what are the first signs of aging that you've noticed?
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free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 9:30 am

I'm not talking only about the face but in general. I've just turned 27 and lately i've noticed my once upon a time very luscious and very thick hair thinning! Back in highschool and my early 20's I would go to the hair salon to get them to thin out my very thick hair. I used to get hair stylist telling me my hair was super thick and gorgeous. I recently went to the salon and requested a cut that would add more volume. Now i'm contemplating which volumizing shampoo and conditioner to buy. When before I used to shampoo and blowdry and go, now there is an added step....using volumizing products to give my hair some volume (especially at the scalp). Anyone can recommend a great hair volumizing product or shampoo/conditioner?

Another thing about getting older... i've always been the same size ever since highschool. I'm 5"4 and 115pounds since highschool. I'm fit and have a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. Now i've noticed stubborn fat where there used to be none. I need to buy new bras not because my cup size has gotten bigger (i wish), but i now have back fat and require longer straps. Nothing more unflattering than bulging back fat with a straps that are too tight. I guess it's the beginning of metabolism slow down. I need to up the exercise and up the diet in order to achieve similar results in my early 20's.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:17 am

BCgirl wrote:

I'm not talking only about the face but in general. I've just turned 27 and lately i've noticed my once upon a time very luscious and very thick hair thinning! Back in highschool and my early 20's I would go to the hair salon to get them to thin out my very thick hair. I used to get hair stylist telling me my hair was super thick and gorgeous. I recently went to the salon and requested a cut that would add more volume. Now i'm contemplating which volumizing shampoo and conditioner to buy. When before I used to shampoo and blowdry and go, now there is an added step....using volumizing products to give my hair some volume (especially at the scalp). Anyone can recommend a great hair volumizing product or shampoo/conditioner?

Another thing about getting older... i've always been the same size ever since highschool. I'm 5"4 and 115pounds since highschool. I'm fit and have a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. Now i've noticed stubborn fat where there used to be none. I need to buy new bras not because my cup size has gotten bigger (i wish), but i now have back fat and require longer straps. Nothing more unflattering than bulging back fat with a straps that are too tight. I guess it's the beginning of metabolism slow down. I need to up the exercise and up the diet in order to achieve similar results in my early 20's.

I turned 27 in February, and last year I started noticing fine lines on my forehead. The more I observed my body, the more I noticed sings of aging...
First were the fine lines on the forehead. Then I noticed my breasts have lost some volume. Then spider veins on my legs... Next were under eye fine lines... the latest observation consists of a slight skin fold under my eye, almost oblique across the cheek (not sure if that's qualified as skin sagging, but I feel it's way too much going on in less than a year since I first noticed the forehead lines) Sad

All of this makes me depressed!!!

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:21 am

By the way, I noticed that the only volumizing product that works for me is a root lifter... I don't know what brand I tried, but I don't think there is much of a difference among them.
You spray the product at the hair roots after towel drying, and then blow dry up side down. It definitely keeps my hair fuller!

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:38 am

Quote:

Then I noticed my breasts have lost some volume.

yup i noticed that too! It's true about that funny movie with Christina applegate and Cameron Diaz "The Sweetest Thing" when they look in the mirror and notice their breasts sagging, but when they lift up their arms, their breasts are perky, when their arms go down and the breasts sag. I haven't had any children yet and have noticed a loss in volume, I don't want to imagine what they will look like after a couple kids and breast-feeding! What i've started to do is put retin-a and vitamin c on my breasts in hopes to help with elasticity and collagen production.

Quote:

the latest observation consists of a slight skin fold under my eye

And i've noticed this too! How i've noticed is that my eyeshadow application doesn't look as good as it used to

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:51 am

BCgirl wrote:

Quote:

Then I noticed my breasts have lost some volume.

yup i noticed that too! It's true about that funny movie with Christina applegate and Cameron Diaz "The Sweetest Thing" when they look in the mirror and notice their breasts sagging, but when they lift up their arms, their breasts are perky, when their arms go down and the breasts sag. I haven't had any children yet and have noticed a loss in volume, I don't want to imagine what they will look like after a couple kids and breast-feeding! What i've started to do is put retin-a and vitamin c on my breasts in hopes to help with elasticity and collagen production.

