The thing with lipedema diets

By Tatjana van der Krabben

Recently I read a blog by The Well-Rounded Mama with a very accessible overview of lipedema symptoms. Something in her introduction resounded with me:

"However, when I have tried to research the condition, I've been turned off by many lipedema websites. Some pay lip service to being size-friendly but when you dig deeper, there is a whole lot of food neuroses and weight-loss rhetoric" – The Well-Rounded Mama

She was referring to websites, but truthfully you see this in support groups as well. We say you can’t diet it off and then talk about diet, recommend diet, compare diets. What is that?

We are all size-conscious

Society demands we are size-conscious. We were raised to be. Our doctors insist we are, because supposedly our size defines our health. Selected role models on TV and in films and magazines rub it in. Clothes stores pick sides and stock for either the slim or the plus-size, hardly ever for both. Even when they do, they direct you to separate floors.

You’re in or you’re out. And if you’re out, you can always conform by losing weight: this is popular belief and sadly, it doesn’t apply to reality. Not to lipedema, not to lymphedema, not to slow metabolism and…and…and… Not to mention the fact women are still largely being judged on looks. We evaluate what female role models outside the beauty industry wear or their new haircut – like that really matters or as if we would scrutinize the looks of their male counterparts like that.

Is talk of diet wrong?

Not all diet (talk) is bad, I think. Because although we tend to link the word ‘diet’ to ‘weight loss’, there’s more to it.
This is what the dictionary has to say on the subject (source: thefreedictionary.com):

diet   (dī′ĭt)

n.

1.  The usual food and drink of a person or animal.

2.  A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.

3.  Something used, enjoyed, or provided regularly: subsisted on a diet of detective novels during his vacation.

‘The usual food and drink of a person’. That doesn’t sound so bad. We all got to eat, and drink for that matter.
‘A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons’. This could be us. This is how I see ‘diet’. Not some thing you deal with for a couple of weeks or months in attempt to reach some goal and leave it, but rather a lifestyle.

Managing lipedema through diet

‘A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons’. I see lipedema diet as something like a diet for diabetes or a slow working thyroid. It’s not like you can cure diabetes by following a diet or fix that thyroid, but it does help you manage the condition.

Manage, how? Through Lipese we get a lot of questions regarding diet and specifically what to eat to lose that dreaded lipedema fat. We always answer the same: change your diet and you won’t lose weight per se. With an underlying medical condition that affects your weight it definitely won’t be easy and perhaps it won’t happen at all. This is a disappointing message and not easy to convey, but this is where we currently are with lipedema treatment.

Is there still a point to it, then? What else would there be to ‘manage’? There’s mobility and strength. You can’t exercise and build muscle without proper nutrition. Trying to stop gaining can be a thing. Also very valid: pain management. By attempting to reduce inflammation, you could be able to reduce pain and become less prone to swelling.

Perhaps, trying, attempting, could: we’re all reaching. Preferably for the stars. But it’s far from easy. It requires getting to know your body and figuring out a diet plan that is right for YOU. For some stupid reason (venting some personal frustration here) we can’t make a list of do’s and don’ts we could ALL benefit from. Sadly, with lipedema it doesn’t work like with diabetes, where you can measure a concrete value and adjust accordingly then and there (that’s a bit simplified, of course). Yes, (contradicting) food lists do exist for lipedema, but it doesn’t work for all. Also, there is no research regarding diet or metabolism in lipedema.

Guess what happens next? We swap…dietary theories and suggestions.

Just as long it comes from a good heart and a healthy curiosity, I personally don’t see the harm. Have you found something that works for you? Congratulations! But be aware that the key to your success is yours and doesn’t necessarily work for others. Share & care. We are all in this lipedema boat together.