Saturday sundry health musings.

Let's just establish first of all that regardless of my weight, I'm a small guy, and I always have been. But lately I'd started putting on a few pounds. I think junior year at Northwestern (2001-2002) was the first time I started noticing that my body wasn't just naturally staying slim. The next year abroad in Budapest helped a bit, thanks to all the paprika (peppers) and push-up game. But back at Northwestern for my senior year, I got real fat real quick, thanks to very unhealthy eating, and nary a push-up, let alone an entire game of them. (See previous post.) Though that didn't stop me from hooking up with nine people that year. My first year at UCSC was even worse, because I had so much money that I could afford to eat shit for every meal, and so I did. I got nice and lardy there, not that it prevented me from hooking up with seven people there. (Though you can see how the extra weight was cramping my style.)

So it's been quite nice to watch my weight drop so rapidly since arriving in the Netherlands. I don't know what it is. I'm exercising only so often, but I think it's probably my diet. Almost strictly meats, fishes, fruits, and vegetables, with a snack here and there to spice things up. Actually, the speed with which I lost this weight was rather frightening. Almost within a week, pants that were tight became baggy. The belt which had barely made it past the first pants loop now went past the second loop. Et cetera. For health reasons alone, it would be nice to stay here forever!

* * *

On the other hand, there is acne. My acne started late compared to many of my friends, probably around 15 or so. I started seeing a dermatologist, and we tried one thing after another, but nothing worked. Finally Accutane did the trick; I was clear for maybe a year or so. But it came back, and I went on Accutane for a second time. Again that worked for awhile, but it came back again. Finally I started "The Regimen" (www.acne.org), which kept my face in check for an amazing year. But then that failed, and that brings me to now.

When I arrived in the Netherlands, I developed a huge pimple by my left eye (which was more like a welt, really), that lasted for like three weeks. You can still see the scar. (It never popped.) But soon after arriving, my face just exploded with acne. It was terrible. It was freakishly uncontrollable. Until finally I decided something had to be done, so I went to the local Kruidvat and bought some --get this!-- Clearasil face wash. Within about three days, my face was remarkably better. Within about a week, I was practically clear, except for some scars.

Then, I'm not too sure what happened. Maybe I was washing my face too hard, not using enough moisturizer. But it all came back within a day or two, just as terribly as before. But I kept at it, bought some new moisturizer, and as of today it is pretty much under control again. I'm washing gently but thoroughly, moisturizing well, trying to avoid touching my face at all times.

This Clearasil stuff is freaky and wonderful; it's excavating my pores for everything it can find. Every day, new clogged pores have "risen" to the surface in the form of little hard nodes that basically fall out of my face on the slightest touch, revealing a beautiful open pore. I think it's very possible that this process is provoking some new acne; perhaps that's the reason for the second flareup. But I can definitely see that my face is improving, despite the occasional pimple, so maybe this is a step towards a more permanent solution to my acne problems.

Funny anecdote, though: When I ran out of moisturizer the first time, I went to buy some (from Kruidvat, duh), but because I couldn't read the bottles, I ended up buying soap. So I went to sleep with soap on my face. But they were nice, and let me return it and get some real moisturizer. It seems to be working well.

My kingdom for some unscented Speed Stick, though.

* * *

Well, that's it for today. I bought my fruits and vegetables, and am thrilled to be eating them. Now it's time for "mental" health: I'm going to the library to renew some books and play through Claude Debussy's En Blanc et Noir.

+j