Did losing the weight make you look older or younger?

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Replies

  • jazi719
    jazi719 Posts: 150 Member
    A coworker who is in her 60's looks much older when she loses weight... she also does the stupid HCG diet and basically starves herself.

    I look younger (I'm 48) when I lose weight but I don't get sickly skinny. I workout with weights and still make sure I eat.

    When I'm done losing the last 40 lbs, I'll do a before and after photo.

    I say, lose weight slowly and in a healthy way. Drink lots if water and be healthy, not skinny.
  • t1954
    t1954 Posts: 81 Member
    My wife says I look older but everybody else says younger.
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    For me....looking back at my "fat" girl pics.....I look much younger now.
  • amflautist
    amflautist Posts: 895 Member
    I think it depends in your age, and how well your skin has aged. I think if you are older (over 60) you will (in general) look slightly older, but it depends where you lose weight from.

    No generalities from the younger set please. Losing weight has made me look younger. A lot younger.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    I think it depends upon the person. I know that most people who don't know me and didn't know me as I gained, and then lost, weight think I am about 10 years younger than my actual age. I know I feel better than I did 10 years ago and am certainly more athletically fit than10 years ago.
  • BeckyMBisMe
    BeckyMBisMe Posts: 215 Member
    I think many, many things go into the mix. I've always been told I look younger than I am, fat or thin. I HOPE it stays that way.
    I think how fast you lose can make a big difference too. I just saw a cousin for the 1st time since she dropped over 100lbs very rapidly (surgery). She's eight years younger than me and looks 10 years older! You just never know!
  • ideang
    ideang Posts: 95
    I think a lot of different factors come in to play here. My dad tells me I look a lot younger with my weight loss, and at 32 I was carded the other day. My friend who is the same age as me lost 40lbs and looked much older at first, but now that the skin on her face is tightening up so she looks closer to her age.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Losing weight doesn't usually make people look older until they get down to low, or very low, body fat. Anyway, if you've got 100 pounds to lose, your health comes first.
  • alienrite
    alienrite Posts: 314 Member
    I was shocked at how many people remarked about how much younger I looked. Part of it has to do with age I think. At 45, I'm at an age where I reflect my lifestyle choices; no youth remains for me now. Friends that are a couple years younger than I am but aren't taking care of themselves now look much older than I do. Sobering and encourages me to keep focused and working hard
  • BigSnicka
    BigSnicka Posts: 151 Member
    Much younger in my case. I can pass for my 18 year old daughter's big brother at the moment. Good for me, bad for her.....lol
  • janinab75
    janinab75 Posts: 147 Member
    I'm being told younger.
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
    I feel like I look older. Overall, from a distance, I'd say younger, but the weight loss in my face has made me look a little older.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    My plan is to be one of those women who gets whistled at from the rear, and then scares the crap out of teenage boys by turning around and being old enough to be their grannies. I hope it doesn't happen for at least another 20 years. It sets a good example for taking care of the things that you can take of in life.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Neither for me...I look like I'm pushing 40 and I am...the difference was that last year at this time I looked like a 38/39 year old who was fat and out of shape and not very healthy. Now I look like a 39/40 year old that is strong, confident, healthy, and fit.
  • catita1025
    catita1025 Posts: 46 Member
    Depends on who you ask...so I like to just think that I look "BETTER!" :D
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
    i look older but feel younger.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,473 Member
    I think if you're younger, you're more likely to look younger when you lose weight, maybe because being bigger can make some people look more mature. I felt more "matronly" when I was bigger.

    I think that if you're older, you're more likely to look older when you lose weight, because you lose that youthful plumpness, particularly in the face.

    That rule doesn't seem to work for everybody, though!

    Personally, I think I look older after losing the weight :sad: . But then, I AM older, and I suppose looking older has to happen at some time!
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,357 Member
    Younger, I went from looking my age or older then my age to looking about 10-15 yrs younger. I was told by a complete stranger a few months ago when I went to buy some wine that I looked 12 yrs old. I wasn't wearing makeup, think that was it. Which is why I wear makeup more now then ever before, and I still look young but not as young as I do without it.

    I'm 31 and everyone who asks me how old I am drops their jaw when I tell them, I've had people ask me for my ID. I have 16 year old and 17 year boys trying to pick me up lol, which just happened the other day and I laughed so hard.
  • kimtab
    kimtab Posts: 64 Member
    I've lost 40# and my face (I think) looks older now. The fat must have been pushing the wrinkles out :/
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member

    I'm 31 and everyone who asks me how old I am drops their jaw when I tell them, I've had people ask me for my ID.

