Hi everyone! I know it's been almost a month since I've posted anything, I'm really sorry.
Usually I'm very good with keeping up with everything, but this is my first semester at college and this last month has been hitting me HARD. I never imagined in my life having the amount of work that I have. I literally spend hours at the coffee shop down the street and just do homework and projects, it's crazy.
Luckily though, I have good news- for the most part, I have still been keeping up with my diet (with some changes being made). So far, I've lost 11 pounds! I am down to 195.4 pounds!
A lot of you know that in the beginning of all this, I was getting sooo discouraged because I was eating nothing, working out, drinking a ton of water, and not losing weight. Then I went to the doctor and I got put on Metformin, a blood glucose lowering medicine. It has helped soooo much. My cravings are way down when I take it, and my food DIGESTS it doesn't just sit in my body and turn into fat. I feel like it's upped my metabolism a lot.
So even though I've lost weight, I haven't been working out, simply because I've been so busy with school. However, I've been eating very little and I'm much more aware of what I eat.
The 6 Week Body Makeover diet was a no go. With all the effort I put into it and such little results, I decided against it. I'm the type of person that would rather not eat ANYTHING than eat either the same things everyday and/or really bland, gross food. There is nothing more that I hate than trying to force food down because it's gross, and you still don't want it even though you're really hungry because it's just THAT nasty. I still think it's a great diet but for some reason it just didn't work for me...
Also, acne/tazorac update: my skin looks soooo much better!! If you don't remember, I had really bad acne. On a scale from 1 to 10 it was like a 7. Nothing worked...i tried everything. Then I went to the dermatologist and started Tazorac .1% gel at night, Aczone in the morning, and I am taking Spironolactone (which won't start working for 6 months, though). So here is what happened with the Tazorac...
My skin started improving within 2-3 weeks. It wasn't completely better, but there was deffinetly a different, and people were telling me my skin looked great, so I knew it wasn't just me. Then on week 6-7 maybe, (about a week ago) my skin got SO dry. As a result, I had a pretty bad breakout session for about a week. But now its gone, and my skin is looks like it did on the week 2-3 period. I currently do not have any active "cysts" (or like bigger zits) on my face at all, I have one that is healing, and two little ones that are healing. I still have some blackheads/scaring/whiteheads, but its all very small compared to what my skin used to be.
I highly, highly reccomend this stuff! seriously it is the only thing that has ever worked for me, and just like everyone else, I have tried everything. If you have any questions feel free to ask!
So my skin getting better is a huge, huge plus for me. But something really terrible/scary/weird happened last week, also.
Every night and every morning and whenever I get out of the shower, I put lotion all over my body. As a result, I am very, very aware of the stretch marks I have and where they are/where they end. I woke up one morning, after getting out of the shower and was putting lotion on my arms and I felt something weird on the back of my arm...it felt like little wavy indentations in my skin....i looked in the mirror, and i had stretch marks on the back of my arm. They were NOT there the night before, and who the hell gets stretch marks on somewhere like the back of your arm when you've LOST 11 pounds? what is that?
It gets better...I look down and the stretch marks on my stomach have grown like 3 inches...they are now PAST my bellybutton, almost to my ribs. the weirdest part? my belly isn't even THAT big! with these stretch marks, you would guess that i'd recently had a set of triplets or something. What is going on?
So I had a meltdown....i felt like my body was ripping apart and stretch marks are the scariest, ugliest thing to me. I still don't know whats going on because even though I called my doctors office immediately, they didn't call me back, and now the office is closed for the holiday. But first thing monday morning, they're hearing from me.
Soo....theres the good and bad news I guess. I also just want to say I am so thankful for everyone who reads my blog and gives me support...I hope everything has been going well with all of you, i will do my best to try to catch-up on your posts for the most part to see how yall have been doing! Don't worry, i didn't forget about you!!
Current goal is to try to add some exercise back into my schedule. Not even for losing weight, because i'm not sure if it has an effect on my body like that, but just because I feel better after I exercise. I just got the old stationary bike working again and it's in my room, so i'm gonna go have at it!
xo
Showing posts with label Acne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acne. Show all posts
Friday, November 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Overview of My Condition- PCOS (Poly cystic ovarian syndrome)
I wish I had written this earlier. I realize that a lot of you are very, very blessed to not have to deal with this condition I have called PCOS. Therefore, you may not know about it. I certainly did not until I was diagnosed. So i'm gonna give you a little re-cap, just incase you want to know what it is I'm talking about when I say I have PCOS.
