Thyroid problems ..

liquidleaves

Anyone have any thyroid problems that seem to hinder progress?? DIscuss.

garber6th

I have thyroid problems but that hasn't hindered my progress. It's really important to make sure you are taking the right dosage of medication. When I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism, it did take a little tweaking to get the dosage of my medication right, so make sure you get your thyroid checked regularly.

magentamorbid

It may not seem like a problem but it is to me. I have hyperthyroidism, so I lose weight, however after being on medication for a year it all came back on. Yes my hair and nails were healthier but I wasn't. I'm off the medication now for a year but no weight changes. Yay it's in remission but I have a feeling it's hindering my progress now. It seemed counterproductive to take medication to make me keep my thyroid levels down, then exercise to make it go up. Le sigh.

Keiras_Mom

I'm hypo and have had no problems losing the weight.

magentamorbid

Also let me say that I have normal thyroid levels so being off medication isn't to lose weight. The medication was making my levels go way down and made me fatter and more depressed. Levels are normal and I'm fine. Any sign of it coming back, since it can strike at any time, and I'll be in the doctors ASAP.

azpishe

I was recently diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. Have been on medication for a while. Had to figure out the right dosage. I started losing a little bit of weight. I've gotten into a holding pattern now but hoping that will change soon. I've lost my motivation again to get out of bed with waking up at 2 am and laying in bed watching my shows on my dvr and then getting up and getting ready for work about 3 to 4 hrs later. I've been walking on my treadmill for about 30 to 45 min., riding the incumbent bike for about 20 min. and then working out on my pilates machine for about 30 min. I am finding it boring again. I need some motivation. Been going thru alot with my relationship and feeling not so good about myself but in the midst of working things out. So, I'm hoping I can feed of the good things that are coming together in the future. i just need to find my self esteem again.
HELPPPP....INSPIRE MEEE...HELP ME INSPIRE MYSELF...

60sspiderman

All things are hard before they become easy right? I'm all the way at the beginning of the thyroid correcting process. I was diagnosed with Graves Disease induced hyperthyroidism recently and had to go on the thyroid killing medications immediately to give my heart a break from the hormones. The heart damage brought my resting heart rate up to 120. I've been on the pills for about four months and gained 26 pounds in that time. My weight has always been very steady in the past, but now that my metabolism has come down I can't seem to even maintain. After the first month I went from 130 to 140 and began to work out for 30 minutes 3 times a week. My weight continued to climb to 156 so I upped it to 45 minutes 5 times a week and trying to cap my caloric intake at 1400. Now I'm kind of maintaining. Still gaining 0.5 pounds here and there. The really frustrating part is that heart muscle cells take time to heal so when I work out at an intensity where I actually sweat and burn some calories my heart rate is about 165. I mentioned that to my doctor and he said I couldn't continue on like that or I'd have a heart attack. My heart rate can't really get higher than 140. As far as diet goes I'm a vegetarian and have always striven to maintain a balanced diet.

My Endo thinks that RAI is the best course for me. I'll be getting it in about 2 months, then my thyroid cells will be killed off and I'll go hypo, then we'll be able to find the right dose of synthroid to keep me level. Doc suggested not looking at the scale for a year, saying that I'd drive myself crazy trying to keep up with it now and I could lose it after my levels were normal. But there has to be a diet/exercise plan to keep me in check in the meantime right? Any thoughts? It's really encouraging to see some people on here who have gotten through the whole issue!

jayjay12345654321

before i got on meds, the best i could do was slow down the weight gain, and after picking up 50 lbs in just a few months, i could maintain the new heavier weight. my meds have been tweaked as most people's have to find the right balance between T4 and T3. i started at 25 micrograms once a day. it took me 6 months to lose 15 lbs. i'm now at 100 micrograms.

my hypothyroidism was either caused by or aggravated by a gluten allergy i didn't know i had. the doc said he couldn't guess the cause, but that antibodies in the bloodstream for gluten also attack the thyroid in certain people. so 7 weeks ago, i cut out gluten and went to a majority raw veggie diet. i've lost 18 lbs since july 16. i walk about 10-15 miles a week.

twentykilostogo

I've had my thyroid removed. Once meds are good I find I lose weight well

Hannah_Hopes

I've underactive and still trying to get on the right dose to get it sorted

juang3

my hypothyroidism was either caused by or aggravated by a gluten allergy i didn't know i had. the doc said he couldn't guess the cause, but that antibodies in the bloodstream for gluten also attack the thyroid in certain people. so 7 weeks ago, i cut out gluten and went to a majority raw veggie diet. i've lost 18 lbs since july 16. i walk about 10-15 miles a week.

