7 replies to this topic

[uglies]

Here we go then! Initial post listing everything (or mostly everything) I ingest and apply, however this log will focus primarily on my diet. It's not as detailed as it should be, which is something I am hoping to modify as soon as possible. Additionally, I must emphasize that I do not and cannot adhere to this eating plan every single day. Sometimes I simply do not have time to prepare a packed lunch, or take time to make breakfast or dinner. I do my best to avoid foods to which I am allergic or intolerant, but sometimes they are unavaoidable.

Note: I began this new diet only 2 days ago. It does not include foodstuffs I have a genuine allergy to, which, with the exception of pollen, I have been avoiding since my respective diagnoses.

Anyone is welcome to chime in with advice or constructive criticism.


General

Age: late 20's (no I don't want to give my exact age, but I'm sure from my posts you can figure it out)
Height: 166cm / 5'5,5
Weight: 73,5kg / 162lbs
BMI: 28,5 (overweight)
Lifestyle: very sedentary. My work involves travelling by car/train and long periods of sitting down. I understand the importance of excercise and I realise I should make time to do it, but in that respect I admit I am lazy and always seem to find an excuse not to partake in it.
Acne type(s): the last five years mainly papules, pustles, whiteheads and blackheads, accompanied by hyperpigmentation and acne rosacea, mostly on face and neck but a small proportion on neck, shoulders and back. Occasional flare up of what appears to be rosacea fulminans/ pyoderma faciale. Have previously suffered from occasional cystic acne (mostly during my younger years) and frequent conglobata and fulminans. I am female but I must have very male skin!

known allergies
peanuts
shellfish
strawberries
avocado
pollen in general
cat hair
penicillin

foodstuffs avoiding due to possible intolerance
gluten (wheat, rye)
yeast
lactose (dairy)
casein
soy and soya
alcohol
chocolate
citrus (wherever possible)
tomatoes
red meat
Tuna

Ingestion

breakfast:
400ml water
60g Oatibix or oatmeal + 300ml coconut milk (alternate week, rice milk)
coffee with 100ml coconut milk (alternate week, rice milk)

medications:
levothyroxine (for hypothyroidism)
fluoxetine (for clinical depression)

supplements:
supermarket brand vit c (1000mg)
1 capsule flaxseed oil (1000mg)
25ml aloe vera juice

snack 1:
Piece of fruit (either medium banana, large apple, 300g watermelon chunks or 150g cherries)
2 large slices gluten free & dairy free cake (either carrot cake or stem ginger cake)
250ml non-concentrated carrot juice + 250ml water

supplements:
1 capsule flaxseed oil (1000mg)
supermarket brand vit b complex (no amount given as a whole, only as individual components) [/i]

snack 2:
1 cup weak black coffee (half teaspoon coffee, approx 300ml water)
1 large glass (approx 300ml) water

lunch:
Large bowl either brown rice or white rice mixed with lentils or peas + 1 tablespoon gluten, dairy, soya free mayo (full fat), 5 roast turkey or chicken slices with 1 tablespoon same mayo.
300ml beetroot+apple juice

supplements:
supermarket brand vit e (400 i.u.)

snack 3:
approx 500ml water

Dinner:
Green beans + cucumber salad + 2 tablespoons aforementioned mayo
Large baked potato + gluten and dairy free spread (full fat) with home-made chicken korma (gluten, soya and diary free)
2 large glasses (approx 300ml) water

supplements: 1 capsule flaxseed oil (1000mg)

snack 4:
Green tea
Mint tea
Rooibus tea

snack 5:
piece of fruit (another of the selection from earlier)

supplements: melatonin (for sleep disorder)


Applying

morning
1. was day 1 Kiehl's Ultra Facial oil free cleanser, now switched to Cetaphil cleanser for normal to oily skin
2. Alternate day 1: mixture of rosa mosqueta oil and organic vitamin e moisturizer. Alternate day 2: Aloe Pura aloe vera gel with antioxidants a, c & e
3. (20 mins later) Clinique age defense moisturiser for normal/oily skin, spf 25

night
1. was Kiehl's Ultra Facial cleanser (original), now switched to Cetaphil cleanser for normal to oily skin
2. Aternate night 1: Retin-A 0.025%. Alternate night 2: mixture of rosa mosqueta oil and vitamin e moisturiser


Hands and body

Morning:
Aloe vera gel, then throughout the day severral applications of hand moisturiser with SPF 15 or 25 (whichever one I can get).

