Finding your BMR with Hypothroidism

Eajackson2011

I've been on levothyroxin for 5 weeks now. For 6 weeks I've been following a 1200 cal. Diet with calories left over at end of day (60-85). But I'm actually gaining weight. My other health issues limit much active calorie burning so I'm trying to find a true estimate of my BMR. 5'9"; 225lb.; 47 years. But I'm obviously not burning as much as I eat. I stay within calorie limits as well as suggested macro percentages, but I'm actually slowly & continuously gaining weight.

kristen6350

Are you using a food scale for your solids and measuring your liquids? You may actually be eating more than you think.

bellaa_x0

Eajackson2011 wrote: »

I've been on levothyroxin for 5 weeks now. For 6 weeks I've been following a 1200 cal. Diet with calories left over at end of day (60-85). But I'm actually gaining weight. My other health issues limit much active calorie burning so I'm trying to find a true estimate of my BMR. 5'9"; 225lb.; 47 years. But I'm obviously not burning as much as I eat. I stay within calorie limits as well as suggested macro percentages, but I'm actually slowly & continuously gaining weight.

first, it is way too soon to tell if your medication is at the right dose.. i have been on levothyroxine since january and have yet to arrive at the right dose for me (seeing an endocrinologist) - currently on 112 mcg.

kristen6350 wrote: »

Are you using a food scale for your solids and measuring your liquids? You may actually be eating more than you think.

i would focus on this for now (use a food scale rather than guesstimating or using measuring cups/spoons) and getting in any exercise you can - walking, running, swimming, weights, etc. a lot of people with hypothyroidism need to put in more effort than the average person to lose weight.

Purplebunnysarah

bellaa_x0 wrote: »

Eajackson2011 wrote: »

I've been on levothyroxin for 5 weeks now. For 6 weeks I've been following a 1200 cal. Diet with calories left over at end of day (60-85). But I'm actually gaining weight. My other health issues limit much active calorie burning so I'm trying to find a true estimate of my BMR. 5'9"; 225lb.; 47 years. But I'm obviously not burning as much as I eat. I stay within calorie limits as well as suggested macro percentages, but I'm actually slowly & continuously gaining weight.

first, it is way too soon to tell if your medication is at the right dose.. i have been on levothyroxine since january and have yet to arrive at the right dose for me (seeing an endocrinologist) - currently on 112 mcg.

kristen6350 wrote: »

Are you using a food scale for your solids and measuring your liquids? You may actually be eating more than you think.

i would focus on this for now (use a food scale rather than guesstimating or using measuring cups/spoons) and getting in any exercise you can - walking, running, swimming, weights, etc. a lot of people with hypothyroidism need to put in more effort than the average person to lose weight.

Agree with this. My doctor was testing me every 6 weeks for what felt like forever to be sure that my dose was correct--and I'm on a very low dose and only have had to have it adjusted from the lowest twice in the past 2.5 years.

bellaa_x0

sarahthes wrote: »

bellaa_x0 wrote: »

Eajackson2011 wrote: »

I've been on levothyroxin for 5 weeks now. For 6 weeks I've been following a 1200 cal. Diet with calories left over at end of day (60-85). But I'm actually gaining weight. My other health issues limit much active calorie burning so I'm trying to find a true estimate of my BMR. 5'9"; 225lb.; 47 years. But I'm obviously not burning as much as I eat. I stay within calorie limits as well as suggested macro percentages, but I'm actually slowly & continuously gaining weight.

first, it is way too soon to tell if your medication is at the right dose.. i have been on levothyroxine since january and have yet to arrive at the right dose for me (seeing an endocrinologist) - currently on 112 mcg.

kristen6350 wrote: »

Are you using a food scale for your solids and measuring your liquids? You may actually be eating more than you think.

i would focus on this for now (use a food scale rather than guesstimating or using measuring cups/spoons) and getting in any exercise you can - walking, running, swimming, weights, etc. a lot of people with hypothyroidism need to put in more effort than the average person to lose weight.

Agree with this. My doctor was testing me every 6 weeks for what felt like forever to be sure that my dose was correct--and I'm on a very low dose and only have had to have it adjusted from the lowest twice in the past 2.5 years.

yup i feel like i'm having a blood panel every month.. its probably more like 6 weeks as you mentioned, but after a while it feels like its constant.

lindsey1979

This is a really frustrating journey -- there are some great posters and resources in the hypo group.

I totally second the food scale advice because it's really important to know exactly how much you're eating and mistakes in measuring/calculating are super common. That being said, has your doc also checked for other issues?

