48 y/o hypothyroid in need of weight loss pals

myplacetohide

Well, the title pretty much covers it. I've gained 30 pounds in less than a year. i went from working out 6 days a week doing Zumba and camping to sitting on the couch with my feet up because of the nueropathy.

With a starting TSH of 63 and now a 8.7, i am wondering when the weight loss begins. My doc says not until my numbers reach the 1-2 range. I am certainly trying to lose, but find that I can still only walk. (instead of other exercises) I think as a single mom I have always just figured that I was on my own. You kind of figure out how to fix the lawn mower, get the child to sports and get the laundry done while grocery shopping. It pisses me off that I can't seem to force my body to do what i want!

The positives:
Daughter is in college and I can cook whatever i want without a grimace greeting me.
I work second shift so no one has to see my body waddling down the road
I'm cool with shopping at second hand stores, so i make sure i always have clothes that fit properly (live in t tight clothes and NOTHING seems possible)
I am on my feet 9 hours a day at work and that HAS to burn some amount of calories.

I am looking for a few people who need to lose at least 40 pounds. Someone who is struggling too. As a single mom, I am the king of motivators for someone else, but highly critical of myself. is there anyone out there?

vlland

I have less than 40lbs to lose but the struggle is the same - Im stuck and cant seem to lose I lb- let alone the 15 I want to lose. I also don't know anything about dealing with hypothyroid issues but I am 48 and have been a single mom for 10 + years so I know the struggles. Feel free to add me as a friend if u want.

ShinyFuture

Hi there - feel free to add me. I'm a little older and have more to lose, but am also struggling with my thyroid. If you go to 'Groups', you'll also find a few thyroid groups.

Good luck!

myplacetohide

thank you both SO much! i have sent each of you a message and a friends request.

Vlland, I have been experimenting with foods lately and I have found that broccoli keeps me full FOREVER. And, I don't crazy sugar.

Yes, broccoli. BLAH! But, I mixed it with a few low fat tbps of low fat may, some white wine vinegar, a packet of sweetener, some raisins. a piece of pre-cooked bacon (because bacon makes everything better) and suddenly i had this bowl of yucky looking crap that tasted amazing!! 300 calories for this huge pile. and I forgot to eat for like 6 hours. this is like the second coming of Christ. A major miracle.

i googled "high fiber low GI foods" and then come the options!

Hello ShinyFuture! and bless your crappy thyroid! DO NOT tell anyone in the thyroid community I am dieting on goitergens. But have you noticed that all of our thyroid trigger foods are all the foods that keep you alive? Whats with that?!?!

KaraLee69

Hi! I am 43 and have lost 42 lbs since Jan. I am a type 2 diabetic....I have reduced my meds from 6 shots a day and 3 oral meds to one shot a day and one oral med twice a day. I have a 15 y/o and a 7 y/o. I have been to doctors and nutritionists to start and support me on this journey....my biggest take away? After YEARS of dieting....protein first! Protein keeps you fuller longer AND 100 calories of carbs takes your body 5 to 10 calories to digest it. 100 calories of protein takes your body 20-30 calories to digest.
Just thought I would share! Feel free to friend me!

maracuya23

I was diagnosed hypo in early March this year. In the last 8 weeks or so I'm finally starting to be in range TSH-wise, with normalish T3 & T4. My weight loss is sloooooow. Partly because I've mostly been working to improve my diet (macro-wise, and paying much closer attention to micronutrients like vt D, iron, selenium, etc). That said, any week with maintenance of weight or a loss of any kind is a big victory in my book.

When I first started medication, I plateaued for almost 3 months. However, during that time I felt a ton better, was able to gradually increase my calories from under 1200/day to almost 2000/day without gaining, and got a much better handle on my nutrition. I discovered I'm pretty gluten intolerant (a common issue with hypo folks), and cut it out completely. I also discovered I was pretty nutrient- deficient in lots of common things (iron, vit D, etc), and have gradually been adding in good supplements to get my levels to good places.* Two things that made the biggest difference: vit D and adding magnesium citrate at bedtime. The mag especially was helpful for pain and vastly improved sleep.

For the goitrogens, I avoid soy as much as possible. For everything else, I eat tons of veggies, but make sure I cook them to negate the goitrogenic properties. I adore broccoli, and eat a ton of it. My philosophy with it is that so long as you're eating pretty consistently while your levels are getting stabilized, your medicine will eventually be titrated to the right level to compensate for any goitrogens in your diet.

