Untreated Hypothyroidism

krael65

Is it possible to lose weight with untreated hypothyroidism?

I understand this is not a medical community, but I know there are several women on this board with thyroid issues who have successfully lost weight. For those people, were you able to lose weight while the hypothyroidism was untreated? Or only after it was controlled via medication?

I have Graves Disease and was HYPERthyroid several years ago, treated with medication.

I went into remission for over 10 years, no medication, thyroid levels remained normal. Was able to lose the weight I wanted to lose at the expected rate based on FitBit data and calorie tracking. I maintained for almost 2 years, still tracking weight, CO and CI daily.

Over the past few months, I've gained about 1 pound a month, and am now at the very top of my maintenance range. (5 pounds is a lot on my barely 5'2 frame.) I was trying not to panic, assuming it was water retention or some perimenopause related issues, and just remain consistent with activity level and calorie consumption.

I just had blood work done, and it turns out I am now HYPOthyroid (which I knew would eventually happen).

I see my doctor next week, and will then be able to start medication to get my levels under control. I'd like to avoid gaining any more weight (or actually lose some of this weight) while I'm waiting for the meds to stabilize my hormone levels. I know that an under-active thyroid can lower one's metabolism, but I'm wondering by how much?

I will ask my doctor these things. But can anyone recommend a good source of information that isn't pseudo-science or "eat this not that" type of thing?

CSARdiver

Short answer, yes, but....

Weight management is controlled by caloric intake and output. Hypothyroidism has almost nothing to do with metabolism, nothing to do with hunger cues, but everything to do with appetite triggers.

There is likely a good deal of water weight impacting this - typical in any hormonal imbalance. But a consistent upward trend signals that something else is at play. Water weight is short term and lasts 5-7 days.

What were your numbers on TSH? Note that 0.3-3.0 is considered normal, but you may "feel" normal outside this range. It all depends on what you were used to during your formative years.

I don't recommend trying to go into a caloric deficit while untreated. This is like swimming against a current and you will fail at some point. Get on your endocrinologist. Get a full thyroid panel and get the medication you need to succeed.

VioletRojo

I did, but it was very slow.

krael65

Thank you, @CSARdiver. My latest test results are below.

My numbers, followed by normal range.

TSH: 6.65 uIU/mL (0.55 - 4.78 uIU/mL)
FREE T4: 0.7 ng/dL (0.9 - 1.8 ng/dL)
T3: 48.8 ng/dL (60.0 - 181.0 ng/dL)

My TSH had been between .99 and 1.75 between 2011 through 2016 (<-- my last test prior to current).

I've been in a sustained calorie deficit, albeit a small one, trying to lose a few vanity lbs. to get to the low end of my maintenance range. I bottomed out my weight in July, and since have crept slowly upward in spite of the deficit. I've been increasing my steps as well as increasing my deficit for the past 3 months, while tightening up my logging. It does feel like swimming against the current!

I had a full blood workup done in addition to the thyroid panel, so maybe there's something else at play as well. At any rate, thank you for your reply, and I will talk it through with my doctor next week!

Lounmoun

Before I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and started treatment I had regained about 10 pounds of weight I lost a couple of years ago and was then maintaining. I think I was maintaining because I was logging or I might have gained more during that time. I'm sure it is possible to maintain or lose weight with untreated hypothyroidism but you might have to eat a couple hundred calories less than a calculator tells you to.
I have been taking levothyroxine for about 7 1/2 months now and last time my blood was tested I was told my levels were fine. I gained about 5 more pounds after starting medication so taking the pill did not fix my weight gain. I have also had a period of insomnia and constipation since starting treatment. November is the first month that I have lost consistantly lost 1 pound every week so maybe I have finally hit the right combination of medication, calorie intake and activity level to start losing again.

Most of what I have read here about people with hypothyroid losing weight seems like they were being treated for awhile before they were losing weight. Some people were not actively trying to lose weight until years after starting treatment though it seems so their experience may be different.

