The Truth Behind My Skin, Weight Loss, and Health Journey

Every once in a while, I like to step away from my usual organizing content and share a more personal update. Over the past several months, many of you have left incredibly kind comments about my appearance, my skin, and my weight loss. I appreciate those comments more than you know, but I also want to be honest about what's really going on behind the scenes.

One thing I've learned over the years is that what you see online is only a small fraction of someone's life. While I love showing up with organizing tips, product reviews, and practical advice, those videos don't tell the whole story. The truth is that 2025 was the hardest year of my life. There were many difficult situations happening at the same time, some of which aren't my stories to share. But I think it's important to acknowledge that life can contain both good and bad simultaneously. You can experience moments of joy while also carrying very heavy burdens.  Watch the video here or keep reading for my story.

My Long Battle with Rosacea

Let's start with the question I've been getting most often: my skin.

Since I was about 20 years old, I've struggled with rosacea. Over the years it gradually became worse and worse. What started as some redness eventually turned into widespread redness, texture issues, bumps, and constant discomfort.

For more than twenty years, I tried nearly everything I could think of:

• Dietary changes
• Dairy-free eating
• Gluten-free eating
• Food sensitivity testing
• Functional medicine practitioners
• Health coaches
• Water filtration systems
• Dry brushing
• Castor oil packs
• Natural remedies
• Skincare changes
• Going makeup-free

Nothing made a meaningful difference. By late 2024, my rosacea had progressed to the point where it was affecting both my confidence and my comfort. As someone who appears on camera for a living, that was becoming increasingly difficult.

After experiencing such a positive outcome from my emergency hernia surgery earlier that year, I became more open to traditional medical treatments. So I finally visited a dermatologist.

When Accutane Changed Everything

My dermatologist recommended Accutane. It's a powerful medication that requires close monitoring, but it can provide long-term or even permanent improvement for some people.

The results were incredible. Within days, I started seeing improvement. Within weeks, I looked like a completely different person. My redness improved dramatically, my skin texture smoothed out, and for the first time in years, I felt comfortable in my own skin.

Unfortunately, the success didn't last. About four and a half months into treatment, I developed a severe allergic reaction. A biopsy confirmed that I was allergic to the medication and would never be able to take it again. Because I had only reached about one-eighth of my target dose, the treatment wasn't expected to provide a permanent cure.

Needless to say, I was devastated.

A Second Treatment Success… and Another Setback

After my rosacea gradually started returning, my dermatologist prescribed a low-dose antibiotic along with a prescription cream.

The results were amazing. Within days, my skin started improving again. I felt more confident, enjoyed wearing makeup, and no longer dreaded being on camera. Many of the changes people have noticed over the last year came from this treatment.

But almost exactly one year after my first allergic reaction, history repeated itself. I developed another allergic reaction. This time, I had become allergic to the antibiotic, and once again, a treatment that was working beautifully had to be discontinued.

At the moment, I'm still using the prescription cream, but many of our treatment options have been exhausted. I honestly don't know what the future holds. What I've experienced over the last year has given me a glimpse of what it feels like to simply have a normal face, and I can't fully explain how grateful I've been for that experience.

The Story Behind the Weight Loss

The other thing many people have noticed is my weight loss. I've been overweight since I was about 17 years old, which means this has been a struggle for roughly 25 years.

After my hernia surgery in February 2024, something changed. For years, movement had been painful because of the hernia. Suddenly, I could move again without constant pain. The day after surgery, I walked 7,000 steps around the hospital because I was so excited to be able to move comfortably. That experience made me appreciate movement in a completely different way.

I started focusing on:

• Walking 10,000 steps per day
• Making gradual dietary improvements
• Building healthier habits
• Consistency over perfection

Over the course of just over two years, I've lost about 50 pounds.

That's roughly:

• 25 pounds per year
• About half a pound per week
• Several long plateaus along the way

There has been nothing fast or dramatic about it. In fact, most people didn't notice until the last 10 pounds came off.

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

People often ask what finally worked. The truth is that it wasn't a specific diet. It wasn't a special exercise program. It wasn't some magical secret.