Finally they are starting to see a correlation between thyroid dx and gluten allergy.

I'm hypo and have been since I was 17 years old, that's 30 years, initially my doctor didn't put me on any medication, his justification was that it could affect my bone growth. When I was 23 I was started on 0.25mcg, that tiny dose caused my body to go...what the heck is that...and then it's been a struggle to keep my numbers in check since then. Currently I am on 0.175mcg and I feel like I am getting too low, gut issues are starting up and my hair is starting to plug the shower drain, LoL, great measures right.

I noticed about 5 years ago how well my body does following a low/no gluten diet and started doing some research to find out why. I guess I wasn't the only one who was noticing and found tons of legitimate research (not just from drug companies) about the correlation of a high gluten diet and difficult to control thyroid dx and the ability to lose weight.

If you are hypo and trying to lose and finding if extremely difficult, do some research and try a low/no gluten diet.

tonynguyen75

I've also had my thyroid removed. However, I have difficulty losing weight now. =\

tayanoel

Just found out I have hyperthyroid.. Still learning about it and trying to lose weight any advice will help

jayjay12345654321

Just found out I have hyperthyroid.. Still learning about it and trying to lose weight any advice will help

Since I'm on the opposite side of the pendulum, I don't know much about hyperT. My coworker was hyperT and said she started gaining weight because she was ravenous and ate constantly. They learned she was hyperT after she went in regarding the wide open "surprised" look her eyes had taken on (versus the very sleepy, drunken, swollen eyes of a hypoT). They put her on meds which brought her metabolism way down, but it had been a long time habit to eat the quantities that she'd been eating, increasing with age as her condition unknowingly worsened, and she experienced what essentially is a hypoT condition, only worse. HyperT's whose meds are too strong turning them into hypoT's show the largest percentage of weight gain. I asked her how she lost the weight, she said with patience and diligence.

haguem

im underactive been like for some yrs now just sorting out my dose on 150 ans still tired hair comes out loads when i wash it! its just a struggle to lose when so many people do it so easily. even had a personal trainer diet and running up to 3/6miles and only lost 8lbs> but my friend who did the same lost 2stone.

MrsFowler1069

I also have hypothyroidism. The process of getting the meds to the right dosage has been pretty tedious, but I'm now testing well. Started attempting to lose really only a month or so before that, so I"m not sure of the correlation, but I'm making good progress, having lost 45 pounds since mid-June.

dbarrows35

I had my thyroid removed a few months ago, they say they have my medicine right yet I'm starting to gain weight. what can I do to quit gaining and start losing?

ElizabethFuller

I was diagnosed as having hypothyroidism about 10 years ago and now take 150ug thyroxine per day. I find it really hard to lose weight and I suspect that my thyroid was overactive before. I used to have tons of energy, ate like a horse and never gained a pound. I do find that I lose weight faster if I cut carbs and was very interested to read the earlier post about a link to gluten intolerance. But, I can lose weight even if it's slower than I would like and this time I will persist until I get back to my pre-thyroid goal weight.

BoomstickChick

Yep, hashi's here.. slooooooowwww losing, but it's possible.

moreORless50

I no longer have my thyroid glands after treatment they shriveled and died , i am now dependant on tyroxine in tablet form and it took a little while to get dose right but now its as it should be , i found diet and exercise has to be tweeked here and there till you get it right for you , what you need to remember if you have no thyroid gland that you cant push yourself as much, as your body cant give you anymore thyroxine unlike it can a person with healthy glands , its trial and error till you get the right balance of food and exercise for you ,dont give up keep trying diff amounts of cals and exercise . Listen to your body dont starve it and dont over work

Sweets1954

My thyroid was removed years ago and it took about a year to stabilize my medication. I can lose weight but I have to really watch my calorie intake. When I am paying attention I do okay but it I stop watching I gain a little back (2 to 3 lbs) then stabilize at that weight. I'm back to keeping my diary and watching what I eat and I've started losing again.

