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"Diet Face" - should we choose face over body or vice versa?
Replies
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Like @AnnPT77 and @middlehaitch I found my diet face improved greatly about a year after I was done. I had hollow eyes for a while. But my face still looks better thinner. I have small features and being obese looked terrible on me.
I don’t want to be super lean in any case because I don’t think my body looks good like that. The words ropy and stringy come to mind. Not to mention being underweight with super low body fat isn’t any healthier than being overweight!1 -
cbstewart88 wrote: »The petulant child in me wants both....
(This is not a criticism of the post I'm quoting, just to be clear.)
For my own self, I'm kind of on the opposite end of the scale. I'm not very appearance-motivated at all at this point. I care about being healthy and strong, but not much about the appearance side of face or body. Function matters. That probably leads me to prefer a relatively lower healthy weight than some might choose, in a similar body. (It's a range, after all.) I'd admit I like looking kinda strong, but I think that's mainly because I like being kinda strong.
I'm more side-jowl-y now that I'm not obese; but I think I might have been so at this point (age 63) even if I'd never been overweight, based on how my parents/grandparents looked. OTOH, I have more of a sensible chin and neck than when I was fat.
Like @middlehaitch, I did feel like my face looked better a few months or so after hitting goal weight - even at the same weight - less haggard, less loose skin. I don't have photo evidence, though.
I'm assuming skin shrinkage and glycogen replenishment have something to do with the post-goal improvements, but there's also the more difficult to pin down "lengthy weight loss is stressful" factor.
I feel the same way about function and actual health and not caring personally that much about the appearance of my face or body (I mean, I don't want to send small children screaming in terror ...).
However, I am not yet retired, I hope to continue to receive pay in exchange for my labor for at least another decade, and I work in a field where periodic layoffs have become pretty routine. Ageism in employment retention and hiring is a real thing. I can't do much about the retention side (my employer knows my birth date and is no doubt aware that if they don't get rid of me in the next few years, I will be vested in a retirement health savings account that they could otherwise sweep back into their own coffers), but I can at least hope to carve a few years off my appearance if I find myself facing job interviews. People don't equate a little extra body weight with age the same way that they equate hollowed cheeks, neck hollows, or sunken eyes with old age, so I do feel like I have to err on the side of a fuller face for career/economic reasons. (No, I can't wait until the situation presents itself to worry about it, as the most likely new employers for a comparable position see me regularly in the conduct of my current job.)6 -
I’m ok with my diet face. I am sad about my diet boobs.33
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born_of_fire74 wrote: »I’m ok with my diet face. I am sad about my diet boobs.
Quote of the day!3 -
Looking at what “procedures” are available, dermal fillers are less risky than abdominoplasty. Although tummy tucks are one and done, whereas dermal fillers will be an ongoing thing for the rest of one’s life.
A tummy tuck wouldn’t help me much anyway, I’m still hanging onto visceral fat, and that’s what’s currently driving me to go below my previous goal weight, despite my gaunt face. So health first.
If I didn’t have the amount of visceral fat that I do, I think I might choose face over a flat stomach.
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I just want to be healthy so I can live a long happy life, don’t really care if people think my face looks too thin9
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My goal BMI range is roughly 23-26. I doubt I’ll get “diet face”, but even if I do it’s better than double-chin.
What I *am* worried about is my spare tire turning into an apron. Seen and heard too many horror stories of the health problems it can create, especially for women who work in conditions like my own work environment.4 -
Screw that... god invented facelifts and wrinkle treatment for a reason. I’d rather have a good body and all the benefits from exercise and weight loss. For all those in your 40’s, you are going to wrinkle anyway. So the real question should be...do you want to be heavier and wrinkled in 10 years time, or fit and wrinkled.
Losing weight now gives you a couple more years chance for your skin to recover before the collagen levels start to nosedive after menopause (for women).
Honestly, I see nothing wrong or unattractive with the far right picture. You look beautiful!7 -
SnifterPug wrote: »https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jenni-murray-warns-of-diet-face-8k2pkd0h0
Dame Jeni Murray has lost four stone following bariatric surgery and diabetic symptoms have gone into remission. Good for her!