    I've had that happen too, but I think they're just trying to get my address.
  • katznkt
    katznkt Posts: 320 Member
    I think if you're younger, you're more likely to look younger when you lose weight, maybe because being bigger can make some people look more mature. I felt more "matronly" when I was bigger.

    I think that if you're older, you're more likely to look older when you lose weight, because you lose that youthful plumpness, particularly in the face.

    That rule doesn't seem to work for everybody, though!

    Personally, I think I look older after losing the weight :sad: . But then, I AM older, and I suppose looking older has to happen at some time!

    well put. I think that having a matronly figure is a big part of my looking older. Hopefully losing that and gaining muscle will help. And feeling younger can't hurt. And if I do look older then so be it. At least I'll live to be as old as Iook.

    Thanks all!
  • cinrn68
    cinrn68 Posts: 215 Member
    I've lost 50 lbs and people tell me I look 10 years younger. I feel 20 years younger, though, so I guess that's what counts!! :happy:
  • BeckyMBisMe
    BeckyMBisMe Posts: 215 Member
    My plan is to be one of those women who gets whistled at from the rear, and then scares the crap out of teenage boys by turning around and being old enough to be their grannies.

    this would be awesome! and hysterically funny!:laugh:
  • zichab
    zichab Posts: 1,494 Member
    I'm 60 and will be 61 in a few days and although I think I look older, my nail tech and hair dresser all freak out at how much younger I look. My colleagues also say this and they all put me at no older than 45. (Btw-the picture on here is from the beginning and I have not taken a new one yet.) Some of it is just good genes as my Dad is a **** Clark type and just does not seem to age! But I seriously think a lot of it is slow weight loss (it has taken 16 months to lose this much and I have about 12 more pounds to go) eating good food with good cardio exercise that gets super blood flow to the skin and drinking no less than 64 ounces of water a day. I have always worn an spf (as high as I could find) face cream since I burn when sun even streams in my widow!!! :blushing: Obviously, that also has helped, but everyone I know who has crash dieted to lose fast looks older. I suspect we can minimize the damage by losing slow, but some people have so much to lose that they may not be able to recover from all the skin stretching and loss of fat that filled out the wrinkles. :ohwell:
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    Losing weight doesn't usually make people look older until they get down to low, or very low, body fat. Anyway, if you've got 100 pounds to lose, your health comes first.

    This.

    It's important to lose weight that's over your normal weight range. But getting to very low body fat can age some women. Their faces look gaunt. It reminds me of something I read.."“At a certain stage in life, a woman has to choose between her face and her *kitten*. You can have a pretty face and a big *kitten*, or you can have a tight *kitten* and a face like Skeletor.”
  • JakesMina
    JakesMina Posts: 3
    I will be 60 years old next week and achieved my goal of losing 60 lbs before turning 60. I still have about 20 more lbs to lose for my final goal. My face was the first to show my weight loss, but in all honestly, I think I look older now. My face looks like it is melting from all the loose skin puddling around my neck and jawline. I have a lot of loose skin everywhere, as you can imagine, and hope to get some plastic surgery to get rid of all the excess. I think if I had done this when I was even 10 years younger, it wouldn't have been a problem for my skin to recede with the weight loss. One of the earlier posts I saw said to lose weight when you are younger because of the elasticity factor and I am so with her. I am glad I am doing this for my health, but, ugg, I should have done it sooner.
  • BarbellBlondieRuns
    BarbellBlondieRuns Posts: 511 Member
    I think I look older... I usually think people look younger after they lose weight though. Regardless, people always look and feel better when they lose the extra weight and get fit :)
  • slimintraining
    slimintraining Posts: 80 Member
    I think the best thing about losing weight will be you will FEEL ten years younger! and not give a fig what you LOOK like 'cos you feel so great!

    This!
  • Rockmyskinnyjeans
    Rockmyskinnyjeans Posts: 431 Member
    Losing the weight made me go from looking much older than my age to much younger than my age and I was recently getting hit on by High School football players and told them I have no desire to be a pedo.
  • Cheeky_and_Geeky
    Cheeky_and_Geeky Posts: 984 Member
    Younger. Everyone thinks I'm the youngest sibling & I'm the oldest of 5! no matter if you end up looking older or younger, you will be healthier, which is most important! :)

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