Note to all reading this: Please DO NOT buy these for me! Feel free to buy for yourself, but they are waaayyy too expensive and although they are good products, they are way out of my price range and also are luxuries, not needs, for me.
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Christmas Wish List 2014 (Dream on...)
I'll probably not be able to receive any of these. I don't expect any of them. I also am too broke to buy anything here. It's okay. It's a distant dream, perhaps for the future =D
Note to all reading this: Please DO NOT buy these for me! Feel free to buy for yourself, but they are waaayyy too expensive and although they are good products, they are way out of my price range and also are luxuries, not needs, for me.
Note to all reading this: Please DO NOT buy these for me! Feel free to buy for yourself, but they are waaayyy too expensive and although they are good products, they are way out of my price range and also are luxuries, not needs, for me.
My diet, exercise, and weight story
Several people have asked me to write a post about this topic. I had waited for a long time for multiple reasons (not having enough time, being super sick, etc) but here is the long-awaited post.
Throughout most of high school I was overweight. As hard as that may seem to be believed (especially for petite Asians such as myself, or at least so-goes the stereotype) it is true. I wasn't allowed to drink coffee (for all of those parents out there - it does NOT stunt growth!) and so to stay up I would eat lots of chocolate. I ate a ton of my brother's Halloween chocolate and it was delicious, but ultimately not good. I was super stressed in school with 7 AP classes, running extracurricular clubs, and everything that I forgot to take care of myself. My parents didn't have time to go to grocery stores to buy homemade/healthy ingredients for lunches, so I had to resort to very unhealthy, greasy school lunches. Also, I didn't have time to exercise, hence the weight gain.
The summer after college, I somehow started not caring about food anymore. I went on a cucumbers-and-milk diet and lost about 15 pounds. I spent the entire summer (apart from a month of vacation) cleaning out my parents' house, and that took a TON of effort and consumed a lot of calories. Yay!
Afterward I entered college. I started exercising a lot, running several 5Ks and getting into breakdancing. I started taking a lot of dance classes and yoga classes, and my health improved quite a bit. I definitely struggled in terms of weight with the unlimited cafeteria options offered by my college, and did gain freshman 15. However, I lost it, and then some more after that.
Thus entered medical school. By this time, I had undergone several surgeries, and after each one of them, the natural lack of appetite and strenuous physical therapy made me both lose a LOT of weight as well as atrophy my muscles. I had lost, from high school till this point, a net of 30 pounds. And believe me - for a person who is 5' 2'', that's a LOT.
I started medical school afterward. I gained back about 10 pounds, but this time it was mostly healthy muscle. I started working out again (when I had time), but this time, instead of dance and running, it was yoga, pilates, Zumba, and the like. A lot better. Now, I exercise about 3-4 times a week, and try my best to watch my diet. Lots of veggies and fruits. Meat only a few times a month. I still do have my weaknesses - the occasional delicious fruity wine, Cheez-its, fancy cheeses, raspberry jams, etc, but for the most part I've gotten a lot better.
I've discovered a lot of tricks along the way. Some of them include:
- Swapping out peanut butter filled with saturated fat with unsaturated almond butter
- Putting frozen fruit in my water (yay fruit and water!)
- No sodas of any sort
- Black coffee
- Tea w/ light brown sugar and goji berries
- Kefir (lots of bacterial cultures) instead of reduced fat milk
- Avoiding mochas and pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks (I go for the skim milk normal latte instead)
- Quiches with lots of veggies
- Making my own kale chips instead of french fries or potato chips
- Making my own spaghetti sauce, filled with chunky vegetables instead of store-bought ones
- Fruit smoothies blended with real fruit, kefir, and frozen non-fat Greek yogurt
- Swapping out ice cream for frozen yogurt
- Etc.
I still have a long way to go in terms of diet and health (e.g. sleeping more normal hours, not stressing as much) but it's way better than before!
Skin type changes
Ever since I started med school, changes have been the norm, and skin is no exception. During the progression of this school year (2012-2013) my skin type has gone from acne-prone, oily-combination to more of (less) acne-prone, dry-normal combination.
Reasons for this?
