Anyone with an under active thyroid?

charlenekemp07

I'm in my 5th week of trying to lose weight, eating healthy, staying under my calorie goal, working out 5x a week and I'm not losing any weight. I went to the dr because of womanly reasons and they sent me for blood tests. Turns out my thyroid is under active!! I have to go back in a month to check it again. In the mean time... i still want to lose weight, but not sure how to, is there anyone else with an underactive thyroid that had success on losing weight? Any advice?

tinkerbellang83

There's an old thread here on the subject: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/157697/under-active-thyroid-and-weight-loss

Although it's going to be more difficult, the fundamentals of weight loss are still the same, you need to be prepared for the long haul, slow and steady approach.

Check out the chart below for other tips on how to tighten up your logging, which may help:

sidpadte87

You are on 5th week the time span is low to draw any conclusion. But yes having thyroid issues does slow things down. I'd suggest you stay motivated and continue working out. Visit an endocrinologist and give them regular updates of your weight loss, if they find it slow they'll mostly prescribe metformin to help move things but you'll still have to be honest with your calorie intake and your workouts.
All the best and stay motivated

ekd23

I have hypothyroidism (under active). I have been on meds for about 3 weeks now. I've lost several pounds since then, but I have also become much stricter about weighing my food with a food scale and logging every bite. So, don't really think I can credit the medicine for that so much as crediting myself for accurately logging. The only thing I have noticed with the meds so far is it has increased my heart rate (to a normal level). Before I found out I was hypothyroid, my resting heart rate was VERY low and even when I would push myself during exercise, it didn't get very high. Meds are fixing that. However, still feeling fatigued and freezing cold all the time. Might need to adjust the dosage. Did your dr start you on meds?

charlenekemp07

ekd23 wrote: »

I have hypothyroidism (under active). I have been on meds for about 3 weeks now. I've lost several pounds since then, but I have also become much stricter about weighing my food with a food scale and logging every bite. So, don't really think I can credit the medicine for that so much as crediting myself for accurately logging. The only thing I have noticed with the meds so far is it has increased my heart rate (to a normal level). Before I found out I was hypothyroid, my resting heart rate was VERY low and even when I would push myself during exercise, it didn't get very high. Meds are fixing that. However, still feeling fatigued and freezing cold all the time. Might need to adjust the dosage. Did your dr start you on meds?

No, she didn't. She said that I should go back in a month or 2 and test it again, which kinda bothers me, because I mean...can it fix itself? She didn't give me any advice or anything. So I'm not really sure how to 'fix' it. My actual dr's first appointment is only in May, because she's on holiday. I don't know if I should make an appointment with her and wait or change my diet or what, really no idea...

nationalvillage3215

I also have low thyroid. Been taking synthyroid meds for a long time which keeps my thyroid level normal. My blood is checked every 3 months which makes it easier to control the correct dosage. This is a fairly common condition for post-menopausal women. You will find your energy will go way up when you first start taking them, and will make it easier to lose weight, but after time, your body adjusts and will have to plod along just like everyone else to lose weight - at least that is my experience.

ekd23

charlenekemp07 wrote: »

ekd23 wrote: »

I have hypothyroidism (under active). I have been on meds for about 3 weeks now. I've lost several pounds since then, but I have also become much stricter about weighing my food with a food scale and logging every bite. So, don't really think I can credit the medicine for that so much as crediting myself for accurately logging. The only thing I have noticed with the meds so far is it has increased my heart rate (to a normal level). Before I found out I was hypothyroid, my resting heart rate was VERY low and even when I would push myself during exercise, it didn't get very high. Meds are fixing that. However, still feeling fatigued and freezing cold all the time. Might need to adjust the dosage. Did your dr start you on meds?

No, she didn't. She said that I should go back in a month or 2 and test it again, which kinda bothers me, because I mean...can it fix itself? She didn't give me any advice or anything. So I'm not really sure how to 'fix' it. My actual dr's first appointment is only in May, because she's on holiday. I don't know if I should make an appointment with her and wait or change my diet or what, really no idea...

