.
Read the original article here:
Caffeinated Creams With Antioxidants
Thought To Make Skin Look Younger By Renewing Cells Damaged By Sun
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Kelly Clarkson: 'Of Course Celebrities Have Cellulite'
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Cellulite Diaries isn't only the best source for factual information about cellulite, it's also a place for kicking back and having fun, so I'll be posting about celebrities+cellulite from time to time. I hope you enjoy this feature. Let's get started:
The C-word was on the lips of singer Kelly Clarkson in a recent article from PEOPLE magazine.
Think Kelly Clarkson looks too good to be true on the cover of her upcoming CD? You're right, says the singer.
"No girl is perfect," Clarkson – who joked on her blog last month that "they Photoshopped the crap out of me!" on her sexy All I Ever Wanted cover image "No girl wakes up every day and is like, 'I'm awesome!'"
Clarkson, 26, knows what it's like to have her body image picked apart. "It affected me when people were saying about me and some other artists that we were the 'thicker' ones," she tells PEOPLE.
"It's horrible – they'll show celebrities with cellulite and it's like, 'Of course celebrities have cellulite! We're not fem-bots!"
Maybe the celebrities think it's horrible, but I'd say it makes the rest of us feel better to know that celebrities really aren't all cellulite-free fem-bots!
Though I firmly believe that when they focus on it, they can lose the cellulite, too.
Do you think it's a bad thing when magazines publish photos of celebrities' cellulite? Or are they actually doing a public service?
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Review: The Cellulite Solution
Welcome to the new Cellulite Diaries blog! One of the features I have planned for this blog is regular original book reviews, to help women in search of useful information to sort the junk from the pearls.
I'm going to start with a review of a well-known book on the topic of losing cellulite:The Cellulite Solution: A Doctor's Program for Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples, and Stretch Marks by Howard Murad, M.D.
According to Dr. Murad, "Blast cellulite with this powerful, effective three-step program featuring the youth-building cellulite diet. With some modifications to your nutritional habits and lifestyle, you can experience the first scientifically proven method of smoothing cellulite."
Let's take a closer look.
The Cellulite Solution: A Walkthrough
Chapter 1: The Anatomy of Cellulite and Stretch Marks: Causes and Effects
This is Dr. Murad's answer to the age old question "What exactly IS cellulite?"
The first few pages are actually rather frightening for a cellulite-sufferer. Dr. Murad claims that cellulite is fat that is trapped in the dermal layer and is not available to be burned as energy the same way that "normal" fat is available to be burned off with diet and exercise. Because of this, "the dermal fat that causes cellulite is here to stay." But the good news is that by following the steps found in The Cellulite Solution, you'll never have to notice it.
This chapter has plenty of charts, including a diagram of the skin as seen under a microscope, charts listing the pros and cons of exercise, the differences between cellulite and normal fat, and a "cellulite time line" (apparantly the first record of its mention is in 1920's France.) There is a detailed explanation of the causes of cellulite, and then there is what is probably the most interesting concept in this chapter, the Four Stages of Cellulite.
Stage 1: The very beginning of cellulite, when it is still not visible from the outside
Stage 2: Minimal orange peel texture visible when pinched
Stage 3: Significant orange peel texture visible by pinching
Stage 4: Cellulite is always visible
According to The Cellulite Solution, the earlier you begin treatment, the better. However even if you are already in Stage 4, it's not too late to repair the damage.
This chapter closes with some information on stretch marks.
Chapter 2: The Water Principle: The Source of all Vitality
The pathway to all aging and disease is water loss, or so begins this chapter. As we age, our cells break down and become unable to hold as much water as they did when we were young. This leads to loss of firmness, wrinkling, dryness, and of course, cellulite. The Cellulite Solutiondoesn't just tell you to drink more water, though. It has a program aimed at repairing your body's cells so that they are able to hold on to more water thus improving your skin's appearance, and even repairing connective tissue which plays a key role in the appearance of cellulite.
