Folks with hypothyroidism - advice?

rhayes7

Hey y'all -
So, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 7 years ago, in my mid teens. I'm medicated now, but even on medication, weight loss has always been an issue. I can lose weight, but it's a frustrating battle; one that I'm sure some of you can relate to.
First off, let me say that I love MFP - the accountability it gives me is just amazing and I try to be consistent on it most days. I'm down about 21 lbs with another 15 or so to my goal, but it's been a rough ride. My issue is this...MFP has told me that with my goals, specs, etc, I should be eating about 1600 calories a day. And that's down from about 1800 when I started this journey. My issue is this...if I ate 1600 calories a day consistently, I would not lose weight. I have noticed that if I eat any more than about 12-1300 a day, with or without exercise, I maintain at best and gain more often than not even though according to the calculations, this is what I should be eating to lose 2 lbs a week. It's getting frustrating for me because I feel like I'm not getting proper nutrition because I'm so focused on that calorie limit and I know what will happen if I go too far above it. It's like a roller coaster with my scale, and it's just becoming frustrating.
Any advice from you guys who've been there/are there? Did anything in particular work or not work?

Branstin

MFP is only a guide and doesn't account for weight loss problems due to medication. This is the reason you should be getting a referral from your doctor to see a qualified dietitian to help you structure a plan that works with your medication.

Bianca42

Another thing to think about....your dosage is based in part of your weight. If you have lost 21 pounds and haven't had your bloodwork done, it might be worth a conversation with your doctor.

I was diagnosed with hyporthyoidism in 2002 and I feel your pain about it being hard work to lose the weight. Of course, I never dieted before my diagnosis...so maybe it's just that losing weight is hard work for everyone.

run_shayna_run

I am also a hypo and have struggled with weight loss until recently. I started counting macros, not calories. For the first time in my life, I'm not starving myself and have lost 80 lbs and counting. Granted, I still have to work harder and tighter on nutrition that your average person, but I feel like what I'm doing is maintainable.

I shoot for 150 g protein, under 125 g carbs, under 75 g fat, and at least 25 g fiber a day. It means a lot more protein and a lot fewer carbs than what I was eating before. I started working out with a trainer who put me on this plan. It's been the most successful and I'm not miserable like I was when I was counting calories and points. I average about 1200 - 1500 calories a day depending on what I'm eating to get my numbers. The biggest thing is that I don't feel like I'm starving myself. I work out 6 days a week for an hour to see a 2 lb difference a week. The closer I get to my ultimate weight goal, the harder 2 lbs a week is, but I know that it's because I getting down to the nitty gritty. It's still coming off, just slower.

My advice is to seek out help from either a trainer or dietitian that has experience dealing with hypo's. Some people just don't understand that it will always be harder and think your aren't trying enough.

lindsey1979

Is your hypothyroidism auto-immune in nature? If it is, cutting out foods that are triggers may help in this process. I have Hashi's and found that gluten is a trigger for me, so I generally avoid it (though luckily, dairy is not -- though it's a common trigger for many others).

Also, have you had other things in your metabolism checked? When I was diagnosed, my doc looked at many things -- adrenal function, liver function, glucose metabolism, vitamin deficiencies, etc. He discovered that in addition to the thyroid issue, I also had insulin resistance and major deficiencies in magnesium and vitamin D (though my liver, adrenal, iodine, iron, etc. were good). It's possible that you have other things off as having a malfunctioning thyroid can throw off other things -- so that even when you get the thyroid back on track, if the other stuff isn't fixed, weight loss can still be a huge struggle.

He told me that he often sees insulin resistance with hypothyroid, especially if it was untreated for a long time (like mine was). So, now, I got my vitamins back where they should be (especially the D) and am taking meds for both the thyroid (Nature-throid) and insulin resistance (metformin). Due to the insulin resistance, I also restrict my carbs (under 100g/day) as well as calories.

I finally started to lose like a normal person -- in line with my calorie deficits. But, I also found that having a rest week and weekly refeed days were essential for me. I don't know why, but when I skip them, I get run down faster and the scale stalls. I've seen literature out there that those of us with hypothyroid issues can get out of whack more easily when in prolonged calorie deficits and work out regimes, so we need to do things to give ourselves breaks from the stress more often.

So, now, I have a weekly refeed day (usually Sat) where I eat at maintenance (though my weekly goal still averages over 700/day) and I take a rest week from my routine every 6-8 weeks based on when I'm feeling run down. My routine is to lift heavy twice a week, HIIT hill sprints twice a week and a lot of walking/hiking throughout (18-30 miles/week). Then my rest week I just walk/hike.

Lizzy622

If I don't exercise at least 3 hours a week, I cannot lose anything. The estimates are a little too high for us with under active thyroids so you need to adjust to what works for you. Congrats on the loss so far.

gaelicstorm26

Is your hypothyroidism auto-immune in nature? If it is, cutting out foods that are triggers may help in this process. I have Hashi's and found that gluten is a trigger for me, so I generally avoid it (though luckily, dairy is not -- though it's a common trigger for many others).