- I'm indoors a lot more. I have to be - I can't study outside in the Houston heat. It's crazy. Air conditioned rooms = dry rooms. The dichotomy between outside humid Houston weather and inside (relatively) dry weather really makes a difference.
- My diet has changed. During college, the food I ate was often greasy and buffet-style. Now that I'm in med school, I cook for myself, and the way I naturally eat (basically when I'm hungry) has changed my life. I eat less greasy food, don't ever eat lard/butter, cook with canola and/or olive oil, don't eat bad stuff (usually), etc.
- Weight changes. From high school to college, I lost about 10 pounds. The transition dramatically decreased my oil/sebum production (perhaps because I was becoming less sedentary, or eating less, or something?). Then, from college to med school, I lost another 5 pounds (net). This transition further decreased my oil/sebum production. Nevertheless, this has to do with diet and lifestyle changes.
- My hair has changed. I know this may sound silly, but the hair's oils can cause a lot of acne as well, as hair in your face may help trap oil on your forehead and cause acne there. My hair is a lot less oily and (perhaps) weaker, due to changes in diet and not eating as rich stuff. Nevertheless, it has made a comeback with my use of hair serum and leave-in conditioner. Whenever I don't put it in now, it feels slightly straw-like, stiff, less rich or soft. During my younger, teenage years, it was just naturally soft and rich. Is it diet? Is it aging? Yes, I am past my early twenties now (sort-of? 23 y/o) and definitely my teenage years, but I am not that old.
- All of the coffee I drink. Coffee is a diuretic - it causes you to, for lack of a better word, pee a lot more. Micturition happens a lot more frequently. Since water hydrates the skin and renews the body, one must replenish the body with lots of water to prevent dehydration. I must say that I am not very good at keeping up with this. I drink coffee almost like water (at least in the morning) to stay awake. Of course this is terrible - it's a terrible habit to have and maintain. I've never drunk this much coffee in my life.
Results of these changes?
- Whenever I look at sunscreens, I have to look for ones with many more emollient ingredients. This applies to facial moisturizers as well. The light, gel ones don't really hydrate my skin anymore - I just wake up with dry patches on my skin. Even the retinol I use has to be super moisturizing.
- Stuff doesn't break me out as much. Only about 1x/month I get a few acne spots. They are very light and then just go away.
- Less need for acne-driven products. I now use less products to "get rid of acne" and more products that are targeted toward hydrating the skin. Nevertheless acne still does pop up from time to time, so I have to look at that.
Bottom line, my shifts on views of products may change so people who have skin types similar to my old skin type may have different views of certain products I use/review/etc. On the other hand, people who have the skin type I currently have may find similar viewpoints. We'll see what happens!
Secrets to beautiful skin
So many to list! Here are the ones that I personally like.
- Drink lots of water - Always have a water bottle with you!
- Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies - don't buy the frozen meals and stuff; they aren't as good as the fresh stuff
- Get lots of sleep - this one I'm not so good at but I've been trying to catch up on weekends
- Work out - but always shower and wash your face carefully afterward
- Always wear sunscreen everyday, whether it's cloudy and rainy or sunny and bright or anywhere in between
- Always wash off your makeup before you go to bed
- Apply a face mask a few times a week. My favorite one consists of a 1:1 lime and cucumber juice, oatmeal, and honey mixed in. Put it all together and let it sit on your face till it dries off (typically 15 min). Your skin will feel so good afterward.
- An alternative face mask you can use is just 1:1 lime juice: cucumber juice. Put it on a compressed face mask and apply the face mask to your face for about 20-30 min.
- Put on moisturizer every night before you go to bed.
- Wear a hat.
- Reapply sunscreen as often as necessary.
- If your legs and arms are dry (esp during the winter) use a lotion that you like or coconut oil.
- Use an eye cream if you wish (but you don't have to; it's not completely necessary - you just need something emollient around your eyes).
- Above all else, DON'T STRESS! Seriously I've found that the thing that breaks me out the most is stress. Whenever it gets close to exam times (during med school especially) I find myself breaking out in tons, much more than I ever did before I started med school, even in college and high school, comparable to my worst acne I got during my teenage years.
Hope this helps!
