The Coffee Grounds Cellulite Solution (My Firsthand Experience)

Depending which stats you look at, between 80 and 90% of adult women suffer from cellulite to a greater or lesser extent. The causes range from hereditary (me!), poor circulation, hormonal changes and accumulation of toxins. Like many of you gals, I do have the dreaded cellulite on my thighs and rear. It prevents me from comfortably wearing shorts and bathing suits as I am always hyper-aware of it. (It doesn't actually stop me from wearing them, but it would be nice to feel more confident.) I know mine is hereditary since it started showing up when I was 15, long before any possible toxin accumulation or poor circulation. Of course it's only gotten worse with time.

Yesterday one of my friends re-posted a link on pinterest showing how a person can use coffee grounds to help reduce the appearance of cellulite. Intrigued, I did a bit more research to find out the how and why, and whether it was worth my time to try. It turns out that warm coffee grounds increase circulation to the affected area, helping to flush out toxins and excess water from the tissue and lessening the dimpled appearance. Sounds good to me! There are a couple of lotions on the market that seem to be effective as well (according to the reviews), but at $60 for a month's supply I'd rather suffer with the cellulite. I'm not made of money. Coffee grounds it was! I decided there was no time like the present, so after my evening workout and a bit of slacking off in front of the tv, I got to work. The simple recipe I chose is as follows:

1/4 - 1/2 cup of warm coffee grounds (heat in microwave for 10 seconds if they're cold.)
2 Tablespoons olive oil

I had to make some coffee to produce the grounds this time around, but I will save them in the future. The general consensus seems to be that you should use this treatment three times a week. The effects are temporary, so it's an ongoing process.

Step one: The instructions stated that I should stand on newspaper or in a tub/ shower, and rub the mixture onto the affected area with a firm circular motion for a few minutes, leaving as many of the grounds on my skin as possible. I decided to use the tub and I am very glad I did- it is MESSY! I don't recommend using newspaper, as you will end up tracking grounds everywhere. As it was, I had to wipe my feet when I exited the tub. After massaging the grounds into my thighs and rear I had a fair amount stuck to my skin, and even more on the bottom of the tub.

Step two is to firmly wind plastic wrap around the massaged areas and let it sit for about ten minutes. Okay. Thighs are easy to wrap so that didn't take long. The rear end though...that's a bit trickier. I ended up just putting saran wrap all the way around my hips in order to swathe my entire lower half. It was difficult to get it tight, but good enough! I was SO tempted to take a picture when that part was done since it looked quite hilarious, but I figured that would be a little too risque for my blog. I passed the next ten minutes watching Netflix on my phone and laughing at my reflection in the mirror. Note: firmly wrapping saran wrap around your rear isn't attractive. The poor thing was completely flattened out!

Step three: I got back into the tub and turned on the shower before attempting to unwrap, trying to avoid extra mess. It worked well that way. I simply unwound the plastic wrap and crumpled it into a ball for the trash, then rinsed the grounds off with warm water. Note: you are supposed to use ONLY water, not soap. It took awhile to get the mixture out of every nook and cranny, kind of like sand from a day at the beach, but I managed.

Step four: Dry off and use a rolling pin (yes, the one in your kitchen), to roll over the treated area firmly for a couple of minutes. This part was also quite hilarious and kind of fun. Bonus: it's like getting a massage. Once that part's done your treatment is complete! The whole process took about 20 minutes and should be repeated no more than three times a week as I mentioned. Any more than that will seriously dehydrate your skin.

My consensus: the coffee grounds not only smelled great but did a great job of exfoliating. The olive oil kept the whole area moisturized nicely and my skin ended up very nice and soft. Even if it does nothing for the cellulite it is obviously great for the skin. The treatment was a bit of a process, but it wasn't unpleasant, and if it helps then it's well worth it! I will continue to use it three times a week and update on any difference I see.

Day 14: Restorative Yoga

I met with my best bud at her local yoga studio yesterday evening for some soothing restorative yoga. The last time we went together we had signed up for beginner hatha yoga and it ended up being quite a lot more challenging than either of us expected. Though it felt good at the time for me, it did exacerbate my back pain rather than treat it. This time it was a completely different experience. The instructor was very matter-of-fact and easy to understand, and she didn't push anyone beyond their capabilities. The session was full of soothing postures that treated stiff hips, shoulders and the lower back. Unlike hatha, it involved the use of props such as bolsters, blankets, bricks and straps.

Much as my inner kick-ass chick hates to admit it, this was definitely what my body was asking for. It was not athletic or sweat-inducing, but it WAS restorative. I woke up this morning feeling great, and slightly less stiff than I normally would. This blog is all about listening to my body and giving it what it needs, so I need to shift my perspective on what constitutes success in physical fitness. I need to sloooow down and stop jumping into things, immidiately expecting to do it all, and at an expert level no less. So in the end it was a lovely evening with my friend and a good lesson learned.

I tried a new face cleansing method last night as well. I've always been skeptical about the high-priced anti-aging products on the market, knowing that high cost does NOT equal a more effective product. Women in particular are targeted with these ads....if you don't drain your bank account, you're not doing enough! Pshaw I say! So I tried a simple mixture of 2 parts castor oil to 1 part olive oil (you adjust according to how oily or dry your face is: more castor oil for oily skin and more olive oil for dry skin. Since I have combination skin this proportion seems suitable.) The method calls for massaging a quarter-sized amount into your face and neck, then draping a hot facecloth onto your face for about a minute. Wipe the oil off, rinse the cloth, and wipe again to remove the residue. That's it. It does NOT leave the skin oily and it does not cause acne. This was only my first time trying it, but I have to say my skin is very hydrated and glowy today. I am prone to break-outs so I am interested to see what happens after a week. Fingers crossed!