Hang in there- it does indeed get better when you get under 2 TSH. Congrats in the weight you've managed to lose while still hypo-it's awesome!

*edited to add: getting optimal micronutrients in your diet also ensures that your body can fully convert the medicine and use it to its full potential.

QuietBloom

Hey there! I don't have as much to lose, but I'm 48 and also hypothyroid. You are going to feel soooo much better when your TSH levels improve. Hang in there, and just do what you can do until then. Feel free to add me! :happy:

Katana1066

Hello, Im 22.
I was born without a thyroid, and have always been treated for hypothyroidism
I lost 8st so far and i am aiming to lose at least another 2 more using MFP
feel free to friend me if you would like to

parrrp

ahoy! another hypothyroid here - I have a relatively rare issue with mine, can't convert t4 to t3 properly and only feel well when my TSH is almost completely suppressed, so have to have all kinds of squabbles with doctors
I've found processed wheat makes me retain water and get really tired, could be worth trying cutting down on that?
Another thing that's worth looking into - a lot of hypothyroids also have an issue with candida overgrowth, as that tends to swoop when your run down (when I was at my worst I was keeping going with sugary foods which fed the overgrowth as well, great). It could be worth looking into - there's loads of info on the internet about it.

njgarose28

Hi , I am 51 and in the same boat but my levels are just a little off at 5.7. My problem is that it appears my thyroid sometime makes too much iodine and sometime not enough. The doctors say I am hyperthyroid so I should not be a gaining weigh. I am not sure about the meds should I take them based upon the side effects and the fact th a t my last test came back normal. I confused on my next course of action. But, I am determined to get my life be on track and becoming active and loosing the weight will definitely be a step in the right direction. On this journey I will be losing 40 lbs.

I would like to work together on regaining our lives. Feel free to add me as a friend.

angelique_redhead

Actually if you added onions as well you would have the exact recipe for brocolli slaw! Great job!

thank you both SO much! i have sent each of you a message and a friends request.

Vlland, I have been experimenting with foods lately and I have found that broccoli keeps me full FOREVER. And, I don't crazy sugar.

Yes, broccoli. BLAH! But, I mixed it with a few low fat tbps of low fat may, some white wine vinegar, a packet of sweetener, some raisins. a piece of pre-cooked bacon (because bacon makes everything better) and suddenly i had this bowl of yucky looking crap that tasted amazing!! 300 calories for this huge pile. and I forgot to eat for like 6 hours. this is like the second coming of Christ. A major miracle.

i googled "high fiber low GI foods" and then come the options!

Hello ShinyFuture! and bless your crappy thyroid! DO NOT tell anyone in the thyroid community I am dieting on goitergens. But have you noticed that all of our thyroid trigger foods are all the foods that keep you alive? Whats with that?!?!

famos00

Hi;

Just wanted to say thanks for the tip on magnesium citrate. Will try it out asap.

llestok

Hi there,

I don't know if you are still looking for people to add, I only have a couple on mine. Started a while back then well off the wagon, have to get back on the stick and lose weight. I am 48 with hypothyroidism. I have about 85 pounds to lose, did lose 10 pounds over the summer but gained 6 of it back....going to start with some diet modification (going simple, protein shakes, salads, fish, chicken) and get the dusk off my treadmill. Trying to change jobs/careers and a thin(ner) me would help me out a lot with it, plus I really believe it hurts me in interviews (I look pregnant with triplets...the rest of me is not as fat, 90% gut). I hope you have had some success, I also have Zumba but have not tried it as yet, looks like a lot of fun though.

---

Laura

perseverance14

Feel free to add me. I have Hashimoto's and just started a 1000 calorie a day diet last week, I have been gaining/losing the same weight for years, a lot of the time mostly through exercise, all different types. At this point I want to lose 70 lbs. Once I get the fat off this time, I know how to exercise to maintain it. I am older and been hypo for years, but I can tell you this, don't give TD an inch, it will take 50 miles if you do. When I had pins and needles in my hands/feet years back, I started taking sublingual B-12, then it went away. I also take dessicated thyroid (prescription but not synthetic) which works better for me, but everybody is different. Good luck!

editorgrrl

MFP has "Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism" group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

pennymarkle

Hi my name is Penny I'm 52 years old and was diagnosed 2010 with hyperthyroid.. long story short.. was on Tapizole year and half. Then remission. Then last year turned into hypothyroid and I'm on synthroid. Started juicing/smoothies/raw off and on six months ago . Had to have neck surgery end of Aug. Recovering slowly. Joined MFP before Christmas and I decided last week to give it a honest try and to start walking in my home along with a walking video. I get wobbly and have tripped/fell outside while walking. I hope to get a tread climber soon. So far I've dropped two pounds. trying to stay motivated and its sooooo nice to see other MFP with Hypothyroid. With hard work and shear determination I will lose this fifty lbs. Nice to meet you all and drop me a note if you like...hugs