Quote:

the latest observation consists of a slight skin fold under my eye

And i've noticed this too! How i've noticed is that my eyeshadow application doesn't look as good as it used to

I wonder if there are any successful non-surgical procedures to slow down the sagging? This is what I'm talking about, notice the skin fold above her cheek... mine is noticeable even if I don't smile, and worse if I do:

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 11:21 am

Quote:

I wonder if there are any successful non-surgical procedures to slow down the sagging?

well retin-a, vitamin c, peptides are known to help with sagging by building collagen. As we get older, our cells turnover at a slower rate than when we were teenagers.

Physiological aging is a natural, slow, irreversible process responsible for wrinkles, sagging, thinning of the skin, dehydration, and rougher texture. Genes control how quickly the physiological aging process unfolds for each of us.
Photo aging is premature aging caused by UV (sun) exposure. According to the International Dermal Institute up to 95% of the signs of premature aging are attributable to sun exposure on the skin! Freckles, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles that disappear when stretched, loose skin, a blotchy complexion, actinic keratoses (thick wart-like, rough, reddish patches of skin), and skin cancer can all be traced to sun exposure.

Other factors such as diet, exercise, stress, pollution, smoking, harsh skin care products and improper cleansing techniques can accelerate the rate at which our skin ages.

http://www.mirabellaskincare.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=149:skin-and-the-aging-process&catid=44:skin-care-topics&Itemid=170

A good analogy would be to think of yourself as a banana. When bananas are fresh, they are ripe and bright(yellow and firm). Over time with environmental exposure, oxidization etc. the banana will begin to get brown,limp, dull and ugly. It's much the same way as people age (although we are more complex). Like a banana you can spray chemicals, pesticides, etc. to prolong the banana's life and look...much like how we spend tons of money on skincare products to upkeep our look. Eventually surgery would be the only way to really reverse the effects of aging. Something that humans have invented that banana's don't have. Thank goodness for surgery! lol

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 11:31 am

BCgirl wrote:

I'm not talking only about the face but in general. I've just turned 27 and lately i've noticed my once upon a time very luscious and very thick hair thinning! Back in highschool and my early 20's I would go to the hair salon to get them to thin out my very thick hair. I used to get hair stylist telling me my hair was super thick and gorgeous. I recently went to the salon and requested a cut that would add more volume. Now i'm contemplating which volumizing shampoo and conditioner to buy. When before I used to shampoo and blowdry and go, now there is an added step....using volumizing products to give my hair some volume (especially at the scalp). Anyone can recommend a great hair volumizing product or shampoo/conditioner?

Another thing about getting older... i've always been the same size ever since highschool. I'm 5"4 and 115pounds since highschool. I'm fit and have a healthy lifestyle of exercise and diet. Now i've noticed stubborn fat where there used to be none. I need to buy new bras not because my cup size has gotten bigger (i wish), but i now have back fat and require longer straps. Nothing more unflattering than bulging back fat with a straps that are too tight. I guess it's the beginning of metabolism slow down. I need to up the exercise and up the diet in order to achieve similar results in my early 20's.

You should not have age-related hair thinning so young: IMO get some blood tests from your family doctor to be on the safe side. Also review your diet to ensure you are getting the full complement of essential nutrients, especially protein little and often from breakfast. Thirdly try quitting shampoos based on sulphate surfactants as these can cause hair loss in susceptible individuals.

