Exercise and Stalled Weight Loss with Hypothyroidism
jne79
Posts: 5 Member
I've had Hashimoto's since I was 21 (16 years). I was in the Navy at diagnosis and my weight, with a very defined, athletic body was 138 (at 5'6"). My heaviest post-Hashi's weight was 220. Anyway, I've tried SO many times to lose weight, have had a few successes and many failures with a lot of yo-yo weight along the way. I have 4 children and my weight has predictably inched up with each kid.
Recently, I discovered that intermittent fasting combined with calorie recording and ketosis has made me move past a point I haven't been to in 8 years. I'm at 181 right now. Previously (in the last 8 years), 193 was the best I could do. I have been losing steadily with IF for about 6 weeks now. This past week, I decided to add in an honest exercise routine and went to the gym 3 times. Total stall, plus a pound of gain.
At first I reminded myself that muscle weighs more than fat (even though 3 workouts logically haven't made me gain muscle weight). Then I remembered back over the last 8 years or so during many efforts to lose weight - including 2 times working with frustrated personal trainers that, no matter how hard they worked me and tweaked my diet, could not produce a pound of result. I thought of the summer I ate whistle clean paleo and did kettlebell swings religiously every day to no avail. The ONE time I've lost a significant amount of weight between children (50 lbs) I was eating low calorie/carb and only walking my dog and doing some yoga.
I've come to the conclusion that even a regular workout routine must be producing a lot of cortisol in my body that prevents me from losing weight. Has anyone else experienced this? I think I need to go back to what was working and maybe just try taking low impact walks to keep moving but not break too much of a sweat until I'm (hopefully) able to hit goal (155 lbs which is considered a normal weight for my height). This seems so counter-intuitive, but I guess following my body's patterns is the smartest thing to do right now.
Recently, I discovered that intermittent fasting combined with calorie recording and ketosis has made me move past a point I haven't been to in 8 years. I'm at 181 right now. Previously (in the last 8 years), 193 was the best I could do. I have been losing steadily with IF for about 6 weeks now. This past week, I decided to add in an honest exercise routine and went to the gym 3 times. Total stall, plus a pound of gain.
At first I reminded myself that muscle weighs more than fat (even though 3 workouts logically haven't made me gain muscle weight). Then I remembered back over the last 8 years or so during many efforts to lose weight - including 2 times working with frustrated personal trainers that, no matter how hard they worked me and tweaked my diet, could not produce a pound of result. I thought of the summer I ate whistle clean paleo and did kettlebell swings religiously every day to no avail. The ONE time I've lost a significant amount of weight between children (50 lbs) I was eating low calorie/carb and only walking my dog and doing some yoga.
I've come to the conclusion that even a regular workout routine must be producing a lot of cortisol in my body that prevents me from losing weight. Has anyone else experienced this? I think I need to go back to what was working and maybe just try taking low impact walks to keep moving but not break too much of a sweat until I'm (hopefully) able to hit goal (155 lbs which is considered a normal weight for my height). This seems so counter-intuitive, but I guess following my body's patterns is the smartest thing to do right now.
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Replies
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When you start a new exercise routine, your muscles hold on to more water to repair the new tears that have been made. It's temporary, and it will go away within a couple weeks.5
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But it doesn't go away for me. I've tried workout/calorie deficit routines several times for months at a time with zero loss.0
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How are you measuring your calorie burn and determining your caloric intake/deficit?
I'm not sure your connection between workouts and too much cortisol are correct.
If low carb and IF works and you like them, are they something you can stick with in the long term? If so, why not?1 -
I have hashimotos too and the same has happened to me. I'm part of the thyroid community at healthunlocked and learned a lot there. Still can't shift the weight.1
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I'm not sure that it's cortisol either. I do know that I've experimented with my body post-Hashimoto's for 17 years and the only way that weight comes off is when I'm recording all my caloric intake religiously and doing no or very low impact exercise. I monitor caloric intake by using the app for this site and record every last bite. As far as sticking with my current eating habits, I've been eating low carb for a very long time and am happy with it. I'm new to intermittent fasting, but I feel good doing it and plan to stay with it (with a modified, longer eating window) after I hit my goal weight.2
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Im following this as I also struggle to lose despite doing well1
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I've had Hashimoto's for over 20 yrs. it seems like nothing works, long term that is.