All right guys and gals,
Time for some up-closeness. I'm gonna share with you some pictures that I haven't really shared with anyone else, pictures of my skin and how it's doing.
In case you don't know already, my skin type is combination/oily, acne-prone. This means that the areas around my cheeks are generally acne-free, but my T-zone (my forehead, nose, between eyes, chin, etc) is a constant war zone filled with acne problems. Not only that, the edges of my face often get acne as well.
In order to improve this, during the last 5+ years I've been trying all sorts of skincare products, regiments, lifestyle changes, etc. I've thrown tons and tons of money (or at least as much as I've been able to) to the skincare industry. This skincare blog is definitely a big part of it - detailing the progression of my skin, the products I've tried and the results I've gotten from them, as well as lots of facts I've learned about skincare in general throughout the years.
Now, without further ado, here are the pics I have. Promise: they are NOT photoshopped in any way whatsoever. I took them with the webcam from my new computer (still transitioning to Windows 8), which is probably the best camera I could find where I could properly control (as much as I could) self-taken photos.
For makeup: I do have some eye makeup on (eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, undereye concealer, brow powder) but nothing else. No foundation, bronzer, blush, face primer, powder, etc. I do, however, have sunscreen on (I wear it everyday).
Time for some up-closeness. I'm gonna share with you some pictures that I haven't really shared with anyone else, pictures of my skin and how it's doing.
In case you don't know already, my skin type is combination/oily, acne-prone. This means that the areas around my cheeks are generally acne-free, but my T-zone (my forehead, nose, between eyes, chin, etc) is a constant war zone filled with acne problems. Not only that, the edges of my face often get acne as well.
In order to improve this, during the last 5+ years I've been trying all sorts of skincare products, regiments, lifestyle changes, etc. I've thrown tons and tons of money (or at least as much as I've been able to) to the skincare industry. This skincare blog is definitely a big part of it - detailing the progression of my skin, the products I've tried and the results I've gotten from them, as well as lots of facts I've learned about skincare in general throughout the years.
Now, without further ado, here are the pics I have. Promise: they are NOT photoshopped in any way whatsoever. I took them with the webcam from my new computer (still transitioning to Windows 8), which is probably the best camera I could find where I could properly control (as much as I could) self-taken photos.
For makeup: I do have some eye makeup on (eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow, undereye concealer, brow powder) but nothing else. No foundation, bronzer, blush, face primer, powder, etc. I do, however, have sunscreen on (I wear it everyday).
Here's a very closeup pic of my forehead. As you can see I have some little bumps on my forehead. These are part of the acne I battle all the time. I try to approach acne from a preventative standpoint - aka try to get rid of them before they erupt as serious, vibrant pustules. You can also see an acne scar between the top of my nose area and my right eye (hyperpigmentation). These pictures were actually taken post-fall semester of MS-1, after my acne had subsided a lot (due to high cortisol levels from med school stress of exams and beyond). Thus you are seeing my skin in the best light it has been in for months.
Here's a view of the right side of my face. Generally acne-free but you can see acne on my chin and in the area next to my eyes.
Here's a picture of the left side of my face. Generally same conclusions as the right side, except there's less acne around the eye area periphery.
My chin area: as you can see there are quite a lot of acne marks and scars, especially compared to the rest of my face. I don't think my webcam does the marks/scars justice - there are actually a lot more than are actually shown - objectively probably 3x more. I've been trying different things for years to try to get rid of this, but these are the results I've had.
Overall I think my skin is okay. At least it has gotten a lot better since my middle/high school years. As you can see in the archives of this blog, I've gone through a lot of products. I'll definitely keep on trying new things as time goes on!
Question: can anyone tell me whether I have warm, cool, or neutral skintones? I can't really tell. I understand that most people automatically assume East Asians have yellow skintones but as shown on Musicalhouses this is not always the case. I think I have pinkish undertones but I'm not exactly sure.
In case if anyone wishes to know:
Makeup:
Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer in Light 4-5
ELF Complexion Perfection powder (covering the concealer)
DIY eye primer
Be A Bombshell Eyeliner
Clinique Quickliner in Black
Stila Eyeshadow + ELF Eyeshadows + Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Highlight
Urban Decay Waterline eyeliner in Dime
ELF eyelid pencil (light brown), Stila Eyeshadow for brow powder
Neutrogena Healthy Volume Waterproof Mascara in Carbon Black using ELF Eyelash Curler
I guess I might just have to resign myself to the fact that life is the way it is.
