40 replies to this topic

[AuguriesofInnocence]

My family wanted Mc Donalds yesterday, so we went...I was sitting there not eating anything because I am terrified the wrong food will cause acne flare up, I am the only one who isnt enjoying myself. Everybody else with their clear skin is happily eating all the junk food and soda and ice cream and WHY cant I be the same?
I dont even know exactly what the triggers are. I just feel like I am so tired of constantly having acne on my brain.
My skin isnt even that severe but I obsess over every tiny mark. I feel both pathetic and guilty .
Guess I just need somoen to tell me "youre not alone".

Edited by AuguriesofInnocence, 11 April 2012 - 08:37 AM.

[nick93]

Your not alone. It sucks that we get punished for what we eat when everyone else can just enjoy it. On the plus side, people with acne go through a lot, and I think they develop into better people because of it. Just remember its temporary! Try to be positive

[Lt Aldo raine]

This is one of the hardest things i have to deal with. My family knows i dont eat sugary stuff, but they dont know that it goes as far as watching sugars in breads, spaghetti sauce, etc. I hate constantly acting like im not hungary or dont like certain foods so I dont have to eat it. This easter was hard; we had a brown sugar glazed ham and no one in my family understood why I didnt want to eat it. I know this is hard, but hold strong.

[HiImMatt]

Your not alone. I feel this EVERYDAY of my life.

[nick93]

This is one of the hardest things i have to deal with. My family knows i dont eat sugary stuff, but they dont know that it goes as far as watching sugars in breads, spaghetti sauce, etc. I hate constantly acting like im not hungary or dont like certain foods so I dont have to eat it. This easter was hard; we had a brown sugar glazed ham and no one in my family understood why I didnt want to eat it. I know this is hard, but hold strong.

Aha same here. My family is pretty much addicted to sugar, they are always eating bakings and cake and junk food all the time. I just ask them not even to offer it to me anymore.

[Ghostunit]

My family wanted Mc Donalds yesterday, so we went...I was sitting there not eating anything because I am terrified the wrong food will cause acne flare up, I am the only one who isnt enjoying myself. Everybody else with their clear skin is happily eating all the junk food and soda and ice cream and WHY cant I be the same?
I dont even know exactly what the triggers are. I just feel like I am so tired of constantly having acne on my brain.
My skin isnt even that severe but I obsess over every tiny mark. I feel both pathetic and guilty .
Guess I just need somoen to tell me "youre not alone".

You're not missing out.. don't worry. I am a vegan raw and I honeslty think raw foods taste better than junk foods. I feel much better after and every bite. Yeah, I am happily a vegan No matter what happen, I will never eat junk foods. Btw, Mcdonnald's is the worst ever.. to me, they are killer food. Stay eating healthy, for ever! Trust me, once you learn a lot of plant-based recipes, you'll love it more, hopefully. That's why I got into healthy eating, 'cause of acne. I learned so much and tried a lot of recipes. I just love it! I never get bored of eating the same thing

Edited by EddieE, 11 April 2012 - 10:36 AM.

[Thehoper]

Seriously why does anyone eat fast food? This is exactly why I tell people acne was a blessing in disguise for me. My body will thank me for the rest of my life being beyond great shape. That food is so disgusting, not to mention people completely understanding that it will fuck up your internal organs, triples your chances for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, but yet no one cares lol. Fools. People these days.

[PaulH85]

I'd never paid much attention to the whole diet-acne-connection until I took an intolerance test and the changes I made because of that cleared my skin. I knew there was a connection, but I guess I needed to see obvious and direct results to truly believe it. The changes I've made mean I've cut out stuff like takeaway and pizza. The thing is, pizza was my absolute favourite food and I genuinely do miss eating it on a regular basis. But, going without and indeed replacing it and other foods with things which are more skin-friendly is doing my complexion and my body good. Plus it's something of an education.

