a 5lb gain does this?

Hey

 I have been struggling to maintain my weight - i have put on 5lbs since December, which might not sound like a lot but my body really changed itself. These 5lbs made me gain a lot in my face, as in, i have no definition anymore and jsut puffy cheeks. Is this possible even when I only gained 5 lbs? I know it is somewhat genetic where you put on weight first, but this has gotten me very upset to the point where i hate smiling because my face is just so round. I have been trying to lose these 5lbs, but it looks like there are here to stay for good. Do i just have to accept that my face is no longer nice, angular and defined and is chubby and rather large?

The fact that your face has gotten a little more puffy might have less to do with the five pounds and more to do with the kinds of foods you're eating. During the winter, many people tend to eat a lot of soups and sweets--in other words, salt and carbs. Both can easily cause you to gain water weight, which shows itself a lot in the facial features.

I understand the struggle to lose those five pounds. I would recommend a few tips to help you get back your facial definition:

1. Watch the carbs, especially refined sugars and starches. This past week I gained five pounds of water just because I started eating bread again.

2. WEIGH EVERYTHING. You'd be astonished how amazingly inaccurate your calorie-counting can be if you don't. I was eating about 300 calories more than I estimated until I started weighing my food--which translates to 30 extra pounds at the end of the year.

3. Don't take weekends off. Free weekends are for maintenance, not for weight loss. They can destroy everything you accomplished during the week easily.

4. Don't stop smiling! If you're unhappy, you're more likely to emo-eat.

I hope this helps you as much as it helped me.

Best of luck,
Sam

P.S. - Don't forget your fiber and water! It may not help with your face as much, but a good clean out will take off some pounds and probably help flatten your stomach a bit.

thank you for responding i appreciate the tips. Cutting out refined carbs will be tough but i do know that i started eating more of them and then gained weight so maybe that will help.

Question - what constitutes a refined carb and how do you get filled up otherwise? I mean, my snacks are usually granola or rice cakes b/c they fill me up after eating a lot of them. I try fruit for a snack but it doesnt cut it. What should i snack on (esp at night?)

thanks again!

I'm talking about cutting way back on:
1. Sweets of all kinds
2. Breads (whole wheat or not)
3. Pasta (whole wheat or not)
4. Potatoes
5. Carbolicious snacks (e.g. chips, crackers, Chex Mix, etc)

Granola is a treacherously caloric thing, so I'd watch out for that too.

Now, fruit has never really worked well as a snack for me either. I find myself hungry an hour later! So, usually, I eat something high in protein for a snack--a couple of slices of ham, a few pieces of chicken, some tuna. About two or three ounces of lean meat will keep you sated for an astonishingly long period of time. What also helps is a cup of a low-cal, brothy or vegetably soup (I like vegetables in chicken broth, or stewed & pureed broccoli soup). Just be careful of the sodium in both the meat and the soup.

If you find that you miss the bulk of the carbs during a meal, add more vegetables and drink more water (diet soda, tea, whatever) while you're eating. Or start yourself off with a bit of broth.

Hope this helps,
Sam