When I finally found my current doc (after 10+ years of suspecting a thyroid disorder -- classic symptoms and family history), he checked for a whole bunch of other things that I didn't even know about that present as thyroid symptoms. He checked adrenals (cortisol and DHEA), liver enzymes, insulin resistance/glucose issues, common vitamin/mineral deficiencies (Bs, D, Iron, Iodine, magnesium, etc.).

For me, I found that I had severe deficiencies in both Vitamin D and Magnesium (common in the population, but super common with thyroid folks), insulin resistance (which was really shocking to me since at my heaviest, I was only 30 lbs overweight) and my adrenals were shot (almost no DHEA -- which is a really common issue with thyroid people too). So, it wasn't just about getting me thyroid meds, but also sorting out the rest of these. Once I did, my thyroid generally stabilized (until I got pregnant) and I lost the weight largely as expected with your CICO calculations. A little slower and sometimes had longer stalls/plateaus, but not drastically so.

Pawsforme

It took a good six weeks for my medication to kick. From time of diagnosis until then I was maintaining at 1000-1100 calories a day plus doing as much walking as I had time and energy for. So hang in there and hopefully you'll start getting some benefit from the medication soon. I've got an appointment next week for a re-check for my own medication.

tiffkittyw

I am on 50 mcg of levothyroxizine and it's only been 2 weeks for me but I've been losing at least 1/2 to 1 lb a week on a weekly average of 1,200-1,300 gross daily. I do lift weights 3x a week and do cardio (elliptical and walking) to get 10,000+ steps a day. I feel like I'm always walking because I know it is harder for me to lose weight than others. I also just started weighing my food when I eat at home.

Edit: I should probably add that my net calories per week are usually lower than I stated due to exercise (fit bit syncing with MFP).

Kalikel

Being hypo will lower your ability to burn calories, but five weeks really isn't long enough to start worrying. Did you have the six week checkup yet?

It takes time to get it all sorted out. It took me the better part of six months to get to a level that was working. Since then, I've still had to change my dosage a bunch of times. We've decided not to drop it again, which is a Yay for me.

Give it some time and don't worry too much.

The problem with trying to lose when you're hypo is that you don't get the energy you need. I used to try to lose when I was hypo and to eat what I had to eat in order to lose weight, I'd get dizzy. Don't do that! Losing weight isn't worth it.

Wait until your meds get straightened out. After it's straightened out, give it time. If you still cannot lose, bring it up at your six month check-up.

Yi5hedr3

Feed your thyroid and you'll get off the meds. Start taking iodoral every day.

lithezebra

Eajackson2011 wrote: »

I've been on levothyroxin for 5 weeks now. For 6 weeks I've been following a 1200 cal. Diet with calories left over at end of day (60-85). But I'm actually gaining weight. My other health issues limit much active calorie burning so I'm trying to find a true estimate of my BMR. 5'9"; 225lb.; 47 years. But I'm obviously not burning as much as I eat. I stay within calorie limits as well as suggested macro percentages, but I'm actually slowly & continuously gaining weight.

It was several years before I noticed significant weight loss after starting on levothyroxin. First of all, it may take time to get your dosage adjusted to your needs. Have you had a TSH test since you started on medication? One thing that can happen when you start taking thyroid medication is that you have more energy and joy for eating, and end up gaining weight. However, you will also have more energy for exercise, for taking care of yourself by eating healthily, and for measuring and tracking your food.

In short, getting medication for a hypothyroid condition won't necessarily cause you to lose weight without making other changes, but it will make your life a lot better.

bonny813

tiffkittyw wrote: »

I am on 50 mcg of levothyroxizine and it's only been 2 weeks for me but I've been losing at least 1/2 to 1 lb a week on a weekly average of 1,200-1,300 gross daily. I do lift weights 3x a week and do cardio (elliptical and walking) to get 10,000+ steps a day. I feel like I'm always walking because I know it is harder for me to lose weight than others. I also just started weighing my food when I eat at home.

Edit: I should probably add that my net calories per week are usually lower than I stated due to exercise (fit bit syncing with MFP).

tiffkittyw..I've been trying to talk myself into justifying spending the $$ on the Fitbit that I've had my eye on. Do you find the fitbit helpful in motivating you or are they more of an informational tool?

tiffkittyw

bonny813 wrote: »

tiffkittyw wrote: »

I am on 50 mcg of levothyroxizine and it's only been 2 weeks for me but I've been losing at least 1/2 to 1 lb a week on a weekly average of 1,200-1,300 gross daily. I do lift weights 3x a week and do cardio (elliptical and walking) to get 10,000+ steps a day. I feel like I'm always walking because I know it is harder for me to lose weight than others. I also just started weighing my food when I eat at home.

