How to Get Rid of Neck Fat – The Ultimate Guide

Why You Gain Neck Fat

 

Neck fat, also referred to as turkey neck or double chin, is the fat just below your chin or beneath the skin of your neck.

There are several factors that might cause neck fat, but the main factor is excess body weight and obesity.

Granted, neck fat causes are the same that cause obesity.

Some health conditions can contribute to the development of neck fat.

If you have it, however, no need to fret as you can combine a number of exercises and diet changes to get rid of it.

 

Neck Fat Risks

 

While neck fat may not feel bothersome to some people, it can trigger health conditions such as heart disease.

In recent years, neck fat has gained a lot of attention.

For many years, fat in the gut, also known as visceral adipose tissue, has always been measured to estimate the risk of heart disease.

Neck fat has been associated with some of the triggering factors of cardiovascular disease.

The high cholesterol and diabetes which might result from neck fat are associated with heart disease.

In most cases, the amount of neck fat is proportional to the body weight of an individual.

A while ago, doctors would measure the waistline and body mass index to determine obesity.

Today, neck fat is a factor in determining obesity and its risks.

Which is more reason for you either to get rid of neck fat, if you have it, or ensure you never get it.

Too much fat on any part of the body is not good for your heart.

The neck being close to the heart makes it even riskier.

If your BMI has gone above 25, your chances of developing coronary heart disease increase.

With neck fat, the risk of sleep apnea is also increased as the airways in the throat are closed.

This can be a gateway to a horde of other respiratory problems.

If you have that fat around your neck, it is, therefore, time to find how to lose it.

 

Overweight, Obesity, and Neck Fat

 

When your body suffers from an energy imbalance, you become overweight or obese.

This means that you are taking in more calories than you are using.

This normally happens when you are less active or lead a sedentary life and you do not burn up the calories you take in.

In some cases, genetic influences and inherited disposition are likely to cause weight gain and fat storage.

If such genes run in your family, you might end up gaining body fat.

Other factors that cause weight gain include health conditions such as hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and Cushing’s syndrome.

You may also gain weight when you are pregnant, when you stop smoking, lack sleep, age, or take certain medications.

When you gain weight, fat is distributed throughout your body and the area under your chin gets the fat too.

 

Cushing’s Syndrome

 

Cushing’s syndrome, also referred to as hypercortisolism, results from long periods of exposure to high levels of the hormone cortisol.

Exposure of body tissues to this hormone is rare and normally occurs in adults between 20 and 50 years of age.

High blood pressure and diabetes type 2 are risk factors for Cushing’s syndrome.

When you have this syndrome, you tend to have upper body obesity, increased neck fat, and a rounded face.

Your legs and arms will appear slender.

 

Exercises to Reduce Lower Neck Fat

 

To lose neck fat, you need to combine neck exercises, which tone your neck and reduce the appearance of neck fat, and full body workouts, which actually lead to losing body fat.

Some common exercises include:

 

Tongue Presses

While neck fat might be distributed to all parts of the neck, in most cases it is concentrated below the chin and the back of the head.

Tongue presses are simple exercises to burn the fat below the chin and the back of the neck.

To do tongue presses, sit with your back straight and relax your shoulders.

Tilt back your head and look upwards towards the ceiling.

Force your tongue flat on the floor of your mouth for a few minutes and then on the roof of your mouth for a few minutes.

Lower your chin as far as possible to touch your chest while ensuring that you do not round your upper back.

The chin in front of your neck should contract when you do that.

Once you feel the chin contract, relax the tongue, straighten your neck, and move back to the starting position.

You will have completed a single rep.

For optimal results, you need to complete a set of 20 reps each day.

To do this, ensure you have a comfortable chair especially around the back of your neck to avoid exercise-related injury.

When the fat under the chin contracts, you are only a few steps away from getting rid of it.

However, you have to do this consistently over a couple of months to start seeing actual results.

 

Pout and Tilt

 

This is a simple exercise which can be done sitting or standing.

Stick out the lower lip as far as possible to form a pout.

When you do this, the skin on your chin will feel wrinkly and puckered and you can place your finger on it to ensure you have done it right.

Hold the contraction on your chin for a second.

In that position, contract the muscles below your chin to touch your chest as low as possible while ensuring you do not round your upper back.

Hold in that position for a few seconds, and then relax your lips and straighten your neck.

