Thyroid and loosing fat???
Replies
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BTW, you'd be surprised by how one has to jump through hoops, beg, plead and often get turned down anyway in the U.S. Or give up and pay out of pocket to a doctor not on our HMO for hundreds of dollars just for the testing (no follow-up) with no guarantee that our PCP will go along with those results and medicate us. Just sayin'...
I haven't had a "full panel" since I was first DXd but I'm getting by. I don't expect to be 100% healthy every minute with my Hashi's since the nature of the disease appears to be that it will fluctuate anyway (heavier or lighter "attack days," as I call them, etc.). So I am just medicated to the most basic number possible, my TSH, and I am indeed getting healthier since my diagnosis. I'm even on the crap generic stuff that many Hashi's forums scream doesn't work and so on and so forth. (I begged but was never able to get my doctor to agree to trying me on Armour.)
It is what it is. But know you're not alone with the struggle to get "really" healthy. IMO (this is JUST my opinion), since you have an autoimmune disease, which can be unpredictable and which, after all, is doing damage day by day, you may not achieve that "Mrs. Universe" 100% glowing, sparkling always-healthy state. You may still have your bad days. I'm not saying to just accept that and not push your doctor, I'm saying, yes, even with an ongoing condition you can get up, you can live your life, work, lose weight, EVEN when you're not having a string of 100% great days. I may be fatalistic but...really, who's in optimum health constantly? We all have struggles. Non-hypo-T people have struggles too. Know you're not alone, and know that others with your issues or other issues HAVE made this work. You can too!
Uuuh I know... thank you!!! We just have to find out what works for us..0 -
AnastasiaGrs1 wrote: »Who gave you that 1226 number? Also, you're not supposed to eat at your BMR in order to lose weight. That's just what you utilize to literally live, just lying there...your respiration, digestion, your cells doing their thing, liver functioning...etc.
Also, if you have Hashi's then you're hypo-T, not hyper-T. Hyper-T is an overactive thyroid. Hashi's is an underactive thyroid with anti-thyroid activity on the part of antibodies in your body.
Could you start by letting us know how you arrived at 1226 and at 1600?
I am sorry, I meant hypothyroidism, not hyper
The 1226 is according to my doctor who calculated it with a machine..( I don't know it's name, but you step in two metal things and it shows you body fat% , BMR etc...
And the 1600 is according to MFP (which doesn't know that I have hypo and my BMR is really low..
Oh, okay, gotcha.
Why not try something in the middle - say, 1400-ish - and see what happens? If you lose weight, you know you can eat that much. If you don't lose weight then you can cut back. You say you're afraid to gain on 1600 calories but it's incredibly unlikely that you'd literally lose** 4 kg (that's close to 10 lbs.?) of fat in one week of eating 1600 calories. It just is. Going by the straight math, 10 lbs. is 35,000 EXTRA calories (I mean, in addition to the calories you need to eat just to stay alive), over the course of one week. If anything you could gain some water weight but it's not going to be fat...not on 1600 calories...not unless you're a gerbil.
And again, if that machine was calculating your BMR, you don't need to eat down to your BMR in order to lose weight. So there may not be as much of a discrepancy as you think.
By the way, how did you calculate here on MFP? Make sure you had your activity level, age, etc. set correctly. I personally set myself to inactive, then add in my exercise manually.
**gain, sorry
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TresaAswegan wrote: »How long have you been trying to lose weight and what are your stats - height weight etc ?
I'm also guessing you could eat more than 1200 cals, and it will probably make you feel better/have more energy if you did.
(I'm eating about 2200 to lose a pound per week right now. 5'1'' 180 lbs, I've never considered my metabolism to be slow because of hypothyroid - if it is it isn't much - , if I'm gaining weight it's always been because I've been eating too much.)
Once medicated most people find they can lose weight just as anyone without thyroid problems can. It's hard for most people, but weighing your food, logging as accurately as possible, and trying to stay active helps a lot!
Weight: 135 Ibs
Height: 5'4'' (165cm)
Body fat%: 30,4%
Wow 2200 is great!! You don't store most of it as fat??? What percentage of protein ,carbs and fat works for you the best??