Chapter 3: Repairing Damage
Here we learn about the various nutrients and supplements that you should add to your diet to repair your body and improve your cells' water retention. This include various minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, B vitamins, antioxidants, glucosamine, and lecithin. (Yes, I know it sounds complicated. It's all explained in the book).
Chapter 4: Preventing Cellulite
Here the focus is on preventing free-radical damage-- the damage that occurs in your body from exposure to the sun, pollution, stress, and other sources. You can fight against this with the use of antioxidants such as vitamin C, and anti-inflammatories like aloe vera. There is also a section on exfoliation through methods such as dry skin brushing, and the use of moisturizers and which moisturizing ingredients are most effective in the prevention and treatment of cellulite.
Chapter 5: The Youth Building Cellulite Solution Diet
"You'd probably think that you'd never hear anyone say this, but you can smooth out your cellulite by eating!" This chapter discusses repairing and preventing cellulite by eating "cellulite busting" foods. The author basically goes back to the list of minerals and vitamins from chapter 3 and provides detailed information about which foods contain each "cellulite buster" and how much you should try to eat or take in supplement form. This chapter lists tons of vitamins, amino acids and trace minerals, to me it starts to feel a bit overwhelming. But just when I'm about to reach burn-out phase, there is a Seven Day Sample Meal Plan. This to me helps simplify things because it gives concrete ideas on how to get the needed nutrients. There are also pages of recipes included which are pretty tasty.
Chapter 6: The Cellulite Solution Program: Eight Weeks to Smoother Skin
Don't we all love plans like this? There is a quiz to assess your cellulite situation, and then the plan is layed out week by week. It's pretty involved-- it includes eating more of the right foods, taking supplements, exfoliating (skin brushing especially), applying creams, exercising, and even doing things for your spirit like socializing or spa treatments. Week1 is the preparation stage, and I think you really need that full week to prepare because there is a lot of information to get a handle on, not to mention groceries, moisturizers, and supplements to buy if you want to follow the program strictly by the book.
Chapter 7: Inclusive Health
Nice thoughts here, but to me it's a throwaway chapter (luckily, it's short). It's all about the mind-skin connection, and about how eating the right foods and exercise isn't enough to be truly healthy, you also need to be happy. I think it's an excellent point, but to me it was overkill in a book about cellulite. I agree that our state of mind can have an impact on our appearance. But I am skeptical that many women are going to take up meditation as part of this program. Or am I wrong?
Chapter 8: Cellulite Minimizers: Ingredients That Can Really Make a Difference
I think there is some really good information here that alone makes it worth the price of the book. The author has evaluated a wide array of cellulite treatment ingredients to determine their ability to treat the condition of cellulite. There are thirty-one pages of valuable information, arranged alphabetically like an encyclopedia. All kinds of treatments are discussed and evaluated here, from cellulite reducing apparel, to liposuction, to supplements. It's very thorough and informative.
Buy or Don’t Buy?
This book can be complicated and seem a bit overwhelming with all of the recommendations. And I believe Dr. Murad has been criticized for selling what some believe to be overpriced packets of supplements at his website. So then why do I recommend buying this book?
First, you can find these supplements inexpensively at your local drugstore or at GNC. You don't need to order anything from Dr. Murad's website. And by following the recommendations in the book, you can pick and choose which ones will be most useful to your particular situation. Also, many of the nutrients can be gotten through the food you eat, without supplementation.
Second, there is a huge amount of useful information here. You will learn so much about cellulite and all of the various treatments. This book is a great way to truly be informed. To me the Cellulite Solutions are sound and ungimmicky.
Third, if you implement all of the strategies, you will see a real improvement in your skintone and you are bound to lose cellulite. If you implement only SOME of the strategies, I believe that you will still see an improvement in your skintone and cellulite. To me that makes the purchase price of this book more than worth it.
If you see it similarly, The Cellulite Solution: A Doctor's Program for Losing Lumps, Bumps, Dimples, and Stretch Marks gets a strong “buy” recommendation from me.
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