Irritating fat face.

Jesmoko
Jesmoko Posts: 203 Member
in Motivation and Support
I've lost about 30 lbs this year, going from 182 to 152 lbs. I'm 5'11 (ish), so my BMI is in the normal range. But I still have obnoxiously chubby cheeks and weird play-doh face, and am starting to wonder if I just drew the short straw on the looks department or should I keep at dieting.

I've accepted that I'm not particularly handsome, nor ever will be, but I had hoped my features would grow more gaunt as I lost weight. Looking like a child at the age of twenty-two has grown a bit tiresome. Should I keep losing weight, build muscle, or just get used to it?

Here's a photo I took, the first one I've taken of myself in years. Let's see if it shows up...

N3tg2.jpg
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Replies

  • AimersBee
    AimersBee Posts: 775 Member
    you look fine!

    I've got the chubby cheeks, and i'm 27.. you're only 22 though, you've got a ways to go.. they'll probably sink down if you keep at your workout! :)

    great work on the weight loss by the way!
  • shawnaln
    shawnaln Posts: 7 Member
    Congratulations on losing 30 lbs! That is a huge accomplishment. You must be seeing something else in the mirror because your face doesn't look fat or ugly or like play-doh. You look a heck of a lot more attractive and healthier than many guys I know. Just keep it up and stay healthy. Oh, and don't be so hard on yourself :)
  • NerdyBirdy247
    NerdyBirdy247 Posts: 32
    See i have a big face and extra face but i say this 'My face is so pretty i just needed more of it' Your a handsome young man ( i dont see any extra face by the way) and you have achived an amazing 30lb loss dont be discouraged by your pretty face focus on your fabulousness!!!

    xx
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Your face is normal.... You should be concentrating on being healthy and fit not 'face fat' that is in your imagination!
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    I understand your pain - I have a round face with nice squishy cheeks that all of the old ladies love love love to pinch even though I am now 38. When I was in my 20's it was way worse but as I grew older my face thinned out naturally - most peoples do during the aging process. You are still so young and within a couple of years you will look back at this picture and remember your cheeks b/c they won't be as prominent anymore. You look like a 22yr old should look - young and fresh. Enjoy it while you got it !! :happy:
  • bemott
    bemott Posts: 180
    You just need to smile! You are handsome, look like Leo Dicapprio.
    I wouldn't worry about losing more weight.
  • juicy_cat
    juicy_cat Posts: 145 Member
    I would say you need to be careful not to keep focusing on this....could turn into body dysmorphia....your face looks normal to me and you will be glad of your youthful fullness when you get older! :-)
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
    Your face stores fat the exact same way mine does. Except... my face fat makes me look older, not younger. Wanna trade? :laugh:

    I dislike my face fat, but I've come to realize chubby cheeks are better than a chubby chin. I've seen some people who seem to be around the same body fat % as me, yet still have a double chin.
  • KatyE213
    KatyE213 Posts: 447 Member
    Some people take a while for what they see in the mirror to catch up with their weight loss, maybe you are still seeing yourself as you were 30lbs ago? I say that coz your face doesn't look fat to me, you look like a nice looking 22 year old! Please don't obsess about it :smile:
  • luvs2teachincali
    luvs2teachincali Posts: 207 Member
    I think it's just the genes. You'll be thrilled about it when you're in your 40's or 50's I'm sure. If you aren't dating or married, you will find your princess! God made someone for you and you will attract the right one in due time. :flowerforyou:

    I can relate to being tired of looking like a child though. When I was 22 I took my first teaching job. At the orientation I saw parents whispering. One of the other teachers jokingly said, "They're worried you're too young to be a good teacher." When I introduced myself I said, "I'm Miss S. and I may be young, but I have a four year college degree and a teaching credential. I promise that I am qualified to teach and am excited to learn WITH your children this year." The crowd let out a little laugh. The principal said when parents would speak to her about this or that and she'd ask, "Which teacher?" They'd say, "The one that looks like she's 12." :grumble:

    Now that I'm almost 36 I'm starting to be happy about it. People always assume I'm around 28. :bigsmile:
  • misty0413
    misty0413 Posts: 212
    Don't be so hard on yourself!!! you are a nice looking guy. Trust me you don't want a sunken gaunt looking face. go out there and enjoy your new body!!
  • mercymarque
    mercymarque Posts: 450
    I think u need to get ur self esteem in check. There is nothing wrong with ur appearance. Love urself. If you feel like u have more work to do.. do it! I see nothing wrong and I hope u don't take offense to what I've said.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    It -- whatever 'it' is -- does not show up. You look normal. You look really good.
  • Jesmoko
    Jesmoko Posts: 203 Member
    Thank you everyone for your kindness. I didn't mean to sound quite so vitriolic about it, it's not particularly something I stress over all the time. Maybe I'm just having a hard time seeing my progress, since I don't have any photographs of myself when I was heavier.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    I agree with the others - you are being far too hard on yourself! And while looking younger may be annoying now, trust me you won't mind when you're still getting carded at 40 :wink:
  • liesevanlingen
    liesevanlingen Posts: 508 Member
    I think you look very attractive. My husband has similar strong European features like yours and I personally think he's gorgeous (no prejudice here or anything) As you get a little older, your face will slim down a bit and you'll be left with that nice strong jaw, and slightly Roman nose, and the ladies will be lining up!
  • Jesmoko
    Jesmoko Posts: 203 Member
    I fully expect I'll be floating face down in...Brendan Fraser's pool (I'm sure a renowned thespian like him has one) before I turn 25.

