Fat Neck?

neon_zephyr · 08-04-2011, 01:14 AM

Anyone else here have a fat neck? If so, what do you do about it? Does one just wait until the pounds fall off wherever they need to and just hope the neck gets some reduction in size, too?

Thankfully, I don't have a double chin. However, my neck tends to store a lot of fat and it's not a long neck anyway, so it looks fatter. Earlier today, DH (who is ill and had a really high fever and was being extra blunt because of it; he was delirious, so I don't think he was trying to be a jerk or anything and sensitivity isn't his strong point, anyway, but honesty is his way of being supportive) was looking at me really funny while I was cooking him some soup and had turned my head to ask him if he wanted salt. He just stared for a minute or two with the strangest expression on his face. This morning, I had been sans makeup or adornments, in pajamas and with my hair pinned up in a claw clip, caught a bit off guard, and hadn't slept all night (insomnia and anxiety). A few minutes later, when I asked him what he was gazing at, he said that my neck was like a caterpillar, because it had sections like fat rolls on it. We both started laughing at the absurdness of it. However, the worst part is that I think he's right! I've got the dark pigmentation rings around the neck which is typical of insulin resistance, the skin seems almost creased there, but I scrub and exfoliate frequently, moisturize and wear makeup to blend the color. Still, my neck drives me crazy and with the hyperpigmentation, I never feel clean, even when I scrub my skin raw. I wish I had one of those long slender swan-like necks. No amount of layered necklaces or long distracting locks mask the issue enough and I feel so insecure about it. Alas, I'm often afraid to wear my hair in a high ponytail or cut my hair too short (even though a shorter length suits me) because the back of my neck looks like it belongs to a pit bull. Ugh.

What do you do with a fat neck? Adorn it with distracting jewelry and keep your hair long to cover it? Wish it away? Think of its caterpillary folds as a symbolic reminder that your body is mid-metamoprphosis? *Sigh* Such an unpleasant place to store fat....anyone else have this issue? It seems so weird that I must be alone in it, but I'm trying to laugh at myself so it doesn't depress me. Words of comfort, humor, or advice would be great.

Alwaysbeenbig · 08-04-2011, 01:32 AM

I actually developed a fat neck when I gained my last lot of weight. I am happy to tell you that it is slowly dissappearing as I am losing weight. There are a couple of things that tend to make it worse for me. If I eat a meal high in salt or if I have a bit too much sun it always tends to get a little bigger. I assume this is becasue I retain some fluid.

I hope this helps somewhat.

Jen516 · 08-04-2011, 02:32 AM

I know I've lost inches around my neck because necklaces that didn't used to fit are fine to wear now!

neon_zephyr · 08-04-2011, 03:28 PM

Thanks, Always and Jen. It's encouraging to know that I'm not the only one who has worried about this and also that it will eventually be resolved! I found a few other posts covering a similar concern, too, and between those posts and yours, I feel less bothered about this today.

keekles · 08-05-2011, 02:46 PM

My neck got fat when I gained weight (also have IR). It slimmed down quite a bit with weight loss and the pigmentation faded. I would imagine that yours will shrink as you go down in weight. If it doesn't that would be strange and I would definitely talk to your doctor about that.

neon_zephyr · 08-11-2011, 02:41 AM

Thanks, keekles. That's encouraging. Congrats on your weight loss so far!

I think I probably knew somewhere in my mind that the fat on my neck would eventually come off if I lost enough weight, because, eventually it will all burn off, right? But it just felt like an impossible thing and like no one else might be going through it. Knowing that I'm not the only one that has thought about my fat neck makes me feel less alone.