Can you lose weight with Dercum's and lipedema? I have and so have many other people. It's not easy. The lipedema fat does not respond to diet and exercise but the underlying fat does. I found that a ketogenic based diet works for me. Good fats, protein, fruits and veggies. I eat sprouted bread. Cut out sugar, enriched flour and processed foods. Really it is a clean eating diet similar to the paleo or mediterranean diets. I don't cook so I've modified it to include foods I can pick up, eat out, or cook in the microwave or very easily on the stove.
It's really a lifestyle change. It takes getting used to and changing your mindset. The hardest thing for me is sugar. Sweets just call to me! I am tempted so easily. But I keep trying.
Yes, you CAN do it! Experiment with what works for you.
Take care!
Friday, November 21, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Dercum's Disease Symptoms
As listed in the FDRS brochure:
Painful Fat: Multiple, painful fatty deposits or lipomas, that vary in size and shape, lasting
three months or longer. Fat deposits are soft or firm, diffuse or nodular. Size varies
from rice, or pea-sized to large fatty folds. Inflammatory cytokines have been found to be
elevated in the painful fat.
Fatigue: Severe fatigue that impairs daily living and can be worsened by activities and
exercise.
Additional Symptoms
Cardiac: Rapid heartbeat; (tachycardia), palpitations (feeling your heart beat).
Cognitive Changes:
Difficulties with memory, finding words, forming thoughts; “brain fog.”
Gastrointestinal: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn); irritable bowel symptoms,
constipation and/or diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and feeling full.
Lymphatic involvement: Swellings in fat; may change in size and are non-pitting; (do
not indent when pressed).
Other Pain: Joint and/or muscle pain and/or stiffness.
Respiratory: Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
Vascular (blood vessel) involvement: Increased vasculature near lipomas;
telangiectasias (small dilated blood vessel near the surface of the skin); cherry angiomas
(round broken capillary on the skin); easy bruising; flushing; blood in the urine, heavy or
prolonged menstrual bleeding; nosebleeds.
Weight gain: May occur at onset; difficult to lose with lifestyle change
Painful Fat: Multiple, painful fatty deposits or lipomas, that vary in size and shape, lasting
three months or longer. Fat deposits are soft or firm, diffuse or nodular. Size varies
from rice, or pea-sized to large fatty folds. Inflammatory cytokines have been found to be
elevated in the painful fat.
Fatigue: Severe fatigue that impairs daily living and can be worsened by activities and
exercise.
Additional Symptoms
Cardiac: Rapid heartbeat; (tachycardia), palpitations (feeling your heart beat).
Cognitive Changes:
Difficulties with memory, finding words, forming thoughts; “brain fog.”
Gastrointestinal: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn); irritable bowel symptoms,
constipation and/or diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, and feeling full.
Lymphatic involvement: Swellings in fat; may change in size and are non-pitting; (do
not indent when pressed).
Other Pain: Joint and/or muscle pain and/or stiffness.
Respiratory: Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
Vascular (blood vessel) involvement: Increased vasculature near lipomas;
telangiectasias (small dilated blood vessel near the surface of the skin); cherry angiomas
(round broken capillary on the skin); easy bruising; flushing; blood in the urine, heavy or
prolonged menstrual bleeding; nosebleeds.
Weight gain: May occur at onset; difficult to lose with lifestyle change
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Avoiding sugar and a good recipe
One of the most important things I try to avoid - and am not always successful at doing.... is sugar. Here are some tips courtesy of Miracles Fitness on hidden sugars. And a bonus yummy recipe!
You know that eating an excess of sugar will derail your fitness progress and quickly lead to an increase in body fat, but recent studies are proving that sugar is much more dangerous than we once thought.
Your risk of heart attack doubles when 20 percent or more of your calories come from sugar, according to a new study published in JAMA International Medicine.
That is no joke! So with obesity and heart disease on the line, let’s uncover the 7 common foods that you didn’t know contain sugar.
1. Fruit Yogurt
Yogurt is packaged and marketed as a diet food for women, which is outrageous. The pretty little packages may be low in fat, but just one serving contains a whopping 19 grams of sugar.