PCOS stands for PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. basically, it makes your hormones all out of whack. Because of this, You gain weight super easily, frequently miss periods, have acne, hair growth (like on your chin, belly, and body hair just generally grows a lot faster and is thicker) and hair loss (from your head). the periods/hair/skin side effects are all because when you have PCOS, your body produces more of an androgen hormone called testosterone than it should. testosterone is the male hormone that triggers acne, hairgrowth/loss, missed periods, ect.
Although I have done a TON of research over the last year myself on PCOS, no one really knows how or why it starts exactly. There is no cure, and it is hard to manage, but it is do-able. Doctors know that weight plays a significant part in PCOS. Fat cells can cause over production of testosterone and bind with estrogen (the female hormone), which can cause all of your symptoms.
**However, not everyone who is overweight has PCOS, infact there are plenty of overweight or obese women that don't have it. But almost everyone that has PCOS is overweight, or have delt with a weight problem in their life.
So the question is... does PCOS cause you to be overweight, or does being overweight cause PCOS? There are theories, but No one really knows. But it is true that when you have PCOS, it is harder to lose weight. The hormones have a direct effect on your body's ability to lose weight, for whatever reason.
This is what makes it hard. Every doctor you go to says, "lose weight, PCOS will get better". However, that is not the easiest way. Lots of women take birth control pills, metformin, spiractalone (sp?) or flutamide (sp?), or a combination of all.
Personally, I'm not sure if I will ever go on another birth control pill again for as long as I live. Once I got off of them when I was 17, I had been taking them for 2 years. I was overweight, but not obese, had mild but controllable acne and never had any facial hair or hair loss problems (although my hair has never, ever grown at a normal rate...it grows very slow. it's weird.) Once I got off my birth control pills, I didn't have a period for 7 months. I started to have hair growth. I lost weight, but only because I went vegan, and then once I stopped being vegan I gained weight.
There are theories that when women with PCOS take birth control pills, they have to stay on them for forever, and when they get off their hormones are going to go crazy out of whack. This is kind of what I feel what happened to me. But part of me thinks that maybe my birth control pills were just masking my PCOS problem , and I always had it. I think it's kind of a combination of the two, because i always had acne more than my friends, and i never ever had regular periods. But who knows?
Well, doctor's don't. that's the main frustration with having this condition.there are very few specialists in PCOS because there just simply isn't that much information on it to begin with.
Luckily, I found a doctor who actually knows a little bit about PCOS (seriously, most doctors don't know a damn thing about it). She perscribed me Metformin. This is the medicine I am taking now, which makes me super nauseous all the time. It is typically given to people with type 2 diabetes, but since insulin resistance and PCOS go hand-in-hand (insulin is just another hormone that is out of whack because of PCOS), it is perscribed for PCOS too sometimes. Usually it is perscribed for PCOS patients because it can help them lose weight.
When I told my doctor I had been trying and trying to lose weight and I wasn't, she suggested Metformin. She said that the weight wasn't going to melt off, it wasn't a magic diet pill, but it would put me on the same level as a normal girl my age trying to lose weight. So basically, with this pill, supposedly my body will lose weight at a normal rate. Hallelujah.
When you lose weight, your symptoms and side effects of having PCOS decrease dramatically because since you have less fat, you have less testosterone production, which in turn balances out your other hormones. sadly, little are successful in losing weight just because it is so difficult with this disorder.
However, I am lucky. I caught this early, almost as early as you can detect it in a patient. Usually a doctor can't really diagnose PCOS until after puberty is completely & hormones have stablized (or in my case, haven't stablized haha). I can't say exactly how long i've had this because no one knows if it's something I was born with, or if i've just developed it over time. but I was officially dianosed about a year and a half ago. There are many many women out there who aren't diagnosed for 20 years and have had it there whole lives, and never know. I have been told my many women such as these that I am lucky that I am catching it early. These are the same women who literally can grow a full beard everyday and constantly shave their face, or the women who are losing clumps of hair and completely going bald, and ontop of that have acne & are obese. The hairgrowth I have is slowly getting worse, but supposedly like every other side effect of PCOS, will get better with weight loss. Weight loss = less testosterone = less hair growth, less acne, no hair failling out.
it's weird to deal with this being 19. but I am lucky I caught it early. They say only 5% of women have PCOS, but i'm super positive that's wrong. I bet you about 30% of women have it, but only 5% are diagnosed. My mom, for example, was never diagnosed with PCOS (and still hasn't been, now that she is past menopause) but talking to her about the acne/hair growth/ hair loss made me realize she had it when she was growing up too. But the weird thing about that? My mom was thin. She was never over a size 4 until she was 40 years old. She was runner up actually in a Miss America pageant (but I won't tell you which one). It's just weird to think, that she had acne & hair growth (though not as bad as mine) but she was thin. But supposedly this is all from being fat?