I work in lifestyle healthcare. It's a falsehood that your metabolism simply reduces with age, most often the issue is down to an imbalance of calories in and calories out OR being sedentary or doing the wrong type of exercise. Your metabolism is directly related to how much muscle you have, and very few women do the right sort of exercise/ intense enough exercise to maintain or increase muscle mass. Generally women have no concept of what they are capable of; for example I have often doubled the weight a woman lifts on the leg press, in addition to correcting their technique and reducing their speed. If you would like to post in detail about your diet and physical activity I would be happy to comment further.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 1:36 pm

Quote:

You should not have age-related hair thinning so young: IMO get some blood tests from your family doctor to be on the safe side. Also review your diet to ensure you are getting the full complement of essential nutrients, especially protein little and often from breakfast. Thirdly try quitting shampoos based on sulphate surfactants as these can cause hair loss in susceptible individuals.

I work in lifestyle healthcare. It's a falsehood that your metabolism simply reduces with age, most often the issue is down to an imbalance of calories in and calories out OR being sedentary or doing the wrong type of exercise. Your metabolism is directly related to how much muscle you have, and very few women do the right sort of exercise/ intense enough exercise to maintain or increase muscle mass. Generally women have no concept of what they are capable of; for example I have often doubled the weight a woman lifts on the leg press, in addition to correcting their technique and reducing their speed. If you would like to post in detail about your diet and physical activity I would be happy to comment further.

I wouldn't say I have thin hair by any means...just that my hair is thinner than when I was 20 yrs old. That is a good idea, i will get some blood tests done. I know that iron deficiency contributes to thinning hair, although I eat plenty of iron in my diet. My diet is a healthy one. I eat organically and purchase non-medicated, hormone free meats. I don't eat fast food ever and drink tons of water daily. I exercise approx. 4-5 times a week. My exercise consists of yoga, spinning classes, pilates and lots of hiking with my dog. I do admit I don't do any weight training as I find that I bulk up very fast and I don't like to be muscular but rather have a petite/feminine frame. I am short so when I do gain muscle, it really shows.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 1:51 pm

Many nutrient deficiencies can affect hair density. I am presuming you don't eat meat for breakfast. Are you getting nine portions of fruit and veg a day, three portions of dairy a day, daily oily fish or a fish oil supplement, plenty of other essential fatty acids, wholegrains or other carbs at each meal or snack, protein little and often from breakfast?

It is awesome you are doing all that activity but it may be you are overdoing the cardiovascular work, depleting your muscles of glycogen and burning off some of your muscle. I had this experience when working in a busy two story pub/ pizzeria, running plus various group exercise classes. How many hours per week do you exercise in total? Don't count walking steadily on the flat, but do count walking up hills or power walking. Are you eating a mix of protein and carbs an hour to two hours before the workout and again within 20 minutes of finishing? It's quite unusual for a female to bulk up quickly, how quickly do you mean? It may be this is down to your muscles storing more glycogen fuel, because 1g of glycogen is stored alongside 3g of water.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 2:06 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Many nutrient deficiencies can affect hair density. I am presuming you don't eat meat for breakfast. Are you getting nine portions of fruit and veg a day, three portions of dairy a day, daily oily fish or a fish oil supplement, plenty of other essential fatty acids, wholegrains or other carbs at each meal or snack, protein little and often from breakfast?

It is awesome you are doing all that activity but it may be you are overdoing the cardiovascular work, depleting your muscles of glycogen and burning off some of your muscle. I had this experience when working in a busy two story pub/ pizzeria, running plus various group exercise classes. How many hours per week do you exercise in total? Don't count walking steadily on the flat, but do count walking up hills or power walking. Are you eating a mix of protein and carbs an hour to two hours before the workout and again within 20 minutes of finishing? It's quite unusual for a female to bulk up quickly, how quickly do you mean? It may be this is down to your muscles storing more glycogen fuel, because 1g of glycogen is stored alongside 3g of water.

I'd like to think my diet is enough to keep me healthy, and so thinks my coach who has a degree in nutrition, but I still think my exercising routine may cause my skin to sag Sad

I work out every day, I am 2 months away from a fitness competition. I am 5'4", 120lbs, 12% body fat and I have about 200g carbs/day (not including fiber), 150-180g protein and about 60-80g healthy fats. I do strength training 5 days/week (1-1.25 hrs), and 5 days HIIT (30-45min). I started at 14% body fat and 117lbs, in January, so I don't think I changed that fast... I do have my post work out shake immediately after I train. I also take multivitamins and fish oil...
What can cause my skin to sag?..

