acne is getting worse the more I lose!

Hi, I'm 27 yr old. usually have really nice skin. Rarely I get a zit. Since I've started dieting the more I lose the more my skin goes so crap! I'm not leaving my skin dirty and I don't feel I'm doing anything differently. I heard junk food is the source of some acne but, I'm free of the junk food. Do you have any articles, etc. that might shed some light. I keep coming up dead ends.

My only guesstimation is that your body is ridding itself of toxins that you used to take in.  You said you no longer eat junk food and I read you've been doing this for 2 weeks.  It should subside over the next couple of weeks.

Your body is just ridding itself of unwanted things.

:) 

omg...the same thing happened to me! except ive been doing this for over a year now, and i NEVER eat junk food!! i havent in over 6 months! what the hell! im glad you posted this because i thought i was delusional haha

I totally agree, your body is likely just purging itself through your skin and it should clear up.  If it's been  more than a month or so though maybe you're not getting enough essential fatty acids and your skin is getting dry and irritated?

I just checked your profile picture and you have amazing skin, its beautiful.

Ive discovered that im affected by what i eat but its not junk that causes the problem, my issue is wheat and dairy. Have you started eating something 'healthy' that you didnt eat before your diet?

I also get changes in my skin around TOTM due to hormone flutuations. Dieting, eating healthier and increased exercise will have changed the proccess of your body and your hormones may be a little out of wack for the first month or 2. Did you have skin issues when you were pregnant?

Alternatively, some people believe that fat stores toxins and so when this fat is burnt the toxins are relased and will show in your skin.

Actually, I remember reading in USA Today that two big causes of acne are skim milk and peanut butter.  Not your typical junk food.  I can't remember what else is on the list, those were just the two items that I was eating a lot of.

The other thing I can think of as a cause is increased exercise.  OH, and if it's just gotten cold where you are, dry skin can actually cause breakouts too.

My skin has gotten a ton worse since losing weight.  I think it's from working out- my gym doesn't have a shower, so I sweat a ton and drive home to take a shower, and sometimes I don't for a few hours, and I think it causes breakouts.

I think I had the fates against me as far as my skin goes this past week. Everything expect the junk food, peanut, and milk  thing applies to me. lol

1. hormones
2. weather
3. introduced exercise
4. detox

Should I go on?lol thanks for your input.

The other option is that maybe you aren't getting enough nutrition or even enough food? When I don't eat enough (recovering anorexic) or enough of the good healthy foods, my skin goes to hell...my dermatologist was the first to notice the last time I relapsed because I normally have great skin as long as I'm eating enough, but when I start to restrict it's pretty bad. Just a thought!

It's a weakened immune system that usually contributes to this kind of breakout. If your skin is normally balanced, healthy and glowing, and you are suddenly starting to break out, it's because you are experiencing tiny bacterial infections.

Infections that your normally healthy immune system would probably be able to fend off. Weakened immune system is an indicator of an unbalanced diet or even malnutrition.

Focus on balanced nutrition and getting enough calories. Add a multivitamin so that your body gets enough of the nutrients it needs to fight infection.

just a suggestion when it comes to after workout breakout.  since you don't have a shower or sink to wash off your face after  working out you can always get those comodyne facial wipes.  i got some sensitive skin ones from trader joe's and you can use them after a workout to tide you over until you get home and wash your face.  i have to ride the bus home after the gym and i feel nasty as is, but i feel a little better if my face is somewhat clean.

I have a pre-/early rosatia symptoms (never diagnosed, but everything fits) and I found that the first month or two, my symptoms worsened.  I was working out and my face would go firey red and take hours to subside.  I learned quickly that I had to completely cleanse my face before workout and immediately afterwards.  That helped a lot. 

Over time, as I lost weight and started eating healthier, more balanced meals, my skin has improved dramatically.  It will relapse if I abandon my skin care routine for several days, but even in relapse, it's not nearly as bad, or bad for as long, as prior to the new diet and exercise regime.