Evening:
Alternate day 1: Cocoa butter
Alternate day 2: vitamin e moisturiser
Alternater day 3: Retin-A (on arms, chest, knees, occasionally stomach)


Masks

Aloe vera gel mask 1x weekly
Clay mask 1x fortnightly on face, 1x weekly on neck and chest
Planning to cut down RA usage to 2x weekly and then embark on 1x weekly Aspirin masks

Edited by uglies, 25 July 2011 - 04:52 PM.

[Espinilla12]

I wish you the best. Just curious...for what reason do you put retin a on your knees?

[uglies]

I wish you the best. Just curious...for what reason do you put retin a on your knees?

Thanks! I put RA on my knees because even though I'm still 'young', they're wrinkly. I was a diehard 'tanorexic' during my youth (sunscreen, what's that? bring on the cooking oil!! gah), plus I do no excercise to strengthen my leg muscles, and consequently I feel (although I don't know, and certainly haven't mustered the courage to ask anyone's opinion) I probably have the saggy, leathery, wrinkly skin of someone much older than my years. I feel I look closer to early or mid 40's than late 20's.

[uglies]

UPDATES: added info to supplements

[uglies]

For the first time in years, managed to go four days straight eating food that's actually not bad for me. Intolerances still playing up but then again it's way too early for my previous diet to be out of my system. A month or so down the long is when I can maybe start to gage the results.

Today have eaten a wide variety of seeds, nuts, fruit and vegies, plus two teaspons of Marmite//Vegimite even though it's yeast, so no need to take any supplements other than a sachet of Pukka 'Vitalise'. Will try to avoid yeast wherever possible from now on.


Acne progress:
Slightly less redness and inflamation, no change in pore size or severity of scars, but oh my gosh my skin is OILY!!! That's the problem with oily skin; try to dry it out and the sebum glands tend to overcompensate

[uglies]

Skin looks awful! Oily, clammy, dull and blotchy. Acne scars look worse and seem to have increased in number. Pores too have certainly increased in size. What is more, I've noticed about 6 patches of nearly white vitiligo, which is really noticeable amongst the rosacea and what remains of my natural skin colour. No doctors available today and certainly don't have enough money to pay for an impromptu consultation with a derm.

[uglies]

Skin seems to have calmed down a little. Nothing striking but a definite improvement nonetheless. Whether it's the change in diet, the new skincare regimen, a combination of both, or even something else, I don't know.

Doing well until the night before last when I drank two units of red wine and ate a choc ice I'm unsure whether there is a link between sugar consumption and breakouts, but knock on wood no adverse reactions yet!

[uglies]

YESTERDAY EVENING:

Slight but nevertheless unsightly breakout on chin and cheeks. I think this answers my question as to whether my breakouts were sugar related.

Applied manuka honey this morning as a spot treatment and braved the world with a sticky face!

YESTERDAY LATE NIGHT:

Seems the manuka honey was pretty much ineffective against the breakout, which has only gotten worse. This morning I had a few small blackheads and about 5 tiny pustles, now the blackheads are noticeably larger and I have 15 pustles of varying sizes cry.gif.

Is this the result of eating too much sugar the other day, or the change in diet and skin regimen, or what? I don't know what to do, I just feel so frustrated and upset. I have acne, and acne well and truly has me right now. Meh. Super mega massive giant meh mad.gif

I applied Retin A again (15 minutes ago) and am about to apply aloe vera gel. Probably will do nothing for me as usual but like I say I don't know what else to do.



TODAY:

Just as I predicted, the Retin A and aloe vera made no difference. No more pimples as yet but the existing ones haven't changed. What is worse, they are now accompanied by bright red blotches, and my skin looks even worse than the first bout of uglies I had last week. Dehydrated, dull, leathery, like a heavy smoker and drinker.

Tried applying aloe vera several times today and did a 1 hour spot treatment oh lemon juice and manuka honey, followed by washing with lukewarm water and, pat dry, then another application of aloe vera. But absolutely no difference. My skin isn't at all painful but it just looks so hideous.

I don't understand at all. How come this is happeneing despite my doing virtually everything right?! I'll just hold out a bit longer, praying this is merely the purging stage.

I'm trying not to stress it but that's far easier said than done I'm afraid.