Also, have you had other things in your metabolism checked? When I was diagnosed, my doc looked at many things -- adrenal function, liver function, glucose metabolism, vitamin deficiencies, etc. He discovered that in addition to the thyroid issue, I also had insulin resistance and major deficiencies in magnesium and vitamin D (though my liver, adrenal, iodine, iron, etc. were good). It's possible that you have other things off as having a malfunctioning thyroid can throw off other things -- so that even when you get the thyroid back on track, if the other stuff isn't fixed, weight loss can still be a huge struggle.

He told me that he often sees insulin resistance with hypothyroid, especially if it was untreated for a long time (like mine was). So, now, I got my vitamins back where they should be (especially the D) and am taking meds for both the thyroid (Nature-throid) and insulin resistance (metformin). Due to the insulin resistance, I also restrict my carbs (under 100g/day) as well as calories.

I finally started to lose like a normal person -- in line with my calorie deficits. But, I also found that having a rest week and weekly refeed days were essential for me. I don't know why, but when I skip them, I get run down faster and the scale stalls. I've seen literature out there that those of us with hypothyroid issues can get out of whack more easily when in prolonged calorie deficits and work out regimes, so we need to do things to give ourselves breaks from the stress more often.

So, now, I have a weekly refeed day (usually Sat) where I eat at maintenance (though my weekly goal still averages over 700/day) and I take a rest week from my routine every 6-8 weeks based on when I'm feeling run down. My routine is to lift heavy twice a week, HIIT hill sprints twice a week and a lot of walking/hiking throughout (18-30 miles/week). Then my rest week I just walk/hike.

I get frustrated with my Hashi's as well. I too have developed insulin resistance after fighting Hashi's for 20 years (I was diagnosed very young-at age 11). My most recent thyroid labs were out of control. TSH was at 20.

How did you figure out your trigger foods? I've developed some problems with dairy and gluten over the past few years.

lindsey1979

Is your hypothyroidism auto-immune in nature? If it is, cutting out foods that are triggers may help in this process. I have Hashi's and found that gluten is a trigger for me, so I generally avoid it (though luckily, dairy is not -- though it's a common trigger for many others).

Also, have you had other things in your metabolism checked? When I was diagnosed, my doc looked at many things -- adrenal function, liver function, glucose metabolism, vitamin deficiencies, etc. He discovered that in addition to the thyroid issue, I also had insulin resistance and major deficiencies in magnesium and vitamin D (though my liver, adrenal, iodine, iron, etc. were good). It's possible that you have other things off as having a malfunctioning thyroid can throw off other things -- so that even when you get the thyroid back on track, if the other stuff isn't fixed, weight loss can still be a huge struggle.

He told me that he often sees insulin resistance with hypothyroid, especially if it was untreated for a long time (like mine was). So, now, I got my vitamins back where they should be (especially the D) and am taking meds for both the thyroid (Nature-throid) and insulin resistance (metformin). Due to the insulin resistance, I also restrict my carbs (under 100g/day) as well as calories.

I finally started to lose like a normal person -- in line with my calorie deficits. But, I also found that having a rest week and weekly refeed days were essential for me. I don't know why, but when I skip them, I get run down faster and the scale stalls. I've seen literature out there that those of us with hypothyroid issues can get out of whack more easily when in prolonged calorie deficits and work out regimes, so we need to do things to give ourselves breaks from the stress more often.

So, now, I have a weekly refeed day (usually Sat) where I eat at maintenance (though my weekly goal still averages over 700/day) and I take a rest week from my routine every 6-8 weeks based on when I'm feeling run down. My routine is to lift heavy twice a week, HIIT hill sprints twice a week and a lot of walking/hiking throughout (18-30 miles/week). Then my rest week I just walk/hike.

I get frustrated with my Hashi's as well. I too have developed insulin resistance after fighting Hashi's for 20 years (I was diagnosed very young-at age 11). My most recent thyroid labs were out of control. TSH was at 20.

How did you figure out your trigger foods? I've developed some problems with dairy and gluten over the past few years.

I went strict Paleo for a while -- and just felt LOADS better. So I was eating basically meats, veggies, some fruits and nuts for the most part. I totally eliminated grains and was shocked by how much better I felt -- I didn't feel that bad to begin with as I don't have any major intestinal issues, but I just noticed that I felt much, much better when I didn't eat them.

I added back in dairy and had no reaction, but I generally eat butter, cream and occasional full-fat yogurt for my dairy -- I'm not a big milk drinker so I'm not sure if milk would cause an issue or not. When I started to try to incorporate some grains, I just noticed issues --- my glands on my neck well more swollen like I was fighting a cold, I was feeling much more of my hypo symptoms -- fatigue and feeling cold being the two biggest for me. My doctor told me that gluten is a really common trigger for many autoimmune diseases, so he recommends cutting it out to all of his patients to see if they feel better not consuming it -- and I did.

I hear that Cyrex has a good lab panel for a lot of the reactivities, but I haven't gotten it done -- but am looking into it.

annko65

Hi there,

I have been and still am there so I understand exactly where you're coming from and what you have to deal with. Like you I have been struggling with my weight since I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I have tried every single diet programme under the sun, including Slimming World, Weight Watchers, Atkins, Dukan, the Marine Diet, the Japanese Diet, home delivered food diet etc.