Edit: I should probably add that my net calories per week are usually lower than I stated due to exercise (fit bit syncing with MFP).

tiffkittyw..I've been trying to talk myself into justifying spending the $$ on the Fitbit that I've had my eye on. Do you find the fitbit helpful in motivating you or are they more of an informational tool?

I find the Fitbit very motivating. It helps me get to 10,000 steps a day which I believe really helps my weight loss. My fitness pal and Fitbit interface so my calories in shows in the fitbit app and Fitbit gives me exercise calories in my fitness pal that I can use as I wish. Fitbit also sends you a weekly email with your calories burned versus eaten so you can compare the results to your weight loss.

pstegman888

tiffkittyw wrote: »

bonny813 wrote: »

tiffkittyw wrote: »

I am on 50 mcg of levothyroxizine and it's only been 2 weeks for me but I've been losing at least 1/2 to 1 lb a week on a weekly average of 1,200-1,300 gross daily. I do lift weights 3x a week and do cardio (elliptical and walking) to get 10,000+ steps a day. I feel like I'm always walking because I know it is harder for me to lose weight than others. I also just started weighing my food when I eat at home.

Edit: I should probably add that my net calories per week are usually lower than I stated due to exercise (fit bit syncing with MFP).

tiffkittyw..I've been trying to talk myself into justifying spending the $$ on the Fitbit that I've had my eye on. Do you find the fitbit helpful in motivating you or are they more of an informational tool?

I find the Fitbit very motivating. It helps me get to 10,000 steps a day which I believe really helps my weight loss. My fitness pal and Fitbit interface so my calories in shows in the fitbit app and Fitbit gives me exercise calories in my fitness pal that I can use as I wish. Fitbit also sends you a weekly email with your calories burned versus eaten so you can compare the results to your weight loss.

I agree, very motivating. Always trying to get more steps to go up to the next round number! And if I have a low step or higher calorie day, the weekly report lets me know that I'm still on track overall.

ShashayLee

Took me months to find the right dose, but in the meantime you must weigh your food & log it accurately, you should still be able to lose weight but tighten up your logging. It all comes down to CICO

Psychgrrl

It takes 8 weeks for the medication to fully enter your bloodstream and even then, you may need another adjustment and another 8 weeks.

You may want to talk to your doc about a referral to an endocrinologist if you're not already seeing one. A specialist is a specialist for a reason. Also, ask your doc about cytomel. You are taking a T4, which your body is supposed to convert into T3. You might not be doing that and may need T3/cytomel supplementation. Most studies show T3 supplementation has little effect on TSH, however, patients reported an increase in quality of life and lessening of symptoms. Bonus--T3 is fast acting, no waiting 8 weeks.

Ask for your numbers: TSH, Free T3 and Free T4. Ask what standards your doc and lab are using for the normal range for each. Talk with your doc about how you feel, and if you don't feel OK, stand up for yourself and say so. There's a normal range for a reason. We all don't function optimally at the same number. Just like there's no one ideal weight for everyone.

I have a Garmin Vivoactive. Love it. It nudges me every 45 minutes or so if I've been inactive and it takes 100 steps to clear the "Move" bar. If I'm in a meeting my staff and I get up and walk around the table and keep talking. They think it's hilarious. And that it reminds all of us to be active. Also love getting my texts on my wrist. Much more subtle than reaching for my phone during a meeting. And I live the fireworks display when I hit my daily step goal. Fitness trackers are worth the $$$ in my opinion.

Grandmaelf2008

I was diagnosed with hypo in 2010. Currently I take 275mcg. Since June of 2015 I have lost 50lbs. Yes it's a struggle at times but you just have to keep at it. It will come off it just may take a bit longer.

Duchy82

Give it time the chances are you may need your meds tweaked quite a bit before you feel 'normal' again and start losing weight it took 2 years for me to get to a dose where I felt right. Don't be tempted to drop below 1 200kcal but try and stick to it chances are you will in the very least minimise your weight gain until your dose is closer to where it needs to be this way. I couldn't tell you when I would've started losing in those 2 years as weightloss wasn't a focus at that time in my life. To of set that though I am 63lbs down from my heaviest weight and counting so it can be done.