2. Pasta Sauce
This one may come as a surprise, since pasta sauce is considered to be a savory food, but alas, it has loads of sugar hiding in it. For every half a cup of store bought pasta sauce you’re ingesting 12 grams of sugar.
3. Agave Nectar
Many think of agave nectar as a free pass, since it has been so cleverly marketed as a health food, but sadly this sweetener is just as dangerous as white sugar. Agave nectar is 85% fructose.
4. Dried Fruit
Yes, even our fruit isn’t safe anymore. Most companies are adding extra sugar in with their dried fruit, making it as sweet as candy. Just 1/3 of a cup contains 24 grams of sugar.
5. Granola Bars
It may boast wholesome, whole grains on the package, but your favorite granola bar is hiding a sickly sweet secret. The average packaged granola bar contains 12 grams of sugar.
6. Energy Drinks
When you need an afternoon pick-me-up, think twice before reaching for that energy drink. Mega energy drinks contain up to 83 grams of sugar.
7. BBQ Sauce
There’s a reason that those BBQ chicken wings are finger licking good…all that sugar it’s hiding. A 2 Tablespoon serving will set you back 13 grams of sugar. Start eliminating the sugar-packed foods in your diet today. Your body and your heart will both be in better shape for it.
Eat
too much refined sugar and you’re headed for obesity and a host of
diseases. So what should you do with that sweet tooth of yours? Turn to
nature’s candy: fresh fruit. This dessert is very simple, and
oh-so-sweet. Use fresh, local, organic fruit for optimal taste and
nutrition.
Servings: 4
Here’s what you need…
These 7 Foods Hide MASSIVE Sugar
It’s hard to avoid sugar when many common foods secretly contain loads of it. You know that eating an excess of sugar will derail your fitness progress and quickly lead to an increase in body fat, but recent studies are proving that sugar is much more dangerous than we once thought.
Your risk of heart attack doubles when 20 percent or more of your calories come from sugar, according to a new study published in JAMA International Medicine.
That is no joke! So with obesity and heart disease on the line, let’s uncover the 7 common foods that you didn’t know contain sugar.
1. Fruit Yogurt
Yogurt is packaged and marketed as a diet food for women, which is outrageous. The pretty little packages may be low in fat, but just one serving contains a whopping 19 grams of sugar.
2. Pasta Sauce
This one may come as a surprise, since pasta sauce is considered to be a savory food, but alas, it has loads of sugar hiding in it. For every half a cup of store bought pasta sauce you’re ingesting 12 grams of sugar.
3. Agave Nectar
Many think of agave nectar as a free pass, since it has been so cleverly marketed as a health food, but sadly this sweetener is just as dangerous as white sugar. Agave nectar is 85% fructose.
4. Dried Fruit
Yes, even our fruit isn’t safe anymore. Most companies are adding extra sugar in with their dried fruit, making it as sweet as candy. Just 1/3 of a cup contains 24 grams of sugar.
5. Granola Bars
It may boast wholesome, whole grains on the package, but your favorite granola bar is hiding a sickly sweet secret. The average packaged granola bar contains 12 grams of sugar.
6. Energy Drinks
When you need an afternoon pick-me-up, think twice before reaching for that energy drink. Mega energy drinks contain up to 83 grams of sugar.
7. BBQ Sauce
There’s a reason that those BBQ chicken wings are finger licking good…all that sugar it’s hiding. A 2 Tablespoon serving will set you back 13 grams of sugar. Start eliminating the sugar-packed foods in your diet today. Your body and your heart will both be in better shape for it.
Simple Fruit Dessert
Eat
too much refined sugar and you’re headed for obesity and a host of
diseases. So what should you do with that sweet tooth of yours? Turn to
nature’s candy: fresh fruit. This dessert is very simple, and
oh-so-sweet. Use fresh, local, organic fruit for optimal taste and
nutrition. Servings: 4
Here’s what you need…
- 1 small watermelon, chopped
- 1 cantaloupe, seeded and chopped
- 1 mango, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
- Chop the fruit into small, uniform cubes. Combine the ingredients in a large bowl, then scoop into small cups. Enjoy!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Weight loss
Wow! I finally met my first goal! I've now lost 10% of my body weight. Seemed like it was a very long time coming but I am trying to make it a lifestyle change rather than diet. Guess I said that. As you can tell I am proud of getting this far!