Quite a few people (even those who are also hypothyroid) I have encountered have had a pretty dismissive attitude and shut down discussion of issues with hypothyroidism as just take your pill and you will be back to normal. That has not been my experience even though my levels are supposed to be fine. I am better but not the way I was exactly.
There seem to be a lot of junky sites about hypothyroidism so it can be frustrating to try to look things up. The following sites and your doctor are probably trustworthy sources of information->
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
https://www.thyroid.org/hypothyroidism/

krael65

Lounmoun wrote: »

Before I was diagnosed as hypothyroid and started treatment I had regained about 10 pounds of weight I lost a couple of years ago and was then maintaining. I think I was maintaining because I was logging or I might have gained more during that time. I'm sure it is possible to maintain or lose weight with untreated hypothyroidism but you might have to eat a couple hundred calories less than a calculator tells you to.
I have been taking levothyroxine for about 7 1/2 months now and last time my blood was tested I was told my levels were fine. I gained about 5 more pounds after starting medication so taking the pill did not fix my weight gain. I have also had a period of insomnia and constipation since starting treatment. November is the first month that I have lost consistantly lost 1 pound every week so maybe I have finally hit the right combination of medication, calorie intake and activity level to start losing again.

Most of what I have read here about people with hypothyroid losing weight seems like they were being treated for awhile before they were losing weight. Some people were not actively trying to lose weight until years after starting treatment though it seems so their experience may be different.

Quite a few people (even those who are also hypothyroid) I have encountered have had a pretty dismissive attitude and shut down discussion of issues with hypothyroidism as just take your pill and you will be back to normal. That has not been my experience even though my levels are supposed to be fine. I am better but not the way I was exactly.
There seem to be a lot of junky sites about hypothyroidism so it can be frustrating to try to look things up. The following sites and your doctor are probably trustworthy sources of information->
https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/hypothyroidism-too-little-thyroid-hormone
https://www.thyroid.org/hypothyroidism/

Thank you for your reply. I'm sorry you're going through this, as I understand how frustrating it is. I hope you find your proper balance, have continued success and things become easier for you.

I feel fortunate for a few reasons.
1) I have a history of thyroid issues, so I was on the lookout.
2) I have been diligently tracking and recording my CO and CI, and have 2.5 years of data to refer to. As soon as I saw my upward trend, I had blood work done to test my thyroid. Had I not had this history or the concrete data, I may have floundered for who knows how long trying to figure out what was up, or just chalked it up to aging and the elusive "MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS".
3) I have access to an Endo who listens and is willing to work with his patients to find their proper range of normal hormone levels.

I hear awful anecdotes of people suffering through years of nasty symptoms until a they reach a diagnosis.

I'm not under the delusion that taking thyroid medication will be a magic bullet and I'll immediately lose the weight I gained. I understand it can take a while to find the proper dosage and it's highly individual. I just would like to be able to halt any further weight gain while in the process!

Thank you for the link. I know - there's a lot of cr@ppy info out there!

CSARdiver

krael65 wrote: »

Thank you, @CSARdiver. My latest test results are below.

My numbers, followed by normal range.

TSH: 6.65 uIU/mL (0.55 - 4.78 uIU/mL)
FREE T4: 0.7 ng/dL (0.9 - 1.8 ng/dL)
T3: 48.8 ng/dL (60.0 - 181.0 ng/dL)

My TSH had been between .99 and 1.75 between 2011 through 2016 (<-- my last test prior to current).

I've been in a sustained calorie deficit, albeit a small one, trying to lose a few vanity lbs. to get to the low end of my maintenance range. I bottomed out my weight in July, and since have crept slowly upward in spite of the deficit. I've been increasing my steps as well as increasing my deficit for the past 3 months, while tightening up my logging. It does feel like swimming against the current!

I had a full blood workup done in addition to the thyroid panel, so maybe there's something else at play as well. At any rate, thank you for your reply, and I will talk it through with my doctor next week!

Excellent! Your numbers are slightly out of normal range. Are you feeling any of the standard hypo symptoms?

Just that you have your full panel signals that you have a good endocrinologist - this is a really good sign!