So I figure you should stick with the diet and exercise, and just make sure that you're getting enough of the "good" fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Hi! My husband, a.k.a. bubbadan, went through this in his 20's too, and was really peeved about it because he thought he should have left his acne behind in his teen years. :-} But I read an article that said that a big contributor to adult acne is too much sodium. It makes sense when you think about it, since sweat is salty and gets excreted through your pores. Anyway, I had him read the article and he put down the salt shaker. His acne cleared up! (I think it took btw. 1-2 weeks, if memory serves.) Hit the analysis option for your daily nutrition reports and it will tell you how many mg's of sodium you're getting. Hold your cursor over the blue highlighted date section for everyday you've been doing cc+, and you'll see not only in mg's but in % how much sodium you've been getting daily. Also, we're noticing the diet foods that are out there, like South Beach Diet snack bars, frozen entrees from asst'd companies, etc., are loaded with a phenomenal amount of salt. Start checking labels in your house & you'll be amazed. Also, toothpaste has a type of sodium in it, so be sure to brush first, then wash. I wouldn't rule the other suggestions (weather, detox, etc.) out though, but at least try to stop salting your foods for awhile and see if that helps. I wish you all the best and hope your skin clears up soon.

i've never heard the sodium theory before, as far as skin's concerned.  i eat a lot of sodium myself.  i will try to be more conscious of it during the next couple of weeks and see if my skin takes a turn for the better.  thanks for the suggestion, bubbasgirl.

 mandarin oranges! pineapple! if you've recently discovered the joy of fruit then it might be the acidity shocking your system. 

 i know oranges make me break out. i have pretty good skin.  

This is more common than you think!  Are you getting enough fat?  Fat is an essential nutrient that helps every system in the body.

A weird analogy, but I'll give it.  I have anorexia and when I am restoring weight (the opposite) my skins gets funky for a bit. 

Also keep in mind that it's winter, and the drier and colder air tends to make pores clog more easily.  I'm having that problem a bit myself, and I'm eating SUPER healthy...

For me personally- I'm not starving. I eat about 1600 cal. zig zag CC. I totally do not condone the idea of going 1200 or less.

The salt issue is very interesting thought. I'll do some research on it. I have a moderate salt intake. Not a big Salt Freak not a Anti.

One thing I've always heard is drink more water! funny I didn't hear it on this forum. This sounds really simplistic but, since I've started dieting I think I've spent more time looking in the mirror therefor probably more time messing with my face which could be making it worse too.

It really stinks though to work so hard to look better and then to have your skin erupt in dermatological mess!

Oh. I didn't have any notable skin issues when pregnant.  

i'm usually not a monk when it comes to salt either. if there's sodium in my food, so be it. i'm active, and i know i need to restore all the sodium i lose when working out, so for the most part i don't pay it any mind. i know that eating less salt doesn't aid long-term weight loss. but, like i said, it would be interesting to find that reducing my consumption could help my skin. also, i drink a ton of water. my skin's fairly decent, but not stellar. even though i drink a lot of water, i'm not a water advocate; i believe that as long as your body is well hydrated from water, soups, foods in general, you'll be fine. pregnancy often leads to gorgeous skin; quite common (have you seen j. lo lately?)

as for fats, in my experience, fats play a huge role in the glowing-ness or dullness of your skin/hair (so fish fish fish! flax oil, olives, avocado); but they don't play any role at all in terms of breakouts.  just my experience.

Well, I was at a healthy weight and controlling my acne with Proactiv and Retin-A, and it worked just fine - I had very few zits.  I was 5'7 at 145LBS.  Then, in 2 months, I went up to 195LBS (by bingeing like crazy every day on terrible junk food, BUT ALSO eating vegetables and stuff).  Within a month, I developed uncontrollable cystic acne.  Interestingly, my previously regular periods went haywire and were totally unpredictable ever since that monumental weight-gain.  After almost a year of being 180-195LBS, I gave up junk food, but continued overeating on healthy stuff (like, I don't know, beans, flax oil, nuts, quinoa, always with veggies, tried being vegan for awhile, tried not being vegan, tried raw foods, tried everything but always ate too much) and got down to around 175.  (Actually, even down to 165 for a few weeks.)  For 2 years, I ate the healthy foods (but too many calories) and maintained a weight of 170-180. 

 I started CC at 178LBS a week and a day ago.  But anyhow, though I never eat junk food, and have eaten very little junk food for 2 years, I can't get rid of my terrible acne.  (And my periods, which were always regular at 29 days since puberty, are still remaining irregular, ranging from 22-45 days between.) I still use Proactiv and Retin-A and I even use Benzaclin too.  My derm prescribed antibiotics, but I won't take them ('cause I think it's terrible.) I expect that if I get back down to 145 LBS my acne will go away again and my periods will be regular.  Anyway, that's my testimony in this.

here:

solutions:

vitamin to clear skin guide:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Vitamins-To-Clear-S kin&id=48518
Links to other info on it on this page at the bottom

apirin recipes to clear skin (cheap and easy):
http://www.skincareresourcecenter.com/aspirin -facial.html

I suggest to exfoliate in the shower right after a workout.

Take some suppliments and see what happens. Vitamins usually clear mine up right away.