Repeat this exercise 20 times, two sets each day.

Again, the exercise concentrates on the fat at the back and the front of your neck.

Repeat for a few months to see results.

 

Closed Lips

 

This exercise seeks to contract the muscles of your neck.

When repeated for a long time, the rhythmic contraction and relaxation of the neck muscles lead to loss of neck fat.

Sit with your back straight and relax your shoulders.

Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling or the clouds. Close your lips and let them relax.

Keep lips closed and then open your mouth to form an ‘O’ shape.

The muscles below the chin will contract.

Hold the position for about 20 seconds, or until you feel the contraction on either side of the neck directly below your jawline.

Relax the lips and the mouth and return to the normal/starting position.

This makes up a single exercise. Repeat this 10 times in two sets, every day.

 

The Ceiling Kiss

The ceiling kiss is another exercise that leads to contraction of the neck muscles.

Stand tall with your arms relaxed on the sides of your body.

In this position, tilt your head back and look at the ceiling.

Try to kiss the ceiling by stretching your lips out as far as possible from your face.

Your neck and chin will tighten, and you will feel them being pulled forward.

Hold this position for five seconds, or more if you can.

Relax your lips and lower your head back to the starting position.

Repeat this for fifteen times in the morning and in the evening.

When done right, this exercise should give you fast results – within three or so months.

 

Neck Rolls

Neck rolls are common neck exercises and can be carried out anywhere.

When standing or sitting, elongate your spine for the back to stand tall and straight.

Start with your chin and gently rotate your head in any direction in a full circle.

Move the head from the shoulder to the chest and from the shoulder to the back.

If neck fat is obstructing the rotation of the neck and limiting full circular head rotations, stick to semi-circular rotations.

Keep your shoulders back and down, your back straight, and your chin stretched out during the rotations.

The rotations are great when you are targeting all the neck muscles, sides, back and front.

When you rotate the head 10 times, the muscles contract and relax to burn calories.

After you have done ten rotations, repeat in the opposite direction and complete ten reps.

Do this twice a day.

 

Side Neck Stretch

The side neck stretch targets all the muscles in your neck.

Sit on the floor and place the right hand on the floor with the fingers resting gently.

Do not rest heavily or place a lot of weight on the fingers.

Wrap the left hand around your head so that the palm rests on the right ear.

Lower head towards the left shoulder while using the left hand to press the head down.

Lower your left shoulder as far as possible.

Use the right hand, the one on the floor, to press the shoulder down as far as possible.

During the exercise, ensure the head is aligned perfectly with the shoulder.

Stay in this position for 10 seconds.

Switch hands so that the left-hand rests on the floor and the right-hand holds the left ear.

Press your head against the right shoulder and lower the shoulder as far as possible.

Relax your shoulders and your arms and go back to the starting position.

Repeat this three times.

 

Jaw Release

 

When standing or sitting, extend your spine to stand tall and straight.

While keeping your lips together, move your jaws up and down, opening your mouth as wide as possible, as if you are chewing food.

Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale slowly while humming.

After exhaling, open your mouth wide and press the tip of your tongue against the back of your lower teeth.

Hold this position and inhale deeply through the nose and mouth.

Exhale with an audible ‘ahh’ sound. This move should take about two minutes.

Repeat this two or three times, and you will be good to go.

 

Pigeon

 

When sitting or standing, place your thumb on the side of your jaw directly underneath the jawbone just before the curve close to your ear.

Place the index finger of the same hand on the same jaw location on the opposite side of your face.

Hold the hand still and push the chin downwards towards the hand.

Apply enough pressure to the neck and the head while keeping your hand steady.

Hold this position for about half a minute, then release your hand and go back to the starting position.

Repeat this three times in two sets a day.

This exercise comes in handy for double chins, to release the neck fat directly below the chin.

 

Stuck-Out Tongue

 

Sticking out your tongue is a simple exercise, yet it tones the muscles in your chin which enables you to get rid of a double chin without necessarily using chemicals or undergoing liposuction.

To perform this exercise, stand or sit in a relaxed position.

While in that position, stretch your back straight and open your mouth as wide as possible.

Stick out your tongue as far as possible.

You will feel your neck and your chin tighten and get pulled towards the front.

With your tongue out, count from one to ten, then relax your tongue and mouth.

Repeat this ten times for two sessions a day.