themommie

I too am hypothyroid. It does make it hard to lose weight but not impossible just slow. I have lost 115 lbs but it took me almost 3 yrs to do it eating 1200 cals a day and lots of exercise

wendyn1998

I noticed that I could not lose weight about a year ago. My diet was very good and not at all unhealthy. My moods began to swing, I had dry skin and my hair was falling out. I researched on google and blogs and several medical sites. It sounded like my thyroid, so I asked my doctor to test me. She immediately agreed that it was very possible that my thyroid was underactive, or hypothyroidism. So my blood work came back and sure enough it was very low. She started me on the .5 mcg levothyroxin and wanted me back in 6 weeks. Again, my blood work came back still very low. She doubled the dosage and I've been steadily losing or maintaining my weight since July. Hopefully, when I go back in October, that my levels have evened out, but my doctor says I will have to remain on the meds for the rest of my life. I never realized that your thyroid affects so much.

sweetangel2013

I also have hypothyroidism. I am on 75 mcg of levothyroxin. I guess I was really lucky that my dr found the magic dose the first time around. I feel so much better all the way around. And the weight is coming off quite easily too. Just want to say that you just have to be patient and work with your dr and you will be successful too.

daneejela

I'm also hypo, but I think I'm not too serious case.

I think that common mistake is to go on a "blind diet" (just calorie counting) and brute force exercise. That can even make things worse, because our body is already struggling to create energy for basic stuff like keeping body temperature. I think it may be the reason why it is in the "fat - collecting - mode".

I think it's really important to find out what food to eat, and what kind of exercise to do. From what I've read until now (but that is constantly changing) is more or less this:

- gluten according to some sources can cause autoimmune reaction that in some people means destroying thyroid tissue.
(i.e. http://thyroidbook.com/blog/eating-gluten-increases-need-for-thyroid-hormones/)

- excessive exercise (specially long lasting cardio workout, long running etc.) can squeeze out thyroid even more

- polyunsaturated fats - this is pretty much controversial, because all medical/health media will say that we should avoid saturated fats, and eat polyunsaturated. But there are some sources that I found logical stating that it has been only few decades that people are using unsaturated oils, and in that few decades obesity reached maximum.

- and of course - not enough sleep & stress also has a big impact.

I don't know how much is any of this true, but I'm going to try it myself next few months and see from the "first hand".

P.S. sorry if I sound weird, English is not my native language

Fit_Natasha

I have hyperT. Was diagnosed a year ago and still taking medication. While most of the people loosing their weight with hyperT, I gained 10 kg. I remember been always hungry and eating tons of food (mostly healthy). I've been on MFP since may trying to loose weight. It is sooo hard and so slow. I agree that removing/reducing gluten from the diet helps a lot. It make me feels so much better, even thought I don't have gluten allergy, Will be happy to friend with any other hyperT for support and motivation.

Siobhan3240

I am hypo, and have been since 3 years ago. I take levothyroxine 50mcg. My doctor was able to get the medication right the first time and get my number back to normal. I have been able to lose weight but even though my number is in the normal range I still am always very tired, my hair falls out like crazy, and my nails are super soft.

missy2492

I am hypothyroidism. Weight has been an issue for me trying to keep it off. I'm more tired as well. I'm on medication Levythyroxine (spelling off) 100mg. I'm hoping it will help soon. They just tweeked my dosage. It's no fun having this and wish my weight wasn't affected by it but it has. Good luck to you.

grubb1019

Those of you with hypo, did any of you feel discomfort in your throat? I have felt like my throat is swollen (kind of a strangling sensation) since April, I've been to ENT and he says besides post nasal drip that I don't have anything wrong. I gained 10lbs super fast in April/May and have only been able to loose 6 or 7 since then even though I am running 4 times a week and really watching calories. I'm tired, but I really have no other hypoT symptoms such as dry skin or hair loss. I get pain down the sides of my neck and up into my jaw also.

Siobhan3240

I also had the strangling feeling. It was so bad I went to the doctor and they said they did not know what it was. They swore up and down that it was not my thyroid causing it. I also get the really dry skin and I get jaw pain as well. Been to the dentist for the jaw pain and they cant figure it out as well.

jgrandison

Thank you for that advice, I will look into gluten free. I have been hypo for about 17 years now and it has been a struggle. My latest bout with my meds I gained a good 40lbs before we can slow it down and it took us switching med dosage to changing brands all together. I am pretty consistent with my weight however this was really scary I am feeling much better now and have more energy to work out so I pray that i can continue to bring it down again.