It sounds like you're eating really healthily so that's great, and I can't imagine that would be causing acne. However, it's pretty concerning that your periods have stopped (assuming you haven't recently started using a different birth control or anything), so I'd say just on that basis to go and check in with your doctor. There could be something hormonal going on that is affecting both your skin and period maybe?

Thanks, it's just hard because I'm trying to increase my fats but then I read things like " nuts are bad for acne because they have too many inflammatory omega-6's" so then I have second thoughts...But there are articles and comments on tons of foods that could potentially cause acne. It just drives me nuts because I know I can't cut out everything.. Sigh...

Hi there, you didn't specify what kind of 'meat' you eat. Red meat usually contains lots of hormones as those animals are injected with chemicals. Eating meat may be healthy but only in moderation. Do you have a grilled steak drowned in gravy or simply a steamed chicken breast more frequently? How you prepare the meat could make a difference (that's my opinion). So simply by saying you eat 'meat' and therefore you're 'eating healthy' is not context-based.

16 hours ago, adelawright said:

But there are articles and comments on tons of foods that could potentially cause acne. It just drives me nuts because I know I can't cut out everything.. Sigh...

Ok, so let me first say that I understand why you (and many many others) are looking for a food to blame - it's because we can actually control what we put in our mouths, and if a food is the cause of our acne, then that means we have the power to essentially 'switch it off' by eating or not eating the right thing. That is a very very powerful suggestion.
If it's hormones or genetics etc, then we are reliant on other people (doctors) to help us and that is scarier.
However, as you have already realised, if you pay attention to every article or comment with only anecdotal evidence that is floating around online, then you will seriously have nothing left to eat. The only (as far as I know) thing that has shown a link with acne (using actual science and stuff) is dairy. And that's not that it absolutely DOES cause acne, but that in some people, it CAN be a contributing factor. So if you're desperate to cut something out, then that's the thing to go for. But it might make no difference to you.
The other thing about following all these food claims is that it ends up being a kind of victim blaming. Like "if one of these foods causes acne then it is my fault for eating it. I'm causing this, it's my own fault that I have this." It can be so easy to start obsessing over every little thing you ingest, and that shiz is how you develop an eating disorder.
You have clearly made big improvements in your diet and lifestyle, you've lost a bunch of weight and you're almost certainly more healthy than you were before. You are doing a great job!
If you need any proof just hop on over to the accutane logs section of the forum, and you can see soooo many people who are going on accutane despite being super duper healthy / vegan / vege / no sugar / no dairy / no 'bad' fats / no gluten etc. They still have such severe acne that they need accutane.
Ok, this was maybe longer than I intended, but it just breaks my heart to see people obsess / beat themselves up over this stuff!

On 19/02/2016 at 1:43 AM, adelawright said:

So I've never had acne as bad as I have it now and I am 24 years old. The only changes I have made are probably eating a cleaner diet and Im about 10 lbs lower in weight than I used to be. I also don't get my period anymore but I eat a ton of healthy fats ( almond butter, nuts, etc). Anyone else think that when they cleaned up their diet and/or lost weight their acne flared up? I know my skin is not going through a detox by eating healthy either as I've been eating this wayfor awhile now ( tons of veggies, lean meets, eggs and nuts). I appreciate any thoughts!

Yes i know how you feel my acne also has gotten worse throughout my twenties even though i was eating "healthier." What is "healthy" though? Maybe you are eating too many fats for your body? I also noticed recently i was really eating alot of nuts and fats like avocado. I have cut back a little to see if it makes any difference. I also was very strict paleo for awhile but now eating some grains again. Maybe you need to experiment to find out what your body likes/needs. Don't presume someone else's diet will be right for you.

I noticed a link between saturated fats and Acne in myself. When I ate a ton (2-3 tbs) of coconut oil, avocado, and ghee (clarified butter) I broke out like never before!

I can't eat any coconut oil whatsoever now, and I limit my fat intake to olive oil.

