I had a lot of hanging skin on my neck where my triple chin used to be (the turkey wattle) and jowl-y type lines running from my nose to my chin. Very aging! I was getting comments about looking 'gaunt' and 'sickly' when in fact, it was a lot of leftover skin. You can kinda see it in this photo.
I've seen that effect in people. It is one of my fears of losing. I had a friend who was a Big guy, jolly and happy looking. One day I saw him and I was shocked! It scared me. I said "what happened to you?" He then proceded to tell me how much weight he had lost (intentionally). When I realized that he had done it on purpose I had to try and be nice, but to be honest he looked horrible to me. I thought he looked better fat. In fact his face had the look of someone who had cancer or something. I thought he had some terrible disease that had forced the weight off him when I first saw him. I was horified!
Knowing he thought he looked good, I had to keep my opinions to myself.
But I think "low fat" diets do that you to more than say low carb diets. Your flesh doesn't retain the youthfulness it does when you eat more oils... At least that is my idea. I'm not really sure. My sister lost weight low carb and it did make her look older.
Try this: don't look in the mirror, look at pictures. When I last lost weight I thought I looked older in the mirror, but in pictures I looked MUCH younger. Pictures are a more accurate representation of how others see us. We are examining ourselves closely in the mirror--which others don't do. We are staring at the wrinkles which used to be puffed out with fat and we think, "OLD". But in the overall picture fat often looks older than wrinkles. People see thin as young and vibrant and they aren't staring at our wrinkles from 6 inches away! :-)
Feel free to ask me any questions about the skin - I'm not shy! I truly feel that, for alot of us, this is reconstructive surgery, not 'cosmetic'. It's not about vanity, but about finally enjoying the bodies that we've worked so hard to achieve.
Try this: don't look in the mirror, look at pictures. When I last lost weight I thought I looked older in the mirror, but in pictures I looked MUCH younger. Pictures are a more accurate representation of how others see us.
I certainly hope so. Unfortunately, me being camera-shy, I only one have picture of me since I've lost weight and in that pic I was about 150-155.
Ha. I'm usually camera shy too, but in my line of work it's hard to escape pictures. That's why I got a camera and learned photoshop. I can take 20 lbs off myself through posing and lighting alone. Ha ha!
Ha. I'm usually camera shy too, but in my line of work it's hard to escape pictures. That's why I got a camera and learned photoshop. I can take 20 lbs off myself through posing and lighting alone. Ha ha!
Karma
I'm not as camera-shy as I used to be. When I was heavy and someone would drag out a regular camera or a video camera, I was outta there. Now I don't really mind my picture being taken all that much, but the problem is *I'm* usually the one behind the camera. I've got albums full of pictures and you can surf page after page and even go through a whole book and you won't see one picture of me.
I had a friend I hadn't seen in a couple years pop up back in my life and she looked absolutely horrible...the really thin, with droopy skin-I was immediately worried and asked "what happened?" I was thinking cancer, chemo, radiation therapy. She proceeded to tell me how great she felt and she had went on a Dr. sponsored liquid diet and had lost all this weight. She used to look balanced, now her face and upper body are thin and guant looking, her hips and thighs are still huge and her legs are thin. What can you say? I know she's healthier without all the extra weight, she feels better. I just said, "I'm glad your so happy. I can really tell you've worked hard to lose the weight."
Yes, I do think that losing the weight makes us look older. The fat eases the lines of the wrinkles, gives a more soft appearance to the face.
Does anyone else think they look older?