KDar1988

I'm 46 and have been hypothyroid for more than 20 years. I have over 100lbs to lose. You'd think it would be easy with so many excess pounds, but I struggle daily. It is coming off at a snails pace despite all efforts to eat properly and stay under 1400 calories a day. My doc told me I'd lose weight once they got me on meds. He was wrong. I never lost anything.

I don't feel "right", I don't think they have regulated my thyroid right. I've told my doc for years that I'm tired, no energy, low sex drive. They look at my labs and say I'm in the right range. So I gave up fighting. I actually had weight loss surgery (lapband) 7 years ago. I lost a lot but had trouble and gained it all back. So I'm back to square one.

Good luck....I'm on this journey with you.

editorgrrl

My doc told me I'd lose weight once they got me on meds. He was wrong. I never lost anything.

I don't feel "right", I don't think they have regulated my thyroid right. I've told my doc for years that I'm tired, no energy, low sex drive. They look at my labs and say I'm in the right range.

Me, too. I have Hashi's. My endo says that b/c I take Synthroid & my test results are "normal," I can lose weight just like anybody else. Wrong. It took me a whole year to lose 20 lbs. So yes, I can lose, but _really_ slowly.

KDar1988

Yes, my doc told me I have Hashimoto's disease too. I was seeing an Endo doc for my meds at one time, he upped them for a month and I felt awesome, I had energy, not tired but bloodwork said I was then hyperthyroid and they refused to let me remain on the meds at that level so I had to drop back. Guess what? I ended up feeling crappy again.

I ran out of meds and called this Endo doc for a refill and he refused me. He said that he couldn't help me any longer, I had to deal with my primary. He said that he felt I was "collecting" doctors. WTF? I have a primary doc and he was the Endo who was supposed to specialize in this field. So, I deal with this crappy feeling daily. Nobody seems to be able to figure it out.

myplacetohide

Well, I totally forgot i started this thread. I have a new endo. In fact, i may have had him when I started this thread. I finally got in to see him late October. What a difference a doctor makes. He treated me like a bomb victim coming in off the field. All of my weight loss concerns were put on the bottom of the list. Literally. He made a 3 stage list and within a 1/2 hour, I seeing an OBGYN specialist.

Within 1 month, we had taken care of all of the major issues on his first list (without added medications...bless his little endo heart) And when I brought up weight loss yet again, he merely chuckled and told me that I was (at 4.7 TSH...down from 68) a long way from that.

but, he told me to get off of all grains (as Hashi's is a leaky bowel disease...do your research. He requires it. And he said that i would know when i was in range because the weight would start to come off on it's own. i went home and cried...because we all know that is a bunch of crap. But I did what the man told me. and you guessed it, 1,200 calories a day, less than 20 carbs a day and no weight came off.

He took me down to 1.2 TSH

One more time ladies...

1.2

And let me tell you, there was some fancy micro-gram footwork in there with me making DAILY diary entries for him to tell him how i felt for us to "find that sweet spot' as he put it.

And i lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks.

I have upped my carbs to 50 (as I was lacking serious energy)and i am down 11 pounds in 1 month.

We will have to begin doing my blood work EVERY 6 weeks yet again and begin the dance all over as i lose weight, but for me, it is well worth it. What i needed was a doctor that felt i was worth it too. Because it's a hell of a lot easier to just hand someone a high dose pill and tell them to come back in a year and shake you head at them when they get on the scale.

editorgrrl

I have a new endo. What a difference a doctor makes.

We will have to begin doing my blood work EVERY 6 weeks yet again and begin the dance all over as i lose weight, but for me, it is well worth it. What i needed was a doctor that felt i was worth it too. Because it's a hell of a lot easier to just hand someone a high dose pill and tell them to come back in a year and shake your head at them when they get on the scale.

QFT.

I'm so glad you found a doctor who listens to you.

myplacetohide

OMG...you have THREE pounds to go?!?!? Congratulations!!!

chiccam

Hey I'm hypo with hashimotos...sending you an invite.

myplacetohide

Hello! Got the invite and thank you! 3 pounds in!! Good on you!

chiccam

Yay!