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Personally, I think the 'everything in moderation' argument is complete bunk. Just because you're craving something, doesn't mean the body is going to appreciate having it. If you're trying the paleo diet (as I am), then you should already know what you should and should not eat - not because of some craze diet, but because of what's healthy. I know it's difficult, I'm not going to say I don't occasionally have a beer or whatever, but I don't try and rationalize it later.
The easiest way to not give into cravings is (like you said above) to not get hungry. If you know you get peckish around a certain time of the time, bring a couple hard-boiled eggs, jerky or some other easily-carried paleo-friendly snack. High fat is good, the energy lasts longer.
I went through a super difficult time a couple weeks ago, every other day I was nipping off to get some frozen yoghurt (stuff is like CRACK) and boy, my face really paid for it! Have been back on the wagon and the difference is amazing! I guess you need to make a couple mistakes here and there to really understand what the stakes are. 
We're all learning.
Yeah with my paleo diet I sometimes really slip up. I don't keep any 'bad' foods at my house, but yesterday I went to my folk's house and ended up eating half a box of dry frosties straight from the box. Last weekend I ate a lot of takeaway food - it's so hard to eat right when you're eating with other people.
PS I find that adding healthy foods like oily fish, avocado and more veggies has more of an effect that cutting bad foods. Don't worry too much about slip ups
PPS which uni are you going to, which courses are you looking at? x
Personally, I think the 'everything in moderation' argument is complete bunk. Just because you're craving something, doesn't mean the body is going to appreciate having it. If you're trying the paleo diet (as I am), then you should already know what you should and should not eat - not because of some craze diet, but because of what's healthy. I know it's difficult, I'm not going to say I don't occasionally have a beer or whatever, but I don't try and rationalize it later.
The easiest way to not give into cravings is (like you said above) to not get hungry. If you know you get peckish around a certain time of the time, bring a couple hard-boiled eggs, jerky or some other easily-carried paleo-friendly snack. High fat is good, the energy lasts longer.
I went through a super difficult time a couple weeks ago, every other day I was nipping off to get some frozen yoghurt (stuff is like CRACK) and boy, my face really paid for it! Have been back on the wagon and the difference is amazing! I guess you need to make a couple mistakes here and there to really understand what the stakes are.
I think being hungry on this diet is the thing I'm finding difficult to deal with at the moment - probably because I'm not giving myself big enough portions. Last week it wasn't as bad, but it's like for the past few days the feeling of being hungry has been so prominent. I've decide to get rid of all junk food so that I can avoid it. I also need to build up some self control where I can actually resist the unhealthy foods.
My face has paid for what I've been eating recently. I've just finished another binge eating session. I seriously can't stop. What I find odd is that when I'm not in the craving mood I'm so focused on eating healthy and stinking to the paleo so that I can have clear skin, but when I can't control the cravings and I'm about to eat unhealthy foods in my head I feel as if I'd rather have acne than not be allowed to eat the unhealthy food.
Without overly rationalizing my recent actions - like you rightly said I shouldn't - I am looking at the past few days as my difficult days!
Yeah with my paleo diet I sometimes really slip up. I don't keep any 'bad' foods at my house, but yesterday I went to my folk's house and ended up eating half a box of dry frosties straight from the box. Last weekend I ate a lot of takeaway food - it's so hard to eat right when you're eating with other people.
PS I find that adding healthy foods like oily fish, avocado and more veggies has more of an effect that cutting bad foods. Don't worry too much about slip ups
PPS which uni are you going to, which courses are you looking at? x
Oh gosh; dry Frosties were my downfall last week! I couldn't stop eating them.
I think I eat quite a lot of fish and vegetables but I've never tried avocado! I'll buy one in the shop tomorrow.
I'm going to Edinburgh university in the UK, studying art and media
Day 16
Summery
Because my skin has been yo-yoing in terms of overall condition in the past week I've decided to do a quick summery of how I've been coping on the paleo diet.