The biggest change happened when I got radically honest with myself. One day, I sat down with a notebook and made two lists.

The first list contained every weight-loss strategy I had tried over the previous twenty years. The list was enormous.

I had tried:

• Different eating plans
• Coaching programs
• Accountability groups
• Weight loss coaches
• Books
• Mindset strategies
• Check-ins
• Support programs

Seeing everything written down helped me realize something important. The problem wasn't motivation. The problem wasn't that I wasn't trying hard enough. I had spent twenty years trying.

Then I made a second list. I wrote down every possible thing I had not tried yet, including ideas I didn't like, ideas that sounded uncomfortable, and options I hoped I would never need. Then I committed to working through that list one step at a time.

That simple exercise changed my mindset from “I hope this works” to “This is happening. I will keep solving the problem until I find something that helps.” I stopped treating the situation like a moral failure and started treating it like a problem to solve. That shift made all the difference.

Watching My Health Improve

One of the most encouraging parts of this journey hasn't actually been the number on the scale. It's been watching my health markers improve.

I've been using annual blood testing to track various health measurements, and many of them have improved significantly over the last year.

Some of the improvements include:

• Better insulin sensitivity
• Lower inflammation markers
• Improved cholesterol-related markers
• Better overall metabolic health

Seeing those improvements reminds me that this journey isn't just about appearance. It's about improving my long-term health.

The Health Challenge I'm Still Facing

Despite the improvements in my skin and weight, there's another health issue that continues to affect my daily life: chronic migraines and headaches.

I've been dealing with them on and off for about five years. Sometimes I'll have several good months and think things are finally improving, and then suddenly the headaches return. They can last for weeks at a time and affect nearly every part of my life.

I've worked with multiple specialists and undergone extensive testing:

• Allergy testing
• MRI scans
• Neurology evaluations
• EEG testing

Thankfully, serious causes have been ruled out. Unfortunately, we still don't have answers. I'm continuing to pursue treatment options and specialists, and I'm not giving up.

But I want anyone dealing with chronic health issues to know that you're not alone. I understand how difficult it is to live with ongoing symptoms that don't have clear solutions.

Finding Joy in Difficult Seasons

One lesson the last couple of years has taught me is the importance of embracing good moments, even when life is difficult. When a good day comes, enjoy it. Don't spend the entire day worrying about whether it will last. If you have a moment of relief, gratitude, or joy, allow yourself to experience it fully.

I've also learned that there is a delicate balance between:

• Trying to control everything
• Giving up because you can't control everything

Neither extreme is helpful. The sweet spot is focusing on what you can control while accepting what you can't. I can't control every outcome, but I can control my habits, how I respond, and the choices I make today. That mindset has helped me tremendously.

The Power of Hobbies and Movement

Another thing that has helped me through difficult seasons is making time for activities that give my brain a break. For me, one of those activities has been puzzles. There's something wonderful about becoming so absorbed in a puzzle that hours pass without thinking about everything else going on in life.

Running has become another surprising source of relief. If you've watched me over the years, you know that I'm definitely not a natural athlete. I started training for a half marathon by simply walking three miles a day. For two months, that's all I did. Eventually I added faster walking, then brief jogging intervals, and slowly built from there.

One thing I love about running is that you can't really get ahead. You can't batch your workouts or do a month's worth of training in one day. You simply show up, do today's workout, and you're done. There's something incredibly satisfying about that.

Running also forces me to focus completely on the present moment. During a difficult interval, I'm not thinking about my headaches or other problems. I'm simply focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

A Reminder for Anyone Going Through a Hard Season

If there's one thing I hope you take away from this update, it's this: you are not alone.

If you're struggling with health issues, you're not alone. If you're dealing with uncertainty, you're not alone. If you're trying hard and not seeing answers yet, you're not alone.

Life can be incredibly difficult. But good moments still exist. Progress still happens. And sometimes things do get better, even if they improve more slowly than we'd like.

I'm grateful that 2026 has been better than 2025 so far. Not perfect. Not easy. But better. And right now, that's enough.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for your kindness, your encouragement, and your support over the years. It means more than you know.