From 'Body Breakdown' to Losing 70 Pounds

Aisha Adams is beyond busy. Carving out space to thrive and drastically cutting carbs helped end her lifelong struggle with a fat disorder.

LaKisha Cargill

Published June 10, 2025

What helps you manage your weight during perimenopause or menopause? Have you ever followed a ketogenic diet? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

As the mother of a recent college graduate, a wife, the legal guardian of a 14-year-old girl, an entrepreneur, a Diversity and Inclusion consultant for several entities, and a writer, I give so much to my family and community. I aim to create a space where people can become their best selves and thrive. In 2020, I decided to create that kind of space for myself. I have struggled to maintain a healthy weight for as long as I can remember. Before turning 40, I remember joking with my mom, saying that I have been on a multitude of diets and nothing has worked.

Aisha Adams before her weight loss journey

In addition to not being able to lose weight, when I turned 40, it seemed like my body was having a breakdown. I experienced a series of medical issues, from an irregular mammogram to blood clots to fibroids, and I needed a hysterectomy. My doctor tried to assure me that these were normal body wear and tear, but I needed more answers. I searched online and found a doctor who specialized in fat disorders. I made an appointment despite paying for the consultation out of pocket and driving across state lines to see her; I was determined to go.

Determination and finally, a diagnosis

In anticipation of the visit, I decided to focus my energy on weight loss for six to eight weeks before I met with the specialist. I exercised every day by hiking this mountain near where I live. Some days, I would spend two hours out there, but did not shed a pound. I was two pounds heavier when I stepped on the scale at the appointment. It was a miserable feeling. And while the doctor was neither friendly nor mean, she was thorough and diagnosed me that day with a condition known as lipedema.

Cleveland Clinic’s website notes that lipedema is abnormal fat accumulation that does not respond to diet and exercise like normal fat tissue. Furthermore, hormones tend to affect lipedema, usually causing it to manifest during female hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, or even during birth control use.

The specialist asked me if I could do the following things:

Walk for at least 30 minutes a day
Cut carbohydrate intake to less than 30 grams per day
Wear compression garments daily
Use a lymphatic machine

I answered yes. Plus, I changed my diet. I was a practicing vegan, but the doctor advised that with this diagnosis, I needed to eat foods high in protein and cut my carbs lower than the 50 carbs I was used to. I had been trying to lose weight and had not been successful, but I was willing to do what I needed to do to hopefully see some improvement. I could not start walking right off because it had started snowing and icing in my area, and while I had ordered a treadmill, it had not arrived yet. Still, in the first five days of making the other adjustments, I had lost five pounds.

Lipedema is abnormal fat accumulation that does not respond to diet and exercise like normal fat tissue. Furthermore, hormones tend to affect lipedema, usually causing it to manifest during female hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, menopause, or even during birth control use.

But I continued researching weight loss online and ran across the blog of a woman on her weight loss journey, and she said something I had never heard before. She stated that it takes 30 weeks to lose a noticeable amount of weight. All my life, I had heard the weight loss claims that said, "Do this and lose weight in 12 weeks, or try this 10-week boot camp and lose weight." The blogger noted that for the first 15 weeks, you may be the only one to notice a change, but others will not notice until the next 15 weeks. So, I fully committed to 30 weeks.

I have never had a problem with discipline or doing what was needed to lose weight. I just hadn’t been successful. However, on the last day of my 30th week, I was on a call with a few doctors as part of my consulting business, and one of the doctors asked me to stay after the meeting. She asked, "What are you doing? You look completely different." I was shocked and elated. It took me nearly 30 weeks before I even started to see a difference. This made me want to keep going.

Adopting a low-carb diet became a way of life for me. While I focus on eating whole foods and minimizing my intake of pre-packaged and processed foods, the ketogenic diet is a tool I use to enhance weight loss when needed. In their 2019 work to address whether the ketogenic diet could help women with lipedema, occupational therapist Leslyn Keith and Dr. Catherine Seo explained, "A ketogenic diet minimizes the symptoms of lipedema, such as pain and swelling, results in weight loss, and improves the quality of life for women with lipedema."

In 2025, at 44, I am celebrating over 150 weeks of regular exercise, resulting in a 70-pound weight loss.

Keto is characterized by consuming foods high in fats and low in carbs. These good fats (from eggs, fish, olive oil, etc.) are converted into energy. This is known as ketosis. In essence, this metabolic state is fighting fat with fat. In an article by Northwestern Medicine titled "Pros and Cons of the Ketogenic Diet" dietitian Richelle Gomez, MS, RDN, LDN noted that one of the benefits of a ketogenic diet is that it decreases hunger because it takes longer for fatty foods to break down plus it "reduces calorie intake by eliminating food groups."

I have learned to trust my body and believe in my ability to transform how I think about my body and my self-care.

But the ketogenic diet is not the only tool in my arsenal. Consistent exercise also became my thing. I went from virtually not moving at all to being super active. When I first started on the treadmill, I could only manage 8-minute increments four times daily. Now, I can walk up to 8 miles in a single session. But I also wanted variety. I knew I could not maintain my workouts by going to a gym every day, so I decided to build my gym at home. It is still a work in progress. I have a treadmill, a bike, a rower, and weights, and I am looking to add other pieces soon. But this space has become my inner sanctum. It is my personal space where I can lock in and spend time with myself. In 2025, at 44, I am celebrating over 150 weeks of regular exercise resulting in a 70-pound weight loss.

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I am more than ecstatic that I have been able to see such a grand weight loss. However, my weight loss is one of the wins since starting this journey. The most profound change has been my mindset shift. I have learned to trust my body and believe in my ability to transform how I think about my body and my self-care. I have incorporated regular massages and chiropractic care into my routine. In addition, while changing up my hair maintenance was necessary with all the exercise, it was also a chance to take care of myself and bond with my hairstylist.

It is hard to believe that I have been on a weight loss journey for most of my life. This journey has taught me the value of patience, persistence, and self-discovery. It reminds me that transformation doesn’t happen overnight but is possible with determination and the right tools.

What helps you manage your weight during perimenopause or menopause? Have you ever followed a ketogenic diet? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

LaKisha Cargill is a Birmingham-based freelance writer and award-winning poet who focuses on lifestyle, health and wellness, diversity and inclusion, and pop culture. She has contributed to Reckon South, Honey, and Wildfire Magazine. She is also an experienced insurance professional who has contributed to industry publications. Find LaKisha on Instagram @lakishawrites.