I'm good for a while, I log in my food intake, water etc. and I walk 2-3 miles several times a week.
But it seems like all it takes is one day of slight cheating on something sweet and I fall off the good eating wagon and gain everything I've lost super fast, I'm so frustrated and discouraged0 -
I have hypothyroidism and did so before I had a thyroidectomy. Hashis is an autoimmune disease-key things are the proper thyroid testing and medications, and getting your antibody levels down. Vitamin D and ferritin levels are often low with thyroid disease and any insufficiencies have to be addressed. Sometime you have to get health issues in control before you lose weight.4
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Stopthethyroidmadness.com and Mary Shoman's website are good places to start researching.1
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I'm hypo among other issues. I tend not to lose unless I severely restrict calories to a level that is unhealthy long term (500-800 per day). Therefore, I tend to lose about 5 lbs at a time when I do that for a week or two. I've also experienced long periods where I gain uncontrollably no matter how little I eat. As far as I've been able to determine, exercise doesn't really affect my results one way or another. I believe it does for you if that has been your experience. I've learned enough from my own experience to believe that there's a whole lot more to weight loss than calories in/calories out for some of us with some diseases. CI/CO worked extremely well when I was healthier, but not now.
It sounds like you need to restrict exercise and do what does work for you regardless of whether it's supposed to work best or not.1 -
Ever ask your doctor about thyroid medication? T3 or T4?0
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If you are not losing weight, then you are not in a caloric deficit.
What is your daily calorie goal and what is your daily intake?
What were the latest results of your thyroid panel - TSH, fT3, fT4, rT3?
Hypothyroidism, or any other hormonal disorder may cause temporary weight gain, but this is water weight
caused by increased cellular absorption and will resolve itself after a few days/weeks. Hypothyroidism impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5% from clinical observation. This equates to 80 kcals/day on a 1600 kcal/day budget.3 -
Tjkita - been on thyroid meds for 17 years. I'm euthyroid on 200 mcg of Synthroid and take D3, ubiquinol, omega 3-6-9, multi vitamin and iron daily.1
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I have Hypothyroid, and have had it since I was 16, I didn't start medicating until I was 27 and pregnant.
I work with my doctor, and I know my numbers, if the levels they measure are around 2.5-3 I am good, anything over 3 and I feel tired and like crap, and moody. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or you aren't regularly taking your meds exactly the way you are supposed to, they can affect the balance of your system.
I am not accusing you of anything, but it seems that people typically just don't realize they are missing a piece of the puzzle because they've always ignored or downplayed the importance of that piece.
I also take a multi vitamin and vitamin D supplement.
In the last 6 months I have lost 83.6 lbs, and that is by tracking meticulously all food, and using a food scale.
I workout 5 times a week (but in the beginning only 2 or 3 times, still with consistent weight loss) 3 days is intense kickboxing classes, not aerobics but in a Judo studio. 2 other days I do 25 mins of medium impact cardio on a tread mill and either strength training or one on one sparring for 25 mins.
Your profile is sparse to say the least, and you have no friends. I was going to look at your food diary, but that is also unavailable. My food diary is open, and I eat a lot, feel free to look at it.
I hope you find something that works for you.4 -
Hypothyroidism, or any other hormonal disorder may cause temporary weight gain, but this is water weight
caused by increased cellular absorption and will resolve itself after a few days/weeks. Hypothyroidism impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5% from clinical observation. This equates to 80 kcals/day on a 1600 kcal/day budget.
