Face fat can be tough to deal with. While we can hide our bodies under long-sleeved shirts and dark-colored pants, our face is almost always open to the public. The fact that our faces are so visible can make face fat even more frustrating.
So, how can you lose fat on your face and give yourself a slimmer, more youthful appearance? Is it possible to lose face fat without changing the way the rest of your body looks?
If You Want to Lose Face Fat, Be Prepared for Change
Unfortunately, there are no ways to target your face fat by itself, short of plastic surgery. But, the good news is, there are things you can do to slim down your face’s appearance and fat content.
Before you tackle your face fat, however, you may way to take a good look in the mirror. Ask yourself a question: Do I really have a fat face or is my face shape simply round?
All face shapes are different, and you can’t do much about the natural shape of your face. For instance, my oldest daughter has a round face. Sometimes photos of her from a headshot angle make her appear chubby.
But if you see a full body shot of her you’ll find out that she’s a string bean with an 18-inch waste. So, if you’re talking about a round face shape, no, you can’t do much to change that.
Losing true facial fat, however, is a different story. Fat located on your face (and elsewhere) can disappear with certain efforts. Here are 6 things you can do to lose actual fat from your face and give yourself a slimmer appearance.
1. Change the Way You Eat
Your diet has a serious effect on how much fat you’re carrying around. It’s easy to blame facial and other fat on a slow metabolism and other issues. But it’s also important to know that the types of foods you’re eating can affect how you metabolize food too.
Our bodies were created to thrive on “real” food. By real food I’m talking about veggies from the garden and fruit from trees.
I’m talking about organic, grass fed meats and limited dairy products from grass fed cows and goats. So much of what we find on grocery store shelves these days is what I call “Frankenfood”.
Yes, you can eat it, and yes, it can taste good. I’m the first to admit I’ll scarf down a ho-ho faster that you can say “What the……?” But just because it’s good, doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Give Yourself a Test
If you want proof of how the types of foods you eat affect your body, consider my experience.
After my oldest child’s traumatic birth (we both almost died) I found myself dealing with a host of symptoms. For over a year after she was born I was dealing with Chronic Fatigue types of maladies.
As the Mayo Clinic explains, this includes severe joint pain and fatigue, little energy and irritability. Though I was normally active, getting off the couch was an absolute chore. I was consistently developing minor infections. My heart raced all the time. I had stomach issues.
Doctor after doctor told me there was nothing they could find wrong with me. But my inability to complete even the simplest of chores told me otherwise.Out of desperation I decided to go on a diet of raw veggies only for 30 days straight. Nothing else was working, so maybe an extremely healthy diet would.
For an entire month I ate nothing but raw carrots, broccoli and any other raw veggie I could stomach.
Do you know what happened after the end of my 30-day test? Eighty percent of my symptoms were gone and I felt better than I had in years.
That experiment taught me that what we eat really does matter. Now I know that when I don’t look or feel my best, it’s time to clean up my diet. Within 3 days of eating healthier, I’ll find that I start slimming down everywhere – including in my face.
It may be helpful to note that different foods affect different people more intensely when it comes to fat loss.
For me personally I find that wheat and sugar have an especially detrimental effect on my fat levels. And that includes artificial sweeteners such as diet soda as well. Keep that in mind as you clean up your diet.
Eating Healthy Takes Some Adjustment
It’s important to know that if you’re existing on a largely processed food diet, it’ll take work to change that. If your body is used to eating Frankenfood it won’t be a big fan of veggies and fresh fruit at first bite.
In fact, it might take a good week for “real food” to start tasting good – especially if you eat a lot of sugar.
Be prepared for several days of rebellion from your body if you’re making a major change to your diet. Nausea and fatigue may set in as your body works to rid itself of toxins.
You may crave sugar or fried foods, and it’ll be tough to resist those cravings at times. You’ll want them like you want oxygen.
Our bodies and minds often need to be re-trained when we make the switch from processed foods to real foods. So, if you’re wanting to help your body lose facial fat by eating healthier, be prepared for the transition.
Although the first few days of healthier eating may be tough, I think you’ll be happy with the end results.
2. Implement a Well-Rounded Exercise Program
Exercise is another key factor in reducing face fat. Note that it’s really not possible to do a lot of targeted fat loss. Our bodies tend to lose fat as a whole.
Body shapes do have an impact; you might be a pear-shaped person who gains weight in your bottom half. Or an apple-shaped person who gains weight in your mid-section.
If you find your fat gain centers on a particular area first, that area will likely be the last to rid itself of fat. But only because there’s more fat there to begin with. Therefore, exercise as a whole is needed to reduce facial fat and any other type of body fat.