It's pretty crappy that she didn't offer any advice or start you on a low dosage of meds for a few weeks before rechecking your blood. Thyroid issues are generally unlikely to fix themselves. The body just isn't making the correct hormones. I would ask to be referred to an endocrinologist.

annacole94

There is nothing you can do to fix your thyroid. I would make another appointment and ask why you weren't started on medication, or move on to another doctor/specialist to get going on treatment. The difference in how I felt unmedicated vs. medicated was huge, and my TSH levels weren't crazy high (only around 5).

elainemfrantz23

I am hypothyroid. Couldn't shed a lb for 4 years. I ate healthy and have always been a gym fanatic. I finally switched to non-gmo, organic clean eating and dropped 30 lbs!!!! It may not work for everyone but certainly worked for me.

akchica

I have hypothyroidism... and as mentioned earlier your thyroid won't fix itself. You need meds. I recently went off of my meds and I felt horrible. The difference from being on meds and off is very apparent. Also, off of meds I gain weight easily vs on, I can eat like a normal person. See someone more progressive... consider integrative medicine. I recently moved and I had to fight my new provider to stay on meds since my levels were in the normal range.... however this was while I was taking the meds diligently. Not sure of her reasoning there but there is a wide range of thinking there.

CSARdiver

Sans thyroid after a total thyroidectomy in 2000. I gained ~70 pounds over the next 14 years as I transitioned from a high active military career to a sedentary cushy civilian lifestyle in academia. I was clueless on what I was eating every day and engaged in little to no exercise.

I discovered MFP about 2 years ago and started logging and gradually increasing my activity and down 60 pounds in the first year.

Ignore diet sites - only medication and surgery can help thyroid issues. Thyroid impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE), you metabolism, by about 5%, so that equates to about 80 calories out of a 1600 kcal/day budget. Don't make this more than it is. If you are not losing weight you are not in a caloric deficit.

Any good physician is going to diagnose multiple values - not just go off one. You should also be reviewing your full thyroid panel including TSH, fT3, fT4, and rT3. One cannot make an accurate diagnosis without this.

Check with your doctor and get a clear understanding of what the next steps are. Keep on logging and working out, but tighten up your logs a bit. Keep doing what you are doing and bring this up with your physician, showing them your logs - bear in mind most doctors have little to no clue on weight management.

jacobsl221

I am also low thyroid without meds. Since I have been on medication I can finally lose weight. I am no longer freezing and sleeping all of the time. I hope your doctor can help you. Since my dr. is new, she made me go off the meds I had before to find out what I was "really" like. Wow did I gain weight that month. Good luck.

HaleCry

I have hypothyroidism and am taking mess for it. I'm down 45lbs so far with 16 more to go

spacelara

I have hypothyroidism Hashimoto's disease and take medication daily. It helps but haven't been 100% since diagnosis. I was 8 stone now almost 11 stones (size 10) but I have over eaten and indulged in unhealthy food too. I had no motivation to exercise even once for 2.5 years. Also, my legs and ankles are always swollen, i have occasional joint pain too, all thyroid related symptoms. I decided to get back to size 8 and taking fitness and nutrition seriously now. I have stopped eating meat and think and feeling a lot better since. Wish you the best on getting your thyroid balanced.

charlenekemp07

Thank you so much for all the advice. I was pretty sad when I got the results back, because it feels that it's my fault, I wasn't looking after my body and I now have this issue because of my unhealthy habits. I'm definitely making the appointment with my actual dr on Monday, I'm sure she'll help a little better. I have to wait a month for her though. I'll just continue what I'm doing now, even if I don't lose weight, at least I'm not picking up anything either

ruqayyahsmum

Hypothyroidism isnt the sufferers fault
I have hashimotos thyroiditis. Not my fault, its an autoimmune disorder

My doctor tested my thyroid several times, told me it was fine several times..... the hospital then copied me in to a letter sent to my doctor asking them if they actually planned to address the fact that all my blood tests were coming back with ever increasing levels of TSH

By the time meds were started i couldnt string a sentence together i was so wiped out

Duchy82

Diagnosed hypothyroid in 2010, lost 70 lbs using calorie counting so can definitely be done but I'm on medication.

Unless your thyroid issues are due to iodine deficiency (which is highly unlikely in the western world) there is nothing you can do to fix it yourself, it's also not your fault unfortunately this happens be it autoimmune, genetic or other the thyroid can just fail. I would go back and ask for some meds though, I find it a little odd your doc wants to do a retest before she will consider medicating. In the meantime just keep doing what you are doing, even just maintaining weight would be great I gained nearly 40lbs due to undiagnosed thyroid issues, if you can avoid that you would be ahead of the game.