Health changes so drastically in relation to our surroundings.
In high school, I didn't really know how to manage my weight, appearance, etc well. (or at least I believe relative to now). I was taking 7 AP classes, President of x club, Treasurer of Y club, volunteering on the weekends, studying, playing the violin, everything. Life was pretty hectic, and I didn't pay much attention to my appearance.
Then came in college.
I got more time to myself and could devote more time to myself, choosing things I felt that were interesting to participate in and choosing classes that were super fun to be in as well. Dance classes even! My skin got a lot better and my complexion seemed brighter. I also learned a lot more about skincare (websites, blogs, primary literature articles, Youtube, etc) and learned how to better take care of myself. Dress in clothes that fit my body type, all that stuff. Yada-yada. I got more sleep, was more well-rested, and was happier in general.
Hooray! Blossomed out of the shell. College is definitely the place where I truly grow up.
Medical school changed things. I underwent a surgery shortly after college graduation and spent the summer recovering. (Yeah, definitely one of the least fun summers I've ever had.) Now life is so much more different. I'm taking the bus or rail to school instead of walking or going via a yellow school bus; I carry my books around campus, read them on the computer, etc instead of just leaving them at home or in a locker; I even have a car that I can use on the occasion that I drive. My life seems more structured, but at the same time, more hectic. I'm learning things that I have never even fathomed of learning; at the same time, I'm trying to absorb so much more stuff than I've ever really tried to absorb anytime before.
According to the University of Richmond, the national acceptance rate for medical schools is 46% for first-time applicants. For second-time, third-time, etc applicants, the rates are even lower. I guess there is a reason why it's so hard to get in. It's hard just to get through, just to pass. One has to make quite a decent effort to pass everything.
Anyway, back to the health business. I've noticed things regress in my health because of this whole medical school thing. I'm sleepy a lot of the time, not perhaps due to lack of sleep, but because I have to concentrate so hard during the time I study that my brain "farts out", literally. I break out a lot more as well, to the amount that I broke out during my peak acne phases in my late middle school/early high school years. And I guess my time spent indoors/use of sunscreen/use of DIY facials has made my skin a lot paler, apparently, according to people who've known me for awhile.
However, I think still this is just a small price to pay for the incredible stuff I'm learning right now. Hearing patients' stories while they explain to me why they got to where they are today, hearing those heartbeat sounds on different parts of the chest, testing reflexes, being able to feel the liver and spleen, understanding why people have acid reflux and how to prevent it, understanding how medications work and why certain med combos don't work -> this opportunity is so incredible.
I will eventually get used to the life of a medical student, fully get into "the swing of things". I might not be a savant but I will learn things and work hard. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am humbled by the patients every time I go into the hospital. It is my pleasure to learn to take care of them. And eventually, perhaps my skin will get used to it too!
(Still working on everything!)
~Med School Girl
In high school, I didn't really know how to manage my weight, appearance, etc well. (or at least I believe relative to now). I was taking 7 AP classes, President of x club, Treasurer of Y club, volunteering on the weekends, studying, playing the violin, everything. Life was pretty hectic, and I didn't pay much attention to my appearance.
Then came in college.
I got more time to myself and could devote more time to myself, choosing things I felt that were interesting to participate in and choosing classes that were super fun to be in as well. Dance classes even! My skin got a lot better and my complexion seemed brighter. I also learned a lot more about skincare (websites, blogs, primary literature articles, Youtube, etc) and learned how to better take care of myself. Dress in clothes that fit my body type, all that stuff. Yada-yada. I got more sleep, was more well-rested, and was happier in general.
Hooray! Blossomed out of the shell. College is definitely the place where I truly grow up.
