You are so very welcome!

If I can swing it financially, I'd love to do it regularly to see how much of a difference it could make in terms of joints feeling more stable. And I feel ya on the ballet, I was doing the ice skating version lol

I'm happy you found your way here! ☺️

It's rice?!?! Lmao that's hysterical. I'm thinking I'd rather eat regular rice too and not pay oodles for a supplement 😂😂😂

ooh, I hadn't heard of that brand, thank you!

@ yeah they’re in the pasta aisle instead of frozen, it’s like Kraft, but they also have regular pasta which is great

That is so sweet, thank you ❤️ and I'm glad it cheered you up!

Thank you! And welcome to our lil community 😊 I'm beginning to question my taste buds because I couldn't taste the spirulina at all lol

@thighsthelimit Thank you so much, can't help but binge watch your videos now! 😅 I was going through a phase when I just mixed it with water every day (didn't last long), it's a good way to unravel the flavour 😄

@@filmmakingandthoughts I'll stick with hiding it in smoothies, I don't think I'm brave enough to drink aquarium water 😂

@@thighsthelimit a brilliant decision 😄👍

Oooh I hadn't heard of that one, thanks, I'll check it out!

Thank you!

Not yet, but it's top on my list of things to try!

They are always up to some shenanigans 😂

Preach! Like excuse me, I'm working out here, get it together body!

I would say I mostly agree with this. Accountability is important, though there's different ways to go about it. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for all. You do have to be in a deficit to lose weight like you mentioned. Tracking calories is definitely the most accurate way to measure intake for effective weight loss, and for accountability, though it's not a one size fits all. For some, calorie tracking can hurt more than it helps, especially if they have a history with disordered eating. For example, I have struggled with binge eating in the past, and while I like to touch base with calorie counting periodically to make sure I'm on track, if I track everything all the time, it ends up feeling so rigid and restrictive that it ends up triggering a binge. Instead, I switched up my method of tracking. I focus on paying attention to how many desserts I'm having(struggling sugar addict, therapy also helps with this) and on what I can add in like fruits and veggies, versus exact calories. Going about it in that way helped me to realize that I was feeling more restricted when I calorie counted because the type of food I was eating was more dense in calories with less nutritional value. Basically, I'm focusing on what I'm eating and bettering my relationship with food, so that when I try calorie counting again, it won't feel so restrictive and can be a better tool(long route for sure but it works for me). Everyone is different, you just have to find what's sustainable for you. I definitely agree with you on the diet comment. It's more of a lifestyle change, and generally works better to focus on a way of eating that is functional for you long term, rather than a fad diet. Pardon the essay, hopefully all of that made sense though!

Thank you! I know there's quite a few weight loss channels out there, and I like being able to put my own spin on things. And yay for fellow murder she wrote fans! It will forever be my favorite show!

agreed 😂

Thanks! And they are! I think I just need to watch them on a super slow speed to learn and then try it again lol. Learning modifications can definitely be a challenge. I personally like it when I find the videos where they either show or explain a modified version of the exercise. It helps so much because I almost always need a modification!

@thighsthelimit lol, have you found any dance workouts that actually do that? I find maybe my speed to show steps once, then something that would make me look like I'm having a seizure speed..... lol.

@@GoingGreenMom truthfully that dance workout from the video was only the second one I ever tried because of my lack of rhythm. The other was fitness marshall and that almost killed me 😂 If I ever find one that slows it down, I'll definitely share it!

@thighsthelimit fair! Maybe by the time you find it I will have found some rhythm as well.

Girl I cackled so hard reading this! Dogs are something else and I swear they are escape artists. Your story was a throwback to a high school memory for me. We had a dog that was determined to regularly jump the fence no matter what we adapted. I swear I spent so many days charging through the neighborhood trying to catch her before she scared any neighbors(she was a friendly doofus but looked like a giant black bear lol). She thought it was a game so she would wait until you were almost caught up to her, and then would turn and bolt, while looking back like "hurry up slowpoke!" Thankfully I didn't have to dive over any fences at least 😂

@thighsthelimit I called for backup immediately, lol. Let the young one determine they don't fit under the fence. He is going to start doing longer walks because he determined he does not have the endurance he used to. 😂

Thanks :D It definitely was a solid ab workout, mine were on fire for a solid 2 days after, and I definitely want to go back again! It's definitely not all the way healed yet, but I'm grateful to be in regular shoes and back at work even though I can only manage short shifts. I'll take the progress though!