Only when I removed the foods that were causing my acne and essentially bad for my system, did I see how much of it and my family consumed. Difference is, literally everyone in my family seems to be able to eat whatever they like and it makes no visible difference. I'm the only one who has ever had any acne of any degree, beyond the odd teenage spot. I've always felt like a bit of an outsider in truth, so eating differently and finding alternatives to what everyone else was eating only served to reinforce those feelings. It all got me down for a while but not, honestly, I find it quiet empowering. I'm learning, changing, gaining control, eating better, and my body is thanking me as I achieve my thirteen-year goal of being acne free. Overall, there are a lot more positives to the situation and to watching your diet than there are negatives.

That being said, might be worth trying to change your perspective a little and focus instead on why you're wanting to eat healthily or avoid certain types of food. It may be that eating them in moderation won't cause problems and you might be able to get away with that. If not, there's nothing wrong wanting to tailor your diet and you've no need to beat yourself up about it. Instead of having that negative focus on your skin, focus on the positive steps you're taking to solve the problem.

[AuguriesofInnocence]

Its not that I dont eat healthy, I do usually , but its the constant obsessive and sickening fear as to whether some small mistake, whether food or a product or someone touching my face will make it worse. Most people, can 'afford" to make small mistakesbut those of us with acne, whatever you do shows up on your face like a scarlet letter.
I agree, having acne has made me a healthier person and more compassionate to others...but it also makes me hate myself sometimes. Meh.

I'd never paid much attention to the whole diet-acne-connection until I took an intolerance test and the changes I made because of that cleared my skin. I knew there was a connection, but I guess I needed to see obvious and direct results to truly believe it. The changes I've made mean I've cut out stuff like takeaway and pizza. The thing is, pizza was my absolute favourite food and I genuinely do miss eating it on a regular basis. But, going without and indeed replacing it and other foods with things which are more skin-friendly is doing my complexion and my body good. Plus it's something of an education.

Only when I removed the foods that were causing my acne and essentially bad for my system, did I see how much of it and my family consumed. Difference is, literally everyone in my family seems to be able to eat whatever they like and it makes no visible difference. I'm the only one who has ever had any acne of any degree, beyond the odd teenage spot. I've always felt like a bit of an outsider in truth, so eating differently and finding alternatives to what everyone else was eating only served to reinforce those feelings. It all got me down for a while but not, honestly, I find it quiet empowering. I'm learning, changing, gaining control, eating better, and my body is thanking me as I achieve my thirteen-year goal of being acne free. Overall, there are a lot more positives to the situation and to watching your diet than there are negatives.

That being said, might be worth trying to change your perspective a little and focus instead on why you're wanting to eat healthily or avoid certain types of food. It may be that eating them in moderation won't cause problems and you might be able to get away with that. If not, there's nothing wrong wanting to tailor your diet and you've no need to beat yourself up about it. Instead of having that negative focus on your skin, focus on the positive steps you're taking to solve the problem.

Paul what kind of allergy tests did you have bloodtests or skin pricks? and did your insurence cover it?

[PaulH85]

Most people, can 'afford" to make small mistakesbut those of us with acne, whatever you do shows up on your face like a scarlet letter.
I agree, having acne has made me a healthier person and more compassionate to others...but it also makes me hate myself sometimes. Meh.

I see where you're coming from. I still think that, to some degree at least, we can get away with things in moderation. Plus, if you ate something or did something which triggered a reaction or a breakout of acne, you'd be able to put that down to experience and avoid it in future. It's all trial and error. In terms of the approach, there's every chance that being less obsessive about it would reduce stress and things like that, which of course could also mess with your skin. Not always easy, but it pays to take a step back sometimes so that you can evaluate things clearly and learn how to control it as best as you can. It gets really frustrating and I still get angry with myself if I slip up, especially if it was with something I knew I should have avoided but decided to take a gamble. But even that acts as clarification and brings me closer to having the degree of control and influence I'd like to have over my skin day-to-day, so there's always something positive to be taken from the experiences, be they good or bad.

