7 Strategies to help reduce facial fat

Gaining weight is bad for your overall well-being as it increases your risk of developing various health problems. It can also make you gain fat around your face, which can be difficult to address unless you make lifestyle changes like exercising more and eating right.

Adopt healthier eating habits

Heavily processed foods like potato chips and sweetened drinks contain more calories, salt and sugar than healthier foods like fresh fruits and vegetables.

Food that contains refined carbohydrates can also make you gain facial fat. During processing, refined carbs that are highly processed lose their fiber and nutrient content.

Aside from containing empty calories, refined carbs may cause rapid spikes in your blood sugar. This can make you overeat, resulting in weight gain.

Foods that contain refined carbs include:

• Breakfast cereals
• Pasta
• Reduced-fat products
• Syrups and frostings
• White bread
• White rice

To lose facial fat, replace processed foods and refined carbohydrates while whole foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Watch your salt intake

Following a high-salt diet can make your body retain water, which then causes swelling and puffiness in various parts of your body and your face. This can make it seem like you’ve gained facial fat.

Avoid the following foods, which are full of sodium:

• Cheese
• Condiments like soy sauce and teriyaki sauce
• Pretzels
• Processed meats (e.g., bacon, ham and salami)
• Ramen
• Sushi

If you are sensitive to fluid retention, limit your intake of salty foods like junk food and processed meals to make your face slimmer. Cook your meals at home to control the ingredients you use to prepare your food.

Stay hydrated

Drinking a glass of water before you eat can help you feel fuller, reduce the total number of calories you consume and promote weight loss.

Avoid drinking too much alcohol

Excessive alcohol intake causes dehydration, which can also make your body retain water. As a result, your face will look bloated and puffy.

Alcohol consumption can also cause weight gain since alcoholic drinks contain empty calories and no nutrients. Empty calories increase your total daily calorie intake and promote weight gain.

Try cardio exercise

Losing weight can help make your face look slimmer. In a 2012 study from the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers examined the effects of different types of exercise on fat mass in overweight and obese volunteers.

The 119 participants joined one of three eight-month exercise programs:

1. Aerobics training, a type of cardiovascular exercise
2. Resistance training, which helps build lean muscle
3. A combination of aerobics training and resistance training

Results showed that both the first group and the third group experienced greater reductions in fat mass, unlike the volunteers in the second group. There was no significant difference in outcomes between the three groups.

The researchers said that people who want to burn fat should start aerobics training.

You can incorporate low-, moderate- or high-intensity cardio exercises into your gym routine, but data suggests that doing higher intensity cardio workouts several times a week can help you burn more fat for a slimmer face.

Try facial exercises

According to a 2014 article from the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, doing facial exercises can help strengthen and tone your facial muscles.

While no studies have looked into the link between facial exercises and loss of facial fat, doing facial exercises can make your face look firmer. (Related: Exercise your face: Facial exercises found to yield firmer skin, more youthful appearance.)

Improve your sleeping habits

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports that being sleep deprived affects the levels of certain hormones that make you feel hungry and full.

Not getting enough sleep may increase levels of ghrelin, the hormone that stimulates appetite. It also lowers levels of leptin, the hormone that tells your body that it’s full. This means that if you don’t get enough sleep at night, you may overeat and this can result in weight gain.

Sleeping at least seven to eight hours every night may help prevent weight gain and keep your face slim.

To effectively lose facial fat, exercise regularly, have good sleep habits and follow a balanced diet. Try cardio exercises to manage your weight and keep your face toned and slim.

Sources include:

MedicalNewsToday.com

Healthline.com