(Do you take a long time the medications?? )
Haha sorry for all those questions)0 -
AnastasiaGrs1 wrote: »TresaAswegan wrote: »How long have you been trying to lose weight and what are your stats - height weight etc ?
I'm also guessing you could eat more than 1200 cals, and it will probably make you feel better/have more energy if you did.
(I'm eating about 2200 to lose a pound per week right now. 5'1'' 180 lbs, I've never considered my metabolism to be slow because of hypothyroid - if it is it isn't much - , if I'm gaining weight it's always been because I've been eating too much.)
Once medicated most people find they can lose weight just as anyone without thyroid problems can. It's hard for most people, but weighing your food, logging as accurately as possible, and trying to stay active helps a lot!
Weight: 135 Ibs
Height: 5'4'' (165cm)
Body fat%: 30,4%
Wow 2200 is great!! You don't store most of it as fat??? What percentage of protein ,carbs and fat works for you the best??
(Do you take a long time the medications?? )
Haha sorry for all those questions)
Yeah, honestly I'm jealous of that poster. I'm also 5'1", and even at 212 pounds I couldn't eat 2000+ calories/day and not gain. And I'm about 99% sure I wouldn't be able to even if I didn't have a thyroid issue, just going by my distant past and how much I've ever really been able to eat and stay slim. Currently I am set at about 1350 (plus exercise calories), at 154 lbs.0 -
Oh, okay, gotcha.
Why not try something in the middle - say, 1400-ish - and see what happens? If you lose weight, you know you can eat that much. If you don't lose weight then you can cut back. You say you're afraid to gain on 1600 calories but it's incredibly unlikely that you'd literally lose 4 kg (that's close to 10 lbs.?) of fat in one week of eating 1600 calories. It just is. Going by the straight math, 10 lbs. is 35,000 EXTRA calories (I mean, in addition to the calories you need to eat just to stay alive), over the course of one week. If anything you could gain some water weight but it's not going to be fat...not on 1600 calories...not unless you're a gerbil.
And again, if that machine was calculating your BMR, you don't need to eat down to your BMR in order to lose weight. So there may not be as much of a discrepancy as you think.
By the way, how did you calculate here on MFP? Make sure you had your activity level, age, etc. set correctly. I personally set myself to inactive, then add in my exercise manually.
I thing I have to try it..maybe I could put little by little more colorized than I am eating right now to see what will happen.
Hahaha gerbil!!! I guess most of it is water as I eat (maybe some more) carbs.. But again I feel different, so swollen..
I think that what you do is the best as you know exactly what is going on with the calories and macros... I have to recheck it
Thank youuu1 -
TresaAswegan wrote: »Yeah, honestly I'm jealous of that poster. I'm also 5'1", and even at 212 pounds I couldn't eat 2000+ calories/day and not gain. And I'm about 99% sure I wouldn't be able to even if I didn't have a thyroid issue, just going by my distant past and how much I've ever really been able to eat and stay slim. Currently I am set at about 1350 (plus exercise calories), at 154 lbs.
Haha the first two numbers might seem good, but I have a lot of fat which I can't lower ... that is the worst part
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I've been following this thread for a few days now, and agree 100% with what folks are saying about the difference that proper treatment and medication can make in managing hypothyroidism. I started my weight loss journey with MFP just before Christmas 2015; I made slow but steady progress, losing a total of 35 pounds by September 2016. Then, out of no where, my body began to change; never having been tested for thyroid issues, I could only conclude that the hormonal symptoms I was experiencing (breast tingling and engorgement, absence of menstruation, nausea, etc) were the result of pregnancy. Pregnancy tests were negative, but I had gained 9 inches on my waist in a couple of months and I looked about five months pregnant. I was at my wits end, but was fortunate enough to encounter an ER doctor who had my thyroid levels checked and ordered an ultrasound; I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started taking 50mcg synthroid. The ultrasound revealed a 4.5" uterine tumour that had grown rapidly due to fluctuating hormone levels (most recent CT scan from mid-March shows that the tumour has actually begun to shrink now that hormones have leveled out).
