Does losing weight=looking younger?

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  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    YES






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    Jun 14, 2011 | By Michelle Martin



    Photo Credit Medioimages/Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
    As people age, they often gain weight. Extra weight can show your age, as it is a visible sign of your slowing metabolism. Counteract the aging effect of extra weight by losing extra weight slowly and exercising to tone your muscles. Just don't lose too much weight, or you may have additional wrinkles to contend with.

    Factors

    Whether you look younger after losing unwanted pounds depends on a number of factors. If you are over 40, losing too much weight can give you a gaunt look that makes you appear older, while keeping a few extra pounds around can lead to a more youthful appearance. On the other hand, if you are significantly overweight, losing weight in a healthy manner can give you a youthful, toned silhouette.


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    Your Face

    When it comes to your face, there are pros and cons to losing weight. If you carry a significant amount of excess weight, you may have noticed that your eyes appear smaller and your jawline less defined. Losing weight will widen your eyes and sharpen your profile. The downside of losing weight is that wrinkles can become more noticeable once they're not plumped up with extra fat. A natural effect of aging is the gradual disappearance of fat pads under the eyes -- without them, eyes can appear older.

    Lose Weight Slowly

    The manner in which you lose weight can affect your appearance significantly. If you have a large amount of weight to lose, and lose it rapidly, you may end up with excess skin. This can give you an untoned, wrinkly appearance. Many people who lose in excess of 100 lbs. choose to have surgery to remove excess skin, which restores their youthful appearance. Lose weight at a slow rate of 1 lb. a week to minimize your chances of developing loose skin.

    Exercise

    As you age, you lose muscle tone. One of the best ways to lose weight and stimulate a youthful appearance is to exercise. Lift weights to tone muscles and engage in vigorous activities to give your skin a youthful glow. Exercise can do more than give your body a more youthful appearance -- it has an anti-aging effect on the brain. It also influences how you see yourself. Getting out and doing an activity such as mountain biking or canoeing can help you to feel youthful. While there's truth to the saying, "If you don't look good, you don't feel good," the reverse is also true. Feeling good may be the best elixir for youthful looks that exists.






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    Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/420401-does-losing-weight-make-you-look-younger/#ixzz2SesDm2Nm

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  • amywishart98
    amywishart98 Posts: 23 Member
    I think it all depends on the person there are people I know who have lost weight and not even a lot and they have just lost it in all the wrong places for them which makes them look older and gaunt!
  • SakuraRose13
    SakuraRose13 Posts: 621 Member
    Well before my wieght gain looked ,,young after 23 lbs loss look young maybe its just me,I tell somone my age and they look at me with disbelief and when I mention i have two children they are even more shocked, fun stuff its my genetics my family all looks younger than they are .

    Im 29 by the way,cant wait till my 30th bday in feb Im going to announce it to the world after I see if I get carded at the bar.

    Fun times ahead my husbands 31 ,he looks 30 so oh well for him lol

    Im 4ft 10 so my hieght alone makes me appear younger, anyway no amount of heel hieght is going to change that.

    Better to loook younger than older so they say,but at 29 looking 19 isnt wanted especially when Im married with 2 daughters 14 months and turning 3 in aug.

    May be one should pay attention to demeanor more and not looks.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I definitely look older in my face....same with my brother! But I feel younger and that is my only goal! I think it depends on the shape of your face.

    This too. The skin on our faces "hangs" on our facial bone structure. If you have "good bones" and strong muscles over the top, you will have less sag when some of the fat comes out from under the skin. That is one reason why lifting weights is good (among many reasons). As we grimace, while lifting a weight, it actually strengthens facial muscles that enlarge and carry the skin better. Same for smiling. :wink:
  • SwedishMel
    SwedishMel Posts: 95 Member
    It depends person to person. I've seen a lot of people lose weight and suddenly they're 10+ years younger, but then I've seen people lose weight and suddenly it has aged them 10+ years.

    I have this coworker who was determined to lose a bunch of weight for her wedding this last summer, and she lost about 40 pounds, and looked great! But then she got addicted to weight loss and lost another 15ish pounds. She went from looking her age 43, to looking early to mid 50's. :frown: I've heard other people (customers mostly) comment on her extreme weight loss in a "not so positive way", because they feel that she now looks, not only older, but unhealthy. I gave up trying to defend her when she kept getting smaller. Now her hair is starting to fall out due to mal-nutrition, and she still is determined to get even smaller despite knowing that it's causing her health problems. :huh:

    Dang...I got off track. Anyways. MOST people don't look older when they lose weight, but make sure you lose it in a healthy way & at a good pace. Too much weight loss too quickly can cause skin sagging, and if you get *too* skinny it can really add age to your face.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    I was wondering if anyone thinks that weight loss helps one look younger? I heard somebody say this and would like to know what people think?