    But I'll be updating here if that doesn't happen.
  • letjog
    letjog Posts: 260 Member
    Ain't no fat face there. You have great skin.
  • Phoenixchichima
    Phoenixchichima Posts: 416
    smile & relax. you're good looking. except you look mad.... I'd avoid you for that. people are attracted to folks who look open & relaxed. feel confident in your weight loss & how healthy you feel & folks will be attracted & want to be around you because you look like a good guy, not a mad guy.
  • Phoenixchichima
    Phoenixchichima Posts: 416
    also, if you dont like your face... bulk up & go shirtless, lol!
  • Priincess_Natalie
    Priincess_Natalie Posts: 367 Member
    I would kill to have your skin. Looking young is something you'll appreciate in a few years, promise :). Just work out and focus on being healthy because you have nothing to worry about in the looks department :wink:
  • gazelleintraining
    gazelleintraining Posts: 107
    I've accepted that I'm not particularly handsome...

    Honestly, I think you're very attractive (really), and now you're healthy to boot, so nice going on the choices you've made recently. You have an intelligent writer-type look about you, complete with very strong and sensitive eyes. All it would take would be one great girl to turn you around. Get into new circles and meet some new women. You may feel differently after that ;)

    On a side note, life is already challenging enough sometimes without having to feel bad about yourself. Body dysmorphia comes from an emotional place, not a physical one. Don't hold back your life's destiny because you feel less than in any regard, physical or otherwise. And if you do feel bad, find a way to fix it healthfully. Work with what you've got--and trust me, you've got a lot more than many.

    [Edit]: One more thing: As a woman aging, I can tell you that my face looks thinner than it used to, and that irritates me because that looks "older" to me but I can't let it stop me from being happy and liking myself. Find the beauty in you that is not dependent on your face. And on a more positive note: by the time you start approaching your 40s, you face, too, will start to thin out as it succumbs to age.
  • SarahAFerguson
    SarahAFerguson Posts: 250 Member
    Presuming that you can grow facial hair you have a bunch of options for changing your look. I know several guys who grew beards at your age to make themselves look older, so you might consider that if your look is not what you want.
  • delilah47
    delilah47 Posts: 1,658
    There are exercises for the face and jowls. I remember Jack LaLane used to do them all the time and he swore it kept him looking young. Here is just one site with some suggestions. Hope it helps.
    http://www.ehow.com/how_2065892_firm-jowl-facial-exercises.html

    And.. a big smile always helps!
  • bulbadoof
    bulbadoof Posts: 1,058 Member
    My face really started to thin out dramatically over the last 20 lbs I've lost. The first 120 or so didn't do much for it.
  • katy84o
    katy84o Posts: 744 Member
    Congrats on the weight loss! Maybe start lifting heavy weights. When I first started dating my boyfriend he was 20, had the young plump, face. He's now 26 and his features are getting more chiseled, and that just started maybe two years ago.
  • dg09
    dg09 Posts: 754
    First off, I think you look perfectly normal. But I can understand how one can obsess about stuff like this, I was like that too for the longest time.

    Congrats on the 30lbs gone! Do you have an idea what your bf% might be at the moment? Maybe you could focus on adding muscle mass so this will allow you to cut out more fat without being too thin. Just a constructive suggestion.

    Other than that, if I saw you in public I wouldn't even notice your concerns to be completely honest.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    I think you look great! Some people have fat pockets in their cheeks. Nothing you can do about that aside from surgery. Hey! I've seen worse! you could be all sunk in and look like death. Personally I think you look great and don't have anything to worry about. Embrace those cheeks or better yet... let a loved one embrace them for you. :happy:
  • Jesmoko
    Jesmoko Posts: 203 Member
    I've accepted that I'm not particularly handsome...

    Honestly, I think you're very attractive (really), and now you're healthy to boot, so nice going on the choices you've made recently. You have an intelligent writer-type look about you, complete with very strong and sensitive eyes. All it would take would be one great girl to turn you around. Get into new circles and meet some new women. You may feel differently after that ;)

    On a side note, life is already challenging enough sometimes without having to feel bad about yourself. Body dysmorphia comes from an emotional place, not a physical one. Don't hold back your life's destiny because you feel less than in any regard, physical or otherwise. And if you do feel bad, find a way to fix it healthfully. Work with what you've got--and trust me, you've got a lot more than many.

    [Edit]: One more thing: As a woman aging, I can tell you that my face looks thinner than it used to, and that irritates me because that looks "older" to me but I can't let it stop me from being happy and liking myself. Find the beauty in you that is not dependent on your face. And on a more positive note: by the time you start approaching your 40s, you face, too, will start to thin out as it succumbs to age.
    Goddamn, you oughta be a motivational speaker. Thank you.

    And thanks to everyone else here too, this has been quite helpful.
  • Restybaby2012
    Restybaby2012 Posts: 568 Member
    I've lost about 30 lbs this year, going from 182 to 152 lbs. I'm 5'11 (ish), so my BMI is in the normal range. But I still have obnoxiously chubby cheeks and weird play-doh face, and am starting to wonder if I just drew the short straw on the looks department or should I keep at dieting.

    I've accepted that I'm not particularly handsome, nor ever will be, but I had hoped my features would grow more gaunt as I lost weight. Looking like a child at the age of twenty-two has grown a bit tiresome. Should I keep losing weight, build muscle, or just get used to it?

    Here's a photo I took, the first one I've taken of myself in years. Let's see if it shows up...


    >snipped<

    I dont see the chubby cheeks hun, What I do see is a very nice looking young man who has embarked on an incredible journey AND one who has been quite successful on said journey. I would be proud to call you my friend......you've come a long way baby

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