There is so much information online about the best nutrition for lipedema, conservative treatment options, and other types of support. It can be overwhelming to weed through the advice, and we often end up more confused than when we started. What do we need? Where do we start? Where do we find the time to do it all?
Do you remember the old commercial that went, “I can bring home the bacon or fry it up in the pan?” The woman in the ad was claiming that she could do it ALL because she was a woman. However, the pressure we put on ourselves to “do it all” leads to a lot of guilt and self-criticism.
We cannot do it all. No one can. What we can do is take things one day at a time. We can focus on one or two self-care items and do them well and regularly. Later, we can add another item or two, possibly reach out for help from a coach, or take another class. As we travel on our health and wellness journey, we should look at each day as new and fresh.
Moral of the story: one day at a time means that Day 1 on Keto is…bring home some bacon. Fry it up in a pan. Day 2 on Keto…repeat day one.
Find Self-Care Through Your Needs
As a mother of three teenagers, I was often confronted with retorts from my kids of, “That’s not fair!” I learned early on that the best response was not, as my Mom would say, “Life isn’t fair.” But rather, I would respond with, “I understand. However, ‘Fairness is dependent upon need.’” That is what I passionately believe. “Need” is what I have strived to focus on for my entire life. Not want. Not fairness. Need.
So, I would like you to ask yourself, “What do I need?” I suspect that your answer is “self-care.” Then you might ask yourself, ”What is self-care?” It is concluding that you have needs that must come before your wants. Self-care means that there are things you must do for yourself to make sure you are healthy physically, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and nutritionally. Other people might not need the same things you do, and you might think, “That’s not fair!” But then, try to remember that, “Fairness is dependent upon need.”
Take good care of yourself. You need to. You are worth it!
Tools for Self-Compassion https://lipedema-simplified.org/meditation/
~ Gail Straker, BAEd
Community Manager, Director of Coaching
Lipedema Simplified