6<\/p>\n Jameka Mauldin had piled on 52 stone after trying everything to stop her legs growingCredit: Cover images 6<\/p>\n The mum has since lost over half her body weightCredit: Cover images<\/p>\n She piled on so much weight she had to rely on others to help her out of bed and even take her to the toilet.<\/p>\n Jameka’s health<\/a> had gotten so bad, she feared every night might be her last.<\/p>\n For years, the 35-year-old single mum<\/a> struggled with swelling in her legs and lower body that didn\u2019t respond to any of the traditional weight loss advice<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jameka said: \u201cDoctors told me to eat less and move more, but no matter what I did, my legs just kept growing. <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just fat. It felt different. It was heavy, tight, painful. I knew something was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n So wrong, that Jameka\u2019s weight<\/a> spiralled to 51 stone. <\/p>\n But this remarkable woman fought back and has now shed over 25 stone.<\/p>\n It was in 2019, she finally got the answers she\u2019d been begging for. <\/p>\n Jameka was diagnosed with lymphedema, a chronic condition<\/a> that causes lymph fluid to build up in the body\u2019s soft tissue, leading to painful swelling, especially in the arms and legs.<\/p>\n On top of that, she also had lipedema, a fat distribution disorder that typically affects women<\/a> and is marked by the abnormal buildup of painful fat cells, particularly in the hips, thighs, and legs.<\/p>\n Arthur Gourounlian shares transformation results<\/p>\n \u201cGetting a diagnosis changed everything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cI cried. Not because I was scared, but because I finally had a name for what I\u2019d been going through all these years.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I\u2019m finally free. And I\u2019m not just doing this for me, I\u2019m doing it for every woman who\u2019s ever been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to just ‘try harder\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Both conditions are progressive and incurable, and sadly, both are often ignored or misdiagnosed, especially in black women.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re told we\u2019re just fat, or that we\u2019re lazy,\u201d Jameka said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut this isn\u2019t about willpower. This is medical<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Lymphedema occurs when the body\u2019s lymphatic system is damaged or blocked, preventing fluid from draining properly. <\/p>\n This leads to swelling, skin changes, discomfort, infections like cellulitis, and even severe mobility issues.<\/p>\n Lipedema, meanwhile, is a genetic, hormonal condition <\/a>that causes disproportionate fat buildup in the lower body.<\/p>\n It often worsens with hormonal<\/a> changes like puberty, pregnancy<\/a>, or menopause<\/a>, and cannot be reversed with diet or exercise.<\/p>\n Jameka said: \u201cPeople need to know this isn\u2019t their fault.”<\/p>\n \u201cYou can be doing everything right and still be gaining weight because your body is holding fluid and fat in ways you can\u2019t control.\u201d<\/p>\n By the time Jameka hit her peak weight, her legs were so swollen she could no longer walk unaided.<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n Jameka was diagnosed with lymphedema, a chronic condition causing swellingCredit: Cover images<\/p>\n \u201cI needed help with everything, bathing, dressing, even going to the bathroom. I felt helpless. I felt humiliated, she says.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve worked as a caregiver and nursing assistant since 2010. But when my health declined, I had to take a full year off for surgeries and recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n During her most intense recovery period, complications arose.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent a month in a nursing home<\/a> after one of my surgeries,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n \u201cI developed infections that nearly set me back completely. It was one of the hardest times in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Eventually, she was admitted to a care facility, no longer able to manage daily life at home.<\/p>\n \u201cI became a resident in a nursing home<\/a>. That was my rock bottom.\u201d<\/p>\n But instead of giving up, she made a decision: if she couldn\u2019t walk, she\u2019d crawl. <\/p>\n If she couldn\u2019t do everything at once, she\u2019d do something.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery day I told myself, \u2018Just one thing, Jameka. Just do one thing today\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n That one thing turned into another. And another. And slowly, the weight began to drop.<\/p>\n Today, Jameka has lost more than half her body weight<\/a> through lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and a series of targeted liposuction surgeries to remove damaged lymphatic tissue from her legs.<\/p>\n The 5 best exercises to lose weight<\/p>\n By Lucy Gornall, personal trainer and health journalist<\/p>\n EXERCISE can be intimidating and hard to devote yourself to. So how do you find the right\u00a0workout<\/a>\u00a0for you?<\/p>\n As a PT and fitness journalist, I\u2019ve tried everything.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve taken part in endless fitness competitions, marathons and I maintain a regime of runs,\u00a0strength training<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Pilates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fitness is so entrenched in my life, I stick to it even at\u00a0Christmas<\/a>!<\/p>\n The key is finding an activity you love that can become a habit.<\/p>\n My top five forms of exercise<\/a>, especially if you’re trying to lose weight, are:<\/p>\n WalkingRunningPilatesHigh-intensity interval training (HIIT)Strength training <\/p>\n She now walks without assistance and has returned to work, not as a patient, but as a Certified Nursing Assistant.<\/p>\n \u201cI went from being cared for to caring for others. That\u2019s the full-circle moment that keeps me going.\u201d<\/p>\n Her daughter, 15-year-old Jamya, has been by her side throughout.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s my reason. Every time I wanted to quit, I thought of her,\u201d says Jameka.<\/p>\n \u201cI still have loose skin. I still have bad days. But now I love the woman in the mirror. Because I know what she\u2019s been through.\u201d<\/p>\n One of her most powerful messages was \u201cStop waiting for someone to clap for you. Clap for your damn self.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s now an advocate for lymphedema and lipedema awareness, especially in underrepresented communities.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need more education. More compassion. More doctors who know what they\u2019re talking about. Too many of us are suffering in silence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Jameka now has nearly 100,000 Instagram<\/a> followers as @\u200cmeekmeek2u_ but also hopes to write a book about her battle and speak publicly to educate others about these often-hidden illnesses.<\/p>\n For anyone living with pain, swelling, or shame, her message is loud and clear: \u201cYou\u2019re not lazy. You\u2019re not broken. You\u2019re not alone. Keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n 6<\/p>\n She lost the weight through lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and targeted liposuction surgeriesCredit: Cover images 6<\/p>\n![\"WORDS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/942b30a4-a9a3-417b-8575-0223a22c4361.jpg\")
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