Like I said...who really knows.
So yeah, I am taking Metformin, in hopes that it will give me a chance to get this weight off, and hopefully get my PCOS undercontrol. But right now, it's just making me want to throw up!!
I really hope this helped some of you who don't know what PCOS is. I think it's so important that peolple become more aware of it. And please note- you do not have to be overweight to have PCOS. if you have any of the symptoms i talked about, mainly if you have irregular periods, you should talk to your doctor. the sooner you know about what's going on, the sooner you can take care of it.
<3
PCOS stands for PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. basically, it makes your hormones all out of whack. Because of this, You gain weight super easily, frequently miss periods, have acne, hair growth (like on your chin, belly, and body hair just generally grows a lot faster and is thicker) and hair loss (from your head). the periods/hair/skin side effects are all because when you have PCOS, your body produces more of an androgen hormone called testosterone than it should. testosterone is the male hormone that triggers acne, hairgrowth/loss, missed periods, ect.
Although I have done a TON of research over the last year myself on PCOS, no one really knows how or why it starts exactly. There is no cure, and it is hard to manage, but it is do-able. Doctors know that weight plays a significant part in PCOS. Fat cells can cause over production of testosterone and bind with estrogen (the female hormone), which can cause all of your symptoms.
**However, not everyone who is overweight has PCOS, infact there are plenty of overweight or obese women that don't have it. But almost everyone that has PCOS is overweight, or have delt with a weight problem in their life.
So the question is... does PCOS cause you to be overweight, or does being overweight cause PCOS? There are theories, but No one really knows. But it is true that when you have PCOS, it is harder to lose weight. The hormones have a direct effect on your body's ability to lose weight, for whatever reason.
This is what makes it hard. Every doctor you go to says, "lose weight, PCOS will get better". However, that is not the easiest way. Lots of women take birth control pills, metformin, spiractalone (sp?) or flutamide (sp?), or a combination of all.
Personally, I'm not sure if I will ever go on another birth control pill again for as long as I live. Once I got off of them when I was 17, I had been taking them for 2 years. I was overweight, but not obese, had mild but controllable acne and never had any facial hair or hair loss problems (although my hair has never, ever grown at a normal rate...it grows very slow. it's weird.) Once I got off my birth control pills, I didn't have a period for 7 months. I started to have hair growth. I lost weight, but only because I went vegan, and then once I stopped being vegan I gained weight.
There are theories that when women with PCOS take birth control pills, they have to stay on them for forever, and when they get off their hormones are going to go crazy out of whack. This is kind of what I feel what happened to me. But part of me thinks that maybe my birth control pills were just masking my PCOS problem , and I always had it. I think it's kind of a combination of the two, because i always had acne more than my friends, and i never ever had regular periods. But who knows?
Well, doctor's don't. that's the main frustration with having this condition.there are very few specialists in PCOS because there just simply isn't that much information on it to begin with.
Luckily, I found a doctor who actually knows a little bit about PCOS (seriously, most doctors don't know a damn thing about it). She perscribed me Metformin. This is the medicine I am taking now, which makes me super nauseous all the time. It is typically given to people with type 2 diabetes, but since insulin resistance and PCOS go hand-in-hand (insulin is just another hormone that is out of whack because of PCOS), it is perscribed for PCOS too sometimes. Usually it is perscribed for PCOS patients because it can help them lose weight.
When I told my doctor I had been trying and trying to lose weight and I wasn't, she suggested Metformin. She said that the weight wasn't going to melt off, it wasn't a magic diet pill, but it would put me on the same level as a normal girl my age trying to lose weight. So basically, with this pill, supposedly my body will lose weight at a normal rate. Hallelujah.
When you lose weight, your symptoms and side effects of having PCOS decrease dramatically because since you have less fat, you have less testosterone production, which in turn balances out your other hormones. sadly, little are successful in losing weight just because it is so difficult with this disorder.
