3 Simple Tips to Slim Down Your Face

Ever been called "baby face"? How about someone pinching your face and remarking on your chubby cheeks? If you have and you're sick of being compared to Peter Griffin, you can finally put a stop to it! You actually can lose excess weight that you're holding in your face and mute the insults.

"Genetics play a role in the shape and structure of your face just like they do your body shape," said Sarah Chadwell, NASM CPT. "Genetics also plays a role in where you store fat. Some of us hold excess weight in the stomach. Others hold it in the legs and thighs. Still others store fat in their faces. If this is happening to you, there's good news! Though it's not possible to completely change the shape of your face, it is possible to lose weight in your face," she said.

Help is here! Here are three suggestions from Chadwell to help you slim your face down and be excited about how you look again.

Stop and think about people you know who've lost just five or 10 pounds. Isn't one of the first places you notice their weight loss in their face (and chin and neck)? "You know people aren't doing nose crinkles and eyebrow lifts to exercise their face. They had to exercise their whole body and eat right to burn fat from all over. Face fat can't be targeted. However, a direct result of overall weight loss is losing the chunky cheeks and double chin!" said Chadwell.

Diet and exercise are the absolute tried-and-true methods to get rid of all types of fat including facial fat. You'll get the most permanent results from these lifelong healthy practices.

Chadwell said, "When it comes to exercise, you need to work out using a mix of cardio and weight training or resistance training. Aim to put in 45 minutes to an hour of exercise each day at least 4-5 days per week."

With respect to diet, whole fresh foods should make up your entire shopping list. Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store for fresh produce and lean meats. Avoid prepackaged foods, refined carbs, and sugar. You'll see a dramatic change in your overall weight and in the amount of weight you hold in your face. An added bonus is that your complexion will also improve!

Another tip from Chadwell is eating until you're 80 percent full: "Be prepared! Try eating five smaller meals per day. You don't need to feel "stuffed" when you eat. When you eat more frequently, your body stays satiated throughout the day which prevents binge eating. You need to cook, pack your lunch each day, and throw healthy snacks in your purse."

Puffiness, especially in your face, could be the result of water retention. One reason we retain water is that our sodium intake is too high. You may not even realize how much sodium you are ingesting. Sodium is in almost every processed food and in all of the takeout from your favorite restaurants.

So how can you control sodium? Simple – cook at home!

When you prepare your own meals, you control how much salt goes into your food. Chadwell recommends that "you opt for sodium-free seasonings that will still make your meal taste delightful."

You've got it on tap at home, and there's a fountain near you. We are talking about water!

We just discussed facial puffiness from water retention, so one might think that drinking more water would be contrary to the prior statement — but that's not the case. In fact, as Chadwell told POPSUGAR: "Drinking more water actually lets your body know that it doesn't need to store or hold on to it. Buy yourself a new water bottle, never leave home without it, and refill it often!"

Water can also help in the battle of the bulge. H2O is a natural metabolism booster, it helps with all your daily life functions, and it can help keep your stomach feeling full.

Let's not forget to mention it's calorie-free. So, let go of your soda, coffee, juice, and sports drink fixes and replace those beverages with water! You'd be surprised at how many empty calories you're not drinking in and how amazing your face (including your complexion) looks!

A healthy lifestyle doesn't just get you a clean bill of health: it shows outwardly on your face! Restore your youthful glow and sculpt a fit face by monitoring your daily dietary habits and getting exercise. You'll love every reflection that stares back at you!