@@AkaiTsume I'm so glad you're enjoying it 😁

I LOVE the red dress you wore in this one!! How much support did you feel like it gave you?

@AkaiTsume thank you! It's my favorite! I'd say it's light to medium support. Basically I can wear it out and about without feeling like the girls are making a break for it, but I definitely wouldn't go for a run or any jumping unless you're a B cup or smaller.

@@thighsthelimit Good to know!! Thank you for the info!

I'm familiar with them though I've never tried extended use. Mini stepper is definitely harder, but both can help. I have a lot of patients who use the elliptical ones. They're great if you struggle with balance too

You are so welcome! And thank you for being a part of that community! ❤️

I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! And welcome to our little community!

It does, though it takes a looooong time to build it. I would love to get one of those fancy pants scales that show you body fat percentage. They're like $90 though so it's going to have to wait, at least until my regular scale stops working lol. I hadn't thought of checking at the gym though, that's a good idea!

Muscle does NOT weigh more than fat. Muscle is more dense and fat takes more space. For regulars gaining some muscle will not make a big difference on the scale unless you lift a crazy amount of weights or you're a bodybuilder.

⁠ they weigh the same, so if you're gaining muscle faster than you're losing fat, you WILL see an increase in weight before you see a decrease

I've never heard of her, but I'm always up for finding new recipes! I'll add it to the list! And I'm glad you enjoyed those videos, I had so much fun making them! Minus of course the over seasoned eggs that I'm still traumatized from 😂

@thighsthelimit omg I was so shocked how much seasoning the recipe called for 😂

So, I'm still figuring out the eating part. I'm truthfully more focused on getting the sugar addiction and eating out in check first, adding more fruits and veggies, and then I want to transition into more of the histamine related stuff. Apparently soy is super high in it too. It's definitely been a learning curve. I know it would be healthier if I was able to switch immediately over to the histamine related diet(I don't know much about lectin and need to research it), but for me, I'm working my buns off to make the changes sustainable, so I'm sticking with the small changes until I get used to them method. It takes forever and I have no patience but I'm trying 😂

@thighsthelimit honestly, I was shocked when you said they recommend a low histamine diet to all EDS people these days. My personal opinion after doing it at a 90% for about 6 months to a year is that low histamine is not a sustainable long term diet. There are some basics that I would say are Long term sustainable like freezing leftovers and avoiding leaving food to thaw in the fridge for 2 or 3 days. Cooking from frozen when you can (although I just saw on a video that Heidi from rain country sees the most significant nutrient loss from freezing, and so Im researching that right now). I have cut soy out except for my unfermented liquid aminos (soy sauce substitute that is unfermented, obviously, and also wheat free.... coconut aminos are still fermented but I also only seem to taste coconut if I use stuff with coconut in it). Oh, and mayo.... I don't buy the super high dollar specialty store mayo, and most all of them use soy oil and a little of whatever oil is in the name, but uncooked egg white also acts as a histamine liberator somehow so whatever they do to pasteurize it has needed to be a thing for me. Anyway, point being, I vote for going with sustainable and just switching up things here and there to reduce histamine. Unfortunately on the lectin side, Plant Paradox is the most abundant information, but I haven't found most of Dr. Gundry's research to be very scientific. And in the same vein as low histamine, it's really restrictive. There are things that help lectin levels for some things.... like pressure cooking and peeling and deseeding tomatoes (or buying a brand of canned that does that already like aldi)..... I find that completely stops reactions for tomatoes and potatoes(I dont peel or use canned, I just wash and use yellow potatoes..... do not, I repeat do NOT pressure cook a russet, lol), but not squash. Dry pressure cooking oats (pot in pot for 8 minutes, then cooling and removing any that got condensation on them worked to reduce or eliminate symptoms from them for me, but he says nothing will denature the lectins in oats.... but doesn't back it up with testing results or studies. Not that all that mess means I use oats regularly, and I still react to the sugar in no bake cookies which is my favorite use. 😭). Anyway, you mentioned you get hives occasionally for seemingly no reason. That is when I would look at what's going on with histamine personally.... your histamine bucket is overflowing at that point (could be from food, stress, environmental allergies or all of thr abovr), and food is an easy way to quickly knock down your levels. But honestly, so is non-citrus related vitamin C.... I like rose hips, and they are low histamine , some people prefer camu camu(store bought orange flavored tablet type things are often made from molds grown on citrus peels.... both high histamine, but vitamin C is a big component used by the histamine pathways to clear histamine, and is also used in collagen production so according to several seminar talks I've seen it is said that those of us on the hypermobile spectrum tend to use more of it. Like I said on the other video, I think your current approach to food is great. Maybe not the vegetarian 1 week challenge, but based on your facial expressions I doubt you kept it past the challenge. 🤣