She has now announced she is happy to weigh 14 stone because she does not want to develop "diet face". At her height (6 foot) she's still overweight by BMI standards and she doesn't strike me as a gym bunny who is carrying the weight as muscle.
So long as she's happy how she is, that's great, of course.
But I'm interested to see how others view the issue of diet face. Would you prefer to have the physique you want, at the possible expense of your facial looks? Or would you compromise on the body in order to keep your face looking better? Would you prefer your significant other to have the perfect body or the perfect face (assuming they can't have both)?
I'm sorry, what the *kitten* is "diet face"? Sounds like another invented thing for people to be insecure about so that other people can sell them stuff to make them feel better about themselves.14 -
Middlehaich--sorry I can't really discern what you are talking about. To me those just look like pics at 40's, 50's, 60's. Also, you have a cute face, lucky you, work it gurll!9
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I'm sorry, what the *kitten* is "diet face"? Sounds like another invented thing for people to be insecure about so that other people can sell them stuff to make them feel better about themselves.
Or rationalize not losing weight.11 -
After a bit of digging I’m going to chalk up “diet face” to complete and utter ignorance and impatience. I get that the aesthetic can be unpleasant, but most people can avoid it by losing weight sensibly: slow and steady with nutritional dietary choices (exercise of course will help as well!)4
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middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
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Middlehaich--sorry I can't really discern what you are talking about. To me those just look like pics at 40's, 50's, 60's. Also, you have a cute face, lucky you, work it gurll!middlehaitch wrote:Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
She said the middle picture she's in her 60's, the one on the right her 50's. Her skin does seem to have tightened after a few years of maintenance which is encouraging. She looks like she's "aging" backwards.
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middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
I remember a thread on here awhile ago there was a girl in her 20's struggling to accept her skin's appearance after weight loss. She was happy with her health improvements but sad about her appearance. I hope it improved in time for her. I don't think everyone experiences this.1 -
healingnurtrer wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
I remember a thread on here awhile ago there was a girl in her 20's struggling to accept her skin's appearance after weight loss. She was happy with her health improvements but sad about her appearance. I hope it improved in time for her. I don't think everyone experiences this.
I agree. I think it's most common for women, and those who are either a little older and/or didn't have a lot of excess fat on their faces such as very full cheeks and double chins. I think I had a comparatively "thin" face for my morbidly obese body and no double chin etc...therefore I noticed a more aged look to my post-weight loss face, despite being "just" mid-30s. For example, fine lines & wrinkles tend to show up a little more especially around the forehead, eyes & mouth then you lose weight at an older age and by that I mean anything from 35 like I was, to 60s and older.
Just my .022 -
I think I have a petite face naturally. I’m 5’3. At my lowest (132) my face looked kinda gauntley and old! I also had flaccid flap-jack boobies but thats another story for another day. Oh, and I had bad iron-deficiency. Gaining back 50 pounds has fixed those “problems” but I’m now obese again. Go figure3
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healingnurtrer wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
I remember a thread on here awhile ago there was a girl in her 20's struggling to accept her skin's appearance after weight loss. She was happy with her health improvements but sad about her appearance. I hope it improved in time for her. I don't think everyone experiences this.
Was she complaining about her face though ? Or her body?0 -
I didn't have to choose. I like being a little bit fat, and with that comes having a little bit more fat in the face.2
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My choice would be a healthy body over appearance, at 59 I expect my face to look my age.
But when I was losing weight it was noticable that my face lost a fair bit of weight early on in the process - enough for friends to opine I was losing too much and looking unwell. (In reality I wasn't losing too much as my initial goal was 7lbs over the top of BMI normal range.)
But having maintained a while my face did regain some fat and the skin tightened. The same friends that thought I had lost too much were mistakingly "glad I had regained some weight" whereas in fact I had lost a few more pounds. One of my less diplomatic friends said "your face looked kinda weird for a while". Thanks mate!
My fat distribution and how I regain and lose fat has definitely changed - my arms and legs appear to remain lean when I regain some weight and it all goes on my stomach. Arm and leg muscle definition and vascularity varies hardly at all while my weight fluctuates, I just get a more podgy stomach.
Specualtion alert!!
