Can You Remove Fat From Under the Chin?

When excess fat settles under your chin, it can affect your appearance. Maybe you've been inactive and eating unhealthy, causing you to gain weight. Unless cosmetic surgery is an option, spot reduction doesn't work. The only way to reduce that jiggle under your chin is by losing weight from your entire body. When this happens, that double-chin-in-the-making will also reduce. Regular exercise and a healthy diet can start you off on the right track.

A fat chin can be embarassing. (Image: IPGGutenbergUKLtd/iStock/Getty Images)

Must-Do Cardiovascular Exercise

Although huffing and puffing, and working up a sweat, might not be your cup of tea, if you want to eliminate the excess fat under your chin, cardio should become your go-to exercise. It burns calories, which is essential to lose weight; a daily deficit of 500 calories can result in a loss of one pound a week. For weight loss, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services favors 300 minutes of cardio a week at an intensity that still allows you to talk to a workout buddy. Consider bicycling, playing tennis, climbing stairs, jogging, walking briskly and jumping rope.

Essential Strength Training

By including strength training in your exercise routine, you can burn calories even when you're resting. This is because the muscle tissue you build uses more calories than fat to exist; your resting metabolism increases. For optimal muscle stimulation, work your large muscle groups on at least two nonconsecutive days of the week. Include exercises for your legs, arms, back, chest, shoulders, hips, and abdomen. Examples are lunges, squats, pushups, bench presses, crunches, lat pull-down, and bent-over rows.

Healthy Diet Makeover

Eating fewer calories can contribute to your daily caloric deficit and help you lose weight. This doesn't mean cutting out entire food groups or resorting to drastic crash diets. Small changes can have a big impact. Include veggies, fruits, reduced-fat dairy, lean protein and whole grains in your diet, and limit sugar, cholesterol, salt, and trans and saturated fats. Reduce your portions up to 15 percent, skip fatty desserts, or swap out high-calorie foods for lower-calorie alternatives. For instance, eat frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, and drink water instead of alcohol and soda. Make changes that you can easily maintain long-term.

Effective Targeted Exercises

Although targeted exercises won't reduce the fat under your chin, they do strengthen and firm the muscles under the fat. You can do these exercises throughout the day at your convenience. Seated neck tilts and rotations, for instance, are done while sitting upright in chair with your shoulders down and mouth closed. You then tilt your head back as far as you can to stretch the neck and chin area. After about five seconds, return to the starting point. Do this five times, and then turn your head sideways as far as you can. Hold the stretch five seconds, before returning to the beginning point. Do this five times to each side.