However, I am lucky. I caught this early, almost as early as you can detect it in a patient. Usually a doctor can't really diagnose PCOS until after puberty is completely & hormones have stablized (or in my case, haven't stablized haha). I can't say exactly how long i've had this because no one knows if it's something I was born with, or if i've just developed it over time. but I was officially dianosed about a year and a half ago. There are many many women out there who aren't diagnosed for 20 years and have had it there whole lives, and never know. I have been told my many women such as these that I am lucky that I am catching it early. These are the same women who literally can grow a full beard everyday and constantly shave their face, or the women who are losing clumps of hair and completely going bald, and ontop of that have acne & are obese. The hairgrowth I have is slowly getting worse, but supposedly like every other side effect of PCOS, will get better with weight loss. Weight loss = less testosterone = less hair growth, less acne, no hair failling out.
it's weird to deal with this being 19. but I am lucky I caught it early. They say only 5% of women have PCOS, but i'm super positive that's wrong. I bet you about 30% of women have it, but only 5% are diagnosed. My mom, for example, was never diagnosed with PCOS (and still hasn't been, now that she is past menopause) but talking to her about the acne/hair growth/ hair loss made me realize she had it when she was growing up too. But the weird thing about that? My mom was thin. She was never over a size 4 until she was 40 years old. She was runner up actually in a Miss America pageant (but I won't tell you which one). It's just weird to think, that she had acne & hair growth (though not as bad as mine) but she was thin. But supposedly this is all from being fat?
Like I said...who really knows.
So yeah, I am taking Metformin, in hopes that it will give me a chance to get this weight off, and hopefully get my PCOS undercontrol. But right now, it's just making me want to throw up!!
I really hope this helped some of you who don't know what PCOS is. I think it's so important that peolple become more aware of it. And please note- you do not have to be overweight to have PCOS. if you have any of the symptoms i talked about, mainly if you have irregular periods, you should talk to your doctor. the sooner you know about what's going on, the sooner you can take care of it.
<3
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tazorac Update-PCOS Acne Routine
I just wanted to update you guys on my acne routine-
It's been about a week since I started using Tazorac, supposedly the "miracle cream"
last week i used it every other day (like directed) and as of monday, i am putting it on my face every night.
So far, I am really disappointed... I don't see any changes. and I feel like maybe, if anything, my skin might be getting a little worse- not like really worse, but enough to where I can notice. or maybe it's just my brain being a pessimist because I see nothing getting better...
I am on the lowest dose cream (they have 1%, .5%, and .1%, and I am on the .1%). I am on this strength until late november, when I go back to my dermatologist for an update, and probably to get on the 2nd highest strength (they said that's what they normally do on your second visit)
Other things I am on:
Soldyn.. or Sodlyn? a super crazy expensive supposedly ground breaking anti-biotic made especially for acne. It's like over 500 dollars a bottle, and I haven't seen ANY difference. I take it once a day, everyday, and it's almost been a month- nothing. I used to be on doxyclene, and i hated the way it made me feel, but atleast it half-way decently worked.
I use AcZone in the morning. It's just a clear gel that contains dapsone.
My routine:
Morning-
1.wash face with Aveeno Radiance Cleanser (helps get rid of my acne scars)
2. Tone (every other day with Orgins Herbal Toner)
3. Moisturize with Keihl's Brightening Moisturizer (the best moisturizer EVER...helps get rid of my acne scars)
4. Apply a pea size amount of Aczone
Night:
1. Remove makeup (with either makeup remover clothes or babywash)
2. Wash with Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser (but this is about to change...that stuff stings my skin...which is so weird)
3. CeraVea Moisturizing Lotion- just really plain gentle oil-free moisturizer
4. Apply a pea size amount of Tazorac
Also, if i take a shower, I exfoliate with:
Aveeno Brightening Radiance Daily Scrub to exfoliate my skin
Once or Twice a week, I use Kiehl's Rare Earth Face Mask which absorbs oil and cleans poors
I take SUCH good care of my skin guys. I always wash my face. I wear natural makeup. The only bad thing I do is sometimes I pick (so bad, I know) but I feel like I should have SUCH good skin with the way I take care of it. It's so frusturating. i mean, imagine eating only whole grains and fruits and veggies your whole life, but remaining morbidly obese- that's what this feels like.
Gonna give tazorac some more time though. hopefully i'll start seeing results
Let me know if you've ever used Tazorac & the results you've seen PLEASE!! I would love to hear from you
It's been about a week since I started using Tazorac, supposedly the "miracle cream"
last week i used it every other day (like directed) and as of monday, i am putting it on my face every night.
So far, I am really disappointed... I don't see any changes. and I feel like maybe, if anything, my skin might be getting a little worse- not like really worse, but enough to where I can notice. or maybe it's just my brain being a pessimist because I see nothing getting better...