Fat isn't completely static and especially when you do endurance exercise more fat get mobilised than is typically used in the exercise period. Maybe not such an effect for people who do short duration exercise as that mostly uses intra-muscular fat and triglycerides circulating in your blood for the fat part of energy expenditure.
Maybe that extra mobilised fat settles somewhere else determined by a person genetics?5 -
healingnurtrer wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
I remember a thread on here awhile ago there was a girl in her 20's struggling to accept her skin's appearance after weight loss. She was happy with her health improvements but sad about her appearance. I hope it improved in time for her. I don't think everyone experiences this.
Was she complaining about her face though ? Or her body?
Her skin in general but especially her facial skin1 -
Does the perception work differently for evaluating men? I already have strong cheekbones (I actually was told I could not do LASIK because the blade would not work with how deep set my eyes are), and yet have never been thought old looking whether fat or thin. I tend to actually have problems with having my age underestimated; I've had multiple instances of people asking if my sons are my younger brothers.3
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I think a lot of us can have our cake and eat it too on this, as at least for me, diet face and diet body have both been an improvement. But I'll play. For me, it would be body over face.
While it is nice to have a pretty face, I'm never gonna be model pretty so my face isn't exactly gonna be a money maker. And it doesn't really have any functional advantages.
But if I get the diet body I'm looking for, I'll be stronger, more athletic, more functional overall. That has already been the case with the progress I have made. I love being able to do more outdoor activities and fitness related things than before I lost weight. I do things now I never thought were possible before weight loss. So I'll definitely take the body first.11 -
I would rather have the body I want, since my face is skinny and bony anyway. That's just how it naturally is. When I was at my highest ever weight, my face still looked like it belonged on a scrawny body. I just don't gain weight in my face.2
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healingnurtrer wrote: »healingnurtrer wrote: »middlehaitch wrote: »Ok, the what is diet face.
It’s the gaunt, sunken, wrinkled look you get when you initially lose weight.
Here is an example.
Left is mid 40’s pre weight gain, so same weight as I am now.
Centre was a year or so ago with my mid 60’s face. Nicely settled into its lack of fat and multitude of wrinkles.
Right is my mid 50’s face just after I had lost weight. Gaunt, angular, hollow eyed and wrinkled.
Cheers, h.
(I couldn’t get the whole article either. I did google her and found she is 3years older than me, just to give the aging face as well as weight loss context)
Is that really diet face? Or just natural aging.
I don’t get what a diet face is... does this only happen to people who are older- ish in age?
I remember a thread on here awhile ago there was a girl in her 20's struggling to accept her skin's appearance after weight loss. She was happy with her health improvements but sad about her appearance. I hope it improved in time for her. I don't think everyone experiences this.
Was she complaining about her face though ? Or her body?
Her skin in general but especially her facial skin
Ok. I only had 15lbs to lose maybe that’s why I didn’t experience the diet face, but if I did.... i think I’d rather gain the 15lbs back and have a healthier looking face.3 -
It's hard to say because I've never had to lose such a large amount of weight to where it would affect my face. but my body tends to carry excess weight in my lower half.
I think I'll say body over face. health is more important than how my face looks. The face should get better in time, especially with a good skin care routine I would think?1 -
I've definitely noticed a "diet face" in those who have lost a significant amount of weight quickly, but not really anywhere else. It just takes the skin a little bit longer to bounce back, and the amount it bounces back depends on age, genetics, etc. I'm fortunate that I carry a decent amount of weight in my face, so I likely won't experience it at all.
That being said, I'd rather be prematurely aged through "diet face" on the outside than prematurely aged on the inside through being in poor health due to being overweight.8 -
For those suspicious that diet face isn’t a thing, here’s a pic I snapped where my face looks like a deflated balloon.
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Diet face probably happens more to those of us who are older and have lost weight, probably more so if a lot of weight has been lost.
I'm now 50, lost 30lbs back in 2012 and have been maintaining that loss ever since. Because my loss was slow, approx 18 months my face didn't perhaps take the hit it might have done had I chose to lose faster, plus I 'only' had 25-30lbs to lose. I'll choose body over face because its being fit and at a healthy weight which counts IMO and I'm hoping it will help the aging process.1 -
I'll take the body and cover the face with a beard (not that it was much to look at in the first place) 😝4
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