Can someone help me lose weight? (Thyroid)

tishagaudet

I’ve been trying to lose weight for a few months and the scale just won’t budge. (Mind you, I’ve had my fair share of binge eating). I’m 50 pounds over weight and I need to lose it so I can feel happy with myself again! What are some tips of how to beat my under active thyroid (I am on Synthroid, waiting for my results to see if I’m level or not!)

I want to be back to my normal size so badly!

Recipes, strategies and healthy meals are needed!

Pleaseeeeeee!

harper16

Are you using a food scale and logging everything that you eat?

tishagaudet

Yes I have a food scale and I measure everything I eat so I can track it. I gave myself a few too many cheat days before and now I’m very strict with myself. Thanks for the tip!

SteppenFetchit

If you're serious about losing weight, it really comes down to Calories In, Calories Out. 'Cheating Days' are a no-no... save a 'Cheat Day' for when you reach a major goal... oh yeah, set challenging but realistic goals with time limits, short term and long term. Track your progress... fyi, scales are inaccurate and too variable... use a measuring tape or take progress pics (my personal choice).

If you'd like, feel free to add me for support and friendship. 😀

tishagaudet

Thanks! I’m being super strict with myself! No cheat days for a while!

tishagaudet

Friend invite sent!

AnnPT77

Read this about hypothyroidism:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10767046/hypothyroidism-and-weight-management/

Written by a guy who's a scientist in the field, himself hypothyroid, who lost weight using MFP. Very informative

I started at around your point (50-ish pounds up from sensible) in 2015, hypothyroid, 30+years overweight (just into obese BMI), age 59.

The binge eating might be part of the problem. Over-restricting while trying to "diet" might be part of the problem (and part of the binge eating, besides). Any meaningful amount of weight loss (like 50 pounds) is a long-term proposition: Months, at least. Slow and sustainable wins this race, especially if not a stress-resilient 20-something.

In case it helps, this is how I lost 50+ pounds at 59 and hypothyroid, without materially changing my activity level:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

Consistency and persistence, in a state of commitment, are pretty magical.

I've been at a healthy weight since late 2015 (128.8 at 5'5" this morning). It's worth the effort, I promise.

Best wishes!

robw1974

One thing i find helps is not drinking calories, drink just water as much as possible. I sometimes also have juice with medicine because it helps it go down better. I was drinking iced tea (lightly sweet) and when i did that i was more maintaining weight and not really losing, when i switched to water i started losing again

elizabethherberger

I have Hashimoto’s and can tell you from personal experience that calories in, calories out is not always the case when hypothyroidism is involved. Sometimes I have long plateaus and when that happens I have to adjust something because it is an indicator that my body has adjusted to that as my new norm—changing either my calorie intake amount (slightly up or down), the foods I am eating, or the amount of exericise usually will shake it up enough to allow weight to come off. Have you looked into Hashimoto/hypothyroid diets? There are certain foods that you should avoid. Another idea would be to consider consulting with a nutritionist and your endocrinologist to figure out what you might need with your thyroid levels. Also, as a side note—having adjusted thyroid levels within the “normal” range (TSH, T3, and T4) doesn’t make it easier to lose weight. I still experience many of the side effects of hypothyroidism on synthroid. Despite being harder to lose weight, you can do it!

HeidiCooksSupper

I've been on synthroid for years. Taking my medicine means my thyroid levels are brought back to normal so there is no discernable effect on my weight. If I eat less than I burn I lose weight.

If you are getting too hungry and compensating with binges, this is a pattern to break. The easiest way to do that is to develop a way of eating that doesn't leave you hungry. Make sure you are eating enough on a daily basis and that you learn to control what you eat so as to be sated.

I've learned that if I end supper with a sweet, carb-y dessert, even if it's in my daily calorie allotment, it makes me hungry enough to chew the drapes. If I end supper with an ounce or two of mixed nuts, the rest of the evening goes well. You will need to learn what works and doesn't work for you.

bmeadows380

I had my thyroid removed in 2014 and had been hypo thyroid years before that. And I am currently sitting at 137 lbs gone, so dont' think its impossible to lose weight when hypothyroid.

