mermaiden

I was much nicer when I had acne. I had lower self esteem and this manifested in me being extra placating and wayy too nice to people. When I look really good, I'm proud and less likely to bend over backwards for others.

Sexism is still rampant, unfortunately. And for many women, attempts at harassment are part of our experience. It helps to remember that the personal is often the political. Objectification of women and so forth. Meaning that this harassment is part of something greater; feminist literature is good in this way. As for how to deal with these losers, I find ignoring works well. There's really nothing you could say to them. They are looking for a reaction, and if you just ignore them they

I find Pears really harsh and drying...

That is so mean. I am sorry that someone has said this about you It gets worse. The person who said it was my so-called best friend at the time too

I don't fight back not because I care about them (I didn't really know this guy) but because I think it'll just make me look like I'm getting upset and then they have won, essentially. My problem is I overthink everything, including insults. So I always think the other person may have a point, or that I'm also in the wrong, or that it might have been my fault, etc. How do I stop this?

I already deleted him. I don't know, I don't usually insult people back. I tend to take the "high road" and not sink to their level. Maybe that's why I feel so bad though? Because I never retaliate?

I'm a lot better than I used to be, but I think I'm still way too sensitive to other people's reactions to me. Some guy started flaming me harsh last night on MSN, and I shouldn't care...but it affects me. How do you deal with this?

You are dead sexy. I would in all likelihood have sex with you. (That means you are not ugly)

"When I looked at your face with my glasses on for the first time, I was disgusted"

At 17 my face was a war zone. 2 years later, I found my cure (diet) and am completely clear. But it's not really about the acne, is it? Suicide is a PERMANENT solution to a TEMPORARY problem. Your problems may be horrible but they are NOT permanent.

Stare back, raise eyebrows and look bemused. Sort of cool, calm and slightly amused...like Morticia Addams from the movies. She is like my idol. This works for me though. Everyone looks away, a little pissed off to boot. Basically, you're showing them that you won't be intimidated or shamed and that you find them a little amusing, thus deflating any power they might have.

Probably harder in that you're not tossed in with a bunch of strangers your age anymore. But the quality is better.

Why the hell is this in the nutrition forum?

Maybe in theory, but in practice it made my skin explode. I need fat for my skin to look nice. A paleo diet clears my skin, but it doesn't glow and get silky and soft without fats and especially saturated fats. I think the idea of oil in-oil out is simplifying things too much. There's a bit more at play.

My first hugely intense crush had moderate, bordering on cystic acne. I was stil crazy about him. I told him I thought he was beautiful and he started laughing hysterically. Not the best ice breaker. I was a gutsy little 14 year old

Yeah, I'm clear from cutting out grains and sugar too. But I don't have to avoid red meat. Or high fat dairy.

Exercise. Go find a pool and do some relaxing laps

Sorry, I should have specified. I'm not looking to improve my skin because it's perfect now, but I'm looking to ensure that my body overall gets the nutrition it requires. Basically what an average young woman, acne or not, should be taking.

What's the bare minimum for supplements that one should take? I've heard it's a multivitamin, fish oil and calcium. Is this correct? If so, how much do I need? I'm a 21 year old female, if that helps. TIA.

It seems this problem goes a lot deeper in your case. You made it sound like you were just a little flaky in eating habits, but it seems there's a lot more going on with you, with emotional and medication factors involved. Most junk food have lots of sodium, anything salty like chips, soft drinks, cheese, etc. Some foods will have a low sodium version...like low sodium soups and chips. But the best thing is to look on the label. Here's a list of high sodium foods: http://www.pamf.org/heart

Coffee doesn't break me out. Try this: get a big bag of frozen corn. Cook it up in a large pot. Eat the whole damn thing. Drink water. This works for many people I've known. It's my mom's patented constipation cure, haha.

For those of you who use diet to clear your skin, do you find that having a cheat day or meal in the week works for you? Or do you find it breaks you out and gets you off track; would yourself rather treat yourself "on plan" ?

I had scrambled eggs with old, sharp cheddar and fresh cherries. Oh yeah. *orgasms*

Inconsistent in that your calorie intake must vary greatly if you're losing and gaining so fast . If you were to eat roughly the same amount of calories daily, you wouldn't keep gaining and losing weight-unless you have something strange and medical going on. This would involve getting used to portion sizes and learning estimates of calories in the foods you are eating. Exercise plays a role too, so if you have started a new running program, for example, you'd have to factor in the extra ener