@@GoingGreenMom You nailed it on that last sentence of the 1st paragraph. Like yea all low histamine might be better from a health standpoint, but whatever changes we make have to be sustainable. You've got the right idea fo sho. I haven't heard of plant paradox, is that a book? A channel? Forgive me if it got lost in another comment, but how was the high or low llectin supposed to help? Was that something to reduce inflammation? Can't remember. Your dedication to research is admirable. I still have a lot to learn, but at enjoying the process. I'm just taking it slow as I make more changes. I've actually never used a pressure cooker! Yea, especially after PT school and the financial hot mess that is this year, I think my cortisol and histamine levels have gone a bit bananas. And yea, I definitely did not stick with vegetarian, or at least not those recipes lol. I did like the topboki(which I'm likely misspelling) and lentil patties though. I'll happily work in more meat free options for the sake of having more veggies in my diet, but I want to keep meat in for help with that histamine breakdown(still looking into more on that)

@@thighsthelimit okay, Plant Paradox is a book, and a cookbook, and I believe his channel is Dr. Gundry. Although I'm not sure what type of doctor he is either but I'm not sure it had anything to do with food. But like I said, not a huge fan of him, and there is a slightly militant negative undercurrent around him in my opinion a lot of times. That said, my boiled down version of lectins. Lectins are a thing produced by plants to protect them (long term protection of the species sort of things). When eaten by humans they loosen the junctions between the cells in the intestinal lining. At that point it is like a game of red rover that ends in leaky gut. Or helps the leaky gut issues that were already there. Once that happens you have molecules of food getting through that 1 cell thick wall that still looks like peanut butter and jelly instead of oh, protein and vitamin C. This sets off the mast cells because they see peanut butter and jelly as invaders and they degranulate to call in the troops to fight the invaders and clean up the mess. Mast cells are in higher abundance in your gut (and skin) because that is where more stuff is coming into the body. If you have mast cell issues(over the course of our lifetimes, one seminar talk said that 66% of EDS patients turn up with mast cell related symptoms even if it is not to the level of diagnosable MCAS) so if you have mast cell issues they are either in more abundance or I think in our terms they are just twitchier and trigger happy so react more than a normal person. Anywho, they degranulate and release a cocktail of hormones and histamine (like 16 or 20 different things) into our system to send the message to call in our immune systems to fight the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. This causes inflammation. That is my understanding from about 6 months of research in 2020 when my hard-core low histamine diet routine fell apart when the shut downs happen. My particular solution to this was to take a three pronged approach, and I used slippery elm to help sure up my gut lining while it healed (your gut lining regenerates every 7 days, so mistakes in diet will theoretically affect for 7 days but the mucosa helping type herbs make it harder for things to get to the actual cells in the gut lining). My second step was reducing lectins in my diet (gluten is a lectin, but they are generally in the bran and germ of most seeds and grains, and are super high in beans especially, but also high in lentils.... although you have me curious about types of lentils because I react less to them..... with beans, white beans are lower than like kidney beans or chick peas. But because it is bran and germ, things like gluten free brown rice pasta reacts worse for me than your standard white wheat pasta, but I've found oriental markets are great for white rice type pastas and I don't react to them at all. And are cheaper and easier to find than specialty gluten free options that use quinoa or bran etc. ) And as I mentioned, I aimed for lower but not strictly following Gundry's cut everything out type stuff. Which I where the pressure cooker comes in. If something is not naturally low lectin (brassica family vegetables are I believe are all naturally low lectin so broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, kale, bok choy, Pak choi, radishes, cabbage) I can reduce lectins sometimes by pressure cooking. I use this for things like corn, tomatoes, potatoes. Pressure cooking on high for 4 minutes denatures the lectins enough I see no symptoms in those 3. I haven't successfully gotten squash to work (experimenting with culinary ash there, but was just thinking it might be something to watch if you take notes on food responses). So anyway, lectins are a rabbit hole, but helpful to understand especially if you have any leaky gut or autoimmune type stuff and are trying for quick wins on histamine without as much restriction. The third prong of my approach was adjusting my defense on the mast cell stuff by introducing moringa. I had already been taking lemon balm for vert*go, but dosing on that is tricky because too much causes migraines and when histamine was high it wasn't enough. Astragalus root is a milder option as well. But all 3 seem to have some MC stab*l*zation properties. Sorry, YT doesn't like herbs unless it is weed seemingly. And like i mentioned, this was just my synthesized thought process and approach from my research. And I haven't seen anyone but me go through this process in a video that covers all of it. Like you kmight see someone talk lectins and leaky gut. And somewhere else talk about mast cells and histamine. And a third place explain that mast cells are concentrated in the gut. Sorry for the book, but hopefully it helps figure out ways to tweak your current stuff in a more sustainable way. Oh, side note, you might check on root veg. I have a sensitivity to beta carotene which affects the orange stuff I can eat. But I think carrots are low lectin. Sweet potatoes are low lectin, low histamine, but high oxolate. Which is yet another rabbit hole that came up from the electrolyte issues and something I need to test as a lot of my fear with foods are those but unrelated and would add to the possible list of veggies to work in while you are trying to up veg. The worst part for me from low histamine is the fears around food. That diet has a history of EDs coming out of it, and it doesn't seem to matter if people successfully treated root causes and fixed the histamine issues or not. But that is a major factor I need to address in my weight loss journey, so just hoping awareness can keep you from having similar issues.

