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Originally posted by Wai:
How long did it take to be able to see results the first time?

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Hi, Wai!

I'm so sorry it took me awhile to respond to your October post. I completely missed it.

To answer your question, the first time I tried the sample diet I immediately saw results after five days. By results I mean soft, smoother skin, over-all lessened redness, big pimples drying up. Unfortunately, 12 days into the diet, I broke down and started eating all the wrong foods. It was pretty sad considering that my pimples, though much inflamed, were few and were beginning to fade.

When I strayed away from the first time I was on the diet, my acne really got worse, as if my skin turned really sensitive from all the foods I had previously stayed away from. So, after three months of much struggle, I went back on the diet. I had a couple of bad starts but eventually stuck to it and lasted for 18 days. The soft skin came back but since I had more pimples then, my skin did not get totally clear-- not even after 18 days of being so strict. More pimples still developed, though not the cystic kind. Then I got sick with colds and cough and my resolve to stick to the diet went down the drain. I ate much cooked protein and soups. This was around the start of winter 2002.

I wanted to do the diet again. However, with the Holiday season looming ahead, I told myself forget it, do the diet after Christmas and the New Year celebrations. I did not want to set myself up for failure.

Ironically, and I think there must be a reason for this, I only had very few break-outs during the Holidays. In fact, my right cheek not only started to get clearer and clearer but the scars were also healing. I ate a lot of chicken, turkey, stuffing, chocolate, drank soda and all those typical Holiday food. My left cheek, on the other hand, was still covered with scars but only had two pretty small but noticeable pimples. And I must admit, I got sucked into using Elicina cream for scars for three weeks, which DID NOT really do anything except made my pores look a little bigger. I threw the jar away after finding out that a number of its ingredients were in the Top 10 list of unwanted/dangerous chemicals in skincare. Nevertheless, my skin was clearer than it had ever been-- without being on the strict diet.

BUT, my face was bloated and I was steadily gaining weight (those Holiday pounds!). I did not feel good inside inspite of a seemingly clearer face. My face was heavy and I knew it was the water retention. I was puzzled, and still am, that I did not break out like crazy. All I could come up as an explanation is that because of the cold weather, my skin was not oily enough, or my sebum production was low, thus not conducive for acne. Care to shed some light?

Anyway, at the second week of January 2003, I resolved to start the strict diet again. About 8 days into it, I was breaking out with small pus-filled pimples. This was about the time I was also stressing about my car problems. I was at the auto body shop when I got really, really hungry having had only a mug of pineapple-orange juice (fresh, made by moi)with olive oil in the morning. Too hungry to care, I had some french fries with ketchup and some ranch dressing. Needless to say, I paid dearly for the car-- and for the fries. Pimples dotted the curve just below my right cheekbone two days later. I had to start the diet all over again.

Today is the 14th day of my second shot at the diet for this year. And, bless the woman's hormones, I also have my monthly visitor. About a week ago, I saw the first symptoms of PMS: three huge, highly inflamed pimples that looked like a dome of clustered whiteheads sprouted on my face. I apologize for being so explicitly gross. Two are starting to dry now. More red pimples are still surfacing. On a more positive note, my skin seems to glow; over-all it looks less mottled and is softer. I can't wait for my period to be over. For sure, I will still continue with the strict diet.

More and more friends and family now know about the way I eat. In the beginning, I found it hard to admit that I was doing it to get my acne under control. I just didn't want so many questions, speculations, doubts and skepticism thrown my away. But, I thought, I'm doing this diet for me and if I let other people's opinions put me down then I'll suffer from acne forever. My friends are really supportive and would even provide fruits whenever we would have gatherings at their place.

Gosh, so much for my reply. I must have written a novel. Take your time.

Thank you so much for your time and patience.

Sunny,

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All I could come up as an explanation is that because of the cold weather, my skin was not oily enough, or my sebum production was low, thus not conducive for acne. Care to shed some light?

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Originally posted by Wai:
the production of sebum is VERY much subject to hormones, and thus hormonal changes.
Especially women go through hormone changes, not just your monthly cycle, but also longer cycles. I guess your sebum production must have been low...

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What could have made my sebum production low around December? What was going on with my hormones? I have to pay closer attention to my cycles.

Today is the fourth day of my period, and should be the last. I am on day 16th of the strict diet. My back has at least seven new cystic acne. My chest has two red pimples and my face has one fresh cystic acne. I am not under real stress and the only diversion I've done from the strict diet was one day I had a lettuce and carrot salad diet covered with extra virgin olive oil and a spritz of lemon (the cystic acne on my face was already visible at this time). Perhaps it's also because I have been staying up late-- 1:30 am at the latest-- and would eat some fruit with olive oil at about midnight whenever I crave for someting to eat.

Hmmmmmmmmm, my other hunch is that I may not be eating enough and my body's eating redundant protein, thus, acne galore.

Poor skin. I've forgotten what it's like to be totally clean and clear. Anyway, I'm hanging in there.

I'll get there someday. We all will.

Thanks,
Sunny

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What could have made my sebum production low around December? What was going on with my hormones?

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Perhaps it's also because I have been staying up late-- 1:30 am at the latest--

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my other hunch is that I may not be eating enough and my body's eating redundant protein, thus, acne galore.

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The two on my chest are still very red and painful (I wonder if these have anything to do with being sick. They look like fever blisters).

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since I have had a cold, mucus just drips down my throat and, well, gets ingested. Does this also cause breakouts?

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I'm about 95% clear

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great!

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Sunny wrote:
Yes, it could be the oil from the fried chips that produced the inflammations

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