Paul what kind of allergy tests did you have bloodtests or skin pricks? and did your insurence cover it?

I'm in England so our medical care is free on the National Health Service, I'm pleased to say. I guess the insurance situation is something you'd have to look into.
I had a blood test done, although that in itself was just a pinprick so it was all quick and painless. Although I don't have any full-on allergies, there are a number of things my system is intolerant of so it couldn't process them in the quantities I was consuming. Dairy, wheat, and gluten seem to be issues for a lot of people who are prone to acne. I also found that I'm intolerant of boiled milk and cooked/melted cheese. I guess something happens during the cooking process. So out when cooking sauces and stuff like that, mainly any that were heavy in cheese or cream. Said bye-bye to pizza and stuff like that. Cut out processed foods and also overly spicy foods which tend to be inflammatory. Aside from that, didn't really make many changes. I used to have boiled milk daily in hot chocolate and cutting that out alone - not a big deal - seems to have made a massive difference.
They also told me I was lacking in vitamins A, B, and D, and also in Zinc. I supplement those now along with Omega 3. Between that and the diet changes, things are going well. I was on a course of Doxycycline when I first made the changes last December so I could tell for sure what was helping the most, but I tapered off the Doxy and that's out of my system now. I didn't break out after finishing and my skin has stayed as clear as it was after making the diet changes. It's not perfect and I'm still prone to problems, but I'm no longer breaking out week after week like I did for thirteen years so I'm happy enough with that.

[AuguriesofInnocence]

Most people, can 'afford" to make small mistakesbut those of us with acne, whatever you do shows up on your face like a scarlet letter.
I agree, having acne has made me a healthier person and more compassionate to others...but it also makes me hate myself sometimes. Meh.

I see where you're coming from. I still think that, to some degree at least, we can get away with things in moderation. Plus, if you ate something or did something which triggered a reaction or a breakout of acne, you'd be able to put that down to experience and avoid it in future. It's all trial and error. In terms of the approach, there's every chance that being less obsessive about it would reduce stress and things like that, which of course could also mess with your skin. Not always easy, but it pays to take a step back sometimes so that you can evaluate things clearly and learn how to control it as best as you can. It gets really frustrating and I still get angry with myself if I slip up, especially if it was with something I knew I should have avoided but decided to take a gamble. But even that acts as clarification and brings me closer to having the degree of control and influence I'd like to have over my skin day-to-day, so there's always something positive to be taken from the experiences, be they good or bad.

Paul what kind of allergy tests did you have bloodtests or skin pricks? and did your insurence cover it?

I'm in England so our medical care is free on the National Health Service, I'm pleased to say. I guess the insurance situation is something you'd have to look into.
I had a blood test done, although that in itself was just a pinprick so it was all quick and painless. Although I don't have any full-on allergies, there are a number of things my system is intolerant of so it couldn't process them in the quantities I was consuming. Dairy, wheat, and gluten seem to be issues for a lot of people who are prone to acne. I also found that I'm intolerant of boiled milk and cooked/melted cheese. I guess something happens during the cooking process. So out when cooking sauces and stuff like that, mainly any that were heavy in cheese or cream. Said bye-bye to pizza and stuff like that. Cut out processed foods and also overly spicy foods which tend to be inflammatory. Aside from that, didn't really make many changes. I used to have boiled milk daily in hot chocolate and cutting that out alone - not a big deal - seems to have made a massive difference.
They also told me I was lacking in vitamins A, B, and D, and also in Zinc. I supplement those now along with Omega 3. Between that and the diet changes, things are going well. I was on a course of Doxycycline when I first made the changes last December so I could tell for sure what was helping the most, but I tapered off the Doxy and that's out of my system now. I didn't break out after finishing and my skin has stayed as clear as it was after making the diet changes. It's not perfect and I'm still prone to problems, but I'm no longer breaking out week after week like I did for thirteen years so I'm happy enough with that.