With hormonal issues there is nearly always something else at play, but your weight is not one of them. Those vanity pounds are an issue with the thyroid normie crowd, so you're in good company. Have been struggling with those myself.

krael65

CSARdiver wrote: »

krael65 wrote: »

Thank you, @CSARdiver. My latest test results are below.

My numbers, followed by normal range.

TSH: 6.65 uIU/mL (0.55 - 4.78 uIU/mL)
FREE T4: 0.7 ng/dL (0.9 - 1.8 ng/dL)
T3: 48.8 ng/dL (60.0 - 181.0 ng/dL)

My TSH had been between .99 and 1.75 between 2011 through 2016 (<-- my last test prior to current).

I've been in a sustained calorie deficit, albeit a small one, trying to lose a few vanity lbs. to get to the low end of my maintenance range. I bottomed out my weight in July, and since have crept slowly upward in spite of the deficit. I've been increasing my steps as well as increasing my deficit for the past 3 months, while tightening up my logging. It does feel like swimming against the current!

I had a full blood workup done in addition to the thyroid panel, so maybe there's something else at play as well. At any rate, thank you for your reply, and I will talk it through with my doctor next week!

Excellent! Your numbers are slightly out of normal range. Are you feeling any of the standard hypo symptoms?

Just that you have your full panel signals that you have a good endocrinologist - this is a really good sign!

With hormonal issues there is nearly always something else at play, but your weight is not one of them. Those vanity pounds are an issue with the thyroid normie crowd, so you're in good company. Have been struggling with those myself.

Thanks, as I had no idea how my numbers relate (are they way off? slightly off?)...

Other symptoms: thinning hair, brittle nails, slower heartbeat, slightly more sensitive to cold, but this last one could just be due to the onset of winter weather!

I guess I don't understand the bolded. Then what would/could attribute to the weight gain, or the difficulty losing? What would explain the recent gain, given that I've been successfully maintaining for almost 2 years and have not changed my methods that had been working up until a few months ago?

deannalfisher

i would say slightly off for your TSH etc - wayy off would be if your TSH (for example) came back as 12-15+

krael65

deannalfisher wrote: »

i would say slightly off for your TSH etc - wayy off would be if your TSH (for example) came back as 12-15+

thanks!

whoami67

I think weight and thyroid seems to be an individual issue. Some people can lose just fine if they lower their calories. Some people lose slower. Some stay the same or continue to gain even while in what should be a severe calorie deficit. Untreated, I gained rapidly about 30 lbs while carefully consuming 1200-1500 calories a day of weighed and measured food and exercising regularly. With treatment, I vary between not being able to lose at all no matter what I do and being able to lose slowly. I have a friend who is hyper and she gains weight when she gets more hyper rather than losing it like most people. It just depends on your body.

CSARdiver's claim that hypothyroidism has nothing to do with metabolism is just silly. The thyroid's main role is to regulate your metabolism. A calorie is simply a unit of energy. It's the heat energy used to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree celsius. Depending on how your thyroid regulates your metabolism, you may use more or less of that energy.

cheryldumais

I don't know if this will be any help or not but here's what I experienced when they finally got me on Synthroid for my low thyroid. My headaches went away. My constipation improved. I wasn't as exhausted all the time. What didn't happen was I didn't lose weight but I wasn't dieting. I think you will feel better once medicated and that makes it easier to concentrate on eating right and exercising. I still have times when the old symptoms come back and my regular temp runs anywhere from 94.5 to 97.5. My doc says my levels are normal but I think once the thyroid gets messed up it's never as cut and dried as taking a pill and everything is fine. On the upside I have lost over 100 pounds and am maintaining. I do however find my maintenance calories are a couple hundred lower than what MFP gave me. Good luck my friend at the very least you will feel better and that makes it easier to concentrate on other things.

krael65

@whoami67, Thanks for your reply. I agree, people respond differently to thyroid issues. Even when I was severely hyper, I really had no noticeable symptoms, other than I could eat a little more than usual and not gain. I did not lose tons of weight or feel any other ill effects. (that's not to say it wasn't hard on my body...)

