Fat around the face can be one of the more stubborn types of fat to lose, and some people can exercise and lose weight all around their body but not their face. The appearance of facial fat can certainly be caused by an actual buildup of fat, but there are other contributing factors that can cause facial puffiness or the appearance of fat. One of the most important things that you can do to lose facial fat is to reduce your overall body fat percentage, and this can be done a number of ways. It isn't easy to specifically target facial fat, and for some people it can be impossible, but by reducing your body fat percentage you can definitely achieve a slimmer face. It is important to keep monitoring your body fat at regular intervals, follow a proper diet, exercise, and ensure that you aren't eating any foods that can cause allergies or water retention.
Check your body fat
One of the first things that you should do if you are trying to lose facial fat is to check your body fat. Your physician may be able to check your body fat percentage during your physical, or if there is a dunk tank in close proximity to you, it is another good option for measuring body fat. The dunk tank method is thought to be the most accurate method, but if you don't have one in your city you can always purchase fat calipers for a few dollars and measure your body fat that way. The key is to keep measuring your fat at regular intervals once you get on a weight loss plan or exercise plan, and to use the most accurate method available to you. Document how your body fat changes over time and also take photographs on a regular basis as well.
Set a goal for body fat percentage
Once you know your body fat percentage, or have a somewhat accurate idea, you should set a specific goal for weight loss and to reduce your body fat percentage. Body fat percentage goals are even better than BMI goals or weight loss goals because they specifically focus on the problem: fat. By losing fat all over the body, you will slim down in the face and in other "stubborn" parts of the body that are difficult to target with exercise. Men should have a body fat percentage between 18 to 25% or lower, while women should have a percentage between 25 to 31% or lower. Obviously the lower the better for both men and women, to a certain degree, but women always need to have about 10 to 12% essential fat while men need about 2 to 4% body fat.
Don't do facial exercises
Some people recommend facial exercises to lose facial fat, but sitting around and doing facial exercises is pretty much a waste of time, when you could spend that same amount of time on a high intensity interval training program or cooking a healthy meal as a part of a diet. It is the same idea that doing crunches won't give you a six pack; it will certainly strengthen your abdominal muscles, but the truth is that everyone pretty much already has a fairly defined six pack, it is the layer of fat that is hiding it. So with facial exercises the idea is the same; the exercises may strengthen the muscles of your face, but they won't change your facial definition or cause it to slow down. The only way to do this is by losing body fat all over; the lower your body fat percentage is the more that you will start to see a slimmer face.
Eliminate junk foods
Junk foods can be high in sodium which can lead to water retention which can then cause puffiness in the face, hands, arms, legs and in other parts of the body. To avoid this negative effect on your appearance, you should avoid junk foods and other foods that are high in sodium. Even if you try to avoid high sodium foods it almost always finds its way into your diet, so the other way to counteract it is by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If you know that you are going to eat a lot of salty foods on a particular day you should compensate by drinking more water. Keep in mind that edema or fluid retention is potentially a sign of a serious medical problem, so if you experience regular edema you should speak with a medical professional to find out the cause.
Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks
Both alcohol and caffeinated drinks can lead to dehydration which can further lead to fluid retention. Try to avoid drinks with a lot of caffeine like coffee if you have regular facial puffiness, and also avoid excess alcohol consumption. There are also a wide variety of different medications and supplements that can cause fluid retention. If you aren't sure whether or not your supplements are causing it, speak to your medical provider and give them a list of your supplements to be sure that there aren't any adverse effects occurring. If you are using a medical that causes fluid retention you may not be able to come off of the medication, but you can control your diet and exercise which can counteract the effects of the medication and keep you looking good.
Exercise regularly especially if you sit down a lot of the day
If you sit down for prolonged periods of time, you can develop poor circulation which can lead to fluid retention throughout your body. In general, exercise will help keep you looking good and will help restore a more vibrant glow to your skin by improving your circulation. If you have a sedentary lifestyle or if you sit down a lot of the day, and also eat unhealthy foods, it can have twice the impact. It's important to follow a healthy diet if you are trying to look your best, but a sedentary lifestyle will also lead to weight gain, sometimes even when you eat the right foods. So, if you don't get much exercise with your job or sit at a desk, try working out at least 15 to 20 minutes every other day which can definitely improve your facial appearance by improving your circulation and reduce fluid retention along with the many other benefits that exercise has. Even if you don't have a sedentary lifestyle you should exercise of course, but it is particularly important for people who may not get a sufficient amount of exercise through an active job that requires walking or some form of physical activity.
A diet like the HCG diet can help you lose facial fat
A diet that results in a large amount of weight loss like the HCG diet will certainly help. If you look at before and after photos of many patients, you will see a noticeable difference in their facial definition after trying just one round of the diet, whether it is the three week or six week diet. Of course the appearance benefits of the HCG diet aren't just limited to lower facial fat; you will lose fat all throughout your body and have an overall slimmer profile after one round of the diet. With the potential to lose up to 40 or more pounds in just six weeks, the diet is one of the best ways to improve your appearance quickly and your body fat will definitely drop after the diet is finished. Get more information about the HCG diet here or speak to a medical professional today for more information.