If you feel that your face is a bit fuller than you’d like it to be, you’re not alone. We’re not going to paint a pretty picture and promise you an easy fix, because “spot reduction” unfortunately doesn’t exist. There’s not any particular way to lose fat on your face or to zero in on losing weight on any specific part of your body. Instead, you will need to reduce your overall weight. We’re here to present you with how to lose face fat: the most effective diet and exercise tips, according to the pros.
We reached out to the experts and learned that the first steps you need to take are to maintain a diet low in calories and to bump up the amount of exercise you get each day. Healthy eating is crucial, along with a combination of aerobic exercise and strength training for the highest calorie burn for each hour you work out. As far as a low-calorie diet? Stick with plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins, and ditch foods that contain high levels of added sugars or carbohydrates. Let’s get down to more specific habits to add to your routine.
1. Monitor your sodium intake.
Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro and a member of our Medical Expert Board, suggests one specific step when attempting to lose face fat, and that is to keep track of how much sodium you consume. He explains, “Sodium, which is found in salt, retains water, and this can make people feel puffy and bloated. Often, this puffiness is noticeable in the face. So, while you won’t necessarily be losing fat from the face, sticking to a low-sodium diet may help make your face appear and feel slimmer. It’s generally recommended that adults consume less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (with less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day being an even better target).”
2. Choose fat-burning foods you’ll stick with.
It’s important to be mindful of what you are eating. “One buzz phrase that sometimes comes up when talking about dieting is ‘negative calorie foods.’ These are foods that supposedly burn more calories to digest than they actually contain, so by eating them, you are literally having negative calories,” Dr. Bohl points out. He adds, “The science regarding whether negative calorie foods actually exist, though, is not that strong. What’s more likely is that these types of food have very few calories and a high water content—so you’re not really getting negative calories from them, but you’re also not significantly increasing your calorie count for the day.”
Examples of “negative calorie food” items on the list are carrots, celery, carrots, watermelon, lettuce, cucumbers, and a few fruits. Including foods like these in your diet—along with sticking to a calorie deficit and maintaining a consistent diet plan of mostly plant-based foods—can be effective in losing fat all over your body, including facial fat.
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3. Combine resistance training and cardio.
Anthony J. Yeung, CSCS, a fitness expert and the founder of GroomBuilder, shares some workout advice on how to achieve a leaner body and a leaner face. He recommends combining resistance training with your cardio each week; don’t simply focus on cardio.
Yeung suggests, “Do resistance training two to three times per week and cardio two to three times per week. Eat healthy 80% of the time and you can splurge the other 20%.” By following this routine, you will not just burn fat and calories, but you will also strengthen the muscle that lies beneath, resulting in a much leaner you.
Yeung also stresses the importance of staying away from “junk food” that contains processed ingredients. These snacks will not only add extra body fat, but they can also make your face appear puffy.
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
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