​@@thighsthelimit Just in case it hid my last comment on this thread, lol. Tagging you since you said it was burying me. 😂

🎉🎉🎉

I love it when y'all share your stories in the comments. ♥️ It's wonderful to have the community here, but also in terms of keeping open minds. We all can be struggling with the same thing (health/weight loss/etc), but for totally different reasons. I'm glad you figured out the calorie intake! I definitely have the opposite problem in terms of too many, and am working to find the right food balance to get full without going bananas on calories. omg just saw the part about the histamine intolerance, sorry for the essay on the last comment, I apparently read them out of order. 🤦‍♀️ I just found out about mine and the diet seems so dang restrictive that I'm basically just trying to stop eating out and cook my meals with gradually working in more low histamine recipes. I want to check out a few low histamine diet recipe books and see if I can find anything I like. I met with a nutritionist about it and you called it, most of the healthy foods I like are on the high histamine list (why strawberries, bananas, beans, spinach, and lentils???) 🥲 It's a very frustrating sensitivity to have. If you ever find something with it that works well for you, I'm all ears! We'll get there eventually!

@thighsthelimit lol, totally understand the book, it is really the only way to go on some things! Most of the tricks and methods I used to deal with the HI are on my channel, including recipes that have been adjusted. Hate to say that, but is probably the most concise way to give you information that would be helpful in a logical way. Highly recommend getting a pressure cooker if you don't already have one, and if you aren't having acute histamine symptoms (I had hives for 6 months I really wanted gone), definitely agree with trying to do swaps and changing things more slowly than I did. My history really focuses on the mast cell side of things, even when I didn't know they were the issue (things like vertigo for instance had been diagnosed multiple times without any mention that there could be a root cause). But the big thing I can think of there is that I'm okay with some tomato in stuff if it is pressure cooked where non-mast cell related root causes might not be helped by the lectin reduction. Idk, I try to give options for both even if I wasn't using the correct product by the time I made the videos. And recipes are in the descriptions I think for all of them. Oh, and if you like Asian flavor profiles, Braggs unfermented liquid aminos are pretty much the only soy in my diet, but definitely help add flavor.

OMG I love milk so much but those calories hit so hard. Not being able to drink water must've been so frustrating. I know you mentioned having EDS, have you have a chance to talk to your specialist about mast cell issues or histamine sensitivities? Totally not diagnosing or trying to cause panic, I just know those issues can commonly be diagnosed together. I break out in random hives that no allergy test can decipher like 3 times a year and didn't find out why until I got the diagnosis of mild histamine sensitivity with hypermobility spectrum disorder (basically like a mini less inflamed version of EDS and mast cell issues) Could be completely unrelated since you mentioned the electrolyte metabolism issue though, just figured I'd throw that out there just in case based on my experience. I didn't even realize electrolyte breakdown issue was a thing so now I have an interesting google search ahead of me. If you don't mind my asking, how did you learn you had issues with electrolyte metabolism? I'm glad you were able to bring water back in either way!

