Sturdy Woman

Are you wondering what to eat for lipedema? What are good foods for lipedema? Why are so many people talking about keto for lipedema? A few weeks ago I asked you to send me your questions about lipedema and I received more questions about diet and nutrition than anything else. Today I will tell you about what I have done the past three and a half years to lose more than 100 pounds and reverse lipedema symptoms. But remember, I am not a doctor or nutritionist and this is just my experience. Please work with your care team to figure out what is best for you. Watch or read below.

In 2020 I was diagnosed with lipedema, lymphedema, and venous insufficiency. My doctor prescribed a pneumatic pump, exercise, and compression leggings. Some of my swelling resolved but I didn’t see any real changes. In fact, they told me weight loss and symptom improvement was impossible. You won’t get better. The most you can hope for is to maintain. Maybe you heard that too?

About six months after my diagnosis I decided to start following a ketogenic lifestyle. I’d seen women sharing success stories online and, even though my favorite foods were things like bagels and sweets, I figured it was worth a try. I’ll just try it for a month. I never went back. My brain fog (which I didn’t know I had) improved. My swelling went down and my skin improved. I didn’t know how much I weight and I didn’t have a scale, but I could feel keto was helping. You can read more in this article about keto and lipedema and keto to improve lymphatics in Leslyn Keith’s books The Lymphatic Code and The Ketogenic Solution for Lymphatic Disorders. The first one is designed for patients while the second is primarily written for providers.

Keto is a low-carb, high-fat diet and the version I do is relatively strict. I aim to eat less than 20g of total carbohydrates each day (not to be confused with net carbohydrates). This means no sugar, no grains, and very little fruit. Things like bananas and apples are high enough in natural sugars and carbohydrates that they aren’t keto-friendly, but some berries like blueberries are ok in small quantities. Some people with lipedema find they do best on even fewer carbs and follow more of a carnivore version of keto. Work with your doctor or nutritionist to figure out what’s best for you and your body. All of us are different and that is part of what makes lipedema so challenging to treat.

About a year into my keto journey, I also cut out dairy and eggs. This doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to do the same! I hit a plateau in my progress and wondered if food sensitivities were impacting my lipedema so I took an at-home food sensitivity test. I got results for 96 common foods and my sensitivity to both dairy and eggs was extremely high. In the first month I was off dairy I lost no weight on the scale, but I lost an entire dress size of inflammation. You can read more about that in my post What Happened When I Didn’t Eat Dairy for a Month. I’m getting ready to take a second more comprehensive food sensitivity test for 204 foods and will post about that soon when I get my results. You may be able to get this covered by your insurance if you go to your doctor, but if your doctor fat-shames you or refuses to order tests, you can still get the answers you need by ordering an at-home test.

In addition to following keto, I avoid vegetable and seed oils because they can be inflammatory and I avoid artificial sweeteners except stevia. My favorite low-carb collagen powder has a small amount of stevia and so do my low-carb electrolytes. I love to start my day with a scoop of chocolate collagen powder and a packet of chocolate caramel LMNT electrolytes in my coffee. Yum. Soy is also a no-go for me because of its potential to interfere with hormones and the potential connection between lipedema and hormones.

In another post, I’ll share some of my favorite keto recipes, but Diet Doctor is a great source of free low-carb and keto recipes for lipedema. You can filter by different sensitivities or preferences and access additional resources and meal plans for a small fee. (I’ve only ever used the free resources.)

Have you used any nutritional interventions to manage lipedema or lymphedema symptoms? Have you tried keto? Comment below to let others know what has worked for you and how you figured out your individual needs. It’s a process!

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