Hypothyroidism and loosing weight

chrissyCSole

Hi,

I'm Chrissy and new to fitness pal.
I was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I've gained a lot of weight but I'm finding it difficult to loose it. I work long hours and get home late. Finding time to exercise is a challenge but I'm taking the first step of tracking what I'm eating. One step at a time.

If anyone has any suggestions for recipes or home exercises that worked for them, let me know.

Coco_Camm

Hi Chrissy~I was dx with hypothyroidism a few years ago and have really struggled to lose weight. The first thing that worked for me was completely cleaning up my diet with the Whole30. Not only did I lose weight but I gained a TON of energy. Most likely I will stick to a Paleo diet just because I feel so great without all the added sugar and other crap in my diet.

Of course the main thing you need to do is get your medication levels straightened out, once that is good, losing weight will be manageable. Clean up your diet and start exercising. There arent any special recipes or exercises for hypothyroidism just eat healthy meals and get moving Good luck!

Purplebunnysarah

I have mild hypothyroidism and once my dose was adjusted correctly I've never had a problem losing weight. You will need bloodwork every 6-8 weeks, with your doctor adjusting your medication dose based on your lab results, until you get a stable result in the target range.

chrissyCSole

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.

My doctor had gradually put me on 125 mcg. Now, she is checking my bloodwork every 6 weeks and reducing the dose. We are still trying to find my dose. Although she said my metabolism is too fast right now, I'm still gaining. I guess I have to be patient but also change my diet, which I'm working on now and exercise.

chrissywelsh10

I've had hyperthyroid issues since i was16! I'm on 100mc (you don't want it too high as your body will get used to it) and no it's not easy, it's puts you at a disadvantage but I'm here to tell you it's possible.

Yes you have to be more careful & weigh & track at a lower intake than most people (I'm on 1300 calories a day) but it can work!

I've lost 4kg so far & im feeling great!

Think in terms of the long game & play accordingly - there are no quick wins for us only consistency!

yirara

Love, hypothyreoidism only reduces energy expenditure of your body once, when the disease breaks out. I read numbers of approximately 4% of your BMR. It's not much. However, being hypo can lead to more water being stored (this is the weightloss people often see once they get levothyroxine), being too tired to move around more, being more hungry and eating more, and feeling generally miserable and unhappy with oneself, which again might lead to moving less and eating more.

You can totally lose weight while being hypo. It's all about finding your BMR and working from there, weighing all the food you eat on a scale and tracking properly here. When I was losing weight I already had hashimoto but was left untreated. No problem losing at all.

mghaffar89

yirara wrote: »

Love, hypothyreoidism only reduces energy expenditure of your body once, when the disease breaks out. I read numbers of approximately 4% of your BMR. It's not much. However, being hypo can lead to more water being stored (this is the weightloss people often see once they get levothyroxine), being too tired to move around more, being more hungry and eating more, and feeling generally miserable and unhappy with oneself, which again might lead to moving less and eating more.

You can totally lose weight while being hypo. It's all about finding your BMR and working from there, weighing all the food you eat on a scale and tracking properly here. When I was losing weight I already had hashimoto but was left untreated. No problem losing at all.

Wait so you're saying you're not on any meds and just control it wth diet and exercise??? Can you please give me some tips and ideas of what you did. I don't want to go on medication and decided to do this the natural way. Only problem is I have no idea how to cut out sugars and add all the good things I need please help

yirara

mghaffar89 wrote: »

yirara wrote: »

Love, hypothyreoidism only reduces energy expenditure of your body once, when the disease breaks out. I read numbers of approximately 4% of your BMR. It's not much. However, being hypo can lead to more water being stored (this is the weightloss people often see once they get levothyroxine), being too tired to move around more, being more hungry and eating more, and feeling generally miserable and unhappy with oneself, which again might lead to moving less and eating more.

You can totally lose weight while being hypo. It's all about finding your BMR and working from there, weighing all the food you eat on a scale and tracking properly here. When I was losing weight I already had hashimoto but was left untreated. No problem losing at all.