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 2:27 pm

Fitgineer are you male or female? If you are female how often are you having your hormones tested? Optimum health and aesthetics are two different things; fitness for sport and fitness for health are two opposite ends of the spectrum. Your coach is giving you a diet for specific goals not for health. Are you hitting the food group requirements I listed in the post above?

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 2:38 pm

fitgineer wrote:

I wonder if there are any successful non-surgical procedures to slow down the sagging? This is what I'm talking about, notice the skin fold above her cheek... mine is noticeable even if I don't smile, and worse if I do:

I think that thing is called transbucal ridge or groove and it's not the same as tear troughs. I'm not fully sure, once asked a surgeon about the ones I have and he called them that. The only options for correction were implants or fillers. While he didn't dismiss facial exercises as such, this 'cheek fold' supposedly occurs when fat pads sag, so not much that exercise or massage can help there, sadly. Other thing is position during sleep, according to him, mashing face in pillow the way I do also aggravates these ridges. Most people supposedly have them and everyone gets them at one point, but having lean face or low body fat makes them more visible. I never find the time to read up in plastic surgery textbooks on this, so could be total pigswill as far as I know.

I got mine since the dawn of time and they get only worse with time, no matter how much retinoids or other stuff I push into my skin.
Sleepless nights, weight loss, fatigue and other deficiencies make them look worse. Intense cardio exercise is pretty much the only thing that makes them appear better. Dermarolling helps somewhat.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 2:44 pm

Quote:

Many nutrient deficiencies can affect hair density. I am presuming you don't eat meat for breakfast. Are you getting nine portions of fruit and veg a day, three portions of dairy a day, daily oily fish or a fish oil supplement, plenty of other essential fatty acids, wholegrains or other carbs at each meal or snack, protein little and often from breakfast?

It is awesome you are doing all that activity but it may be you are overdoing the cardiovascular work, depleting your muscles of glycogen and burning off some of your muscle. I had this experience when working in a busy two story pub/ pizzeria, running plus various group exercise classes. How many hours per week do you exercise in total? Don't count walking steadily on the flat, but do count walking up hills or power walking. Are you eating a mix of protein and carbs an hour to two hours before the workout and again within 20 minutes of finishing? It's quite unusual for a female to bulk up quickly, how quickly do you mean? It may be this is down to your muscles storing more glycogen fuel, because 1g of glycogen is stored alongside 3g of water.

I do sometimes eat meat for breakfast and always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although it may be hard to consume all that food and water while also having a full-time job. I do the best I can to maintain a healthy diet of fruits/veggies, carbs, protein, dairy and definitely would say I eat better than most people. I would say I work out of 8-10 hrs per week. As for bulking up quickly, I genetically come from a very athletic background. My father was a competitive boxer and naturally has huge muscles that bulk up faster than most. My brother is a well known professional athlete as well and takes no time to bulk up. So I would definitely say bulking up fast is in my DNA. It's great for my father and brother to be macho and show off their muscles, but as a woman I feel self conscious about it. When I used to do weights I would always stop after a week because I felt I was getting too big. Lets just say that if I weight trained, my muscles would be way bigger than Madonna's.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 2:52 pm

Turkey Waddle - before it got too bad I had it liposuctioned fifteen years ago!

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:02 pm

BCgirl wrote:

I do sometimes eat meat for breakfast and always eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although it may be hard to consume all that food and water while also having a full-time job. I do the best I can to maintain a healthy diet of fruits/veggies, carbs, protein, dairy and definitely would say I eat better than most people. I would say I work out of 8-10 hrs per week. As for bulking up quickly, I genetically come from a very athletic background. My father was a competitive boxer and naturally has huge muscles that bulk up faster than most. My brother is a well known professional athlete as well and takes no time to bulk up. So I would definitely say bulking up fast is in my DNA. It's great for my father and brother to be macho and show off their muscles, but as a woman I feel self conscious about it. When I used to do weights I would always stop after a week because I felt I was getting too big. Lets just say that if I weight trained, my muscles would be way bigger than Madonna's.