That meant cleaning up my eating. Less sugar - well, really should only be natural sugar only but I am still a sucker for sweets! More protein. Good fat such as butter and olive oil. Good grains like quinoa. Sprouted bread. I've been eating more salads with chicken, tuna or even chili on top. Trying to always have vegetables and or fruit with every meal. I've found some pretty tasty natural bars to eat when I crave sweets.
It's definitely not been easy! It's hard to change all those habits. But it is slowly working and hey, if I can do it, you can, too!
That meant cleaning up my eating. Less sugar - well, really should only be natural sugar only but I am still a sucker for sweets! More protein. Good fat such as butter and olive oil. Good grains like quinoa. Sprouted bread. I've been eating more salads with chicken, tuna or even chili on top. Trying to always have vegetables and or fruit with every meal. I've found some pretty tasty natural bars to eat when I crave sweets.
It's definitely not been easy! It's hard to change all those habits. But it is slowly working and hey, if I can do it, you can, too!
Monday, October 20, 2014
A slooooow but steady weight loss
I finally made it! I've lost 10% of my body weight! That was my first goal - now it's on to the next 10%.
Cleaned up my eating. I had started it months ago - less sugar, less processed food, better oils, grains and meats. Less dairy. My DD doc suggested I try a ketogenic diet since a normal diet doesn't work well for me. I.e. calories in, calories out. I have found that to be true for sure! I keep a food journal and track calories every day. The calories may be where they should be but if it had extra sugar and refined flour and bad stuff in it, my weight usually goes up and not down. SOOOOO frustrating!
I've tried to make it a permanent lifestyle change and have been somewhat successful with lapses. It had to be a diet that would work for me and I would stick with.
So happy to have gotten this far! I hope things are working well for you, too.
Cleaned up my eating. I had started it months ago - less sugar, less processed food, better oils, grains and meats. Less dairy. My DD doc suggested I try a ketogenic diet since a normal diet doesn't work well for me. I.e. calories in, calories out. I have found that to be true for sure! I keep a food journal and track calories every day. The calories may be where they should be but if it had extra sugar and refined flour and bad stuff in it, my weight usually goes up and not down. SOOOOO frustrating!
I've tried to make it a permanent lifestyle change and have been somewhat successful with lapses. It had to be a diet that would work for me and I would stick with.
So happy to have gotten this far! I hope things are working well for you, too.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Lipedema was on the Doctors show!
http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videos/lymphedema-treatment-act
Sarah Bramblette has lipdema and lymphedema. She had a small segment on the Doctors show today. She did an awesome job! Some of the comments made about body disproportion being a key sign it's not just fat were much needed.
Since it is fairly common to have both Dercum's and lipedema, you may want to check out the clip. Keep in mind that she also has lymphedema so your legs may not look the same - mine don't.
Take care!
Sarah Bramblette has lipdema and lymphedema. She had a small segment on the Doctors show today. She did an awesome job! Some of the comments made about body disproportion being a key sign it's not just fat were much needed.
Since it is fairly common to have both Dercum's and lipedema, you may want to check out the clip. Keep in mind that she also has lymphedema so your legs may not look the same - mine don't.
Take care!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Add lipedema to the mix....
Well, I knew I had Dercum's Disease but about a year later I realized - and also had it confirmed - that I also have lipedema. I have the classic lipedema shape - smaller torso with large butt and thighs, smaller forearms and large upper arms. The pain in my legs has slowly gotten worse. Various things help - compression and dry brushing and massage. They always feel better when I put them up and put light heat on them!
Having two fat disorders is just more confusing. Still no good answers on what to do to slow down progress. There are some good support groups on facebook though. It's awfully nice to have the experience and wisdom of others to follow.
Having two fat disorders is just more confusing. Still no good answers on what to do to slow down progress. There are some good support groups on facebook though. It's awfully nice to have the experience and wisdom of others to follow.
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