New Member - with weight gain Post-Thyroidectomy

marianne_riddle

Hi There,

My name is marianne and I'm a 53 year old woman from NorCal, USA.
In February 2015 I had a hemi thyroidectomy to remove a large tumor and half of my diseased thyroid. Thankfully it was found that I do not have cancer, which I am very grateful about. Due to the surgery and hypothyroidism following my thyroidectomy I gained between 15-20 pounds in the months following my surgery and its been impossible to lose it. I am in the midst of getting my thyroid medication and thyroid hormone replacement to optimum levels - feeling much better and less sluggish but very HEAVY and frustrated with the weight gain due to my health condition and medication. I don't tend to overeat, and really do try to watch what I eat - with an occasional frozen yogurt or cookie - but I wouldn't say I'm out of control. I do not consume alchohol and drink mostly only water. I am joining My Fitness Pal in a desperate measure to validate and measure exactly what I am consuming and hopefully figure out why I keep gaining weight. It's really depressing to think that this is my new-normal, and that I will just keep getting bigger and bigger. I feel very uncomfortable in my body currently and feel fat-shame. I really hope this can help me in some way to at least not gain even more weight.
PS: I currently take 125 MCG Levothyroxine daily. 5 ft 3, 220lbs.

zahraomer05

Hang in there marianne and don't despair

editorgrrl

marianne_riddle wrote: »

I am in the midst of getting my thyroid medication and thyroid hormone replacement to optimum levels.

I am joining My Fitness Pal in a desperate measure to validate and measure exactly what I am consuming and hopefully figure out why I keep gaining weight.

I currently take 125 MCG Levothyroxine daily. 5 ft 3, 220lbs.

I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). Meds (in my case, Synthroid & Cytomel) reduce the fatigue so I can be more active. But I still kept gaining & gaining until I learned to log everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly.

I lost the weight before my thyroid levels ever entered the "normal" range (and have maintained for a year) by following the advice in the Sexypants post: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

If I could do it, you can too. Logging works.

marianne_riddle

Thank you so much for your replies and support. This has been so depressing, not only the weight gain but the whole thyroid disease and trying to make sense of it all. I really hate what I see looking back at me in the mirror. My face and eyes are so puffy, and everything feels so thick and uncomfortable. My weight and appearance is negatively effecting my marriage and its hard to find self love and self esteem. Already by logging for a couple of weeks I see I am staying below my recommended calories/fat/carbs - I guess I just need to take it further. One day at a time, I know - but its hard to feel self love and acceptance while unwell and with this condition. Sorry to vent, but it really is frustrating and almost too much to bear alone sometimes. Thanks for your support! It means alot!!

editorgrrl

marianne_riddle wrote: »

My weight and appearance is negatively effecting my marriage and it's hard to find self love and self esteem.

What helped me was to eliminate the negative self-talk. Talk to yourself at least as kindly as you would to me—or any of your MFP friends. (It's much harder than it sounds. But like anything else, it gets easier the more you do it.)

Celebrate every NSV (non-scale victory). Reaching out to start this thread is a huge NSV.

And keep a mental list of non-food ways to make yourself feel better. If what you're feeling isn't hunger, then food won't make you feel any better. (My list includes guilty pleasure TV, walking outside, and getting a massage.)

marianne_riddle

I really appreciate this support and wisdom. I read the sexypants guidelines and for the past few days have been almost obsessively tracking everything I consume. I have to! Already I can see a few places where I need to adjust, and keeping track is making me more aware and accountable. I've been so unwell and in metabolic flux since my health diagnosis and surgery. If this is my new normal, then I need to work harder than I ever have before. It really means a lot to read your replies, and as I soak up the positivity and optimism I can feel today is already better. The extra weight and thyroid imbalance since my operation in Feb. has really put me in a ditch, and I've been internalizing the negative self talk for too long. Thank you for the reminder to be kinder to myself! I'm really thankful I discovered MFP and already feel better about what I can try to accomplish. I love my husband of 18 years, but he isn't very supportive - unless you consider shaming and blaming to be support. I do all the cooking and shopping, and really do try to feed my family healthy and organic meals. My husband is an ultra trail marathoner who runs 100K races regularly, so I admit I feel that I pale in comparison to his commitment to fitness.
I try to stay active in my own way - I enjoy other types of excersize like aqua aerobics, drumming, hiking, elliptical training, resistance weight training etc. Right now what I want to do is just stay focused on my daily successes (today I did 45 mins of cardio and 20 mins of weights and didn't eat any gluten or sugar) as well as start educating myself on what types of excersize will yield me the most result (and calorie burning) as well as filling, nutritious foods I can focus on eating that are satisfying, nutrient dense and easy to prepare.
I really hope that what I've felt these past months are as low as I'll go -- and from here on, I'll move in a positive forward direction. Thank you again for your support and wisdom. I really needed it, and appreciate it greatly.
- Marianne

marialexa61

Marianne - Your dose of levothyroxine is way too low for your given weight. The dose is 1.7mcg per kg of body weight. At 220lbs, or 99.79kg, your dose should be approximately 170mcg daily. Being hypothyroid is causing your weight gain.