With the amount of physical activity you are doing your requirements for every nutrient will be substantially increased - probably doubled! - hence there is little use in comparing your diet to the average diet. Eating a balanced diet absolutely does take some effort but there are plenty of cheats. This is what I work on with my nutrition clients, many have full time jobs, some work away or very long hours, many have fussy families. Protein little and often is very important, as is the omega-3s from oily fish and these are the two most clients do not manage but YMMV.

It is physiologically impossible to gain substantial amounts of muscle in one week. IMO your muscles are holding more glycogen and more water, may well be more than the average person would hold given your genetic background. Often this 'puffiness' settles within a few weeks, but being clever with how frequently you strength train can be of benefit, note that not strength training is not synonymous with weight training.

It is up to you whether you wish to diet away any excess fat or strength train intermittently, but with the amount of physical activity you do IMO it would be difficult to get all the nutrients on a reduced calorie diet. You would really need to weigh, measure and regiment everything which is a PITA! If you do diet you should eat a balanced snack every three to four hours, to boost the metabolism and stop your body cannibalising muscle.

HTH! Smile

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:04 pm

Firefox7275 wrote:

Fitgineer are you male or female? If you are female how often are you having your hormones tested? Optimum health and aesthetics are two different things; fitness for sport and fitness for health are two opposite ends of the spectrum. Your coach is giving you a diet for specific goals not for health. Are you hitting the food group requirements I listed in the post above?

I'm a female.

Here's my meal plan:
Preworkout:
25-30g low carb protein, 8g MCT:
1 scoop whey, ï¿½ tbsp coconut oil

Post workout:
25-30g protein + 18g fat + 35-45g simple carbs + 25-30g complex carbs (about 10-15g fiber too)
1 scoop whey, 1 cup fruit (berries), ï¿½ large lemon, ï¿½ tbsp pomegranate syrup, 8oz coconut water, 1/3 scoop Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer, 1 tbsp flax seed, 1 tbsp EFA Sequel Naturals Oil, 10g glutamine
+
ï¿½ cup quick oats

Meal 1:
25-30g protein + 5-8g fat + 25-30g complex carbs + 10g simple sugars:
2 egg whites + 2 slices lean Canadian bacon + ï¿½ Avocado + ï¿½ cup quick oats or 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (30g complex, no sugar) + 1/2cup-3/4cup berries

if no avocado, then one egg yolk

Meal 2
25g-30g protein + 10g fat + 30g complex carbs
5-6oz chicken breast + brown rice + 10 almonds or ï¿½ avocado, 3/4 cup green beans

Meal 3
20g protein + 10-12g simple sugars + 16-18g fat
Siggiï¿½s plain fat free yogurt (17g protein, 6g sugars/serving) + ï¿½ cup berries, + ï¿½ cup almonds
or:
1 scoop whey instead of yogurt

Meal 4
25-35g protein + 18g fat + 12-25g fiber
1 slice plain Julian Bakery Smart Carb bread + 3oz Smoked Salmon and salad with ï¿½ tbsp olive or hazelnut oil (endive, jicama, cucumbers, basil, 3-5 cherry tomatoes) + ï¿½ cup Nancy's Low Fat cottage cheese
or:
If no salmon, then 2 slices protein bread with 2 tbsp almond butter
or:
5-6oz Chicken breast or cod, stir fried veggies, almonds or olive oil

Edit: And yes, I know my fitness goals are a little extreme, but I am wondering whether there is a way to balance them with skin health as well?