@@thighsthelimit lol, my medical history has been disjointed and Rocky. I was hEDS diagnosed at 15, although it was just EDS.... I think type 3 back then, but it's hypermobility type. That was I believe my 9th specialist appointment and the first where they didnt jump to questioning if I was pregnant. Within a few years was diagnosed with vertigo and on meds for that as well. At 16 I was on the same arthritis meds and dosage as my 60 yo Dad. Pregnant/kids at 20 and 23 so off meds while I was rwgnant and breastfeeding, but such a blessing in that I had been told I'd be in a wheelchair full time at 25, and the pregnancies changed my posture enough to keep me out of a chair. Landed with undiagnosed fibromyalgia symptoms after baby #2 from a flu I had halfway through the pregnancy. No insurance so I just kept going, and worked through the book From Fatigued to Fantastic over a few years. Cleared all symptoms except the hypothyroid ones which I was able to stop the weight gain, but not fully resolve. Jump ahead probably 4 or 5 years after that and I'm having vertigo issues again (they had cleared when I quit taking the meds when I found out I was pregnant before), evaluated for POTS and they said you have some symptoms but not enough to diagnose, so you just have vertigo, do this maneuver that should help and we'll see ya later. It didn't help by the way, and by this point I was not able to take meds without reacting, so I was just laying down multiple times in the evening and teaching my 6 and 8 year old how to cook so they could turn things off or finish something if I couldn't so they could eat. I had a friend with migraines that sent me an Amazon listing for lemon balm to read reviews because she had been looking at it for migraines and people were saying it didn't help that but they helped with the vertigo. I hail Mary'd it and they worked. By this point I had already gotten most any chemicals out of the house and went to washing my clothes in just water or water and vinegar which had helped some, but the lemon balm took out the other 2 weeks of the month as well. By this point my weight was fluctuating anywhere from about 270 to 300 or just a little either direction, I did a medically managed weight loss thing for awhile.... the weeks I ate fast food and crap I lost. The weeks I ate quinoa and spinach and healthy food I gained. Felt better but gained. I eventually washed out of that because they said I didn't eat enough healthy food to lose and I couldn't eat junk food and feel like crap every week because it raised my anxiety levels and such and I just couldn't. Did find out I am actually allergic to anxiety medication in the ER once. I did try the allergist route at one point and she was great, sat with me for an hour trying to make sense of the puzzle pieces, wound up testing the things I knew I reacted to and sent me back to my rhuemi because it was the EDS rather than allergies. He tried depression meds to dull my nervous system so I could handle the food and medications. That failed miserably. Went to a naturopath who said it was parasites, reacted horribly to that treatment. Changed jobs in there a few times, once had a 6 week detox from a factory I worked in. I was in HR, but they recycled air out of the paint department for our offices. Eventually wound up in a professional kitchen at a casino. Had gone gluten free which got me healthy enough to be on my feet all day. And had found the lemon balm I think about a year before. Had developed some more hormone wonkiness/PCOS symptoms but my Dr wouldn't look at them unless I was Trying to Conceive or post menopausal, I just kept going because my FMLA paperwork was through her for the anxiety issues so I didn't want to risk losing that to go to an unknown doctor that may have been just as bad, but my insurance was decent there and so I got some dental stuff done (this was when the numbing agents started wearing off halfway through procedures and stuff). I also was talking to a functional Dr who had been my chiropractor for awhile, and I started going to AnyLabTestNow for testing. So 2017 I had recently started lemon balm, then gone gluten free, then changed jobs to the casino. 