When done consistently, the stretching of the neck and the chin leads to contractions and relaxations that lead to burning of calories.

 

Head Lifts

Lie on your back with your face up.

Place your neck on the edge of your bed and let the head hang and relax on the sides.

While contracting the muscles of your chin, hold your head up towards your chest as far as possible.

While doing this, be sure to keep your shoulders down.

This is the same way you would do with sit-ups. Hold the position for about 10 seconds.

Lower your head slowly and relax the chin muscles to go back to the starting hanging position.

Repeat this two times. Be sure to complete three sets of this exercise each day.

After each set, sit upright or stand to prevent dizziness.

If you experience dizziness, take sitting breaks.

Even better, you can perform the exercise on a flat floor to ensure the head does not hang.

 

Chin Slap

In the standing or sitting position, hold your chin up so that your neck is exposed.

Use your hand to slap the chin several times – not too soft and not too hard.

Repeat this slapping constantly and regularly for up to 30 seconds.

Do this in three sets every day.

The slapping is one way to contract and relax your muscles to tone them.

When done softly, you might not see any results; when done too hard, you might feel pain.

 

Full Body Workouts

 

To lose that neck fat effectively, you will need to lose fat throughout your body.

Spot fat reduction does not occur in real life; therefore, you need to work out your whole body.

Even though it is not easy to reduce fat around your neck alone, holding the neck exercises above will tone the muscles to reduce the appearance of neck fat.

The muscles in the neck will feel rock hard, but only a small amount of fat will be lost.

In order to lose weight from the neck, you will need to exercise the whole body.

To do this, focus on moderate exercise and add intensity as you go.

Your heart rate should be raised for at least 30 minutes three times a week while you are starting.

As you proceed, ensure you exercise at least thirty minutes every day.

After the exercises, you need to cool off, allowing your heart rate to return to normal.

For women, the healthy body fat percentage is between fourteen and twenty-four percent, and for men between six and seventeen percent.

Full body workouts need to target all the muscles, from the lower body to the upper body.

You can start with easy exercises such as jogging and skipping a few minutes each day.

Proceed to do sit-ups and push-ups to exercise the upper parts of your body.

Cycling is also a great way to lose weight.

If you can, try weightlifting to tone all the body muscles while losing fat.

 

Change of Lifestyle

 

You do not have to get actively engaged in daily exercises and workouts.

A simple change of lifestyle help you lose a lot of body fat.

Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs and burn those few calories.

If you can walk or cycle to work, do it instead and leave your car at home.

You can walk your dog instead of paying someone to do it for you, and you should play with your kids at home.

Anything that helps you burn body fat is good for your body.

As you lose fat and tone muscle generally, your neck will also lose fat.

However, the process requires patience.

 

Dietary Changes to Lose Lower Neck Fat

 

Even when you are exercising and your calorie intake remains high, you will continue adding body fat.

You can make a few dietary changes as explained below:

 

Eat a Balanced Diet

 

A balanced diet comes in handy for anyone looking to reduce body fat.

You need to eat a lot of vegetables, fruits, lean meat, and whole grains and dairy and reduce your intake of carbs, especially unhealthy carbs.

You can keep eating fatty foods, but be cautious of the portions as too much will only increase the fat under your skin.

If you are already overweight, with a BMI of above 25, eat your meals in small portions.

Preferably choose a small plate for your food.

This habit of controlling your food intake will help you decrease your weight.

 

Stay Hydrated

 

Taking in enough water helps your body function the right way.

Enough water intake ensures that your skin does not sag.

When you do not drink enough water, your body will not be able to remove toxins.

Again, your appetite will remain high, and this will result in more eating and more body fat.

Drinking tea, juices, and soft drinks will quench your thirst, but these drinks are not a replacement for water.

Be cautious of the soft drinks and other drinks that you take.

Preferably, go for unsweetened drinks, and avoid soda and sugary juices as they add more calories.

If you can, leave juices and soda and eat fruit instead.

This is because fruit has the right water content and will add nutrients to your body even as it quenches your thirst.

Again, most fruits will not upset the pH balance of your body fluids.

 

Go for Healthy Carbohydrates

 

Carbohydrates supply a lot of calories to your body.

When you choose healthy carbohydrates, you reduce the number of calories you get from food.

Packaged foods have added preservatives and contain refined carbohydrates, which provide fewer nutrients.

