Living with Lipedema

Hello everyone,

I thought I would share my experience living with Lipedema . I  would like to make people more aware of this condition as many women do not realize they have it until it's too late or they have been told to loose weight and exercise more.


These are some pictures starting from stage 1 progressing into stage 3 Lipedema  :


 


I have always being conscious of my body since a teenager and I  noticed my legs were bigger than average although my weight was pretty good.

It wasn't until I started  taking the pill when I was 15 years old and changing   from one to another as none of them seemed to suit my body .
I played basketball for about 5 years  when I was 8 years old and I was normally active then , going to  gyms and swimming .
However my body  still got bigger , swollen , inflamed and the weight started to increase  . I have tried all the possible diets out there including low fat , low calories and although the weight was decreasing my  legs were still the same size and very swollen .

After exhausting sessions at the gym ( 5-6 times per week ) , hours spent running , counting calories , worrying about every single food that I   put into my mouth I finally discovered in 2010 something was actually wrong with my body:Lipedema .


I found a great physiotherapist in St.James Hospital in Dublin who pointed me in the right direction for information and possible treatments .
It was all new to me and I didn't really want to think about it too much as I would only get more depressed as I didn't know where to start  . 

Since then I have learned so much in terms of ways to manage the condition , how to nourish  myself and what kind of exercise is best for me .

I have been in contact with many specialist  from the medical profession in the area and all they could suggest was liposuction , bandaging, stocking  and the use of a pressotherapy machine every day .
I decided I wanted to find another solution myself  considering my background in Nutrition , so I decided to get  some support from two specialists in Functional Medicine.

It  was the best decision I have ever made as for the first time in years my fat loss in the leg area is  greatly reduced and I feel more confident and positive in the battle with Lipedema now than I was ever before . My total weight loss is now 8.5 kg over a 5 month period .

Here are some  of my recommendations to you :

• Stop counting calories and try to eat as "clean" as possible . 

• Try to cut  down on  carbohydrates ( fruit , pasta , bread , grains, biscuits and processed foods  )  but do it gradually as the body needs to adjust to its new regime . 

• Try to have at least 5 portions of vegetables per day especially green leafy vegetables as they are rich in magnesium which is a key mineral involved in energy production and regulation of metabolism . 

• Drink  at least 2.5 litres of unfluoridated water  per day . Fluoride is a really pro-inflammatory substance and can worsen our symptoms .   Clean water  can also be beneficial to excrete toxins from the body .

•  Eat more FAT , coming from good sources such as Avocado , coconut oil , olive oil , nuts and seeds and don't be afraid to use butter ! We need fat to build healthy cell membranes and improve cell signalling so that our hormones can function optimally  . 

•  Focus on good quality proteins coming from grass fed beef and free range , organic chickens, good quality fish  but also include good plant proteins from nuts and seeds.

If you need more information please feel free to contact me on my email : virginianutritionaltherapy@gmail.com