I officially began the diet on Monday 27th June where I stopped eating gluten, wheat and refined sugars. Just one week after removing those foods and I'd already seen a slight improvement; the previously permanent pimples on the left hand side of my chin had gone. Around this time the spots on my forehead were also fading - but as the week progressed so was my dedication/commitment to the paleo. I'd say the dates between the 27th June and 8th July was where I was at my most dedicated. Something which helped me stay focused on the paleo was a family gathering on the 10th July which I was hoping I'd be clear for.
Towards the end of that week I'd reasoned with the fact that I wouldn't be magically clear for the family gathering. Sure I'd make some progress, but a week on the paleo hadn't (obviously) cleared me of acne. Suddenly my motivation was gone. In my head I felt no reason to remain on the strict paleo diet, and so when hit with cravings which I'd not felt for a few weeks I went to town with the ice-creams, biscuits and cakes on Saturday 9th. The following day and I ate rolls, pastries, cakes, sodas and biscuits at the funeral. No motivation = no commitment to the diet = binge eating.
And so where am I at now? Well, on a positive and negative. A negative because although I ate really healthily yesterday, I've ruined things again today by eating biscuits, cakes, rice etc... not good. Despite that I'm feeling rather positive about getting back on track with the diet now. For a start I genuinely feel as if I'd rather eat healthy foods compared to unhealthy junk food. I've also decided on my new motivation: university. That'll give me the incentive to stay on the diet.
I've found paleohacks . com to be a really amazing resource for dealing with problems and questions to do with the paleo diet. The community is helpful and super educated, and there's usually scientific (and at the very least sound anecdotal) evidence supporting their answers. Go there, and searching "cravings." There are a bunch of questions, maybe you'll find something helpful! And feel free to message me if you need extra support/help with something!
Day 17
Okay, so today I'm back on track with the paleo diet. Hopefully my skin will start to improve again in the next few days. I've got nothing new to report on in terms of skin condition as it's basically in the same condition as it was before I started the paleo 17 days ago. The only plus side is that all the original toxins have been released so things should start to improve faster.
I hope everyone is doing well
Day 19
Junk food lesson learnt
If you had seen the good condition that my acne was in this time last week compared to now you'd probably be shocked at the change. In the space of a week it's deteriorated severely; to the point that I can say this is the worst acne I've ever had. I've got pimples stretching across my chin and up to my cheeks on both sides. Pimples are spanning the space between my right and left temple and across the center of my forehead. Very bad. But why is my skin like this? Well I think the answer is simple. Look at the 'Summery' reply that I posted on Day 16 above. In that reply I explain how I spent the best part of three days filling my body up with sugar and crappy junk food for the first time in weeks. Thus, my face has exploded in pimples.
Despite this, I've not eaten junk food in two days (since day 16 on Tuesday); and with the state I'm in can you blame me? Looking in the mirror last night and seeing my bad skin/complexion was enough to make me stay on the paleo diet almost religiously (I say almost religiously as I know it would be IMPOSSIBLE to not eat a 'bad' food once in a very long, extended while).
Seeings as I've not eaten any bad foods in a few days I'm hoping it won't be long until my skin starts to improve again. The quicker the better!
Day 19
Junk food lesson learnt
If you had seen the good condition that my acne was in this time last week compared to now you'd probably be shocked at the change. In the space of a week it's deteriorated severely; to the point that I can say this is the worst acne I've ever had. I've got pimples stretching across my chin and up to my cheeks on both sides. Pimples are spanning the space between my right and left temple and across the center of my forehead. Very bad. But why is my skin like this? Well I think the answer is simple. Look at the 'Summery' reply that I posted on Day 16 above. In that reply I explain how I spent the best part of three days filling my body up with sugar and crappy junk food for the first time in weeks. Thus, my face has exploded in pimples.
Despite this, I've not eaten junk food in two days (since day 16 on Tuesday); and with the state I'm in can you blame me? Looking in the mirror last night and seeing my bad skin/complexion was enough to make me stay on the paleo diet almost religiously (I say almost religiously as I know it would be IMPOSSIBLE to not eat a 'bad' food once in a very long, extended while).
Seeings as I've not eaten any bad foods in a few days I'm hoping it won't be long until my skin starts to improve again. The quicker the better!