Wow. if only making such a small change showed you so much improvement that gives me some hope. I am not the sort of person who wants to be drastically cave man diet or anything like that...great if others can do it but not for me.
Thanks for the encoureging words! Will definately make inquiries about the blood tests.

[AcneIsACurse]

I know what you mean!! Back then whenever my friends wanted to go to McDonalds (this is before I knew the connection between food and acne) I would always happily go and buy a big mac, fries, chicken sandwich all that. But nowadays I know that whenever I go to McDonalds I get 3-4 pimples around my mouth the next day. So now I just say I'm not hungry or I don't feel like going, which sucks because I actually do want to go! I'm tired of eating really healthy food lol I want to eat burgers, fries, all that good stuff. I'm skinny too so it's not like I have to watch my weight or anything like that, and not being able to indulge in all that good food tortures me!! At least I know that once I get rid of my acne problem I'll be able to eat McDonalds again lol.

[beentheredonethat1]

http://www.youtube.c...tMZaWss&ob=av2n

[Portis]

McDonald's is effing gross.

[OPeggyGordon]

Seriously why does anyone eat fast food? This is exactly why I tell people acne was a blessing in disguise for me. My body will thank me for the rest of my life being beyond great shape. That food is so disgusting, not to mention people completely understanding that it will fuck up your internal organs, triples your chances for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, but yet no one cares lol. Fools. People these days.

oh come on, everybody slips up now an then...we cant all eat perfect all the time. Thats what the original poster was sayin, she wishes she COULD just be 'normal', not that she eats junky stuff all day everyday. Shes looking for sympahy not a lecture on the evils of eating fast food, jaysus.
I feel ya, I really wish I could eat what I want, but its either acne, fat or some other ill...unfortunately (

Edited by OPeggyGordon, 20 April 2012 - 09:43 PM.

[collegeboy84]

My family wanted Mc Donalds yesterday, so we went...I was sitting there not eating anything because I am terrified the wrong food will cause acne flare up, I am the only one who isnt enjoying myself. Everybody else with their clear skin is happily eating all the junk food and soda and ice cream and WHY cant I be the same?
I dont even know exactly what the triggers are. I just feel like I am so tired of constantly having acne on my brain.
My skin isnt even that severe but I obsess over every tiny mark. I feel both pathetic and guilty .
Guess I just need somoen to tell me "youre not alone".

First off, your not alone. Second of all, YOU NEED TO ENJOY LIFE! You can't let your acne ruin these years of your life. Eating Mcdonalds one time won't cause an acne flare out. I have said this more times then I can count but Holistic approach will not cure your acne. I have had an incredibly clean diet for many many years and I still would have acne if it wasn't being controlled by Differin (Adapalene). When I say healthy diet I mean almost sickening healthy. No fast food, no produced food, no sweets, no dairy. No coffee,soda,juice. I pretty much only eat lean meat, vegetables and water. My diet has been this way for years and not because of my acne, I just enjoy keeping my body fat low and living a healthy life style. And yet? I still have more acne then I'd like.

[matt f]

If you're stressing out this much when you go out to places like Mcdonalds then I bet the stress is having more of an effect on your skin than the food itself.

[AuguriesofInnocence]

If you're stressing out this much when you go out to places like Mcdonalds then I bet the stress is having more of an effect on your skin than the food itself.

youre probably right, I am a very highly strung individual :-P

[poi6]

I am literally terrified of mc dicks !

[Ballen]

Seriously why does anyone eat fast food? This is exactly why I tell people acne was a blessing in disguise for me. My body will thank me for the rest of my life being beyond great shape. That food is so disgusting, not to mention people completely understanding that it will fuck up your internal organs, triples your chances for heart disease, diabetes and cancer, but yet no one cares lol. Fools. People these days.

Wow, id like to see some sources backing up those claims. Thats just clean old bullshit.