Noreenmarie1234

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

BigAnnieG

sidpadte87 wrote: »

Visit an endocrinologist and give them regular updates of your weight loss, if they find it slow they'll mostly prescribe metformin to help move things

Thyroxine! They'll give you thyroxine. Metformin is for type 2 diabetics, insulin resistence, and off-label for PCOS. Those do go hand in hand with thyroid problems so if things are a bit out of whack with lady stuffages too you might want more investigation.

A thyroid doesn't fix itself but it can fluctuate (usually downwards!), which is probably why she wanted to wait a bit. They made me wait 6 years before confirming that yes, I was not lazy and fat, but my thyroid was attacking itself (Hashimotos form). To be fair I had so many symptoms it took that long to break them all down to different causes, but you can imagine i 6 years that means hella weight gain.

However it isn't impossible and you CAN do this! Personally I find lots of veg, less fruit, low carbs and high protein work best for me but you'll find your own groove with some experimentation.

Good luck, and remember you're not alone with this! :-)

BigAnnieG

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

This literally varies from lab to lab in the UK, I don't know about other countries. In London I was initially "sub clinical", then moved to another borough and was put on a low dose, then moved house again and was "severe" - but the amounts were the same every time. They also don't test for T3/T4 conversion as standard so unless you ask for it that can cover more issues, as TSH readings can look OK but if you're not converting it well then you're still b*ggered.

nvmomketo

I was able to lose weight while hypo. It was just not a very high caloric intake compared to now. A difference of a few hundred calories I'd say.

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

When I was diagnosed I remember my TSH was in the teens. I discovered that my doctors ignored it right up into the 6's so I was hypo for a couple of decades before getting meds. Grr.

My free T4 was below normal and so was my free T3. I can't remember the actual numbers.

Now I take natural desiccated thyroid and my free T's are at about the 60-75% range of the normal range. My TSH is way low though at about 0.01. LOL I feel great despite that because my actual hormones are at the right level.

youngmomtaz

App keeps deleting parts of my post. Will try later.

AnnPT77

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

I was diagnosed at TSH = 31, when I didn't recover energy after chemotherapy for breast cancer. I had a T3/T4 test at some point, I think, but I'll have to dig that out. I think they would've been willing to diagnose lower than 31, but symptoms got lost in the symptomatic noise from chemo. (Same doc is now willing for me to drop below the normal range on meds, as long as I don't have negative symptoms. I LOL-ed when he said "some high-powered people say they feel better at the low end" . . .I'd never refer to myself as "high-powered"!)

youngmomtaz wrote: »

App keeps deleting parts of my post. Will try later.

@youngmomtaz,any chance you're using emoticons? Forum posts don't seem to like emoticons. They cut off at the emoticon.

CSARdiver

charlenekemp07 wrote: »

Thank you so much for all the advice. I was pretty sad when I got the results back, because it feels that it's my fault, I wasn't looking after my body and I now have this issue because of my unhealthy habits. I'm definitely making the appointment with my actual dr on Monday, I'm sure she'll help a little better. I have to wait a month for her though. I'll just continue what I'm doing now, even if I don't lose weight, at least I'm not picking up anything either

Understand that this is not diet related. About the only possibility of this is lack of iodine, which in the Western world is extremely low risk.

A critical point is that hormones are free cycling, meaning that the more tissue, the diminished effect. This makes it critical for everyone to maintain a healthy BMI through a healthy lifestyle.

Stay positive and rejoice that we live in a time where this is manageable and very treatable. The best thing you can do is establish a plan of the elements you have control over and execute that plan. You already found MFP, so way ahead of the curve.

CSARdiver

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

Here is a link to a diagnostics lab on their established ranges:

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/testcenter/BUOrderInfo.action?tc=7020&labCode=TMP

What is more important than being in range is being in synch with one another. This is why it is critical to review the full thyroid panel for a proper diagnosis, rather than relying on one variable.

Noreenmarie1234

CSARdiver wrote: »

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

Can anyone share their blood levels of TSH T4 free T3 who have hypothyroid issues. I am curious to see how low/high they really are for someone to be diagnosed.

Here is a link to a diagnostics lab on their established ranges:

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/testcenter/BUOrderInfo.action?tc=7020&labCode=TMP

What is more important than being in range is being in synch with one another. This is why it is critical to review the full thyroid panel for a proper diagnosis, rather than relying on one variable.

thank you this was very helpful