For almost 12 years, I’ve been a gym girl. Lifting weights, staying disciplined with my workouts, and doing everything “right” when it came to health and fitness. But despite the consistency, there were areas of my body that simply didn’t respond the way they should have.

I knew from about 15 years old it was lipedema. A condition that 1/10 women deal with and is hereditary passed down from my mother.

After years of managing it through lifestyle, I finally decided to have lipedema removal surgery. The journey has given me a completely new perspective on how inflammatory and autoimmune-related conditions affect women’s bodies. Sometimes what looks like a fitness or discipline issue is actually something deeper happening biologically.

Going through this has taught me how important it is for women to listen to their bodies, understand inflammation, and manage health beyond just diet and exercise. Strength training will always be part of my life, but now it’s paired with a deeper understanding of how to support my body, not fight against it.