Cellulite Stories, Declassified (Codename: Latebloomer)

Dear CI readers, please give a warm welcome to Latebloomer, our first undercover source for the Cellulite Investigation! She is a fellow cellulite sufferer, in her early fifties, living in Canada, and brave enough to share her Cellulite Story with us today. What valuable Intel can you glean from her account?

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1. When did you first notice your cellulite and how would you describe it?

I noticed my cellulite in my 20s. I’m 52 now. It didn’t bother me much, even when it got a bit worse after having kids. It really went nuclear about two years ago though, and I’m not entirely sure why (more on that later). I chalked it up to being menopausal and to being…a woman of a certain age. Until I found your site, that is. Now I think I can treat it; I hope so, because it is really awful at this point. And I think feeling embarrassed by it is the worst part of all. I hate being self-conscious. And yes, now that you’ve asked, it does hurt a lot when I get bumped in the thigh or in the upper arm, and I bruise in these places easily, too.

2. How has your cellulite fluctuated over the years?

Hasn’t fluctuated much over the years, even when I gained and lost weight–except for the really awful increase in the last couple of years. I thought a few times about taking “before” pictures, but haven’t been able to bring myself to do it. I’ve been at this for about a month now. I understand from Bronwyn’s book that the stuff will look worse before it looks better, and I honestly don’t know if I’m there yet because I look at it every day, and it’s pretty awful to begin with.

This morning I did notice a little dimple on my belly (argh) which wasn’t there before. I haven’t noticed dimpling on my belly before and so didn’t really think I had cellulite there…hopefully this is a sign that all that mess is starting to move–the storm before the calm, so to speak. If not, I am going to be well and truly bummed with this new dimple!

3.What do you suspect is your kryptonite?

I think my kryptonite, my waterloo, my armageddon, might be coffee. I spent some time in Europe a little over two years ago and started drinking coffee there again, which I hadn’t done in several years. The coffee in Italy and France is so good! Like dessert! When I got home, I started making coffee again (espresso really) and got pretty good at it. That was in October; by the following April I was beginning to gain weight, and whether the coffee is the culprit or not, I have nothing else on which to blame the increase in my cellulite (for me, I think cellulite and weight gain are MOST DEFINITELY related).

Unless I blame it on oatmeal, which I started eating in Scotland at about the same time–raw, in homemade muesli (which I also started making when I got home). Before I noticed the worsening of my cellulite, I noticed I was gaining weight, though I couldn’t understand why. I chalked it up to the oatmeal/carb thing and stopped eating the muesli and kept on with the coffee. Bad call perhaps! [Analyst's note: Hard to say. Raw oats can be tough on the digestive system. See this article by Cheeseslave about the importance of soaking grains.]

4. What has been your experience with cellulite treatments?

I’ve thought a lot about trying cellulite creams and liposuction, especially lately, but never have. Then I found your site a little over a month ago. Now that I understand a little bit more about what cellulite is, well, those things are off the radar for the time being.

5. What cellulite treatments are you planning to try next?

At the moment I do four things as often as I can:

• I drink the ACV and raw honey concotion every day, occasionally more than once a day.

• I dry brush nearly every morning before I shower. This was a pretty uncomfortable thing at first, but now I love it and I think my body is responding to it. Now all I have to do is brush my feet and my whole body starts to tingle. I can also use more pressure now than I could at first, and I really love the way it feels.

• I bathe in or massage myself with the massage oil recipe I got from Bronwyn Hewitt’s book. If I manage this once a week, I feel lucky!

• I do the “coffee grounds” treatment on my thighs and upper arms whenever I can. I mix coffee grounds (from my husband’s morning coffee!) with almond oil and slather it on my thighs and upper arms and then sit on the side of my tub for 20 minutes or so reading a book. I like your idea of using a sheet in the bathtub; I think I’m going to have to try that. I haven’t yet wrapped my thighs and upper arms in Saran Wrap (over the coffee grounds and oil) because I hate that stuff and don’t buy it…but I think I might just give myself permission to buy one roll. If I get through the whole roll and the coffee grounds treatment hasn’t helped, well, it probably never will and I won’t have to buy another roll.

As far as lifestlye goes, I eat really well (CSA veggies every week, and real fats), I exercise regularly (walking and resistance workouts), get lots of fresh air and sunshine, and live a pretty good and happy life. That’s why this cellulite surge and weight gain has really got me down: I read about all the things I should do to get rid of it–and I’m already doing them! Argh again!

And for all those chicky-poos who say it’s too cold to dry-brush in January, I say c’mon! I do it–in Canada! (And before anyone says I’m used to the cold, I say, I was born and raised in Florida!) Yes, you’re a little chilly at first, but by the time you’ve finished your legs, you’ll be quite comfortable. And hey! You have heat, don’t you? ;o)

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Analyst’s Note: A special thanks to Latebloomer for sharing her cellulite experience with us! Stay tuned next week for another edition of Cellulite Stories. Trust me, it’s one you won’t want to miss!

**To participate as a Source in the Cellulite Investigation, please email your responses to the above five questions to Analyst (at) CelluliteInvestigation (dot) com. Your Cellulite Story will be featured here at CI (let me know if you want me to link back to your blog or website in the post). If you don’t think your Cellulite Story is significant enough to add value to our investigation, please read this post and reconsider. The more real world cellulite experiences we can document, the better!

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