Day 19
Junk food lesson learnt
If you had seen the good condition that my acne was in this time last week compared to now you'd probably be shocked at the change. In the space of a week it's deteriorated severely; to the point that I can say this is the worst acne I've ever had. I've got pimples stretching across my chin and up to my cheeks on both sides. Pimples are spanning the space between my right and left temple and across the center of my forehead. Very bad. But why is my skin like this? Well I think the answer is simple. Look at the 'Summery' reply that I posted on Day 16 above. In that reply I explain how I spent the best part of three days filling my body up with sugar and crappy junk food for the first time in weeks. Thus, my face has exploded in pimples.
Despite this, I've not eaten junk food in two days (since day 16 on Tuesday); and with the state I'm in can you blame me? Looking in the mirror last night and seeing my bad skin/complexion was enough to make me stay on the paleo diet almost religiously (I say almost religiously as I know it would be IMPOSSIBLE to not eat a 'bad' food once in a very long, extended while).
Seeings as I've not eaten any bad foods in a few days I'm hoping it won't be long until my skin starts to improve again. The quicker the better!
where's day 20? you should have kept it up. *sigh*
diet is crucial for my acne, read my thread: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/309067-ance-is-affected-by-food-for-me-at-least/
Hi
Thank you for posting your paleo experience. I have acne for almost a decade now... and recently I heard about the paleo diet from Dr. Cordain. I tought it looked commercial, and I was (I'm still) sceptical. But you know what ? After a decade, there aren't so many thing you're not ready to try. I'm decided to give this diet a try. Unfortunately, I'm currently in Italy, by my grand mother, and I can't start such a diet now. I don't cook for myself, and if I wanted to do it, I think my family wouldn't understand and wouldn't agree. So I'm going to wait my return in Switzerland, where I live alone and cook for myself as you can imagine, in Italy, I'm eating more pasta and pizza than ever And my skin isn't doing fine !
I see that this diet is hard to go on, you often crack and eat aliments that should be avoided... I have to say that it is something I'm afraid of. I hope it will become easier with the time
Please continue to update,
regards,
Lea
QUOTE (James Small @ Jul 9 2011, 10:53 AM)
Day 15
Cravings
Okay, so it turns out sometimes I have no self control. After getting home from the uni open day (which wasn't that bad) I consumed: a strawberry cornetto ice cream, two slices of cake, a further small tub of ice cream, three cherry bakewells and two lemon biscuits. Oh the shame
I'm starting to panic if I'm honest as I have that family funeral tomorrow and my face is going to look AWFUL
. It's not my fault that I ate all that food as honestly I can't say 'no' sometimes
. (Update 17:20 on 09/07/11) After thinking about how sudden my cravings came on I started to realize that the 'binge' sessions (which I've had before after coming home from college) are produced psychologically. I obviously have some issues to work on.
Look, in the past week I've proven my point. Food DOES affect my acne. It's a fact. I can only restart the paleo diet on Monday and go from there. Worrying about everything will probably give me stress and even more pimples.
What's done is done.
Good luck on the diet! I definitely think it will work for you. As for the funeral, I think people will be too caught into the ceremony to really notice. Just act confident. Don't try to hide things and it'll help. I myself don't actually notice acne. I concentrate more on a person's personality. I don't know if it's like that for your family.
I believe it takes a week for breakouts associated with diet binges to appear anyway so I don't think it will impact your skin too much.
How exactly do you cleanse your face? I understand that those previous cleansers have irritated your face, but I've read that oatmeal is a really nice cleanser. It helps fight against free radicals and it gently exfoliates your face. It also helps with redness. Before the funeral tomorrow, if you have time, you should try a yogurt facial mask. Put some plain, full fat yogurt on your face for 15-20 minutes, then rinse off. Warning: It gets messy! But, I've seen results on my friends, and it really reduces redness and makes you glow. Plus, it moisturizes and doesn't dry you out!
Lol, why would putting yogurt on my face help! I guess it would make your body release good hormones cause you'd laugh that you just put yogurt on your face??
