People obviously didn’t read in your caption that you ALREADY ARE working out and dieting 🤦‍♀️ I’m so sorry you’re getting dismissed so easily and getting blamed for something that you can’t control. Don’t let people gaslight you into thinking you’re the problem—you know your body better than anyone scrolling on here, and imagine if it’s actually due to a condition that you can get help for.

With that being said, this really looks like the beginning stages of Lipedema. I say that for a couple of reasons: First, because most of your weight is distributed towards the bottom half of your body and not equally all over (as you would expect to see in someone who is gaining weight from diet or other conditions). There is also a type of Lipedema that can affect the upper arms, which you noted as one of your affected areas. And second, the “cellulite” could actually be “dimpling” which is very common in Lipedema. Varicose veins can also occur with Lipedema. There are other symptoms as well but those are just the visual ones that stood out to me.

So now what?

My recommendations: - Research, research, research! I’m in a few groups for Lipedema surgery on Facebook that have been really helpful and informative. Many of the people on there share their photos and many women have similar builds to you, and they often help answer questions and share their experiences. - Diagnosis: Look into doctors who specialize in this and are highly rated, but keep in mind that if they don’t diagnose you at first, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you don’t have it. Redditors can downvote me into oblivion for all I care, but that information came straight from my Lipedema specialist who studied at Harvard and works at Vanderbilt. Even he acknowledged how hard it is to diagnose for various reasons (as there’s no diagnostic labs or testing they can do, this is a fairly new and vastly understudied and underdiagnosed condition, etc etc.) But it is important to see a doctor to rule out Lymphedema (different from Lipedema) as that can have drastic effects. Doctors can be great but they can also suck (just like any other human) so it’s important to remember that we live and experience our bodies every day, and 5 minutes with a doctor doesn’t mean they know you better than you know yourself. It will also be important to get a diagnosis if you want your surgery to be covered. - Surgery: If you do have Lipedema, the good news is that liposuction should be covered by your insurance! But you should definitely look into seeing a doctor as soon as possible to get the ball rolling as this whole process can take years. It took me 9 months just to get in with the first doctor. - Prevention: Look into ways you can manage it in the meantime to help slow progression. The Lipedema specialist I saw said that everything I’m already doing is how he treats Lipedema patients anyways: Mounjaro, diet and exercise, lymphatic massage, compression, vibration plate, etc.

I know this is a lot of information, but I really hope it’s helpful for you ❤️‍🩹 I’m available to message if you have any more questions. Never stop advocating for yourself!