I look gaunt?!

So I'm mid 40s and lost 46 lbs...close to goal weight. I feel great and all. But I think I now look kinda wrinkly and gaunt and my husband says my face looks kind of sad much of the time. Has anyone else have this issue?
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Replies

  • Famof72015
    Famof72015 Posts: 393 Member
    :/
  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,702 Member
    I'd say give it some time. Celebrate your accomplishment! You're close to goal! Just like with any weight loss, the skin needs time to adjust and firm up.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    That stinks. As best I understand it, genetics pretty much controls where you lose weight and what happens to your skin afterwards. I feel like what you're encountering isn't unknown - I have a vague memory of an old expression about how too much weight loss can have negative effects on your face, but a quick Google isn't turning anything up. Maybe I'm thinking hands? Either way, there's always going to be something to be unhappy with - I'm sure your husband and you will get used to any changes.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Yeah, my face looks cuter when I'm a little chubbier.
  • fittocycle
    fittocycle Posts: 825 Member
    I agree. Most people have a distorted view of what healthy looks like because the majority are overweight. It'll take a while for people to get used to seeing a thinner you. It's funny how people are ok with talking about your weight when you're thinner but never dreamed of mentioning it when you were overweight.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    Catherine Deneuve says that after 40, you have to choose between your *kitten* and your face--which one do you want to look good? Nice *kitten*, thinner face.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited September 2017
    fittocycle wrote: »
    I agree. Most people have a distorted view of what healthy looks like because the majority are overweight. It'll take a while for people to get used to seeing a thinner you. It's funny how people are ok with talking about your weight when you're thinner but never dreamed of mentioning it when you were overweight.

    I only had 30lbs to lose, so i wasn't super overweight or obese, and believe me, my family did dare/dream to bring it up when i got to 180lbs. Never, ever in a mean or judgmental way, they just sometimes slipped the topic into conversations.

    I myself didnt like the look of my face when i got down to my goal weight. I would rather have a plumper face and belly, than a flat tum and skinny, gaunt looking face. Vanity weight is just not so important at my age anymore, i've got other more pressing/important things to concern myself over.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    cebreisch wrote: »
    A few years ago, after I’d lost about 80 pounds, my husband finally started doing P90X. He didn’t log his food really, and didn’t wear an activity tracker. After he got down to about 130-ish, everybody started saying he looked gaunt too. He had been getting hungry and just powering through it. He wanted to get down to a certain percent of body fat and did. But - he did look a little gaunt.

    After the P90X was over, he gained about 10-20 pounds back over some course of time. Then decided to do INsanity. By some miracle, he decided to get an activity tracker and realized just how hard he was working out and wasn’t taking in enough calories - resulting in him being hungry all the time - which meant he could eat more and not have to suffer! LOL

    He looked SO much healthier and felt healthier.

    Is your husband really short?
  • 150poundsofme
    150poundsofme Posts: 523 Member
    Congrats on your weight loss. Sometimes a new haircut, part different, bangs maybe??? The magazines always show different shape faces with haircuts that are good for it.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Thanks for the comments, everyone! I'm hoping it's just my skin needing a bit of time to firm up. I noticed my "bat wings" firmed up in a couple of weeks so why not my face?

    But yeah, those weird tendon things on my neck just took me by surprise.

    And I'm certainly not giving up. It's nice being a healthy size. I just wish my face looked a bit plumper. *sigh*