Instead of these refined carbs, choose whole grain carbs.

While they may not be sweet, they are rich in fiber and will make you feel fuller for longer.

Your body will absorb the needed nutrients slowly, and you can eat less.

Drinks that dehydrate your body such as alcohol, coffee, and Gatorade should be avoided.

You can combine these carbs with leafy vegetables to get the required amount of fiber for digestion and a feeling of fullness.

 

Eat Lean Meat

 

Fatty meats such as beef and other red meats should not be a part of your diet.

Lean and white meat, when included in your diet, will be good sources of protein and will help tone your muscles.

In any case, choose foods that are packed with more protein than fat.

Fresh lean meat is better than canned lean meat, as it has less sodium.

With excess sodium, you might develop water retention in your body, which will make it a challenge to lose body fat.

 

Avoid Saturated Fats

 

Saturated fats are not nutritionally important to your body.

They will only add weight and leave you with neck fat.

To avoid this type of fat, stay away from fast foods, frozen dinners, desserts made in factories, and pre-packaged food.

 

Avoid Too Much Sugar

 

Many people are suffering from sugar addiction without even knowing it.

You might be consuming more sugar than you think.

For instance, a small cup of yogurt has as much sugar as a can of soda.

Check for sugar content on the can of drinks and the packaging of other sugary food to ensure the sugar level is low.

Increased sugar intake raises the amount of stored fat in the body, which increases the risk of certain diseases.

There are about 61 names used to refer to sugar on products, including cane sugar, fructose corn syrup, sucrose, barley malt, and many more.

Excess sugar is a contributing factor to diabetes type 2.

It will also make you look aged by making your skin wrinkly – this is a significant contributor to neck fat appearance.

Look at your diet and see which sugar sources you can cut.

You can also choose gluten-free food items such as quinoa, gluten-free oats, and brown rice, as they have less sugar and more nutrients.

Avoid baked flour products as these have less fiber and lots of sugar.

 

Try Watermelon

 

If you are wondering how to get rid of neck fat, watermelon is one of the food items that target your neck.

This fruit has anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce sagginess on your neck and other parts of your body by enhancing the elasticity and tightness of your skin.

Watermelons have a lot of water, minerals, and vitamins, all of which are key in losing body fat.

One way, and the best way, of incorporating it is to eat a piece of melon each day.

Melon juice can also be applied to the neck to reduce inflammation.

This is done by simply dipping cotton balls in the juice and applying that on the neck.

 

Olive Oil

 

Olive oil is healthy, and when eaten, it reduces the destruction of collagen by UV radiation.

When your skin is photodamaged, it sags, develops blotchy pigmentation, and starts wrinkling.

When eaten, olive oil reduces the development of a double chin. UV radiation leads to the production of free radicals, which destroy the collagen fibers in your cells.

The monounsaturated fatty acids present in olive oil protect your skin from photodamage and, thereby, protect you from a sagging chin.

By adding olive oil to your diet, you increase the skin’s ability to resist the damage caused by UV radiation, and ultimately remove that sagging skin on your neck.

 

Other Food Items

 

Avocados are important in reducing fat around your face and your neck.

They are rich in hunger-squeezing fiber and monounsaturated fats.

These nutrients support the loss of body fat; the process is instant.

Peanut butter is another great food item.

Not only this, but most seeds, nuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds are great for losing face and neck fat.

These nuts and seeds will keep you feeling satisfied for a long time.

They are also rich in the nourishing oil that fights free radicals.

Vegetables such as cauliflower, kale, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and others are saturated with minerals and vitamins which support the loss of body fat.

Eat as many veggies as possible – they should make the largest portion of your meals.

Eggs are healthy. They are saturated with nutrients with a variety of fat-burning protein.

With eggs, you get vitamin B12, B6, A, D, E, and K.

You also get choline, lutein, iron, folate, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Again, eggs make you feel fuller for a long time.

You can have dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants to fight free radicals.

In fact, it has up to 8 times the amount of antioxidants in strawberries.

It also has stimulants with a fat-burning effect, including caffeine and bromine.

Choose chocolate with a high cocoa content.

Green tea has a large number of antioxidants, and it also acts as a fat-reducing agent.

With green tea, you can increase your metabolism and lose weight fast.

Beans are also great for weight loss.

A cup of beans has up to 12 grams of fiber, which helps in washing out toxic waste and reducing neck fat.

