Sat, Jan-08-22, 07:43
|
 |
Forum Moderator
Posts: 25,776
|
|
Plan: Primal/P:E
Stats: 171/145/145
BF:
Progress: 100%
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
|
|
More from Siobhan: Why Keto For Lipedema? Possible Mechanisms and Insights
Quote:
Siobhan explained that there’s a misconception that, because there is not currently a cure for the condition, there’s nothing one can do about it.
“That’s just not true,” said Siobhan. “There are physical therapies that you can do, including compression therapy and anti-fibrosis therapy, and lymphatic massage. And there’s also mental health therapies that you can get in case you’re struggling with the chronic disease aspect. There’s also a supportive community that can help people feel more connected and less alone. And of course other people with similar experiences can help answer common questions.
Siobhan explained that she was not diagnosed with lipedema until after she had lost 80 pounds on a ketogenic diet, and she was really not familiar with lipedema before her diagnosis.
“The only reason I was even diagnosed was because people who had it reached out to me and asked if I might have it based off of pictures that I had posted on Twitter.”
|
Hey, sometimes social media isn't a complete hell scape.
This part is heartbreaking and relatable, though not quite related to lipedema:
Quote:
“My diary entries from 10-11 were filled with self loathing, comments about needing to eat less, being hungry, and calling myself fat,” she wrote in a subsequent tweet. “By 15, the depression was full blown.”
She stopped participating in physical education class, saying she was ashamed of how she looked when she moved. “I was constantly angry,” she recalled. When she was 14 she went vegetarian for a year, but failed to lose any weight.
By the time she was 18, the 5’2” Siobhan weighed 240 pounds, and her total cholesterol was above 300 with an HDL of 33. “The doctor berated me, and I cried after the appointment.”
Siobhan said she often thought of the heart attack her dad had suffered when she was eight years old. Although Siobhan’s view of heart disease (and obesity) has greatly changed and no longer sees it this way, she commented on her perspective at the time: “Although he survived, it instilled in me a fear of my own body. Like it was something that would kill me for my gluttony.”
She exercised more and calorie restricted, starting with 1200 calories per day. “The hunger was immense,” she recalled. “Along with the hunger, I experienced mood swings, irritability, and low energy.”
Early in 2016, she started restricting even more, opting for low fat, low calorie foods. With great difficulty, she managed to reduce her weight to 220 pounds, but her depression was worse than ever.
“At one point, I was eating like 800 calories a day, and not only is that not sustainable, it wasn’t very effective, but it was not as if I wasn’t complying.”
One day, while discussing her struggles with her mom, the topic of the ketogenic diet came up. Siobhan’s mom gave her a magazine article on the subject.
“I was skeptical, but my mom is one of the smartest people I know, so I agreed to look into it. On August 12, 2016 I decided to try it.”
|
The rest is a success story. 
Quote:
Two months in, Siobhan recalled a moment in which she was standing in a parking lot, in which she realized she was experiencing an unfamiliar feeling.
“It took a moment but I realized I was content for the first time since I was a child. My depression had finally eased and I did not hate myself or my life.”
|
Bold mine. I really admire this young lady, and I'm happy for her success. |