It took a few months for the medication to begin to work for me, and I've now started back with MFP. In total, I gained back 15 of the 35 lbs I lost (though, in fairness, when I thought I might be pregnant, I was actually eating an extra 300 calories a day above my maintenance requirements - all healthy, but still a surplus). I have recently started back with meticulously logging and eating my MFP recommended daily calories, and weight loss has restarted (slowly, but that's okay as long as its headed in the right direction).
The point of this post is to encourage those with hypothyroidism to seek treatment and to follow their treatment regime. It will make a difference, although (as noted above) it may take some fiddling to get the dosage right. I never would have believed what an under-active thyroid could do a woman's body, but I also wouldn't have believed that a tiny little pill could reverse the effects. It is possible to have a normal life, including losing weight, as long as you take your medication as prescribed; I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about having to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life, but it is much better than the alternative.2 -
bluenoser38 wrote: »I've been following this thread for a few days now, and agree 100% with what folks are saying about the difference that proper treatment and medication can make in managing hypothyroidism. I started my weight loss journey with MFP just before Christmas 2015; I made slow but steady progress, losing a total of 35 pounds by September 2016. Then, out of no where, my body began to change; never having been tested for thyroid issues, I could only conclude that the hormonal symptoms I was experiencing (breast tingling and engorgement, absence of menstruation, nausea, etc) were the result of pregnancy. Pregnancy tests were negative, but I had gained 9 inches on my waist in a couple of months and I looked about five months pregnant. I was at my wits end, but was fortunate enough to encounter an ER doctor who had my thyroid levels checked and ordered an ultrasound; I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and started taking 50mcg synthroid. The ultrasound revealed a 4.5" uterine tumour that had grown rapidly due to fluctuating hormone levels (most recent CT scan from mid-March shows that the tumour has actually begun to shrink now that hormones have leveled out).
It took a few months for the medication to begin to work for me, and I've now started back with MFP. In total, I gained back 15 of the 35 lbs I lost (though, in fairness, when I thought I might be pregnant, I was actually eating an extra 300 calories a day above my maintenance requirements - all healthy, but still a surplus). I have recently started back with meticulously logging and eating my MFP recommended daily calories, and weight loss has restarted (slowly, but that's okay as long as its headed in the right direction).
The point of this post is to encourage those with hypothyroidism to seek treatment and to follow their treatment regime. It will make a difference, although (as noted above) it may take some fiddling to get the dosage right. I never would have believed what an under-active thyroid could do a woman's body, but I also wouldn't have believed that a tiny little pill could reverse the effects. It is possible to have a normal life, including losing weight, as long as you take your medication as prescribed; I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about having to be on thyroid medication for the rest of my life, but it is much better than the alternative.
Thank you for posting this:) I hope that as soon I start my medication, my body will "work" better as well as my metabolism.
How long did it take you to start loosing weight when you started the medication??0 -
with your height and weight (ignoring the hypothyroidism for a minute) - you might be better to focus on recomp rather than losing weight - slowly building lean muscle and losing fat - its a slow process and involves eating at/close to maintenance while doing progressively overloaded training (strong lifts etc)
IRT hypothyroidism once you get your meds dialed in - and for it me took close to a year for the initial stabilization and even then I still get occasionally tweaks as things change - you should have no issues losing weight
the 1226 is your BMR that isn't what you need to eat to lose weight, its what you need for your body to maintain basic function. I wouldn't recommending going below that for an extended period of time - you'll likely end up losing muscle as well as fat
I have similar stats to you - I'm heavily 148, also work out heavily (endurance triathlete) and I take in between 22 and 2500 calories each day and I've been fairly weight stable and focusing on recomp. its been a slow process - but in the last 5 months, I've gone from a size 8 pants that were tight, to a size 6 that are loose(ish). so I know I'm seeing progress even if the scale isn't changing3 -
deannalfisher wrote: »with your height and weight (ignoring the hypothyroidism for a minute) - you might be better to focus on recomp rather than losing weight - slowly building lean muscle and losing fat - its a slow process and involves eating at/close to maintenance while doing progressively overloaded training (strong lifts etc)
IRT hypothyroidism once you get your meds dialed in - and for it me took close to a year for the initial stabilization and even then I still get occasionally tweaks as things change - you should have no issues losing weight
the 1226 is your BMR that isn't what you need to eat to lose weight, its what you need for your body to maintain basic function. I wouldn't recommending going below that for an extended period of time - you'll likely end up losing muscle as well as fat
I have similar stats to you - I'm heavily 148, also work out heavily (endurance triathlete) and I take in between 22 and 2500 calories each day and I've been fairly weight stable and focusing on recomp. its been a slow process - but in the last 5 months, I've gone from a size 8 pants that were tight, to a size 6 that are loose(ish). so I know I'm seeing progress even if the scale isn't changing
Wow that's great!!! Minus 2 sizes..bravo!!!