I remember reading something similar to that quite a few years ago. I thought it was really funny, and one of my earlier introductions to the fact that doctors and scientists are sometimes complete idiots. I'd always believed all those scientific studies until my own body betrayed me and acted contrary to everything I firmly believed to be absolutely true beyond a shadow of a doubt, proven by science. Oh well, live and learn.
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I just started seeing a nutritionist last week to talk about food and my thyroid. What I got from that conversation was that when it comes to the hypothyroidism sometimes it's about what you're eating that makes shedding pounds difficult.
So here are some tips I can share that she gave me:- Limit goitrogenic foods (broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, cauliflower, etc.), soy products, and gluten. (You don't have to completely cut them from your diet, just eat them sparingly.)
- Limit excessive dairy. (Again, you don't have to completely cut.)
- Increase iodine in your diet (sea vegetables and seafood will help with this.)
- Take fish oil and probiotic supplements to help with digestion.
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I just started seeing a nutritionist last week to talk about food and my thyroid. What I got from that conversation was that when it comes to the hypothyroidism sometimes it's about what you're eating that makes shedding pounds difficult.
So here are some tips I can share that she gave me:- Limit goitrogenic foods (broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, cauliflower, etc.), soy products, and gluten. (You don't have to completely cut them from your diet, just eat them sparingly.)
- Limit excessive dairy. (Again, you don't have to completely cut.)
- Increase iodine in your diet (sea vegetables and seafood will help with this.)
- Take fish oil and probiotic supplements to help with digestion.
Hashi's and iodine are not a good combo it can actually make your hashi's worse, keep a close eye on your symptoms if you choose to increase your iodine intake.
You may find that strenuous exercise is actually counterproductive as your cells will use more thyroxine as they are using more energy. It may mean you need a little increase in your dose to account for it.
It can be done though, I have lost 73lbs with hypothyroidism, patience is definitely a prerequisite though, it most definitely hasn't been fast!3 -
CSARdiver, I have NO idea where you heard or read that nonsense. Weight gain with Hashimoto's disease is NOT temporary and does NOT resolve itself. It takes intense dedication and hard work to stop gaining weight, much less to lose it. Ask any of the millions of people on the planet with autoimmune hypothyroidism. In addition, most of us are very aware of our hormone levels and have them checked regularly.
I was clear that I DO lose weight with calorie restriction and wasn't asking for dietary advice. I stop losing weight with regular, heavy workouts. I was simply reaching out to other thyroid patients who may have experienced something similar. Thank you to those who shared their own experiences with this struggle.
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CSARdiver, I have NO idea where you heard or read that nonsense. Weight gain with Hashimoto's disease is NOT temporary and does NOT resolve itself. It takes intense dedication and hard work to stop gaining weight, much less to lose it. Ask any of the millions of people on the planet with autoimmune hypothyroidism. In addition, most of us are very aware of our hormone levels and have them checked regularly.
I was clear that I DO lose weight with calorie restriction and wasn't asking for dietary advice. I stop losing weight with regular, heavy workouts. I was simply reaching out to other thyroid patients who may have experienced something similar. Thank you to those who shared their own experiences with this struggle.
@CSARdiver works in the scientific community and has also had a thyroidectomy (IIRC)2 -
These are results from clinical observation - hypothyroidism does not have that great of an impact on weight. Weight management is primarily reliant upon your caloric intake and caloric output. See if your physician will order a metabolics workup for you or if you have a university or teaching hospital they often have open hours for testing your REE. Find out what your REE is.
There are several elite level athletes with hypothyroidism. Jillian Micheals has hypothyroidism. There are several posters on MFP who have met or exceeded their weight management and athletic goals and have hypothyroidism.
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer resulting in total thyroidectomy in 2000. Over 14 I put on ~70 lbs. Nothing to do with my thyroid - I transitioned for a physically intense military career to a cushy civilian job in academia, ate anything, and never exercised regularly. I discovered MFP in 2014 and lost 60 lbs in the first year through maintaining a safe caloric deficit and replacing bad habits with good habits. No signs of struggle.