A couple of years back a friend of mine stayed with me for about 3 months and she was going through a different medical issue but she needed to lose weight as she had to undergo a serious operation. Her doctor gave her an extremely restricted diet plan which was basically around 800 calories consumption daily. It was cruel but we decided to follow that plan - each one for our own reasons - and for as long as she stayed with me. Within the month we lost 10kg each (around 22lbs) in combination with daily swimming..... but this is as far as I could go....
It was an amazing feeling but the moment I started eating normally I put every single grammar back.
A couple of weeks ago, I had my regular thyroid tests and they showed that it is balanced but there is a deficiency in my vitamin D and also I am at galloping towards being diabetic....Frankly that scared me enough to start looking after myself that I had for years neglected, as I was very frustrated and unhappy with myself especially with my weight fluctuating....
And as from yesterday, I re joined MFP and contacted a couple of other people in the community experiencing the same medical condition as me....
It takes strong willpower and determination but as I have managed in the past I will make it happen again especially knowing that there are so many people out there struggling with weight issues....
So I would say, check your thyroid rates and if it is balanced then you can start taking it slowly....what I realised after all these years of completely wasted efforts, time, money and self-respect is that you have to be determined....and for me personally is not a matter of looks anymore, is a matter of health....
Healthy eating, a bit of everything in smaller portions and watch the calorie intake in combination of an activity that makes you feel happy can do the trick!....
However, one thing I have learned throughout the years of dieting is to check the labels of the groceries...you will not believe of the chemicals and the additional stuff they put in them in order to preserve them...even the 'innocent' or 'fresh' smoothies they sell as pure, contain them...I also have started cooking again from scratch and this way I know exactly what I am eating....
And this is my plan, no more dieting, just healthy eating, exercise,smaller food portions and of course the for life time thyroid pills....

arabianhorselover

Well...........I am 53, hypothyroid, and have had no trouble losing weight. Unless you are not on the right medication and/or dose, eating less and exercising more should work for you just like anyone else.

aimsz

I feel your pain, I really do. On top of the hypothyroid I also am on antidepressants and birth control so my medications make it somewhat difficult to lose actual pounds. I've really had to try and accept I may never be at a certain number on the scale but that I truly have to eat a certain way for the rest of my life and be active every day and just know that is the way I'm supposed to treat my body. Whatever happens to my weight after that is just what is going to happen. I am trying to lose some weight for my wedding in 5 months so right now I am on a low carb diet and even then it's coming off soooooo slowly. It's almost not even worth the aggravation (carbs are my favorite thing to eat!). So really it's about finding the optimal healthy lifestyle you can live with, maintaining it and trying to come to grips with the numbers on the scale IMO.

rhayes7

I actually didn't know that it was based in part on weight. I'm a military spouse, and as much as I like my PCM, military doctors have a tendency to be "get them in, get them out, move on." about visits sometimes, so after my last round of blood work right before I started trying to lose weight, he just told me that my levels were normal, and that was about it. I think you're right, might be time for a good sit down.

arabianhorselover

I actually didn't know that it was based in part on weight. I'm a military spouse, and as much as I like my PCM, military doctors have a tendency to be "get them in, get them out, move on." about visits sometimes, so after my last round of blood work right before I started trying to lose weight, he just told me that my levels were normal, and that was about it. I think you're right, might be time for a good sit down.

Well, I wonder if military doctors are any more informed about proper thyroid treatment than other doctors. Good Luck.

dcgal23

Rhayes - I'm hypothyroid and take meds daily to manage. With a set metabolism it can be harder to lose weight. I the beginning I assumed that eating between 1200 - 1500 calories a day was a good goal for anyone, but once I had my resting metabolic rate tested I found that I burn around 1425 calories daily. So while some women may be able to lose calories on a 'diet' of 1400 - 1500 calories a day, I could only hope to maintain. I adjusted my target to no more than 1200 and saw the scale start to drop. I would recommend getting it checked out - knowing what your body burns is your #1 ally in weight loss:)

hotsungirl

I'm also hypothyroid with Hashimotos. I was only diagnosed 2 years ago, but now very clear that for at least 20 years I have had same problem. I have only had any weight challenges for last 5 or 6 years, so perhaps that's why it was missed. Up until then I could eat whatever I wanted, work out as I enjoyed and didn't have any battle over weight. However, I had the other thyroid signs -- multiple pregnancy losses, lost hair, lost eyebrows (I mean, why couldn't an MD look at me and figure out I needed some other tests based on my obvious eyebrow tails alone?? anyhow, I'm rambling ;-)
So now MD has me on 1200 calories a day and while it doesn't seem to be encouraged on MFP, for me anything beyond that is maintenance. I have been there, done that!! Now I am *finally* losing weight.
Glad to chat with anyone else with an uncooperative thyroid gland
Oh, should add that I'm gluten and dairy free, trying to focus on Paleo, working out hard with a trainer and group 3 to 4 times a week, and feel pretty good! Come on weight loss!!!!