Jameka Mauldin weighed 51 stone at her heaviest (Image: Cover Images)
Terrified that each evening could be her final one, Jameka Mauldin, 35, battled with severe swelling in her legs.
Despite trying countless diets and weight loss strategies, Jameka simply couldn’t shed the pounds from her lower body.
Feeling imprisoned within her own flesh, the single mother accumulated so much weight she became dependent on others for assistance with the most basic activities, including getting out of bed and using the lavatory.
“Doctors told me to eat less and move more, but no matter what I did, my legs just kept growing,” Jameka said. “It wasn’t just fat. It felt different. It was heavy, tight, painful. I knew something was wrong.”
Her situation deteriorated until she tipped the scales at an enormous 51 stone (325kg) – yet Jameka, from Detroit, Michigan, in the US refused to surrender and battled back, reports the Mirror.
Jameka’s life has completely changed (Image: Cover Images)
She has subsequently shed an astonishing 25 stone (159kg).
It comes after a woman lost 10 stone without surgery.
Her breakthrough moment arrived in 2019 when she finally obtained the medical diagnosis she had desperately been seeking.
Jameka was discovered to have lymphoedema, a chronic condition which triggers painful swelling (particularly in the legs and arms) caused by lymph fluid build-up in the body’s soft tissues.
Jameka knew there was more to her weight gain (Image: Cover Images)
Additionally, the mother suffered from lipoedema, a painful fat distribution disorder resulting in abnormal fat cell accumulation, especially in the legs, hips, and thighs. “Getting a diagnosis changed everything,” Jameka says.
“I cried. Not because I was scared, but because I finally had a name for what I’d been going through all these years. Now I’m finally free. And I’m not just doing this for me, I’m doing it for every woman who’s ever been dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told to just ‘try harder’.”
Both conditions are progressive and incurable, with a particularly high rate of being overlooked or misdiagnosed in black women. “We’re told we’re just fat, or that we’re lazy. But this isn’t about willpower. This is medical,” Jameka says.
Lymphedema occurs when the lymphatic system is compromised, leading to improper fluid drainage, swelling, skin changes, pain, infections like cellulitis, and potentially severe mobility issues.
Conversely, lipedema is a genetic, hormonal condition causing disproportionate fat distribution in the lower body, often worsening during hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause, and is resistant to lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
“People need to know this isn’t their fault,” Jameka stresses. “You can be doing everything right and still be gaining weight because your body is holding fluid and fat in ways you can’t control.”
At her heaviest, Jameka’s legs swelled to such an extent that she was rendered immobile without help. “I needed help with everything, bathing, dressing, even going to the bathroom. I felt helpless. I felt humiliated,” she shared.
Having worked as a caregiver and nursing assistant since 2010, Jameka had to take an entire year off to undergo surgeries and recover from this significant health crisis. As a single mother, she faced additional challenges during the most demanding phase of her recovery.
Jameka says she felt helpess (Image: Cover Images)
She describes a gruelling month in a care home post-surgery, where she fought infections that threatened to undo all her progress. Jameka reveals: “I developed infections that nearly set me back completely. It was one of the hardest times in my life.”
Her condition worsened to the point where she had to be admitted to a nursing home because she could no longer manage her daily needs at home. “I became a resident in a nursing home. That was my rock bottom.”
Yet, Jameka was determined not to let despair defeat her. She promised herself that if she couldn’t walk, she would crawl; if doing everything was overwhelming, she would do something.
“Every day I told myself, ‘Just one thing, Jameka. Just do one thing today’.”
Jameka forced herself to keep going (Image: Cover Images)
This mantra inspired her to take incremental steps that eventually led to a dramatic weight loss and an enhanced quality of life. Jameka has successfully halved her body weight through dietary changes, physiotherapy, and specialised liposuction procedures to extract damaged lymphatic tissue from her legs.
She’s made a triumphant return to the workforce, not as a patient, but as a Certified Nursing Assistant. “I went from being cared for to caring for others. That’s the full-circle moment that keeps me going.”
Her daughter Jamya, now 15, has been her rock throughout this transformation. Jameka attributes her relentless determination to her teenage daughter, saying, “She’s my reason. Every time I wanted to quit, I thought of her,”.
Jameka admits: “I still have loose skin. I still have bad days. But now I love the woman in the mirror. Because I know what she’s been through. Stop waiting for someone to clap for you. Clap for your damn self.”
Jameka has now returned to her work as a carer (Image: Cover Images)
She has become an outspoken advocate for increasing awareness about lymphedema and lipedema, especially among underrepresented communities. “We need more education. More compassion. More doctors who know what they’re talking about. Too many of us are suffering in silence,” she insists.
Now, boasting a formidable Instagram following of over 102k with the username @meekmeek2u_, Jameka is setting her sights on penning a book that chronicles her arduous yet victorious struggle with her health conditions and is determined to hit the speaking circuit to raise awareness about these frequently neglected ailments.
“This isn’t just a weight loss story,” Jameka declares. “This is a survival story. A comeback story. And it’s only just beginning.”
To those wrestling with discomfort, swelling, or judgement, Jameka reassures: “You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re not alone. Keep going.”