Many people may want to lose some fat from their cheeks, neck or chin to change their appearance. While there are many slimming bands and devices on the market that claim to promote facial fat loss, reducing body fat usually requires making long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle. Fortunately, there are many strategies that can support sustainable weight loss and help your face look slimmer in the process. Here are 9 effective ways to help you lose excess fat from your face.
1. Perform Facial Exercises
There is some evidence that exercising the facial muscles can help reduce facial fat.
For example, an earlier article from 2014 suggests that performing facial exercises may help strengthen and tone facial muscles. However, it is unclear whether these exercises also help reduce facial fat.
In fact, no studies have examined the relationship between facial exercises and facial fat reduction. Nonetheless, facial exercises may help the face appear firmer during weight loss.
2. Add Cardio to Your Routine
Often, excess fat on the face is the result of excess body fat.
Weight loss can promote fat loss and help slim the body and face.
Aerobic exercise, or aerobic exercise, is any type of physical activity that raises the heart rate. It is widely considered to be a very effective way to lose weight.
Several studies have found that aerobic exercise can help promote fat burning and increase fat loss.
More importantly, one study found that women with obesity lost more fat when they engaged in more aerobic exercise.
Try to get 150-300 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week, which is equivalent to 20-40 minutes of aerobic exercise per day.
Some common examples of aerobic exercise include running, dancing, walking, bicycling and swimming.
3. Reduce Alcohol Consumption
Consuming too much alcohol can lead to dehydration, which can encourage the body to retain water. In some cases, this can lead to water retention in the face, which can make the face appear bloated and puffy.
Alcohol may also lead to weight gain. It contains empty calories and does not provide any nutritional benefits. Consuming empty calories can increase a person’s total daily caloric intake and promote weight gain.
In addition, some studies have shown that alcohol can suppress the hormones that help people feel full. This can stimulate a person to consume more calories from their diet.
A 2015 review of alcohol consumption and obesity showed a link between weight gain and excessive alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking and binge drinking appear to pose the greatest risk for weight gain.
Some people experience the same effects with moderate alcohol intake. However, for most people, moderate alcohol consumption does not promote weight gain.
In general, people who find it challenging to reduce facial fat or body weight may want to consider reducing their alcohol consumption.
4. Drink More Water
Drinking water is vital to your overall health, and it may be especially important if you want to reduce facial fat.
Studies have shown that water can keep you feeling full and enhance weight loss.
In fact, one small study found that drinking water before a meal significantly reduced the number of calories consumed during the meal.
Other studies have shown that drinking water may temporarily increase your metabolism. Increasing the number of calories you burn during the day can help promote weight loss.
5. Get More Sleep
Getting the right amount of sleep has a range of health benefits. Conversely, not getting enough sleep may lead to weight gain.
For example, sleep deprivation can affect levels of certain hormones that promote hunger and satiety. Specifically, sleep deprivation appears to increase levels of the hormone gastrin, which stimulates appetite, and decrease levels of the hormone leptin, which tells the body it has had enough to eat.
As a result, sleep-deprived people may eat more, and they may turn to higher-calorie foods.
Getting enough sleep can help prevent weight gain. This in turn may help reduce the amount of fat stored in the face.
6. Cut back on Refined Carbs
Foods containing refined carbohydrates, such as cookies, crackers and pasta, are a common culprit in weight gain and increased fat storage.
These carbohydrates are heavily processed so that they lose beneficial nutrients and fiber, leaving little but sugar and calories.
Because they contain very little fiber, your body digests them quickly. This causes blood sugar levels to spike and crash, and may make you more likely to overeat.
A study of 277 women showed that the higher the intake of refined carbohydrates, the greater the risk of obesity and the greater the amount of belly fat.
No studies have directly examined the effects of refined carbohydrates on facial fat. However, replacing refined carbohydrates with whole grains may help improve overall weight loss, which may also help reduce facial fat.
7. Reduce Salt Intake
A diet high in salt can cause the body to retain water. Water retention can lead to swelling and puffiness in various parts of the body, including the face. This may give the illusion of excess facial fat.
People who suspect they are sensitive to water retention should try to limit foods with high salt content. This includes most processed meals and snacks. Preparing meals and snacks at home allows people to better control the amount of salt in their diet.
As the body stops retaining fluid, the face should begin to look slimmer.
8. Eat More Fiber
One of the most popular suggestions for slimming your face and losing cheek fat is to increase your fiber intake.
Fiber is a substance in plant-based foods that your body does not absorb after you consume it. Instead, it moves slowly through your digestive tract, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. In this way, it can help curb cravings and reduce your appetite.
In one study of 345 overweight and obese people, higher fiber intake was associated with weight loss and helped people stick to a low-calorie diet.
Another review of 62 studies showed that eating more soluble fiber may reduce weight and waist circumference, even without restricting caloric intake.
Soluble fiber is a type of fiber that forms a gel when mixed with water. A common type of soluble fiber in the diet is beta glucan, which is found in oatmeal, barley and other cereals.
Fiber is naturally found in a variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.
Ideally, you should aim to consume at least 25-38 grams of fiber per day from these food sources.
9. Improve Overall Diet
Diets high in processed foods, including refined carbohydrates, may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity.
Processed foods tend to contain more calories, salt and sugar than whole foods. Refined carbohydrates are a group of highly processed, grain-based foods. During processing, these foods lose fiber and nutrients. As a result, they contain large amounts of empty calories.
Refined carbohydrates may also cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, which may encourage a person to overeat.
Examples of refined carbohydrate foods include:
- pasta
- white rice
- white bread
- sucrose
- syrups and frostings
- most breakfast cereals
- reduced-fat products
In most cases, one can find reasonable alternatives to overly processed foods and refined carbohydrates. A person can reduce calorie intake and increase nutrient intake by eating fresh, whole foods.
When combined with exercise, a healthy, balanced diet may help a person lose excess fat from the face and body.
The Bottom Line
There are many strategies you can use to lose the appearance of fat on your face.
Changing your diet, adding exercise to your routine, and adjusting some of your daily habits are all effective ways to increase fat loss and lose weight, which may help slim your face in the process.
For best results, be sure to pair these tips with a balanced diet and regular exercise to support weight management and improve overall health.