So, summer is approaching - though not fast enough if you ask me - and all the stores are chock-full of these adorable, teensy-weensy, colorful shorts.

If the thought of putting on a pair of those forbidding things makes you break out in a cold sweat, then the winter must not have been kind to your thighs. Follow a few simple suggestions to get your gams bare-skin ready and bid unsightly cellulite goodbye. YES, you read right, cellulite IS a reversible condition. I write this from very personal experience because great looking legs simply are a single girl’s best friends.

Get Running - Get a good pair of running shoes on, slip into a tight pair of leggings, position yourself strategically into a well-supported sports bra, cover yourself in a loose t-shirt, pop some rocking sounds in your Ipod and get going. No need to try and run a marathon your first time out. I still only manage 16 NYC blocks, but if you meticulously stretch out before and after your jog, your legs will begin to show great muscle tone within a month. Run three times weekly and alternate with some Yoga poses on the other days. Opt for the stairs, instead of the elevator, every single time!

Eat Right - I’ll preface this by pointing out that it might read a bit controversial and my friends always break out laughing when I share with them my life-long battle with cellulite, perhaps tickled by the idea that a 115 lbs, 5-foot-7 woman can carry excess fat anywhere on her body. But cellulite does not discriminate and it was never a laughing matter to me. Though ever since I became a vegetarian - albeit NOT a strict one, as I still eat fish on occasion - my body fat and the dimpled skin, so familiar to those of us “blessed” by the gene of cellulite, have nearly disappeared. These days my skin is overall smoother and I find myself working less at keeping my core muscles toned. It all is probably related to our bodies’ inability to process animal fat or maybe I am simply forced to eat a more balanced and healthy diet. Whatever the reason, I can only think it fair to share it with others. No red meat, no chicken, no turkey, no shellfish. Only white fish, salmon or tuna, cooked as you wish. Eggs and tofu are OK, of course. Try to include lots of flax, linseed - seeds and oil - granulated lecithin for the hair, skin and nails, plain lowfat yogurt for gut health and eat only whole grain breads and pasta. Say bye-bye to fatty butter and hello to loads of fruit and vegetables. It’s the stuff the best diets are made of, so it cannot hurt to try it out for a month. Of course, consult your physician before starting any new diet and exercise regiment.

Think Hydration - Drink water, as much as you can, whenever you can and even when you are not thirsty. Actually, it isn’t just an old-wives’ tale that once you feel thirsty, you are already too dehydrated for your own good! Give up fruit juices, sodas and even those vitamin waters, which are laden with sugar or sugar-substitutes. Cut down on alcohol as well and I mean WAY down… Water will help flush all the toxins and help give your skin an all over healthy, moist glow.

Start Exfoliating - Your leg muscles are only as beautiful as the skin they are wrapped in. Hit your local Sephora - Union Square is my favorite for service, here in NYC - for something within your budget. I use one of the cheapest products on the market, the grapefruit salt scrub by Trader Joe’s, twice a week, more often if I am self-tanning. Which brings me to…

Get Self-Tanning - Baking in the sun is a no-no. As is frying in one of those scary beds at your local tanning salon. But self-tanning still is the way to go as far as getting some color. LA Victoria is a great example! There are tons of products on the market but my favorites are made by Dior and Clarins. Always reliable brands, the smell is less invasive than the other products and the color of the Clarins one is more natural looking overall. But experiment on your own. Some people swear by those daily lotions which add a glow gradually, but I simply don’t have that much patience… It’s a Leo thing.

Moisturize Religiously - The most fantastic moisturizer on the market is Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. It’s just luscious enough to hydrate, yet never leaves the skin sticky or heavily scented. It has dramatically improved the look of my thighs, and I have only recently started using a more “aggressive” cream from the Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite line. One can never be too safe for the summer and the Nivea website is very entertaining. If you still aren’t as shiny and glowy as you wish to be, try the Tantalizer Body Bronzing Luminizer by Lorac, which will instantly turn you into a bronze goddess.

Well this is all, from me to you. Consider it an early Christmas gift, or we could start a new tradition of Spring Giving. Either way, pass it on!

Images courtesy of Kiehls, Barneys NY, Daily Mail, Evian and Perky Designs

Filed under: Happily Unmarried Ever After