What is the % of protein, carbs and fat you eat?? I try to find out what works for me ..Still I am looking for it... haha
Until now I haven't eaten more than 1250 cals per day.. but as most people told me.. I will try to put slowly some cals every week .. (it is hard for me to think that I have to eat more as I have struggled with that a lot...I didn't know I had thyroid)0 -
I do about 23% protein (it stays fixed at 130g a day); then fat about 22% and carbs fill out the rest. my diary is open and you are welcome to take a look at it. I do work with a Registered Dietician to figure out my nutrition and they give me the macros that I aim for
the one thing they tell me - as they increased my food (when I started working with them, I was only taking in about 1400cal a day) - is that in order to perform to your best ability, you need to fuel your body and by performing better, you will accomplish goals/work hard - eat more, do more - something to think about2 -
deannalfisher wrote: »I do about 23% protein (it stays fixed at 130g a day); then fat about 22% and carbs fill out the rest. my diary is open and you are welcome to take a look at it. I do work with a Registered Dietician to figure out my nutrition and they give me the macros that I aim for
the one thing they tell me - as they increased my food (when I started working with them, I was only taking in about 1400cal a day) - is that in order to perform to your best ability, you need to fuel your body and by performing better, you will accomplish goals/work hard - eat more, do more - something to think about
I see a point there!
thank you for helping me, good luck with your journey 0 -
deannalfisher wrote: »with your height and weight (ignoring the hypothyroidism for a minute) - you might be better to focus on recomp rather than losing weight - slowly building lean muscle and losing fat - its a slow process and involves eating at/close to maintenance while doing progressively overloaded training (strong lifts etc)
IRT hypothyroidism once you get your meds dialed in - and for it me took close to a year for the initial stabilization and even then I still get occasionally tweaks as things change - you should have no issues losing weight
the 1226 is your BMR that isn't what you need to eat to lose weight, its what you need for your body to maintain basic function. I wouldn't recommending going below that for an extended period of time - you'll likely end up losing muscle as well as fat
I have similar stats to you - I'm heavily 148, also work out heavily (endurance triathlete) and I take in between 22 and 2500 calories each day and I've been fairly weight stable and focusing on recomp. its been a slow process - but in the last 5 months, I've gone from a size 8 pants that were tight, to a size 6 that are loose(ish). so I know I'm seeing progress even if the scale isn't changing
I agree, recomp might be a good idea considering OP's stats. And slowly adding some more cals in over time like you mentioned in your other post.
I think sometimes people get stuck in the cycle of under eating to lose weight, then going over board and putting weight back on very quickly, repeat.
I've kept my calories as high as I can while trying to lose weight, and then when I need a break I shift to maintenance. I think this has helped me keep my calories pretty high (in addition to being very active and training hard 4-6 days a week).
As far as macros, I like protein around 1 gram per pound of lean body mass, fats are about 30 % of my calories, and the rest is carbs. I mainly aim to hit a certain amount of protein and my overall calories though.0 -
"The doctor told me that as soon as I start taking the pills, my metabolism will work better."
If you're lucky, yes. But this isn't necessarily true. Also, regardless of the blood tests and levels, the "right amount" of medication will take a long time to figure out. He'll put you on it, have more tests, adjust accordingly. And it will continue to change until your thyroid is completely dead. It can take years.