Obsessing over diet isn't the best thing, but I think Acne forces us to take stock of what we put into our bodies - and that's a good thing. I learned that gluten makes me lethargic and sleepy - zaps me entirely of energy - though my Acne. Now I eat almost no gluten and feel much better. I also eliminated dairy because it definitely caused me to break out. Sometimes something doesn't work with our bodies, and it's good to figure it out.

I only found out my blood type recently. Upon further research, I found that coconut and dairy didn't agree with my blood type - something I found to be true just by observing cause and effect before ever knowing my blood type.

In conclusion, it's important to listen to your body. Maybe a ton of healthy fats isn't what your body needs...Maybe it needs more grass-fed proteins or collard greens...Be patient with yourself, and you'll figure out what works best for you.

2 hours ago, olenaloves said:

I noticed a link between saturated fats and Acne in myself. When I ate a ton (2-3 tbs) of coconut oil, avocado, and ghee (clarified butter) I broke out like never before!

I can't eat any coconut oil whatsoever now, and I limit my fat intake to olive oil.

That's interesting because 'research' articles out there says that coconut oil is the best substitute for vegetable oil, sunflower oil, etc. In fact, it's even described as being beneficial for acne! I was even seriously contemplating changing to coconut oil for the heck of it but decided not to. Anyway, I've cut out vegetable oil in cooking; let's see how it pans out. This goes to show that people react differently to different foods even if these foods are recommended for acne-prone skin. What works for one may not work for another. Disappointing, isn't it?

I have been on every diet you can think of. Only one diet keeps my skin 100% clear. When I'm not strict, I get acne. The more I stray from that diet, the more acne I get. I've had acne since I was 12, diet is a huge contributor. Yes, some people should not eat certain foods. This may even mean cutting out foods that you love. However, I don't want to eat something just for satisfaction or variation, to get bunch of pimples later. The biggest issue with diet is, what defines "healthy?" Is healthy being a vegan, pescatarian, lacto-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, flexitarian, high-carb, low-carb, low-fat, or high-fat? Well, that depends on one's biological make-up. Some people poorly digest dairy, while others have no problems with it. Some people can digest tomatoes well, while others cannot. This idea that a healthy diet is the same for everyone causes confusion.

You sound a LOT like me, actually. Before clearing up, I was convinced at one point or another that almost everything in the standard american diet would give me acne.

Please be careful. I too lost weight trying to deal with diet entirely by myself and it took other people pointing it out to me that I looked really skinny to pull the reigns in. At that point I wasn't eating enough healthy fat, carbs, or protein. Diet is SUPER important, not just for acne, but for your overall health in general. If you're at risk for being underweight, try to eat bigger quantities of food and don't be too afraid of carbs. Especially if your period isn't showing up any more.

Sometimes people go all-out in an attempt to eat very healthy and gorge themselves on foods that may cause digestive problems. Foods such as garlic, onions, certain fruits, cruciferous veggies, etc.If you don't understand the correlation between digestive upset, your digestive microflora, and acne, it's a BIG one.

That's where I would start if you're interested in preventing your acne with diet. Read about FODMAPS if you're curious or check out acne einstein.

On 21/02/2016 at 2:21 AM, WittySock said:

Ok, so let me first say that I understand why you (and many many others) are looking for a food to blame - it's because we can actually control what we put in our mouths, and if a food is the cause of our acne, then that means we have the power to essentially 'switch it off' by eating or not eating the right thing. That is a very very powerful suggestion.

Oh goodness gracious, why have I never rationalized it that way? You make so much sense by framing everything up perfectly. You just won the internet.

17 hours ago, Convinceme said:

Oh goodness gracious, why have I never rationalized it that way? You make so much sense by framing everything up perfectly. You just won the internet.

Kind of having the same-ish discussion on two threads now haha, but I'm glad what I said made sense to at least one person! (And without cat pictures even!)