my Dad lost a ton of weight with a severe illness, and looked terrible. BUt as he gained weight back, and muscle, the face didn't catch up until recently, took about a year. I think of others I have known who lost a lot of weight, and it does at first not look so good, and I think this is what makes people start with the comments, "you've lost too much weight" etc. but after a bit of maintenance, the face looks better. Probably a combo of us getting used to the new look, and of the weight settling in, maybe redistributing in the body or something. Or people getting "makeovers" with new hair cuts and makeup to go with their new lower weight and thinner faces. After a years time, no one makes those comments.

Some people, especially those we know, may look at you very differently when you lose weight. Family members and such who are used to seeing a person fat don't often know what to say or think when they see that person thin. I know with Drew Carey, the public has seen him fat for such a long time. Now that he's lost the weight, yes he does look very different. But he's healthier and I am sure he feels a lot better now. It doesn't matter how we view him or if we feel strange looking at him as a thinner man. What matters is how he feels. I for one am glad he made the decision to take control and get healthy. I commend him for doing so!

The person you most need to please is yourself. It would be hurtful if other people say that to you, but at the end of the day you're the only person walking in your shoes.

That's a variation on the quote I've heard attributed to Catherine Deneuve, who said that after a certain age, a woman has to choose between her face or her @$ss.

Deneuve has one of the great faces of the past 50 years, so I think for her the choice must have been obvious.

In my experience, fat has been a weird thing. When I was fat in my 20s, it aged me. I had a middle-aged woman's figure when I should have been slender & youthful.

But being fat is like having a massive collagen injection in the face. When it goes away, so does the plumped-out youthful appearance. So when I was fat a decade later, it kept me looking younger.

When the fat stores were used up, I started looking my age. Particularly in my throat, as I seem to have inherited my father's tendony neck, and in a woman, that's one of the telltale places regarding her age.

One thing I have to be thankful for: Being fat made me shun the sun more when I was younger. I wasn't one to lie around half-naked, tanning, or to go out into the full sun, where I was easily overheated, or physically exert myself a lot out-of-doors. So instead I cultivated my unfashionable pallor like a Victorian woman or a Goth. That has preserved my skin from the sun damage experienced by a lot of my contemporaries, and that my end up being my face's salvation for maybe another seven years or so.

Whenever appearance changes, there will be someone who liked the old appearance better. I think that is true whether the change is weight loss, new hair style, or whatever.

I agree with Saef that fat in your 20s probably ages you. That may also be true when you are in your 30s but in your 50s and 60s, maybe 40s, having some fat may make you look younger. Fat fills out wrinkles. People used to always tell me that I looked much younger than I am and I always thought, and sometimes said, "Fat fills out wrinkles." I wish I could guide the remainder of my weight loss and direct my body to keep my face the same but remove the deposits of fat on my upper arms, legs and stomach. Oh yeah, leave the boobs the same!

But it doesn't work that way. I have accepted that if I lose 50 more pounds, I will probably look older but I will be healthier. I will live longer and be active longer. It is a good trade off.

I had a crush on chubby drew when I was a kid so I'm not a huge fan of his new look. If it wasn't a before/after picture I wouldn't have known it was him at all!
I agree it was his 'character' for so long it's hard to put the new face to it.

In my early teens when I wasn't as heavy everyone thought I was older then my age. As I got older and started getting heavier everyone always thought I was younger then my age. I'll be 27 tomorrow and people still comment that I look like a teenager sometimes. I figure there is a good chance that reaching my ideal weight will mean I look my age. Kind of depressing, but I'd rather be healthy even if it means looking older.

I didn't read all of the replies on this thread, but I've noticed in some recent pics of myself that I sometimes actually look gaunt in the face. I know I am not too thin (nor will I be when I get to goal); my BMI is still in the overweight range. I think part of it may be that I have lost a few of my back teeth over the last several years and have not replaced them yet. That is one of my goals for the new year.

I still feel better than I have in a long, long time though.

This thread has made me think:

Once I'm no longer fat I'm afraid that I'll find things wrong with my face that I don't like and cannot change. Once the fat around my face is gone, I'll be left with what my TRUE face looks like and I'm scared I won't like it. I like my face now, it looks soft and youthful like a babyface. I often get told I look like I';m in my teens even though I'm 22. I can't imagine that I'll like my face less when I'm skinny but I'm still afraid.

A lot of my reasoning has relied upon me being more attractive when I'm thinner. Well once I'm thin and no longer have my weight to point to as a reason for not being optimally attractive I don't know what I'll do then.

I make no sense.

I think Drew looks great but more important he is healthier. good job, Drew !

Interesting thread!
I never thought that my weight could keep me looking younger. I always attributed it to my parents who look younger then their age.

As a character in a tv show, people were so used to seeing the heavy and funny Drew. He has certainly changed his look drastically. People will judge you, no matter what your size. Just because he is in the public eye he is getting more attention.

I'm pretty sure he doesn't care what others think, because he probably feels a **** of a lot better about himself which ultimately matters the most.

My cousin lost 200 pounds when he had his stomach stapled, and I didn't even recognize him. I find he looks older, and a bit sickly, but I would never say that. I know that he has gotten rid of his diabetes, and probably feels so much better.

Drew Carey got rich and built his career out of being overweight, but even he eventually had to lose it for health's sake. Facebook users be damned, he's going to have the last laugh!

My own opinion is this, he lost it too fast. You can always tell the difference between those who starved themselves and those who lost it more slowly and exercised, particularly those who lift weights. I also agree with those who said we are used to seeing him a different way, I have heard the same comments about Jennifer Hudson, oh she looks awful, etc. I think she looks gorgeous, we are just used to seeing the heavier Jennifer.

Everyone, please don't be worried that weight loss will make you look older. Some people look younger after weight loss!

I have struggled with this problem as well. I have always been quite heavy and I never passed for my age. Everyone thought I was a young teen even into my 20's. I can imagine what everyone thought when I was pregnant with my daughter at age 20 I probably looked like an extremely young mother. I think I am starting to show my age now. I am 29 and no longer get asked for identification to buy a lottery ticket (18 is of age). Just before losing the weight, I was asked to show it all the time and it was embarrassing. One of my goals for weight loss, was to look my age, or closer to it. Do I look 29 my picture yet? lol

I was surprised to learn about Drew's weight loss. I haven't seen the Price is Right in some time. I think he looks a little sickly in pictures. It looks like he suffered some hair loss from the rapid weight loss as well. I have dealt with the same thing almost to the point where I needed a wig. I think its finally starting to grow back now..crosses fingers