How Much Weight Should You Lose to Be Attractive?

Kelly Osborne weight loss

With a rampant obesity epidemic in the US today, it seems like everyone you know wants to lose weight. As you look in the mirror and think of your belly, thighs, booty, arms, and other places you’d like to shed fat and tone up, you might be thinking, “If I could only lose 20 pounds…” But you may not need to lose as much weight as you think to be more attractive to potential mates.

Your Weight and Your Face

You might think that you need to lose a large amount of weight for people to notice and to find you more attractive, but it turns out that they’ll probably start noticing a lot sooner than you might think because of the changes in your face as you start to drop a few pounds.

Basically, before you notice any difference in your thigh gap or your abs, the face is the first indicator. Your cheeks will look less puffy, and your jaw line will tighten up, and that’s something that people will notice long before they notice that you’ve lost an inch or more from your waist.

Your face can tell people a lot about your cardiovascular health, your immune system, and how stressed out you are, but that’s not all it can tell. People who are overweight have a heavier appearance in the face because the bucal fat pads (the puffy, fatty area of the cheeks) will be more filled in. People who are underweight won’t have much or any fat in these areas, and their cheeks will look drawn and gaunt.

Studies have shown that people with BMIs (body mass indexes) in the healthy range – 18.5-24.9 – have faces that are more attractive and pleasing to look at. If you’re over this spectrum, you may be thinking, “Great, I’ll have to lose a bunch of weight to look better,” but that may not be the case.

According to experts, your BMI only has to change by 1.33 points to show a noticeable difference in your face. The average woman would only have to change her weight by eight pounds, and the average man would only have to change his by nine, and people would notice.

You Don’t Have to Lose as Much as You Think

If you’re interested in looking fitter and feeling better, you may not have to lose as much weight as you think for people to notice a significant difference. They’re going to notice your face much sooner than they notice your arms or your waist, so don’t worry so much about losing a huge amount.

Start by changing your BMI by just 1.33 points. Do it by making a few small changes to your diet and exercise regimens at a time. Be consistent and gradual, and think of these changes as lifestyle adjustments that you can live with forever, not as diets that you’ll only stick to for a while. You don’t have to lose as much weight as you imagine to make a big difference, and once you’ve lost it you could be in a position to lose even more to fit into those jeans you’ve been dreaming of and to look even better. Good luck!