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I'm 23 and hypo, never been tested beyond TSH. I've been on meds for close to 10 years now though..
When I was 17/18 I lost 65+ lbs doing fairly rigorous exercise 1-2 times a day, lots of running and circuit training. Unfortunately I gained the weight back as I got into a bad habit of binge eating and not exercising after I reached my lowest weight.
I'm currently down about 35 lbs, doing mostly weight lifting at a high intensity. Heavy and often to failure, a mix of powerlifting and bodybuilding.
The past 5 weeks I've also done cardio for 30 min 5x a week, and I've been losing consistently while eating more than before.
I'm no elite athlete by any means, but I would say I train pretty hard. I've never found it to hinder my weightloss. I am able to eat a good amount to maintain and/or lose because of it.4 -
PLEASE do not compare having a thyroidectomy with hashimoto's ! And please do NOT assume that just because you work in a scientific community and have some personal experience with thyroid issues that you understand anything about hashimoto's ... it is WELL documented that Western Medicine / conventional medicine is not well informed re: Hashimoto's ... Functional or Integrative Medicine Doctors that treat the root cause of disease understand that you have to treat the underlying auto-immune aspect of the disease as well ... please don't spread misinformation about an illness that you do not understand ... that is such a disservice to those that are struggling with a very complex disease!!3
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Exercise for some is not a good idea when the adrenals are performing poorly, please refer to STTM or other thyroid site for the facts. UK doctors are not permitted to recognise this as a problem.
Someone said they are euthyroid on 200 levo. I wonder if your tsh is low but you are not converting the t4 supliment to t3 as effectivly as the medical profession expect. There is a condition known as sick thyroid, it seems the t3 remains low even though there is sufficient t4 in the body and the tsh is within .5, often seen as perfect. Then at the time of writing there is no method of knowing if the t3 is being taken up by the cells which is another issue. People are left to suffer not knowing what is wrong.
There are a myriad of causes for poor conversion rates. Some are even genetically predisposed not to make the conversion or make it poorly. Selenium and various vitamins are essential for conversion. Regrettably when the thyroid is performing poorly for a long period it slows the digestive transit which depletes the ability to take up the vitamins and minerals up properly which eventually restricts the enzymes we can make, need to make. Part of the problem is because the digestive microbes we need are also depleted by poor diet, excess carbs or even antibiotic use.
As for the iodine is bad for hashi. I've heard it but I really doubt that it is bad in every situation. Under a nutritionist I'm taking 4 times the rda of 150 micron a day and I'm getting my life back, I do use other supplements. I've read several medical sites where it is said the doctors treat with 1000 or higher with other vitamins and minerals to support/facilitate conversion. I think this is just one of the many ways we are failed by a short-sighted medical profession. When you do not fit the boxes provided there is little help.1 -
Re: cortisol. Cortisol may predispose weight to be stored around the midsection but by itself will not necessarily cause weight gain - I recently had issues with an ovarian tumor and had to wait a month to have it removed due to our lovely health care system - during that month my cortisol levels were sky high, and I lost 25 lbs in one month while eating everything that wasn't nailed down, because the excess cortisol made my insulin resistance so high that I basically wasn't getting any food. Ovary removed, stress levels dropped, started gaining weight back.0
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Sooooooo much bro science in this thread. Weigh/measure your calorie intake accurately and stay within your caloric allowance to lose weight. End of.2
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If you are referring to what I wrote, this is far from bro science. How your hormones etc work depends on how long your system has been kaput. If you are one of the people for whom t4 supplementation actually works, that is, is sufficient for your needs, I'm so very pleased, no relieved for you.
I have it on the authority of a Professor in Immunology at a respected UK regional hospital that the cause of all my health issues, the joint pain to the point of using sticks and crutches, digestive problems, culminating in food intolerances and sensitivities, also my respiratory problems culminating in my being virtually house bound by other peoples laundry residues, perfumes and general cleaning products and the other obligatory internal stuff were directly related to my Hashimoto's thyroiditis being undiagnosed and untreated for years. Even my dentist can see the thyroid damage in the alignment of my teeth. This misalignment was present from the time they came through.