2018 I was working really hard on paleo because this functional was super into paleo..... but inadvertently wound up in ketosis and dropped 40 pounds in maybe 3 or 4 months and started having issues. Feeling like I was going to pass out, like my blood sugar was tanking even if I'd eaten, etc. My current chiro had put the puzzle pieces together enough and I started adding in carbs, but my chemistry was just a bit wonky. 2019 the functional diagnosed HI off the testing from anylabtestnow (including food sensitivity testing that was showing a lot of high histamine foods.... the others I have since learned are high lectin with a few high oxolate things thrown in). Anyway, I googled as I was told and the idea of starving myself didn't set well. Eventually I found 1 person suggesting to choose one food from eat category and only eat that til the symptoms calmed down. And it worked. So I started adding this or changing that to make a little capsule of meals that fit the, as you put it, very restrictive low histamine diet. It worked great. Until the shutdowns happened in 2020. That gave me time to research. I found out about root causes. The 4 Phase Histamine reset had some good info to kind of get me started down different rabbit trails and had some recipes too. And the unemployment that paid twice what I normally made let me get micronutrient testing done. I fixed a few things then, Eventually changed doctors because my insurance had changed to health shares, and when they raised it another hundred dollars and it was the second raise in a year, I was like, nope, I'm out. Now I'm at a membership based doctor without insurance again. And actually paying less with cash for stuff like a broken foot than I'm paying for my kids stuff with insurance. Anyway, he wanted to look at the thyroid stuff. And we wound up back at, there is a feedback loop between insulin and your thyroid so we have to deal with the insulin resistance. He recommended inositol and berberine.... and I had researched them so kind of blindly followed his dosing recommendation. That was fine for about 6 months. I was feeling good, some of the lingering wonkiness I was having had settled down, until it wasn't anymore. We started testing and I added some minerals in, but he uses labcorp and it was very piecemeal on testing to keep my costs down for testing and eventually I was like, I need to just be done for a bit. The minerals helped some, but the wonky electrolyte related symptoms were enough for me to pull the trigger on micronutrient testing through anylabtestnow in December. Electrolytes were FINE! What was off the charts low was boron and almost off the charts erre vanadium. I had started supplementing boron the previous summer. At 3mg dose. I'm up to 12mg divided between morning and afternoon these days and they work better than what I took as a teenager. Electrolyte eonkiness is gone except around my period I still use mag lotion. I do hope the oxolate issues that cropped up when I tried to eat more potassium disappear or don't resurface as I try to work in more veggies. Oh, and I was in a ton of pain when I started walking earlier this year, a weight vest has started correcting the posture issues my Dr told me were the reason he said I would be in a chair at 25 before he retired. Just as an idea if you need it to help with clients or yourself in the future. Mine is 12, but they come in as low as 4, and you want the kind that snugs up to the shoulders for that. I feel like this is a book and I should add paragraphs, but each paragraph would be a sentence. Lol. Oh, on the milk thing. There is a lecture on one of the EDS Society channels I think that talked about isotonic fluids. Milk was listed as one of them. Other alternatives are available, I'm sensitive to oral magnesium though (it gives me hot flashes), but normal people could try them. 🤣 And I currently have 0 EDS related Dr's. I have an awesome chiropractor who treats me and the kids as well as a handful of other eDS patients. And my PCP is willing to listen and learn and does research some outside of appointments I think. Hoping things work well for my daughter at the specialist next summer, and will see if she will see me without insurance and get on her books after that. Daughter is at my previous doctor and she insisted on an appointment to give the referral. She couldn't understand why we would think she might have such a "rare" thing. I'd been her patient for a decade and she didn't realize I'd been diagnosed. 🙄 She apparently missed all the rhuematology notes. 🤣 Lol.