Wait so you're saying you're not on any meds and just control it wth diet and exercise??? Can you please give me some tips and ideas of what you did. I don't want to go on medication and decided to do this the natural way. Only problem is I have no idea how to cut out sugars and add all the good things I need please help

No, I had a rubbish gp previously. He say my skyhigh TSH, he saw the antibodies, and said we just keep an eye on it. That was completely ridiculous to start with because the body needs thyroid hormones. I did feel utterly miserable as well. (I still managed to lose weight though.)

Listen, if you're hypothyroid then you need to substitute hormones. No diet can change that! Levothyroxine/synthoid/whatever it's called is not a medicine, but it's something your body needs desperately but cannot produce in sufficient amounts by itself due to your thyroid being sick. The hormone in it, T4 gets transformed into T3. This is were the problem starts: all your muscles need T3 to function, your brain and all cognitive functions don't work if you don't have enough T3, did you know your diaphragm needs T3 to do it's thing? That's what makes you breath. I can tell you it's terribly scary if your breathing gets so shallow that you're continuously low on oxygen. I was nearly put on oxygen at night to not suffocate! And my muscles were so weak that I had to decide whether to use the bit of energy I have for walking, or for supporting my breathing. I didn't have energy for both! Did you know that in the olden days people were misdiagnosed with tetanus (that's what got people into iron lungs!), but their only problem was a lack of thyroid hormones! That's how bad it can become, and that's how important those hormones are! So get proper treatment!

CMNVA

You can lose weight! I have not had a thyroid gland for over 20 years so I have been taking Synthroid (and other brands) all that time. My weight gain has been my own doing!! Sure, if you are untreated, it is harder, but once you start with the treatment and get your levels to where they should be, you are no worse off than anyone else.

Most people just don't realize how much they eat. You're doing the right first step by joining MFP and accurately logging your food. Figure out how many calories you should eat to lose, say, 1/2 to 1lb a week. And then STICK TO IT.

I also have issues with fitting in exercise and you can lose the weight without it. Exercise is only a small part of weight loss. It's good for you and it allows you to eat a little extra every day, but it's not required. Just start with baby steps...get used to eating better. Then think about exercise.

yirara is also correct: Synthroid, levothyroxine, whatever you want to take: it is not "medication." It is not a "drug." It is a hormone that you need to live and in that tablet is the replacement hormone. Very different from a drug/medication.

CSARdiver

You have to make time for yourself.

I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2000 resulting in a total thyroidectomy. I ended up putting on ~70lbs over the next 14 years - had nothing to do with hypothyroidism. I transitioned from a high active military career to a cushy civilian job in academia, had no clue what I was eating, and stopped exercising. I found MFP in 2014 and lost 60 lbs the first year through a moderate calorie deficit and progressive exercise.

Don't overestimate the impact this has on metabolism. From clinical observation this amounts to ~5% of your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and no bearing on your caloric output.

Simply being overweight can complicate hypothyroidism and any hormonal issue. Hormones are free cycling, so increased body mass make it more difficult for hormones to find their receptor sites.

You don't cure thyroid disorders with food, you cure this with medicine and surgery. You can however minimize side effects with diet and exercise.

There are several posters on MFP with thyroid disorders all who have successfully lost and maintained their weight. Also several elite level athletes out there with the same issue. Don't let this hold you back.

spiriteagle99

Once I was properly diagnosed and on medication, I had no trouble losing weight or maintaining the weight loss.

It's up to you now to eat better and exercise more. Start logging everything you eat. You will soon figure out what you can cut back and where you need to substitute less fattening alternatives. Can you go for a walk before work, at lunch or in the evening? How about weekends?

ShrinkingViolet1982

I am hypo and have now lost 30 pounds without exercising much. You can do it just by being careful with what you eat, and making sure your thyroid meds are at the right level. Once you have that, your body acts just as it should. Now that I'm lighter I have to increase the exercise to be able to keep eating the way I have been, but I'm still losing steadily.

brookekaczor

I am hypo and have been untreated for a while. I just went back to the dr to get back on armour for other reasons. But... 4 months ago I decided to start losing weight and have lost 33 lbs by following the caloric settings here on MFP. I try to net 1200 calories a day but also walk and run so that I can eat higher calories. I tend to use the 100 calories a mile guideline for my walking and running and it has been successful. It can be done.