It must be very frustrating for you - I know how hard it is to remain consistent and work really hard, only to stay the same weight or lose super slowly. I hope things get easier for you. It's not fair to put in the effort and have your body not respond!

edit: forgot to quote the message I was replying to.

deannalfisher

whoami67 wrote: »

I think weight and thyroid seems to be an individual issue. Some people can lose just fine if they lower their calories. Some people lose slower. Some stay the same or continue to gain even while in what should be a severe calorie deficit. Untreated, I gained rapidly about 30 lbs while carefully consuming 1200-1500 calories a day of weighed and measured food and exercising regularly. With treatment, I vary between not being able to lose at all no matter what I do and being able to lose slowly. I have a friend who is hyper and she gains weight when she gets more hyper rather than losing it like most people. It just depends on your body.

CSARdiver's claim that hypothyroidism has nothing to do with metabolism is just silly. The thyroid's main role is to regulate your metabolism. A calorie is simply a unit of energy. It's the heat energy used to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree celsius. Depending on how your thyroid regulates your metabolism, you may use more or less of that energy.

you realize that @CSARdiver actually studies metabolism and does thyroid research right?

nvmomketo

I lost weight while living with untreated hypothyroidism.

What I found the hardest was the fatigue. I tend to eat for energy so I was fighting that the entire time. I found that cutting refined and processed carbs helped stabilize my energy and helped somewhat.

I found my caloric deficit did need to be larger when I was losing while hypo. I lost the same amount of weight, and in the same time period, about 8 years ago as I did a few years back while I was treated. I ate a similar caloric deficit, if not larger, but 8 years ago I was doing P90X and jogging, sometimes two workouts a day, but my losses were no faster than when I was 8 years older and sedentary. YMMV

Hypothyroidism can affect metabolism, but not hugely. I've seen studies showing a decease in metabolism between 5-15%.

Your numbers fairly poor to me. For me, at those numbers my hair would be falling out, I would have scaly skin, be tired, cold and constipated. It varies a great deal between people, but some find a TSH like that means the thyroid is failing - it did for me.

In my experience, TSH is best close to a 1, but might be low if taking T3 in your supplement which can suppress TSH. I find that free T3 and free T4 are best when in the 50-75% range of the normal range. I am still fully symptomatic with a TSH of 2, and a FT4 and FT4 in the lower half of the normal range.

That will vary between people of course. I am of the opinion that how one feels is often the best guide to thyroid meds, and not always what the labs say, although labs can give an idea of what is needed.

CSARdiver

Fatigue is what gets most people and they attribute this lack of energy to metabolism. Metabolism is nothing more than a culmination of biochemical pathways primarily driven by body mass.

Note that this 5-15% number came from medicine (which is more engineering than science) prior to metabolic chambers. This was estimated from weight gained in hypothyroid patients. Hypothyroidism (and any other hormonal disorder) may cause a temporary increase in cellular uptake (water weight), but has no detectable impact on metabolism. Also note that the degree of error on the instruments used to calculate metabolism is greater than 15%.

Your "normal" depends on where your numbers were during your developmental years, which is why it is critical to get an endocrinologist up to date on current research. Also why the established ranges are so wide. Personally I was likely hyperthyroid most of my life, so TSH of 0.2 "feels" normal to me, but would make someone else potentially feel horrible.

CSARdiver

krael65 wrote: »

CSARdiver wrote: »

krael65 wrote: »

Thank you, @CSARdiver. My latest test results are below.

My numbers, followed by normal range.

TSH: 6.65 uIU/mL (0.55 - 4.78 uIU/mL)
FREE T4: 0.7 ng/dL (0.9 - 1.8 ng/dL)
T3: 48.8 ng/dL (60.0 - 181.0 ng/dL)

My TSH had been between .99 and 1.75 between 2011 through 2016 (<-- my last test prior to current).