@@thighsthelimit oh, I do also take vanadium once or twice a week with the boron. They work in tandem and are needed for metabolism of electrolytes as well as regular metabolism I believe. Hence why they tanked when I started the dosages of berberine and inositol that I have since reduced.

this is going to be long so bear with me because I want to explain this as best I can. So, small caveat that I know some from being a PT, but I'm still learning more. That being said in terms of presentation with what I understand: Lymphedema is when your lymphatic system gets blocked in some capacity and the lymph fluid struggles to drain. It tends to present in one leg (can happen in arms too, a lot of times that is due to the removal of lymph nodes surgically from cancer). Lipedema presents bilaterally (both legs), and has edema(swelling) but for different reasons. You get an irregular distribution of fat (average seems to be the legs/thighs but my understanding is it can affect butt/lower torso in some). The swelling is not from your lymphatic system but more of an inflammatory response. Lymphedema can affect the feet, whereas lipedema does not. I believe there are 4 stages to lipedema. The 4th stage is known as lipo lymphedema. That is the crossover. Basically the pressure from the edema and fat distribution got severe enough to damage/block those surface level lymphatic vessels. Because both lymphedema and lipedema have components of swelling though for different reasons, compression wraps, pumps, and lymphatic massage actually help for both lipedema and lymphedema. Venous insufficiency is where the veins that transport blood back to your heart are collectively struggling and cause blood to pool in your legs. So there's swelling from that too, but it tends to look different. More varicose veins(don't panic if you have a rogue visibly vein, some of us like myself just have very visible veins), dry flaky skin that tends to be thicker, and you can get hemosiderin staining that look like kinda rust colored patches. In terms of how I present, my legs 100% present like lipedema legs. Since it tends to be a diagnosis of exclusion(a bunch of other stuff gets ruled out first), my doctor sent me to do an ultrasound to make sure that I didn't have vein issues as well. I don't have chronic venous insufficiency, just a rogue vein that decided to be sassy and needs to be addressed. No need to panic lol. With EDS/hEDS, to my knowledge venous insufficiency does not tend to be comorbid (as in not commonly diagnosed with it). The diagnoses that are commonly potentially seen with EDS are POTS, lipedema, & mast cell disease. With mast cell issues, you tend to have an aggressive inflammatory response based on the body's difficulty in breaking down histamine. I have a ton more to learn on that particular diagnosis, but the histamine sensitivity can come in varying degrees and also explains why our bodies can have the inflammatory reaction to the disease fat of lipedema with the swelling component. This is also why a low histamine diet is supposed to help with lipedema and EDS. In terms of the weight loss drugs, Mounjaro is the version of the drug approved by the FDA in 2022 for treatment of type 2 diabetes. I'm on Zepbound which is approved for weight loss management. For someone without diabetes the short version is it helps you to feel full longer and to have less food cravings, which has been a godsend to me, because I can finally focus on creating sustainable habits instead of obsessing over what I want to eat 24/7. That doctor has basically made EDS study her life's work and is trying to publish more research on it soon, and I can't wait to read it! That pharmaceutical reaction has got to be sucky, flu symptoms are the worst :( All of that is my current knowledge, though I'm trying to learn more. Hope it helps, in spite of being an essay lol.

@thighsthelimit Definitely don't mind the essay! Very glad you found a knowledgeable doctor. My diagnosing rhuemi retired at the end of 2019, just before my daughter started having more issues and it took us til this summer to find someone that knew anything in this state. She is scheduled in with her..... next June. The detailed differentiation on lymphedema and lipedema is definitely helpful. Going to keep my fingers crossed on not having it as I do have mast cell symptoms and developed histamine intolerance in 2019. Thankfully was able to add in some herbs to help with MC stabilization and going with a lower lectin diet to sure up gut lining and possible leaky gut issues (which lead to degranulation and higher histamine levels) helped with that enough I don't really deal with Histamine issues much at all anymore. I do try to be proactive with things like freezing leftovers too though. Still working on the pcos symptoms and insulin resistance side of that, but getting mast cells under control was enough to knock histamine symptoms down. Oh, and in terms of reactions, I would probably say the boils are worse, that and the dental numbing stuff comes out in mouth blisters for a few weeks after an appointment. That probably tops both of them. Thank you for explaining what you know about everything. I've been diagnosed with EDS for 25 years and information wasn't really given back then so I'm just trying to learn as things crop up these days. Always the first place I look anymore though cause it all seems to go back to that. Lol.

@@GoingGreenMom ugh I feel ya on the struggles getting the doctor. It took me 2 years of doctor's appointments to even find a doctor who knew of an EDS and then another 10 months on the waiting list. I'm glad you were able to find some things that worked for you. It's amazing that there are so many treatment options out there, the hard part sometimes is just finding them. Those boils sound awful! Ouch! Honestly, you've probably got me long since beat on the EDS knowledge since it's been 25 years. I'll happily welcome all resources, I didn't know what it was until PT school so I'm still playing catch up lol.

@@thighsthelimit There are a few resources I can offer, several of the EDS organizations have channels on here and post conference lectures. Usually a few years behind, and the one has basically decided to only focus on the DNA variants of EDS instead of anything to do with hEDS or HSD.... the reasoning they gave is they wanted everyone to feel represented in the research..... not sure I understand that since hEDS/HSD to my understanding several times outweigh the other types combined in numbers, but it is what it is I guess. But their old lectures give tidbits of insight here and there that have been helpful. Also, in the last year or two Kevin and Kathleen Muldowney have put out a book called Living Life to the Fullest with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, they are both PTs and I can't really say how good the book itself is because I haven't pulled the trigger on buying it yet, but a friend has and last I asked about it she was just starting to work through it with her PT. I'm sure I have little tricks or things that I've figured out over the years that I don't even realize I do differently to most people. Lol, feel free to ask if you have any particular things you are looking for help on, I will do my best to see how I've adjusted it. Lol.

