Cellulite. It's the hated substance behind "cottage cheese thighs." It's the reason women of all ages make resolutions year after year to go to the gym, to eat fewer calories, to battle those problem areas. But what is cellulite? And more importantly, is there any way to get rid of it?

The good news: Cellulite is nothing more than fat – fat you can indeed tackle. Cellulite owes its bulging, dimply appearance to the strands of tissue that connect fat to your skin. In women, these connective strands occur in a honeycomb pattern, which allows the soft fat tissue to bulge through the connective fibers. As the fat pushes against your skin, the bulging causes the dimpled appearance we know as cellulite.

A Quick Fix?
Before you run to the gym, you may be asking if there is a quick fix for those dimples. Do creams and pills work? Not according to Vin Ricciardi, certified personal trainer and owner of Total Body Shoppe in Southold, N.Y. He does not believe in cellulite reduction from cream treatments or wraps. Instead, he explains that the layer of fat underneath the skin is what needs to be attacked.

And nutritional supplement pills like Cellasene are not proven to work either, despite claims by the product's makers, Rexall Sundown. According to a Federal Trade Commission report, Cellasene's ads led consumers to believe "that a dietary supplement would reduce or eliminate cellulite," claims that were later deemed to be "unsubstantiated."

The lesson: Don't believe the info-mercials. Creams only tighten skin temporarily – if at all. Long-lasting ways to eliminate cellulite are not for sale. "Getting the muscles toned and the skin tight is the only effective way to diminish ... cellulite," Ricciardi says.

Working It Out
Many fitness experts, including Ricciardi, believe that the best way to battle cellulite is by building muscle. By replacing the fat behind those dimply thighs with muscle, skin becomes firmer and smoother with less jiggles. "Women must exercise ... to put muscle under the skin. This muscle will smooth out the cellulite area," says Joyce Vedral, Ph.D., a certified physical trainer, fitness author and creator of the video series Weight Training Made Easier. "You can get rid of it all by working out the right way with weights."

However, targeting a particular problem area with strength training will not solve your problem overnight. For instance, doing lunges won't eliminate the cellulite in your thighs until you start burning the excess fat stored there. But how? Since we know cellulite is nothing more than fat, it makes sense that the usual advice applies: get moving (walk, run, climb stairs, ride a bike) and reduce the fat and calories in your diet.

Reducing fat and calories is often easier to add to your list of New Year's resolutions than it is to enact. What type of diet should you try this time? "When I am actively participating in a 'diet plan,’ I will make the proper choices, but when I drop out of the plan, I go back to my regular choices," reports Dana Hansen of Hot Springs, Ark. For Hansen, eating well "has never become a habit."

Vedral advises women to stay away from fad diet plans. "That big initial weight loss with fad diets is just temporary water loss and muscle loss," she says. Long-term success is based on a healthy balance. "Balance is the key!" she says.

Having a "healthy eating" partner helps, too. Chris Viteznik, a mother of two in Jersey City, N.J., says, "Having a partner is very helpful. It is tough to go it alone. The support and accountability – and just the camaraderie – of others in the same situation are invaluable." She also thinks planning is a good way to watch what you eat.

Ricciardi agrees. "Prepare meals ahead of time,” he says. “Carry a meal replacement shake or bar when you're on the go. Remove all junk food from the house."

Being prepared might be the hardest part – and can be your downfall. "It takes time, attention and organization" to eat a healthy diet, Viteznik says. "When you are just starting out, [you'll use] any excuse to procrastinate!" Anticipate that changing your eating habits is going to be an uphill climb and line up your support system, whether you join a weight loss program, pick a friend or enlist a spouse.

Don't forget that simply laying off the peanut brittle this New Year won't melt away the fat behind those jiggling thighs. Exercise plays an important role, too. Ricciardi suggests that "cardio work could include the treadmill, stair stepper or elliptical trainer." Do this type of work "for at least 30 minutes a day, building up to 60 minutes a day, four times a week." You also can try exercise videos that get you moving or a class where you have the support of other women who are trying to get fit.

"I am absolutely not self disciplined enough to do a video at home,” Hansen says. “I have had a few videos over the years, and they ended up in a garage sale." Figure out the type of exercise program that fits your lifestyle and avoid those that make you uncomfortable. You're not likely to continue dragging yourself to a Tae Bo class if you can't keep up with the instructor or hate exercising in front of others.

Once you've started burning fat, now you're ready to hit the weights. According to Ricciardi, you should work out with weights three to four times a week, performing strength-training exercises after your aerobic workout.

What exercises should you do to start building muscle and firming up areas now plagued with cellulite? Try some of these:

• Leg Curls: With a weight between your feet, lie facedown on the floor. Bring your feet up behind you in a semicircular arc as far as possible. Keep your torso pressed against the mat or bench without lifting your hips. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Firms up thighs.
• Hack Squats: Place your feet shoulder width apart. Hold two dumbbells behind your bottom. Bend your knees to 90 degrees, and then stand up. Repeat 10 to 15 times. Tightens rear.
• Inner Thigh Toning: Attach an exercise band around both feet, keeping legs straight. Lie on your side and extend your left leg. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Change legs and repeat 10 to 15 times. Tightens inner thighs.
• Lunges: Place your right leg in front. Stretch out your left leg, place your hands on your hips, and bend both legs at the knees until you are an inch from the ground. Change legs and repeat 10 to 15 times. Firms thighs and bottom.
• Step Exercises: Use a step and hold a weight in each hand. Start with both feet on the step, and then step off the back with your right foot. Don't allow your right foot to touch the floor before you use the muscles of your left leg to bring your right one back up to the step. Change legs and repeat 10 to 15 times. Firms bottom.

Ricciardi adds the following tips for women getting started with strength training:

• Train with a partner. The ability to motivate and the sense of security each provides, increases the likelihood of her fitness longevity and reduces the chances of injury.
• Don't dress to find a mate. Wear comfortable clothing in the gym that will absorb perspiration.
• Remember the basics of strength training: consistency, determination and motivation.
• Don't waste your time. Hire a Certified Fitness Trainer if your knowledge is limited of the weight room.
• Plan workouts ahead of time. Always know what you're going to do in the gym before you go.
• Write everything down. Sets, reps, weight, how you're feeling, what you ate and when. You can use these notes as a guide as you continue working out.

Through it all – the commitment to healthier eating, regular aerobic exercise and weight training – remember that it's easy to get discouraged, especially if you're not seeing results as quickly as you'd like. Vedral reminds women that "it takes about 12 weeks to see a clear change and up to 40 weeks to see most of it (cellulite) gone from a difficult area."

Ricciardi stresses that women should focus on the progress they have made rather than how far they have to go. "Take the successes, no matter how small. Celebrate those successes," he says. He also recommends to his clients that "they take a 'before' picture in a bathing suit in week one. Place it aside; don't look at it for 12 weeks. In the 13th week of consistent training, take another picture. Compare the two – you'll be amazed how much better you look."

When you do achieve the results you've been striving for, don't stop. Keep up your fitness routine and you won't have to make another New Year's resolution to get in shape again – being in shape will be a lifestyle. With support, a plan and a spotlight on the little wins along the way, you can make this year the year you get serious about eliminating those dimply, jiggling areas that plague us all. Get moving!

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