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:26 pm

jazzi wrote:

I think that thing is called transbucal ridge or groove and it's not the same as tear troughs. I'm not fully sure, once asked a surgeon about the ones I have and he called them that. The only options for correction were implants or fillers. While he didn't dismiss facial exercises as such, this 'cheek fold' supposedly occurs when fat pads sag, so not much that exercise or massage can help there, sadly. Other thing is position during sleep, according to him, mashing face in pillow the way I do also aggravates these ridges. Most people supposedly have them and everyone gets them at one point, but having lean face or low body fat makes them more visible. I never find the time to read up in plastic surgery textbooks on this, so could be total pigswill as far as I know.

I got mine since the dawn of time and they get only worse with time, no matter how much retinoids or other stuff I push into my skin.
Sleepless nights, weight loss, fatigue and other deficiencies make them look worse. Intense cardio exercise is pretty much the only thing that makes them appear better. Dermarolling helps somewhat.

Well that's discouraging Sad

Thanks for explaining what they are though!

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:32 pm

fitgineer wrote:

I'm a female.

Here's my meal plan:
Preworkout:
25-30g low carb protein, 8g MCT:
1 scoop whey, 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

Post workout:
25-30g protein + 18g fat + 35-45g simple carbs + 25-30g complex carbs (about 10-15g fiber too)
1 scoop whey, 1 cup fruit (berries), 1/2 large lemon, 1/2 tbsp pomegranate syrup, 8oz coconut water, 1/3 scoop Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer, 1 tbsp flax seed, 1 tbsp EFA Sequel Naturals Oil, 10g glutamine
+
ï¿½ cup quick oats

Meal 1:
25-30g protein + 5-8g fat + 25-30g complex carbs + 10g simple sugars:
2 egg whites + 2 slices lean Canadian bacon + 1/2 Avocado + 1/2 cup quick oats or 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (30g complex, no sugar) + 1/2cup-3/4cup berries

if no avocado, then one egg yolk

Meal 2
25g-30g protein + 10g fat + 30g complex carbs
5-6oz chicken breast + brown rice + 10 almonds or 1/2 avocado, 3/4 cup green beans

Meal 3
20g protein + 10-12g simple sugars + 16-18g fat
Siggiï¿½s plain fat free yogurt (17g protein, 6g sugars/serving) + 1/2 cup berries, + 1/4 cup almonds
or:
1 scoop whey instead of yogurt

Meal 4
25-35g protein + 18g fat + 12-25g fiber
1 slice plain Julian Bakery Smart Carb bread + 3oz Smoked Salmon and salad with 1/2 tbsp olive or hazelnut oil (endive, jicama, cucumbers, basil, 3-5 cherry tomatoes) + 1/2 cup Nancy's Low Fat cottage cheese
or:
If no salmon, then 2 slices protein bread with 2 tbsp almond butter
or:
5-6oz Chicken breast or cod, stir fried veggies, almonds or olive oil

Edit: And yes, I know my fitness goals are a little extreme, but I am wondering whether there is a way to balance them with skin health as well?

Sorry, 1/4 cup almonds not 1/2... 1/2 is a little much.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:32 pm

Quote:

With the amount of physical activity you are doing your requirements for every nutrient will be substantially increased - probably doubled! - hence there is little use in comparing your diet to the average diet. Eating a balanced diet absolutely does take some effort but there are plenty of cheats. This is what I work on with my nutrition clients, many have full time jobs, some work away or very long hours, many have fussy families. Protein little and often is very important, as is the omega-3s from oily fish and these are the two most clients do not manage but YMMV.

It is physiologically impossible to gain substantial amounts of muscle in one week. IMO your muscles are holding more glycogen and more water, may well be more than the average person would hold given your genetic background. Often this 'puffiness' settles within a few weeks, but being clever with how frequently you strength train can be of benefit, note that not strength training is not synonymous with weight training.