I am on the lowest dose cream (they have 1%, .5%, and .1%, and I am on the .1%). I am on this strength until late november, when I go back to my dermatologist for an update, and probably to get on the 2nd highest strength (they said that's what they normally do on your second visit)
Other things I am on:
Soldyn.. or Sodlyn? a super crazy expensive supposedly ground breaking anti-biotic made especially for acne. It's like over 500 dollars a bottle, and I haven't seen ANY difference. I take it once a day, everyday, and it's almost been a month- nothing. I used to be on doxyclene, and i hated the way it made me feel, but atleast it half-way decently worked.
I use AcZone in the morning. It's just a clear gel that contains dapsone.
My routine:
Morning-
1.wash face with Aveeno Radiance Cleanser (helps get rid of my acne scars)
2. Tone (every other day with Orgins Herbal Toner)
3. Moisturize with Keihl's Brightening Moisturizer (the best moisturizer EVER...helps get rid of my acne scars)
4. Apply a pea size amount of Aczone
Night:
1. Remove makeup (with either makeup remover clothes or babywash)
2. Wash with Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser (but this is about to change...that stuff stings my skin...which is so weird)
3. CeraVea Moisturizing Lotion- just really plain gentle oil-free moisturizer
4. Apply a pea size amount of Tazorac
Also, if i take a shower, I exfoliate with:
Aveeno Brightening Radiance Daily Scrub to exfoliate my skin
Once or Twice a week, I use Kiehl's Rare Earth Face Mask which absorbs oil and cleans poors
I take SUCH good care of my skin guys. I always wash my face. I wear natural makeup. The only bad thing I do is sometimes I pick (so bad, I know) but I feel like I should have SUCH good skin with the way I take care of it. It's so frusturating. i mean, imagine eating only whole grains and fruits and veggies your whole life, but remaining morbidly obese- that's what this feels like.
Gonna give tazorac some more time though. hopefully i'll start seeing results
Let me know if you've ever used Tazorac & the results you've seen PLEASE!! I would love to hear from you
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
First Day of Tazorac-Acne Review
So, for all of you lucky gals like me out there who have PCOS, you are more than familiar with the wonderful symptom known as ACNE. Our acne is hormonal, so it is super super super hard to get rid of. No matter how clean your skin gets, your hormone levels and causing your glands to secrete a lot more oil than it should. As my derm says, it's under the skin.
So currently i am taking Soldyn, an antibiotic made just for acne. She also gave me Tazorac, a retin-a type cream that is supposedly the latest and best product. I was very very hestitant to try it, because there's a pretty big chance your acne gets worse before it gets better. I can deal with Acne getting worse for about a week, it is already pretty bad now, but I scar SO easily and that was what worried me. But after reading some reviews on Acne.org, I found out that Tazorac supposedly really really helps acne scars! It dries out and peels your skin, which supposedly really helps for the scars/hyperpigmentation
So yes, even though I am scared of my face possibly getting worse for a short period of time, it seems that that time isn't a very LONG amount of time, and honestly, I can just play sick for a week or whatever if it comes down to it. I figure it's better than taking accutane, which has some scary side effects and supposedly doesn't help that much with scars and makes your hair fall out (which is what I was really concerned about, since hair loss is already a side effect of PCOS).
I've read some really good things, so I'm excited. I'm starting with every other day, then next week I'll go to everyday. It's a 12 week program to get full results, and I will be keeping you updated!!
So currently i am taking Soldyn, an antibiotic made just for acne. She also gave me Tazorac, a retin-a type cream that is supposedly the latest and best product. I was very very hestitant to try it, because there's a pretty big chance your acne gets worse before it gets better. I can deal with Acne getting worse for about a week, it is already pretty bad now, but I scar SO easily and that was what worried me. But after reading some reviews on Acne.org, I found out that Tazorac supposedly really really helps acne scars! It dries out and peels your skin, which supposedly really helps for the scars/hyperpigmentation
So yes, even though I am scared of my face possibly getting worse for a short period of time, it seems that that time isn't a very LONG amount of time, and honestly, I can just play sick for a week or whatever if it comes down to it. I figure it's better than taking accutane, which has some scary side effects and supposedly doesn't help that much with scars and makes your hair fall out (which is what I was really concerned about, since hair loss is already a side effect of PCOS).
I've read some really good things, so I'm excited. I'm starting with every other day, then next week I'll go to everyday. It's a 12 week program to get full results, and I will be keeping you updated!!
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