Weightloss and Hypothyroidism

AshleyEstavia2

Hi. I have recently been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have had weight issues all my life, and when I keep track of my calories and exercise, little to no weight comes off. Ex. 1 pound of weight loss in 2 months. I have over 120 lbs that I need to lose and I am wanting to give up. Please help with any advice you have.

procolorer

How are you levels? I have no luck losing weight unless my levels are on the lower to middle side of the spectrum and it has taken a lot of tweaking! Also, what is your intake looking like? Are you measuring or eyeing portions?

blankiefinder

This question gets asked all the time, you could try a search of the forums to come up with lots of posts with replies.

To answer though, it is absolutely possible to lose weight with hypothyroidism. You need to make sure it is under control (see your Dr.) and then it comes down to calories in, calories out.

I would recommend using a food scale, and reading the sticky posts at the top of the various forums, starting with

A guide to get you started on your path to Sexypants

Logging accuracy, consistency, and you're probably eating more than you think.

I did a lot of reading starting this journey, and am now down 33 lbs in 6 months, and am almost at my goal weight. Stick with it, stay away from fad diets, keep it simple.

Good luck!

AshleyEstavia2

My last level of TSH was 6.240. my t3 and t4 was normal. Should I go paleo? or anything of that nature? What should my carbs, protein and fat % be? I think this thyroid stuff flips everything upside down for me.

AshleyEstavia2

im on synthroid .75 right now too. It a new med that i started 2 weeks ago.

blankiefinder

2 weeks isn't very long, there is no way yet to know if this is the correct dosage for you. I hope you're having regular follow ups to see if your levels are right at that dose?

I'm sure you will get some replies both for and against pale. I don't know much about it. I know that from my own experience, I just needed to count my calories carefully, and added to my loss by working out and not eating back the calories. I lost 1 pound every 5 days for the first 5 months, and have now slowed as I transition to maintenance. Again, correct calorie counting is crucial, see the links I posted for great tips.

SanteMulberry

Do you go to an endocrinologist? Your TSH is WAAAY too high---keep going like that and you will burn out your adrenals. TSH should be 2.5 or less (new numbers). If you are still showing hypothyroid symptoms (and it sounds like you are) you should be seeing an expert--not your family doc. Do you take your morning temp? Are you taking Cytomel? You need to have a reverse T-3 done. Most family docs don't even know what that is. There is a thyroid group here (or at least there used to be before they redid the forums). There are some extremely knowledgeable people over there.

irleshay

I don't think Paleo or any special diet is necessary. My levels had been in the right place for years, so once I started using MFP and exercising I was able to lose the weight. I also take Synthroid. I don't know if there's an optimal carbs/fat/protein percentage -- I just used the presets MFP gave me. Trying to meet protein goals keeps me full and fuels workouts.

This is the big group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

Also, feel free to friend me. Good luck, you'll get there!

Yourebeautiful2day

I'm also in the same boat with hypothyroidism and slow-to-no-weight loss. For me exercise really helps, but I have to do a fair amount of it. The magic number for me is to burn 500 calories three times a week. When I do that, the weight just starts dropping right off. Unfortunately, with my work schedule it's really hard to get that time in at the gym. I like the elliptical machine so that's where the issue lies. It takes about an hour to burn that many calories off on that machine. I use some of the other machines, but I can only truly commit to the elliptical because that's the one I'm most comfortable with and willing to use. I can use it on level 5, but no higher because then I get tired too quickly. It's taken me weeks to build back up to level 5 without sucking wind. The kicker--this week my back went out! I've lost a whole week now. Grrrr! But as soon as I can I'll be back on it and trying hard to get those 500 calories burned. I don't know if this helped or hindered in the motivation dept., but I really do advocate doing an exercise you like.

isstillarose

I agree with the comment above that your TSH levels sound really high. And until your levels are right, it will be hard to lose weight. Normally, doctors start low and move up gradually with medication, so it can take a while to get to normal, which is a shame, because you feel lousy in the meantime. But I do think they are trying to make sure they don't over medicate, which can cause serious health problems too. The best thing you can do is track your calories/protein/carbs and fat here. Then, take this into your doctor and show him that you are not losing weight on the dosage you are on. If your TSH levels are still high, you are not losing weight and you still feel badly, he should raise your levels again in about 2 months. If he's not willing to do this, go to another doctor. You may also want to have your A1C levels tested. It is fairly common for people with under-diagnosed hypothyroidism and substantial weight gain to develop insulin resistance. Until you get both things under control it is rough going in the weight loss area. Hang in there and check back with us!

Sandcastles61

First off, your endo will explain it takes about 4 to 6 weeks for a medicine change to show up in your blood work, so be patient. You've only just started the new med. That's normally why blood draws and appts are set at around 6 weeks and move to around 3 months when things are more stable. It takes a lot of tricky fiddling to get the meds right. And don't be afraid to report any increased or decreased symptoms to the endo between appts so he can give you the best care possible.

I also agree you don't need a special "diet" . Have MFP set your original calorie and carb/fat/protein macros then weigh~ measure and log everything. I also do best making sure I focus on protein and have a veg or two with each meal, with less emphasis on starchy carbs and fats. Think of a dinner plate with 1/2 filled with veggies, 1/4 starchy carbs (or less), and 1/4 protein (or more) .

Remember in order to make a long term lifestyle change which you will need to manage the thyroid disease and achieve/maintain a healthy weight it also has to fit into the real world or you won't stick with it. That means it's okay to have pizza, or mashed potatoes, or sushi, or whatever you enjoy. Just maybe not every day, and pre-log it, check your macros and adjust the portion size or substitute a different food choice if you see you're going over somewhere. Maybe you skip the bread earlier in the day so you can have risotto or pasta with dinner or go out once in a while to a burger or pizza with your friends. Once you start seeing what certain foods do to both your calorie intake and most importantly the macros within those calories, you will find yourself making better food choices and get more bang for your calorie buck so to speak. Protein and good veggies will also keep you feeling full and satisfied longer.... And plan for a couple of snacks so you know you can have something you enjoy right around the corner.

Best of luck! It's a long road unfortunately both for gaining control over the thyroid disease and weight loss. Slow and steady wins the weight loss race!!! Losing even 1/2 to 1 pound a week can result in between 30 to 50 pounds by the end of the year

editorgrrl

I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and I lost just like everybody else—by eating fewer calories than I burned.

Read the Sexypants link posted above for how-to advice, and visit the Hypothyroidism group posted above for support.