For the record. Being hypo does reduce your metabolism. If you are one who this has not happened to thank your lucky stars that you were listened to and treated promptly. Be thankful your symptoms meekly disappeared.
The op may be able to bring her weight-loss in line by tighter weighing and logging but many of us have problems much greater than that.
When you know you are doing everything the approved way, the science is not being applied properly and its time to look at other ways of finding relief. Its do what is right for you. I do not trust my local health system.
There are reputable sites out there STTM, Mary Solomon was she, the hypothyroidmom, the thyroidpharmacist and more national support sites, doctors who offer free online information.1 -
Stopthethyroidmadness.com and Mary Shoman's website are good places to start researching.
Personally, I like Mary Shoman's site aboutthyroid.com (their message boards are super-helpful), however, stopthethyroidmadness.com is way too sensationalist and one-sided for me. I am one for whom natural thyroid didn't work. But I think folks should be aware of all their options and work with their doctor to find out what works best for them.
Benn hypo/hashi for 16 years. It took years for me to get my levels figured out. And it took much longer to lose the 100+ pounds I put on. I've been in maintenance (and have hair on my head again) for almost two years.
You need to be your own best advocate and try to find a doc who will listen--they are out there. With patience and persistence, you won't be stuck where you are forever! Hang in there!
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If you are referring to what I wrote, this is far from bro science. How your hormones etc work depends on how long your system has been kaput. If you are one of the people for whom t4 supplementation actually works, that is, is sufficient for your needs, I'm so very pleased, no relieved for you.
I have it on the authority of a Professor in Immunology at a respected UK regional hospital that the cause of all my health issues, the joint pain to the point of using sticks and crutches, digestive problems, culminating in food intolerances and sensitivities, also my respiratory problems culminating in my being virtually house bound by other peoples laundry residues, perfumes and general cleaning products and the other obligatory internal stuff were directly related to my Hashimoto's thyroiditis being undiagnosed and untreated for years. Even my dentist can see the thyroid damage in the alignment of my teeth. This misalignment was present from the time they came through.
For the record. Being hypo does reduce your metabolism. If you are one who this has not happened to thank your lucky stars that you were listened to and treated promptly. Be thankful your symptoms meekly disappeared.
The op may be able to bring her weight-loss in line by tighter weighing and logging but many of us have problems much greater than that.
When you know you are doing everything the approved way, the science is not being applied properly and its time to look at other ways of finding relief. Its do what is right for you. I do not trust my local health system.
There are reputable sites out there STTM, Mary Solomon was she, the hypothyroidmom, the thyroidpharmacist and more national support sites, doctors who offer free online information.
What professor?0 -
A professor in Immunology.
if you had actually read what I had written you would have realised. One of his colleagues has posted on the Salicylate Sensitivity website saying omeg3 can be helpful for SS sufferers.
Thank you
I suggest you look immunology.
Hashimoto's thyroiditis it an autoimmune illness when the immune systems reacts to food particles which are not fine enough and pass through the lining of the gut etc and in some cases the immune system goes further and attacked our own cells as in the thyroid. The immune system can attack other cells also by mistake.0 -
PLEASE do not compare having a thyroidectomy with hashimoto's ! And please do NOT assume that just because you work in a scientific community and have some personal experience with thyroid issues that you understand anything about hashimoto's ... it is WELL documented that Western Medicine / conventional medicine is not well informed re: Hashimoto's ... Functional or Integrative Medicine Doctors that treat the root cause of disease understand that you have to treat the underlying auto-immune aspect of the disease as well ... please don't spread misinformation about an illness that you do not understand ... that is such a disservice to those that are struggling with a very complex disease!!
I'm not in the business of making assumptions. There is no dominating force with hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's or otherwise, that overrides CICO in reference to weight management.
If you have reproducible data to the contrary I welcome the citation.
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