Anne has most excellent advice, especially in that thread she linked. There isn't a special diet that can rev your metabolism, there isn't foods to avoid because they reduce your metabolism; the effect of hypothyroid on metabolism is actually not that big at all. Its not that being hypothyroid changes your metabolism that much; its a lot of the time being hypothyroid affects your activity levels and cravings for food - your calories in increases because of cravings and being hungry while your calories out drop because being hypothyroid makes you tired which results in moving less.

I've lost my weight with no special conditions placed on me other than sticking to a reasonable deficit. What I have found for me personally is that my thyroid levels, in addition to affecting how much energy I feel, also seems to control that willpower switch in my brain that controls how well I can stick to my deficit. When my TSH levels are high, I have a very difficult time sticking to my deficit because the drive to eat is killing me. It took a long time for me to catch onto this, though - for the longest time, I couldn't figure out what was flipping that switch on and off. I plateaued all of 2018 and half of 2019 and couldn't understand why I was unable to stick to my deficit and was slowly regaining again. What had been working before suddenly wasn't working. Then I got bloodwork done and found that my TSH had risen to 8, which is badly hypothyroid. My endocrinologist increased my meds and as my TSH dropped, I started finding myself being able to stick to my deficit much easier.

Right now, I'm technically down in the hyperthyroid range - I'm actually below 1 - and for me personally, I think that is the sweet spot I need on how I feel. That's not saying that is the level everyone should be; if you read Anne's link you'll see that especially when ti comes to thyroid levels, everyone is different on the value they need to feel their best; it took a very long time before I came near that level for myself.


In your case, my thoughts would be to evaluate your settings in light of the fact that you are trying to get to the right levels for you. Back off on how aggressively you are pursuing this and work on consistency while getting those levels under control; 1 lb/wk will get you there just as well as 2 lbs/wk; it just may be a little slower. But if setting yourself to 1 lb/wk helps keep you from binging or feeling starved or miserable and you can sustain that loss rate, isn't it better than trying to lose it quickly, getting burned out, then quitting?

Carissamr

I’m hypo. I actually had my thyroid removed due to cancer. I hit an all time high of 450lbs. When I became diabetic I was told to go on a diabetic diet. I was told to eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day. I could have up to 60 carbs per meal and 30 carbs per snack. I had to avoid or limit certain carbs though, like corn, potatoes, rice and flour. I decided to cut the suggested carbs in half. I cut out all drinks that contained calories and switched to diet drinks. I lost 150 lbs in about 4 months. It has been slower in coming off but I have not been as strict with what I eat lately. I am currently at 220 with a goal of 150. It’s finally in sight. Also, I am no longer diabetic. I am off of my insulin and my sugar levels stay in between 80 and 120 even after eating.

Diatonic12

Cheat Meals beget Cheat Days turning into Cheat Months resulting in another permission slip to overshoot the pot. Lo and behold, giant month hunks of cheating time passes by and we're right back where we started.

Other members with thyroid issues have found success by staying the course. The food scale is one of the secret keys and tickets to releasing weight. Edge your way down slowly. Let the food scale be your friend because it will always tell you the truth. Buy a portable one for your work and one for home. Moderate portions of the foods you actually enjoy. Just set your boundaries and with every passing day you will absolutely get there.

WildlyCurly

Hey sorry you're going through that. My friend and one of my cousin's cousin had that issue. They had to change what they ate drastically, and both went to a nutritionist or dietary coach recommended by their doctors. Obviously they had to avoid fatty foods and starchy foods like bread, and pasta, as well as sweets, but surprisingly my friend said she had to avoid so many foods that are considered healthy like Tofu, Broccoli and Cauliflower, and beans or food with too much fiber.

yirara

What others have said: food won't reverse it, the effect on metabolism is small. What's important is that your medication is spot on so that you feel normal and don't feel hungry or tired all the time. If this is not the case speak to your gp. There's no reason to feel miserable with this condition.