It is up to you whether you wish to diet away any excess fat or strength train intermittently, but with the amount of physical activity you do IMO it would be difficult to get all the nutrients on a reduced calorie diet. You would really need to weigh, measure and regiment everything which is a PITA! If you do diet you should eat a balanced snack every three to four hours, to boost the metabolism and stop your body cannibalising muscle.

thanks firefox! I will take your advice and probably start doing a little bit of weights intermittently. Also I don't know if you are able to answer this question, but I do exercise and do cardio but I can't seem to shed stubborn cellulite on my thighs. I've had cellulite ever since a teen and hate it.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:39 pm

BCgirl wrote:

thanks firefox! I will take your advice and probably start doing a little bit of weights intermittently. Also I don't know if you are able to answer this question, but I do exercise and do cardio but I can't seem to shed stubborn cellulite on my thighs. I've had cellulite ever since a teen and hate it.

I too have had cellulite since my teens, and even at a low body fat and in shape I still have it... Mine doesn't go away till I go down to about 10%, and dehydrate... (i.e. the day of the competition). Not healthy, so I don't recommend it.
But, as far as I understand it, it's mostly a connective tissue problem. Here's a paper I found useful:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-2494.2006.00318.x/full

If you look at some of the photos, you can see the connective tissue... It looks disgusting. So, I know that in my case, unless I break down those connective tissue fibers causing some of the stubborn dimples, I will never see a long term improvement.
I do dry skin brushing and I try to do cupping massage sometimes. I think it helps.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 3:42 pm

BCgirl wrote:

thanks firefox! I will take your advice and probably start doing a little bit of weights intermittently. Also I don't know if you are able to answer this question, but I do exercise and do cardio but I can't seem to shed stubborn cellulite on my thighs. I've had cellulite ever since a teen and hate it.

I too have had cellulite since my teens, and even at a low body fat and in shape I still have it... Mine doesn't go away till I go down to about 10%, and dehydrate... (i.e. the day of the competition). Not healthy, so I don't recommend it.
But, as far as I understand it, it's mostly a connective tissue problem. Here's a paper I found useful:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-2494.2006.00318.x/full

If you look at some of the photos, you can see the connective tissue... It looks disgusting. So, I know that in my case, unless I break down those connective tissue fibers causing some of the stubborn dimples, I will never see a long term improvement.
I do dry skin brushing and I try to do cupping massage sometimes. I think it helps.

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 5:31 pm

fitgineer wrote:

I'm a female.

Edit: And yes, I know my fitness goals are a little extreme, but I am wondering whether there is a way to balance them with skin health as well?

I thought you were female but seemed wise to double check! I am mostly going to set aside your (awesome Very Happy

) goals, so please understand I am not criticising you or your coach. I am fully aware that is a relatively standard diet for a fitness/ figure athlete.

Your body fat is obviously very low but seems to have started out low - ideally a female would not drop below ~18% although 16% is often fine. Female athletes do go lower of course, but it is likely to take it's toll on your hormones and organs so blood tests are critical. It concerns me more that you started at 14% than you are temporarily at 12% and heading down. Your overall fat intake again is about right for a sedentary female so ideally you would be eating double. Your body will likely start robbing the fat 'stores' from under your skin (which is what you want except on the face!) and your brain.

Also with you eating reduced calorie the risk is you will lose muscle, which you are of course offsetting on the body with all your training. However there is the risk that some of your facial muscles will atrophy, so maybe try facial exercises? You may well look a bit masculine as your body fat drops but once you return to a healthier eating pattern it will hopefully soften. Admittedly some of us make the most terrible grimaces (!) when doing a hard leg workout so maybe this is not required .... With you eating relatively low carb the glycogen fuel in your muscles will deplete (again what you want!) but this can leave you chronically dehydrated. Dehydration, as you know, can cause sag.

Personally I would like to see you eat more real food, there is a lot of processed or separated stuff there. All your oils, powders, even the bacon and salmon are cured. Instead of chicken and flaxseed, a portion of oily fish or whole nuts/ seeds for example. The conversion rate of short chain omega-3s in flax to the useable long chain format can be as low as 10% (likely higher for you tho), and it is more work for your body to do. For the omega-6s borage oil is king because it is rich in GLA, anti-inflammatory so beneficial for skin and fitness. The body can convert from LA in other seed oils but again it's more work for the body.