    I think it can. In my case, I made good nutrition (hyper-nutrition, really) be the most important part of my plan and I lost weight slowly (it has taken three years to lose the 66 pounds). Those who haven't seen me in a while proclaim that I look about 20 years younger than my age. But often those who pay little attention to nutrition end up looking older, in my opinion.
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
    I've seen a lot of success stories where people look much younger when they lose weight.
  • puglife85
    puglife85 Posts: 1
    When we say when we are "older" and lose weight it tends to make us look older when we lose weight, what is considered older? I am 32, is that older? I always looked younger than I was, always had people telling me how young I looked. But recently I gained weight and my doctor told me that I looked a lot older than 32 because of the extra weight and the bags under my eyes due to always being tired because of the weight. What I am wondering is, if I lose the weight will I looked younger again or will I now look older if I lose weight. I don't have any wrinkles on my face or anything, I never did. But, was just curious what others thought about rather or not I'd look younger again. Thanks a lot.
  • Muchaneta1305
    Muchaneta1305 Posts: 21
    I think there is a certain 'je ne sais quoi..." that comes with losing weight. For me its not just teh outward appearance but the inward 'youth' i am experiencing. Just that ability to lift a leg without panting is amazing...so yes its making me look and feel younger!!!
  • Beanogirl
    Beanogirl Posts: 97 Member
    My face has aged a good 5 years since I started losing weight in March. Still coming to terms with it.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    i've noticed that people who lose the weight quickly end up looking old and hagard. it's like cool they lost weight but i think sheesh while you were losing weight you found the fountain of old
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    There have been twin studies comparing perceived ages of a fatter vs a thinner twin.. People perceive the fatter twin to be younger. This is because a fatter face is more associated with YOUTH and the fat can fill out sagging skin and wrinkles.

    I DEFINITELY look much older now but I'm fine with it because I'm looking more my actual age. I'm 42 and at my heaviest, people thought I was much younger.

    Here are some "no make-up pics" for comparison

    65d39b45fe5d11ac29dd11e05081b99d862a.jpg

    65d315b527bbda01c4121a77307d58d95e63.jpg
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Depends. I actually look younger in the face when I'm a little fatter.
  • sinker59
    sinker59 Posts: 130
    I think there is a certain 'je ne sais quoi..." that comes with losing weight. For me its not just teh outward appearance but the inward 'youth' i am experiencing. Just that ability to lift a leg without panting is amazing...so yes its making me look and feel younger!!!

    ^^^ This! I'm 55, but since I FEEL much younger I guess I appear much younger. I've also got some new found confidence that definitely contributes to it as well.
  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    I'm been told repeatedly by multiple people I look like I'm thirty-five.

    I'm forty-seven.

    Take from that what you will.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    There have been twin studies comparing perceived ages of a fatter vs a thinner twin.. People perceive the fatter twin to be younger. This is because a fatter face is more associated with YOUTH and the fat can fill out sagging skin and wrinkles.

    I DEFINITELY look much older now but I'm fine with it because I'm looking more my actual age. I'm 42 and at my heaviest, people thought I was much younger.

    Here are some "no make-up pics" for comparison

    65d39b45fe5d11ac29dd11e05081b99d862a.jpg

    65d315b527bbda01c4121a77307d58d95e63.jpg

    You look amazing for 42! Wow. I would have said 35 MAYBE.

    I look older now sadly, it's like I've aged 6 years in 1 year or something.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
    Depends on how you lose it and how healthy you are when you get there. I have a vegan friend who has lost a lot of weight (very rapidly) but looks at least 15 years older than she is. Her muscles are flaccid from protein deprivation (and a lack of working out due to low energy). Her skin is very dry (due to a very low level of dietary fat) and prone to wrinkling. About 90% of her calories come from carbohydrates. A very unhealthy way to eat. She is bothered by very low energy. I'm not saying that a vegan diet must be unhealthy but it must be carefully planned in order to assure proper protein and fat are taken in. In her case, I suspect that she would be much healthier if she ate a hamburger or some eggs once in a while. She has a fat phobia and I keep trying to tell her that essential fatty acids are just that--ESSENTIAL. I'm afraid that she will get really sick--she certainly does not appear well. "You are what you eat."

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