If you are still wondering how to get rid of neck fat, grab berries.

Berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are loaded with lots of fiber, which helps in the gradual absorption of sugar.

The berries are also saturated with vitamins, helping you fight cravings.

Cinnamon is another great spice.

It has a high amount of antioxidants, which helps your pancreas make the appropriate amount of insulin to stabilize your blood sugar.

This means that you will store less fat under your skin, thus reducing neck fat.

Chili peppers can help those who are wondering how to lose neck fat.

Chilies are saturated with capsaicin, a substance that enhances fat burning and steadies blood sugar.

This substance also acts as an antioxidant to fight free radicals.

 

How to Prevent Getting Lower Neck Fat

 

Assume the Right Posture While Sitting

 

To stay free of neck fat, you need to stay away from neck fat causes.

First, avoid slumping while sitting. Posture is very important when it comes to staying free of neck fat.

Assuming the wrong posture while sitting can hurt different parts of your body.

Most importantly, slumping while sitting will make your neck and chin muscles weak.

This will highlight the fat around your neck.

If possible, always keep your head held high at all times.

By doing so, you reduce the fat that creases around your neck.

At first, use a posture chair, which will train you how to stay upright.

A correct position has more health benefits than avoiding creasing fat around your muscles.

By sitting upright, your muscles are nourished and toned.

 

Change Your Lifestyle

 

Drop lifestyle habits that affect your health.

Having neck fat should be treated as having a dangerous condition that could accelerate lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

To change your lifestyle, start by adopting healthy meals and dropping all store-bought packaged foods.

This will let you prepare healthy meals at home for a chance to cut back on fat intake.

After you have changed your diet and assumed a healthy lifestyle, start exercising.

Begin gradually, and continue adding to the intensity of the workouts as your body allows.

Again, you have to stop believing in chemicals and supplements that promise to tone your body in a few days.

However, not all supplements are bad, as some are formulated with organic ingredients.

 

Lose Weight

 

The best way to ensure that you do not get neck fat is to lose weight.

The moment your BMI moves past 25, your chances of having neck fat increase.

Before you start wondering how to get rid of neck fat, start losing weight and keep your BMI below 25, preferably between 20 and 23.

If you maintain your BMI there, you will be free of neck fat.

Maintaining a healthy weight calls for burning as many calories as you eat.

If your BMI has gone up, you need to burn more calories than you are eating so as to lower it.

To do this, eat healthy meals and exercise more.

 

Massage Your Neck

 

Your neck needs to be massaged to reduce the chances of developing neck fat.

In fact, if you are wondering how to lose neck fat, one good way to do it is massage the neck.

When doing so, choose natural oils, mostly those that are anti-inflammatory.

Wheat germ oil, glycerin, milk, cocoa butter, and olive oil are good massage oils to use anytime.

You can heat the oils in the microwave for a few seconds and then rub on your neck.

Massage the neck for a few minutes and you are good to go.

For a healthy neck, massaging once a week will get rid of creases and enhance blood flow.

You can do it at home, or visit a massage spa.

 

Do’s and Don’ts

 

Do’s

• Eat well
• Exercise regularly
• Massage your neck
• Change your lifestyle
• Track your weight
• Stay hydrated

Don’ts

• Eat saturated fats
• Eat a lot of sugar
• Add weight
• Eat unhealthy carbs
• Slouch while you sit

 

Conclusion

 

There are lots of home remedies for neck fat.

All you need to do is ensure all the remedies are natural and not harmful to your body.

And there are also pills and supplements formulated to help you lose neck fat.

However, you do not need to use them when you try the simple remedies above.

Some people are also trying neck liposuction.

While surgery to remove neck fat will offer you fast results, there is no need for such expensive and invasive means.

To get rid of neck fat for good, you only need to make a few minor changes in your everyday routine.

For instance, drink a lot of water, reduce your intake of coffee, alcohol, and tea, assume the correct sitting position, work out, cut down on calories in your diet, and eat foods rich in fiber.

Most of the remedies offered above will only take a few minutes of your time every day.

For instance, you can massage your neck during your short break at work.

When going home, you can do one or two neck exercises, and this will save you time and money.

If you have a chronic disease, consult your doctor about what you should or shouldn’t consume, and exercises that you should not do.

Now that you have all the remedies, start reducing that neck fat.