Your fruit and veggies is generally monotonous, particularly there doesn't seem to be much from the orange-yellow group? Sweet potato is a standard substitute for rice or oats and counts as a portion of veg to boot. Bell peppers or raw carrot are other options. I don't follow why your coach is dividing carbs into simple and complex rather than low and high GI, but maybe that is just their choice of wording.

Having said I'd prefer more wholefoods that might not be possible. If so and you are not already you might also consider a potent mixed antioxidant supplement to help with training recovery and for your skin. There will be some in your Vega of course. Standardised green tea extract may also be beneficial in weight management, then there are astaxanthin, resveratrol, lycopene, carotenes ... You might either take mixed or use the opportunity to 'plug holes' in your diet. Sorry I can't recommend a brand because I am based in the UK but sure your coach can.

Skincare
One 'out there' option is to check out the Cellese AnteAGE thread on the reviews board, DrJ is talking about them being able to thicken skin and possibly increase subcutaneous fat! Please note I have not tried this product, the peer reviewed study is in press, you can only see the results on the (commercial) website AND it is $$$. Hence I rarely recommend it even tho IMO the underlying science is good.

If you don't want to go that pricey maybe speak with DragoN via PM about which actives or gadgets she think would best help reduce the impact of your dieting on your skin. IIRC she has done a little bodybuilding and is still a fitness fanatic, as well as being a research scientist and skincare formulator. So I hope she will be sympathetic and interested. Cool

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:24 pm

FireFox, thank you so much for your in depth reply!!!

The meal plan is mostly a template for my coach to control my macronutrient intake. I do try to vary it more, although I admit my fruit intake is mostly from the red/purple color group.
I do cycle complex carbs, I try to eat quinoa, sweet potatoes, and a variety of whole grains weekly.
My green veggies are also varied: I add peppers, broccoli, baby spinach, etc, whenever I can.
Legumes are also there, mostly black beans and edamame.

I take Green Tea extract, Grape Seed Extract, ALA, and have taken Resveratrol. I've also cycled Pycnogenol.

I will definitely take your advice and look into varying my whole food options even more, as well as contacting DragonN.

With a full time job, intense daily workouts and a meal plan that requires a lot of planning, it is true that I tend to resort to easy options when possible... Obviously my skin may suffer from it!

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 10:29 pm

By the way, I do have a sample of the Cellease system, but I wanted to get my acne under control before trying it out (which I did, then I tried a powder SPF from Physician's Formula yesterday and within 3 hours I had 5 pimples!!!). I just read about the possibility of increasing subcutaneous fat in the review thread! Definitely caught my attention.

As for facial exercises, I've read so many horror stories, that I'm scared to try... I noticed the creator of one of the exercise programs used to be a female bodybuilder though...

free skin care · Fri May 18, 2012 11:01 pm

Diet sounds under control - wonder if you have considered things like canned pilchards in tomato sauce? Pre-cooked protein, bones can be crushed in for minerals, packed with omega-3s, lycopene (but still low carb), sensibly priced in the UK. Eat as is, with rice or green veggies, tasty/ easy fish pate mixed with very low fat soft cheese perfect with sweet potato. The 'in brine' are not great because the oils leach into liquid which you discard; sardines tend to be more tomato than fish which is not what you want.

Acne sounds like reactivity ... DragoN's KinNiaNag serum recipe is gentle but effective on acne and ageing.

Up to you with the facial exercises because I am too lazy! Laughing

Of course fitting that into your schedule might be an issue!

I don't know what AnteAGE can do for acne if anything, maybe ask DrJ? I don't think he will feed you a line to get a sale. But ask DragoN about all of it, she used to have acne and is using the AnteAGE at present. If you want easy options ask her to suggest some, I know she rates Myfawnie products. Let us know what you decide! Wink

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