Hello!!

Jasmine5279
Jasmine5279 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself

Hello!! Im new and am wanting to lose 50-60lbs. I had really bad issues with losing not to long ago, but I found the issue to be my thyroid. This app helps me track everything and it just helps me all around. I hope anyone else with thyroid issues can give me some tips to help lose this weight.

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 38,196 Community Helper

    I don't think thyroid issues make weight loss ultra-special. I'm severely hypothyroid, but medicated for it, and lost weight using MFP - around 50 pounds in a bit less than a year - and have maintained a healthy weight for going on 10 years since loss.

    The one difference for us may be that we're more likely to have slightly different calorie needs than in the original estimate, no matter whether that estimate came from MFP, some other calorie calculator, a personal trainer, or even a fitness tracker.

    The estimates all basically reflect the calorie needs of a statistically average person. Most people are close to average. A few people are noticebly different from average in calorie needs, high or low. A really rare few are surprisingly far off. Those facts are true for literally anyone, but maybe a bit more likely to be true for those of us with a thyroid condition (even if fully medicated).

    What to do about that?

    Here's what many people who've been successful here recommend to people starting out with calorie counting: Get your estimate from MFP or another science-based source. Stick pretty close to it on average for 4-6 weeks. Then look at your average weekly weight change over that whole time period. If you're a woman who has menstrual cycles, compare bodyweight at the same relative point in at least two different cycles, because hormonal water retention can be pretty weird and distort results.

    If your average weekly weight loss is close to the rate you asked for, you're all set . . . at least until you lose so much that your calorie needs drop. (It's good to re-evaluate every 10-15 pounds down.)

    If you've lost faster or slower than is healthy or desirable, use the idea that 500 calories a day is about a pound a week. (It's about 1100 calories per day for a kilogram per week, if that's your unit of measure.) If partial pounds or kilograms are in the picture, use arithmetic to figure how many more or fewer calories are needed each day to dial in your goal.

    That's about it. There are people who advocate for special thyroid eating rules, but I haven't found any of that to be essential. Obviously, anyone who's allergic to particular foods, or finds that eating particular food makes them feel pooly, tanks their energy, or has some other negative effect . . . they should avoid those foods. Equally obviously, follow any dietary instructions related to your thyroid (or other medications) or dietary directives from your doctor or registered dietitian. Beyond those kinds of things, a general healthy diet is fine.

    Best wishes!

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