@@GoingGreenMom Thank you so much, I added the book to my reading list! I remember someone telling me there were 13 different types of EDS and it blew my mind. I want to learn everything I can.

Also Body Project has a lot of great stuff. They have both mat and standing exercises. I'd say they're generally upper beginner, but great if you want to work more on your muscles and mobility.

Oh, and about Jo. The videos seem pretty simple, but don't be fooled they're very effective. Great for slashing calories.

I'm glad it helped!

You are very welcome! I have hypermobility spectrum disorder (basically a less inflamed version of Ehler's Danlos) so I have to be pretty careful not to push too hard into my end range of motion or do any speedy uncontrolled movements. I'm a big fan of slow and steady, but still building strength with mobility. Best thing I can recommend is if a movement hurts, check your form, and if that isn't it, either slow it down or try the same movement smaller or with your limbs closer to your body. Hope that helps!

@thighsthelimit oh, good to know! I have EDS hypermobile type. I was diagnosed probably 25 years ago now, and stumbled into fixing posture issues with pregnancies that kept me out of the wheelchair I was told I'd be in by 25. Well, kids are 18 and 20 now and I've lost those gains and put on a ton of weight, so trying to fix and find stuff that works. So far the easiest option I have found that is helping is a weight vest that pulls my shoulders back. But that doesn't so much help build up the various little muscle groups.

@@GoingGreenMom KZbin buried your responses somewhere and I'm having to hunt through my videos to find them all to respond. Love technology lol. Forgive me if I already mentioned it in a different one, but someone recommended pilates to me for all of those smaller stability muscles. I've only tried one class so far(there will be a video eventually lol) but I can definitely say I agree. I feel like it kicks all those supportive muscles into gear and my joint feel so much more stable literally just after 1 class, it might be worth checking into

@thighsthelimit will definitely look into it!

Thank you! :D

That's okay, I'm just glad you got to discover it! Something about the design just clicks with the way my brain works and I'm loving it!

Thank you! I'm still ecstatic over the results lol. I cannot keep a hula hoop up to save my life, but the belly dancing sounds like so much fun!

​@@thighsthelimit I meant hula dancing, for what it's worth. 🌴🍍

@@jenniferkoelig9156 Oh! Oops! That actually sounds super fun!

Thanks for watching it! :D I'm glad it wasn't bowel issues lmao. Those clothes for check ins make a huge difference. I'm usually in sweat pants or scrubs so I hadn't noticed by body changing until I would randomly put on jeans and feel like a busted can of biscuits. Definitely humbling and a reminder to lay off the actual biscuits 😂 I've actually always wanted to try weight watchers but I struggle so hard with tracking food mentally. I slip really easily into feeling restrictive, but once I finally feel a little more balanced, I'd love to try it. I'm glad y'all are seeing positive results and I hope you have a great weekend as well!

I'm glad you found the channel too! :)

Thank you! Planks have been kicking my buns for an eternity! I'm still on a knee plank, but I can hold it now for 45 seconds instead of 30 so I'm happy to be progressing! I hope you enjoy her ab video too!

Sounds like fun! I have absolutely no rhythm or ability to dance, so it would certainly make for an amusing video too 😂

oooh thank you! I've actually never heard of any of them, but I love trying new things and have been super interested in trying wall pilates, so you have perfect timing, thank you!

@@thighsthelimit I am shocked you never heard of any of them because they are crazy popular. Especially Caroline. Sydney uploads a few days a week and has a new program every month and a three month program over the summer. She is the most consistent with new uploads. Heather has quite a few programs and are pretty good. Caroline has tons of free programs on KZbin but recently just moved to a pay for app. Sydney is my favorite because she uploads and has new programs every month and she coaches you through it. Heather doesn't say anything. Caroline talks in the beginning but that is all. It just depends on what style you prefer. Sydney and Heather are more beginner to intermediate and Caroline is more intermediate to advanced. Check them all out!

I was dedicated to the bit 😂 It definitely was crazy hard to say it all without the lisp though lol

I love it when they provide modified versions, thank you! I'll check her out!

Thanks! I wasn't sure if I would see a difference in just a week or not, but I'm happy I did!

Thank you so much! I'm glad to provide a lil extra motivation :)