Laura Kerr Yoga

03/09/2026

11 Surprising Facts About Lipedema Most People Don’t Know

Lipedema is still widely misunderstood, even within the medical community. Here are some fascinating and important facts everyone should know:

1. Lipedema was first identified in 1940.
Doctors Edgar Allen and Edgar Hines at the Mayo Clinic first described the condition in women in a medical paper called “Lipedema of the Legs.”

2. It almost exclusively affects women.
Around 90–99% of people diagnosed are female, which is why hormones like estrogen are believed to play a major role.

3. Diet and exercise don’t “fix” it.
Lipedema fat is metabolically different than regular fat and often does not respond to calorie restriction or traditional weight loss.

4. It often starts during hormonal shifts.
Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause are common times when Lipedema first appears or worsens.

5. It’s estimated to affect up to 11% of women. That’s millions of women worldwide, yet most remain undiagnosed.

6. Bruising easily is one of the hallmark symptoms. Many women with Lipedema bruise from very minor bumps due to fragile capillaries.

7. The feet and hands are usually spared. One classic sign doctors see is the “cuff sign” where swelling stops at the ankles.

8. It can be painful. Unlike typical fat, Lipedema tissue can feel tender, sore, or heavy, especially by the end of the day.

9. It’s frequently misdiagnosed.
Many women are told they simply have obesity or lymphedema, which delays proper support and care.

10. Research is growing, but still limited.
Despite affecting millions of women, Lipedema has historically received very little funding and medical research attention compared to other conditions.

11. It is a real medical condition: not a lifestyle issue. Modern research now recognizes Lipedema as a chronic connective tissue and fat disorder, not something caused by laziness or lack of discipline.

The more we talk about Lipedema, the more women realize they’re not crazy and they’re not alone.

Awareness matters.
Education matters.
And women deserve better answers.

If you learned something new, share this so more women can recognize the signs.
You never know who might finally get the clarity they’ve been searching for.

— Laura Kerr
(Lipedema advocate & educator)

03/09/2026

My incredible friend Patty Unfinished is collecting data on doctors familiar with Lipedema and diagnosis if you’ve been diagnosed would you take 2 minutes and fill out this doc for her? It’s a google doc so you need a gmail acount to complete. There is also a spot to tate your Doctors level of knowledge!
TIA
Laura (ps link to form is in the comments)

03/08/2026

5 Lipedema hot takes that might cause a fight in the comment section! lol 😂 I’m kidding! I saved the best for last!

03/08/2026

Today, on International Women’s Day, I want to shine a light on something many women quietly experience.

So many women seek help.
They go to doctors.
They ask questions.
They explain their symptoms.
They advocate for themselves.

And far too often they are dismissed, gaslit, or told “everything looks normal.”

“You’re fine.”
“It’s just stress.”
“Maybe you should lose weight.”
“Your tests are normal.”

Meanwhile, they know something in their body isn’t right.

Women are incredibly intuitive about their bodies. Yet time and time again their concerns are minimized or brushed aside.

This happens with conditions like Lipedema, endometriosis, autoimmune disorders, hormonal imbalances, chronic pain, and so many others that women fight for years to have recognized.

Today isn’t just about celebrating women.
It’s also about listening to them.

Believing women.
Researching women’s health.
Taking women’s symptoms seriously.

Because when a woman says something isn’t right in her body…

she deserves to be heard, not dismissed.

To every woman who kept searching for answers even when people told her she was “fine” …
I see you. 💛

03/07/2026

5 Things I thought were just ‘my body’… but were actually Lipedema.

1. Bruising from almost nothing: You lightly bump into something and suddenly you have a huge bruise. You can’t even remember what caused it.

2. Your upper body loses weight but your legs don’t: You diet, exercise, and your waist gets smaller… but your legs barely change. It can feel incredibly frustrating.

3. Fat that feels painful or tender to touch: For many women with Lipedema, the tissue itself can be sore. Even light pressure can feel uncomfortable.

4. Legs that feel heavy by the end of the day: Almost like you’re walking around with ankle weights you didn’t sign up for.

5. Not sweating during workouts
This one shocked me. I could work out hard and barely sweat while everyone around me was drenched.

The tricky part about Lipedema is that many of these things get brushed off or normalized for years.

But when women finally learn about it, a lot of pieces suddenly start to make sense.

If you live with Lipedema, you’re not imagining your symptoms and you’re definitely not alone. 🤍

If you’ve experienced any of these, I’d love to know in the comments.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can realize is how many of us share the same story.
Love
Laura

03/06/2026

03/06/2026

When I first started sharing here, I had no idea who would be listening. I just knew I wanted to speak honestly about things that matter, nervous system healing, living with Lipedema, rebuilding trust with our bodies, and learning to live a life that actually feels good.

To know that 40,000 of you are here, reading, watching, sharing, and being part of these conversations means more to me than you probably realize.

This space has become so much more than a page.

It’s become a community of women who are learning to:

• trust themselves again
• regulate their nervous systems
• question the narratives we were handed
• and support each other in becoming stronger, calmer, and more empowered.

If you’ve ever liked a post, commented, shared something with a friend, or sent me a message telling me something resonated… thank you.

You are the reason I keep showing up.

Love Laura

03/05/2026

If you wanna hear an incredible love story and aren’t afraid to cry 😢 you’re welcome

03/05/2026

Lipedema Q+a

03/04/2026

With Lipedema the body can feel heavy…
but the real work often starts with the mind.

The swelling, the pain, the frustration with your body

those things are real.

But so are the stories we carry about ourselves.

Years of being dismissed.
Years of being told to “just lose weight.”
Years of wondering what you’re doing wrong.

That weight can feel heavier than the physical symptoms.

The moment things begin to shift is when you stop fighting yourself and start supporting your body instead.

Your body isn’t the enemy.
It’s asking for care, understanding, and compassion.

And when the mind begins to soften… the healing journey can truly begin.

If you’re living with Lipedema and feel overwhelmed, stuck, or alone in it.

I support women through nervous-system focused therapy, somatic practices, and practical strategies to help you reconnect with your body and feel empowered again.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. 💛

Dm me to set up a 10 minute discovery call to see if we are a good fit!

03/04/2026

When you have Lipedema, people will judge you no matter what your body looks like.

Too big.
Too small.
Too muscular.
Too soft.

Someone will always have an opinion.

And at some point you realize something incredibly freeing…

Your happiness can’t depend on strangers’ opinions.

Life gets a lot lighter when you stop trying to win everyone over and start focusing on how you feel in your own body.

The real freedom comes when you stop caring what everyone else thinks…
and start loving, respecting, and standing beside yourself instead.

Living with Lipedema isn’t just physical.
It impacts your nervous system, your self-image, your trust in your body, and often your trust in the healthcare system too.

As a therapist who is Lipedema-informed, I help women:

• regulate a nervous system that’s been stuck in survival mode

• rebuild trust and compassion for their body

• process the grief, anger, and frustration that can come with this condition

• develop emotional resilience and boundaries around body comments and medical dismissal

• reconnect with a sense of power and peace within themselves

You don’t have to navigate this alone.

If you’re ready for support, you can reach out to me for 1:1 virtual counselling. I meet you exactly where you are.

🤍Laura