I’m overweight. I know that. I’ve let things get out of hand but now I’m taking responsibility and doing something about it. I have seen some of my friend’s health deteriorate because of their weight and I don’t want to get to that point. I have one friend who has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes recently so she needs to wear knee high diabetic socks, keep on a strict diet, and increase her exercise to manage the side effects of the condition. I want to avoid this so I’m taking steps to improve my health.

An interesting thing happened on my way to try a new body contouring instrument called SculpSure over at The Roxbury Institute , founded by Dr. David Amron. The institute is the wonderfully stunning new home to expert Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeons Dr. David Amron, Dr. Jennifer Ahdout and Dr. Jason Emer.

Dr. Amron, the leading world expert in all things liposuction, turned me away.

I immediately loved him for it.

Rarely do you meet doctors who turn you away for a simple, painless, office treatment/procedure. Let’s be honest, these are the no-down-time devices that have become the bread and butter for so many practices. They are painless, some even feel great, are affordable and make patients happy, immediately. You can avoid surgery and get a little bit of the job done. But Dr. Amron did.

After doing a thorough and detailed investigation of my body, he looked at me and said, it’s a waste of time and money. It wouldn’t do anything. Why? It turns out that the extra fat on my body is not your normal, every day fat. Or is it?

It’s stage one Lipedema.

Lipe-what?

Rarely talked about, the disorder known as Lipedema has affected 17 million in the United States and 370 million worldwide. A vast majority of the individuals affected by this disorder are women.

This chronic disorder affects the legs and arms, causing an abnormal accumulation of fat cells and producing a noticeably disproportionate appearance. This condition not only causes emotional distress but is also very painful and potentially debilitating.

Lipedema is commonly misdiagnosed as weight gain or lymphedema. The diagnosis of lipedema has to be done on a clinical basis. Lipedema is categorized into 3 stages:

1. Mild
2. Moderate
3. Severe or Advanced

This disorder gives the individual a profound “tree-like” disproportion of the legs, where the fat fully encompasses the thighs, knees, calves and ankles. There is commonly a cuffing that occurs around the ankles that does not affect the feet. Lumpiness and cellulite are common characteristics that can occur. When the disorder gets to an advanced stage, there is a definite possibility the arms will also be affected. Pain, tenderness, decreased mobility, numbness, heaviness and easy bruising are symptoms or signs that many patients experience. Early diagnosis and treatment are important as it affects the long-term prognosis.

Lipedema strikes both thin and obese individuals alike, and generally no amount of diet or exercise can cease or prevent it. This disorder typically becomes present in an individual’s teenage years and then becomes progressively worse. However, Dr. David Amron, one of the finest best dermatologic surgeons with a specialty in liposuction, has found success for his patients through his specialized liposuction technique.

This is where things got first depressing, and then uplifting. We looked at my thighs, calves and upper arms which have started to swell over the past few years. We looked deeply at my fat and the way it lives in my body. While I am not grossly overweight and don’t have pain or bruising, I come from a long line of women affected by this and I for certain had it too. My mother, to a severe degree and my sister as well.

The good news is that I was in the hands of the world expert. Ok, ok, this was comforting. He discussed his approach and it sounded incredibly tolerable. It’s second on my list after doing all things FACE (stay tuned for my article on the Liquid Lift he gave me – stunning, incredible and a fantastic gift any woman in her 40’s must give to herself!!) and the downtime in minimal.

Most importantly, this was eye-opening. I have struggled with bulges on my legs my whole life. My now thickening quads and calves really clued me into something being off. I wonder how many women are suffering, dieting and exercising only to watch their legs get bigger by the year? My world was rocked with this news. It was such a relief. The great news is that I have the opportunity to share this my like-minded readers, like you, who very well may have wondered “what the fuck is wrong with me?!”