I've been in a sustained calorie deficit, albeit a small one, trying to lose a few vanity lbs. to get to the low end of my maintenance range. I bottomed out my weight in July, and since have crept slowly upward in spite of the deficit. I've been increasing my steps as well as increasing my deficit for the past 3 months, while tightening up my logging. It does feel like swimming against the current!

I had a full blood workup done in addition to the thyroid panel, so maybe there's something else at play as well. At any rate, thank you for your reply, and I will talk it through with my doctor next week!

Excellent! Your numbers are slightly out of normal range. Are you feeling any of the standard hypo symptoms?

Just that you have your full panel signals that you have a good endocrinologist - this is a really good sign!

With hormonal issues there is nearly always something else at play, but your weight is not one of them. Those vanity pounds are an issue with the thyroid normie crowd, so you're in good company. Have been struggling with those myself.

Thanks, as I had no idea how my numbers relate (are they way off? slightly off?)...

Other symptoms: thinning hair, brittle nails, slower heartbeat, slightly more sensitive to cold, but this last one could just be due to the onset of winter weather!

I guess I don't understand the bolded. Then what would/could attribute to the weight gain, or the difficulty losing? What would explain the recent gain, given that I've been successfully maintaining for almost 2 years and have not changed my methods that had been working up until a few months ago?

Ah - regarding the bolded. Hormones are free cycling, so in many cases hypothyroidism (TSH/T4 specifically) is aggravated by being overweight.

It's like putting a furnace rated for a 1000 sqft building and putting it in a 2000 sqft building and expecting it to work. At some point it will be overstressed and begin to fail.

brendak76

When my TSH was between 6-9, I gained around 2 -4 pounds a month despite diligent calorie tracking and having been the same weight for the past 15 years. I gained about 15 pounds total. I felt completely out of control because nothing I did could stop the weight gain. I had been hypothyroid for 20 years prior and on the same medication dosage so this was all new.

Now that my thyroid is properly medicated (it took about 2 years to get stabilized), I have lost the 15 pounds without tracking a single calorie.

Everyone’s experience is different but that’s mine.

AnnPT77

whoami67 wrote: »

I think weight and thyroid seems to be an individual issue. Some people can lose just fine if they lower their calories. Some people lose slower. Some stay the same or continue to gain even while in what should be a severe calorie deficit. Untreated, I gained rapidly about 30 lbs while carefully consuming 1200-1500 calories a day of weighed and measured food and exercising regularly. With treatment, I vary between not being able to lose at all no matter what I do and being able to lose slowly. I have a friend who is hyper and she gains weight when she gets more hyper rather than losing it like most people. It just depends on your body.

CSARdiver's claim that hypothyroidism has nothing to do with metabolism is just silly. The thyroid's main role is to regulate your metabolism. A calorie is simply a unit of energy. It's the heat energy used to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1 degree celsius. Depending on how your thyroid regulates your metabolism, you may use more or less of that energy.

The bolded is also reported commonly here by people who aren't even hypothyroid. People vary, as individuals. There is no calorie-burn oracle. It's all estimates.

Layering that on top of a condition like hypothyroidism, with the fatigue and discomfort and unsual types of water retention, doesn't make things any clearer. But reported variation is not unique to hypothyroid people.

krael65

All good input, thank you.

Once again, I feel fortunate that I'm not experiencing any of the fatigue or other discomforts that many hypothyroid people experience. I've actually increased my daily step count average from 15K to 17K over the past few months, and don't feel like my energy or appetite has been negatively impacted.

I'm looking forward to seeing my doctor tomorrow to go over my numbers and devising a plan to get my body in better health.

youngmomtaz

So much of it depends on HOW your doc will treat you. Mine will treat me based on TSH alone. My free t3 is at times undetectable and at others still below the lowest “normal” range they would like but though they test it, they see it as not an issue. REALLY?!?! My hair loss, fatigue and constipation has never improved due to medication for hypothyroidism. I have been able to slowly lose weight if I work really hard at tracking my calories and stick to it. If I cut back too severely though the crushing tiredness sets everything back even farther and I backslide and lose motivation.