Cardiovascular workouts, strength training workouts and flexibility exercises are all important to fat reduction and fast weight loss as well. Here is how each type of workout will help you reduce facial fat.
Cardiovascular Exercises
Cardiovascular exercise helps your body burn fat at a faster rate. Walking, running, spinning, cycling; they all get your heart rate up and speed up your metabolism.
Remember to keep your target heart rate in mind as you perform cardiovascular activities. Here are the target heart rates according to the American Heart Association. This will help your body burn the highest amount of fat in the fastest amount of time.
Strength Training Exercises
Strength training doesn’t just build muscle – it burns fat as well. The reason body builders have such a low body fat percentage is because they generally implement two types of workouts. They use a combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise to burn the most fat and build muscle too.
If you can add some strength training exercises into your workout, it should help your face slim down too.
Flexibility Exercises
People often dismiss flexibility workouts as an important part of overall health. However, performing regular flexibility exercises can help reduce muscle soreness and stiffness. It can also help give your body a slimmer overall look.
I suggest performing flexibility exercises on a daily or every-other-day basis for maximum joint and muscle health. As a bonus it can help your body have a slimmer appearance.
3. Drink Plenty of Water
It’s easy to underestimate the power of water. Clean, fresh water is essential to good health. Since our bodies are made up of mostly water, we need to replenish them from dehydrating activities.
Breathing, moving and life in general causes dehydration. Drinking plenty of clean water helps our bodies perform at their best.
Water intake will help flush toxins out of your body; toxins that can cause bloating in the face and elsewhere. Also, dehydration can make your skin appear puffy and cause your body to hoard fat.
However, drinking plenty of water can help your face and the rest of your body slim down. And as your body gets used to having the proper amount of water it’ll likely function better as a whole
A good general rule regarding water intake is to drink half your body weigh in ounces per day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds you should be drinking roughly 75 ounces of water each day.
Note that if your body isn’t used to drinking water, this much water intake may be tough at first. You may find yourself running to the bathroom a lot more often. And it might be tough to get used to the taste of plain water – especially if you’re used to sodas. Try flavoring your water with whole foods to help combat the boredom – and to give you extra health benefits. .
Once you get used to drinking the right amount of water you won’t want to live without it.
4. Use Quality Skin Care Products
Our skin is a reflection of what we put in our bodies. A processed food diet and a lack of water can absolutely show in our faces by making them appear puffy. But what we put on our faces matters too.
Many skin care systems consist of chemical-laden ingredients that are known to have toxic effects on the body. Those effects can cause puffiness, acne and more.
Check out Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep report on what’s really in commercial skin care products. Then, choose healthy skin care products that will show your face at its best.
5. Perform Facial “Yoga” Moves and Get Massages
While exercise as a whole does benefit our facial appearance, and targeted fat reduction is difficult, facial exercises can help slim down your face.
Consider these “facial yoga” moves for a slimmer face.
- Tilt your head toward the ceiling. Make a pucker face and hold it for three to five seconds. Repeat five to ten times.
- Open your mouth while hiding your teeth with your lips. Move your lips from an “O” shape to a “smile” shape and back again while still hiding your teeth
For more face-shaping yoga moves, check out this face yoga video. Massages and facial at a salon can also have a firming effect on your face that makes it appear slimmer.
Check out local salons for options and prices and ask friends for recommendations to the best salons. Look in local newspapers and on Groupon for specials in order to save money on facials and massages.
6. Reduce Your Salt Intake
I admit it: I’m a salt addict. Everyone needs salt but ingesting too much of it can cause a number of health maladies. Too much salt intake can increase your blood pressure, your risk of stroke, and can put strain on your kidneys. Another side effect of too much salt: it can make you bloated.
And a bloated body can result in a puffy face. If you want to reduce puffiness and help your face have a slimmer appearance, cut down on your salt intake. Doing so can not only make your face appear slimmer, it can improve your overall health as well.
The bottom line is that there are many factors that can cause our faces to accumulate fat. Taking an overall good look at what you’re eating and how your treating your body can help slim your face.
A clean diet filled with whole foods containing vital nutrients is always helpful for a slimmer, more youthful appearance. Drinking enough water will help keep bloating down and flush toxins away and out of your body.
And getting enough exercise will reduce body fat all over your body, giving you a more youthful appearance in general. Combine all of the tips above to lose face fat, be healthier and look younger.
Have you ever struggled with face fat? Why or why not? What daily habits make your face appear fatter? Have you used any of the suggestions above that have resulted in a slimmer face? Share in the comments below.