Medical school changed things. I underwent a surgery shortly after college graduation and spent the summer recovering. (Yeah, definitely one of the least fun summers I've ever had.) Now life is so much more different. I'm taking the bus or rail to school instead of walking or going via a yellow school bus; I carry my books around campus, read them on the computer, etc instead of just leaving them at home or in a locker; I even have a car that I can use on the occasion that I drive. My life seems more structured, but at the same time, more hectic. I'm learning things that I have never even fathomed of learning; at the same time, I'm trying to absorb so much more stuff than I've ever really tried to absorb anytime before.
According to the University of Richmond, the national acceptance rate for medical schools is 46% for first-time applicants. For second-time, third-time, etc applicants, the rates are even lower. I guess there is a reason why it's so hard to get in. It's hard just to get through, just to pass. One has to make quite a decent effort to pass everything.
Anyway, back to the health business. I've noticed things regress in my health because of this whole medical school thing. I'm sleepy a lot of the time, not perhaps due to lack of sleep, but because I have to concentrate so hard during the time I study that my brain "farts out", literally. I break out a lot more as well, to the amount that I broke out during my peak acne phases in my late middle school/early high school years. And I guess my time spent indoors/use of sunscreen/use of DIY facials has made my skin a lot paler, apparently, according to people who've known me for awhile.
However, I think still this is just a small price to pay for the incredible stuff I'm learning right now. Hearing patients' stories while they explain to me why they got to where they are today, hearing those heartbeat sounds on different parts of the chest, testing reflexes, being able to feel the liver and spleen, understanding why people have acid reflux and how to prevent it, understanding how medications work and why certain med combos don't work -> this opportunity is so incredible.
I will eventually get used to the life of a medical student, fully get into "the swing of things". I might not be a savant but I will learn things and work hard. I am so grateful for this opportunity and am humbled by the patients every time I go into the hospital. It is my pleasure to learn to take care of them. And eventually, perhaps my skin will get used to it too!
(Still working on everything!)
~Med School Girl
Face mask fix...
Must combat all those stressors of life! Please go away, acne!
Lolz.
TOo much cortisol produced in my body, so stressors come up and stuff I guess.
Cortisol. Ach.
Uh oh time....
Lately, I've been getting extremely extremely congested. I'm not even sure why. I might attribute it to the materials I work with in lab, but I've worked in that lab for 1 year already and it hasn't bothered me. I would attribute it to dust in my room but my room always accumulates dust. I would attribute it to getting sick but I haven't really been getting sick.
What's wrong with me?
I constantly have to blow my nose, and my ENT is messed up. Usually it starts pretty badly during the morning when I wake up but by the time I get outside and go to classes, a few hours later it's better. It's better till night time, when I go do homework and everything. Then and there, I start sneezing and going crazy. Ugh. I have no idea what's going on.
Right now my nose has been scraped so raw that I have to use my body butter at night to moisturize it. My lips have gotten chapped, as usually in the winter, but this year it seems to go beyond layer after layer of moisturizer and Carmex.
And on top of that, I'm breaking out a lot more than I have before, since last semester's finals. And I don't even have finals right now.
I know that as the aspiring doctor, I'm supposed to know or at least try to get to the bottom of things. But right now, I'm at wits' end. So I reach out to all of you and ask: What do you think is wrong? Is it because I'm a second semester senior in university who is tired and stressed, or is it just all in my head?
Please feel free to comment, give suggestions, etc.
Thanks!
<3
What's wrong with me?
I constantly have to blow my nose, and my ENT is messed up. Usually it starts pretty badly during the morning when I wake up but by the time I get outside and go to classes, a few hours later it's better. It's better till night time, when I go do homework and everything. Then and there, I start sneezing and going crazy. Ugh. I have no idea what's going on.
Right now my nose has been scraped so raw that I have to use my body butter at night to moisturize it. My lips have gotten chapped, as usually in the winter, but this year it seems to go beyond layer after layer of moisturizer and Carmex.
And on top of that, I'm breaking out a lot more than I have before, since last semester's finals. And I don't even have finals right now.
I know that as the aspiring doctor, I'm supposed to know or at least try to get to the bottom of things. But right now, I'm at wits' end. So I reach out to all of you and ask: What do you think is wrong? Is it because I'm a second semester senior in university who is tired and stressed, or is it just all in my head?
Please feel free to comment, give suggestions, etc.
Thanks!
<3