PLEASE see and endocrinologist. Insist on it if you have to.3 -
As others said, levels will take a bit to level out and also, if you do level off and loose weight - your meds will need adjusting. I'm hypo (thyroidectomy Feb 2014) and over the last six months have been going through tests to find my right levels after losing some weight. I'm now at the lowest dose (100 mg) and if I think about chocolate, I again an ounce! But CICO and yes, macros are important. Best of luck!1
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AnastasiaGrs1 wrote: »Hello there...I just found out that I have thyroid (the one that you gain weight etc...) and my metbolism is really really low 1226.. I am working out 4-5 times per week and try to eat about 1.200 to lose weight... but most of the times I feel so tired and my body fat % doesn't get lower.. Any help?? Do you know anything about thyroid and loosing fat?? Thank you!!!
I am in the same situation. I urge you to RUN out and buy the book Hashimoto's Protocol. I highly recommend it for anyone with thyroid issues!!! My weight would not budge and I was getting so frustrated, to the point of tears. But I have finished her first protocol & started on the second phase and have had amazing results so far, not just with the weight finally coming off but also more energy, better sleep, better digestion, etc. etc. etc.
The author also has a documentary out called something like... "the thyroid secret", or something like that. Which was extremely informative and helpful. (and free)
Good luck!! I hope this helps you too.
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TheSkyBlushed wrote: »AnastasiaGrs1 wrote: »Hello there...I just found out that I have thyroid (the one that you gain weight etc...) and my metbolism is really really low 1226.. I am working out 4-5 times per week and try to eat about 1.200 to lose weight... but most of the times I feel so tired and my body fat % doesn't get lower.. Any help?? Do you know anything about thyroid and loosing fat?? Thank you!!!
I am in the same situation. I urge you to RUN out and buy the book Hashimoto's Protocol. I highly recommend it for anyone with thyroid issues!!! My weight would not budge and I was getting so frustrated, to the point of tears. But I have finished her first protocol & started on the second phase and have had amazing results so far, not just with the weight finally coming off but also more energy, better sleep, better digestion, etc. etc. etc.
The author also has a documentary out called something like... "the thyroid secret", or something like that.
Which was extremely informative and helpful.
Good luck!! I hope this helps you too.
she hasn't been diagnosed with Hashi's - so recommending she start a protocol that (as far as I can tell) - hasn't been evaluated by the FDA or other governing body could end up causing more issues than not
in fact taking supplements can directly affect the absorption of any thyroid medications into your blood and cause issues down the road1 -
The protocols have been effective for any form of thyroid over/under/hashi, plus her research has shown that most people who have hypo are in fact hashimoto's but have not been accurately diagnosed. But whatever.
All I know is, it's working for me.1 -
unless they have been evaluated in an INDEPDENT lab (not HER research), no assessment on effectiveness/efficiacy can truly be assessed...heck, you could even had placebo effect
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TheSkyBlushed wrote: »AnastasiaGrs1 wrote: »Hello there...I just found out that I have thyroid (the one that you gain weight etc...) and my metbolism is really really low 1226.. I am working out 4-5 times per week and try to eat about 1.200 to lose weight... but most of the times I feel so tired and my body fat % doesn't get lower.. Any help?? Do you know anything about thyroid and loosing fat?? Thank you!!!
I am in the same situation. I urge you to RUN out and buy the book Hashimoto's Protocol. I highly recommend it for anyone with thyroid issues!!! My weight would not budge and I was getting so frustrated, to the point of tears. But I have finished her first protocol & started on the second phase and have had amazing results so far, not just with the weight finally coming off but also more energy, better sleep, better digestion, etc. etc. etc.
The author also has a documentary out called something like... "the thyroid secret", or something like that.
Which was extremely informative and helpful.
Good luck!! I hope this helps you too.
This book does nothing but market the author's line of supplements and product line. This is nothing but a marketing scam, has nothing to do with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, and is a basic diet book.
Buyer beware - you have been scammed.
Disgusting the depths supposed medical professionals will sink to for personal profit. The author is a pharmacist, reviewed no clinical data to support this nonsense, and preying on people with potentially serious medical issues.
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