Under active thyroid and weight loss

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  • abyssfully
    abyssfully Posts: 410 Member
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    6 months after giving birth to my son - and after gaining lots of weight - the doc ordered a blood test and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I've been working out and eating 6 small, balanced meals throughout the day and I can proudly say that in 1 month I have lost 9.4 lbs. It can be done! :)
  • Cindi_Jo
    Cindi_Jo Posts: 19
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    I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in '91 then in '94 had a false positive for thyroid cancer but after a thyroidectomy it was found to be Hashimoto's. A year after that surgery I slowly started putting weight on, my exercise fell to the wayside, my eating habits were awful. I've struggled to lose weight and it's still a daily battle. I know it has to do to some extent with the amount of medication I'm on. I just recently had my dose increased and it seemed to help with the weight loss. Sadly I still have a lot of work to do!
  • snockers3112
    snockers3112 Posts: 190 Member
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    Wow, there are some great stories on here and lots of good advice too :) What I found really exciting was looking at everyones tickers...everyone is doing well with the weightloss..even if it is harder for us..we're doing great!

    I agree about refined carbs, I stopped eating white bread at Christmas and felt better for it, I've also swapped to brown rice and very little potato. I used to get a lot of stomach cramps but since changing my diet those have all but gone and I feel healthier. I've also started taking a thyroid support vitamin supplement, as it makes sense to feed your thyroid what it needs to stay as healthy as it can be :)

    I still get very tired days when all I want to do is curl up and sleep but have found that forcing myself to exercise, even if it is just a walk really wakes me up and makes me feel energetic again. Though sometimes of course I give in and sleep :)
  • rrshaffer1
    rrshaffer1 Posts: 4
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    I just got a book called The Thyroid Diet by Mary Shomon (I think) I am going to check it out and see what it says. All I remember from the back is it recommends a low glycemic diet which is right in line with what all these posts seem to suggest with cutting out white bread, rice, etc.

    I've been struggling with this for a couple of years, too. I lost weight using Weight Watchers and as soon as I reached my goal I was diagnosed with hypothyroid and began treatment. From that point it has been a real struggle. I am frustrated and hoping this book helps give me some direction.
  • Cindi_Jo
    Cindi_Jo Posts: 19
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    I've also started taking a thyroid support vitamin supplement, as it makes sense to feed your thyroid what it needs to stay as healthy as it can be :)

    I still get very tired days when all I want to do is curl up and sleep but have found that forcing myself to exercise, even if it is just a walk really wakes me up and makes me feel energetic again. Though sometimes of course I give in and sleep :)

    I've found that taking L-tyrosine helps my thyroid, gives it a boost. And I feel the same way about exercise. If I make myself go do it I do feel better but somedays I would rather just sleep all day! This weekend is rough because I work 12 hour night shifts so getting in enough sleep AND spending time with my kids before work makes exercise difficult.
  • snockers3112
    snockers3112 Posts: 190 Member
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    I just got a book called The Thyroid Diet by Mary Shomon (I think) I am going to check it out and see what it says. All I remember from the back is it recommends a low glycemic diet which is right in line with what all these posts seem to suggest with cutting out white bread, rice, etc.

    I've been struggling with this for a couple of years, too. I lost weight using Weight Watchers and as soon as I reached my goal I was diagnosed with hypothyroid and began treatment. From that point it has been a real struggle. I am frustrated and hoping this book helps give me some direction.

    It is a frustrating condition. Just as everything evens itself out and I'm feeling ok my thyroid packs up that little bit more and all the symptoms come back, with more trips to the doctor etc. Soooo frustrating.
  • snockers3112
    snockers3112 Posts: 190 Member
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    I've found that taking L-tyrosine helps my thyroid, gives it a boost. And I feel the same way about exercise. If I make myself go do it I do feel better but somedays I would rather just sleep all day! This weekend is rough because I work 12 hour night shifts so getting in enough sleep AND spending time with my kids before work makes exercise difficult.

    Yep my vitamin support tabs contain L-tyrosine too. What do you think to kelp tablets? I've heard good and bad things about taking those, so I haven't bothered as yet.
  • laurakrowe
    laurakrowe Posts: 52
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    When i was 22 yrs old I was diagnosed w/ hypothyroidism. 11 yrs later - i think i've gotten used to it and can handle it. I've had 3 children in 5 yrs and between pregnancy hormones, weight gain and breastfeeding - it got really out of whack. i noticed that right after each child was born my thyroid levels went completely bonkers. I am now up to 150mcg of supplement and feel pretty good. i was up to 175mcg but was getting dizzy/nauseous a lot and my levels were tested and i was actually HYPERthyroid at that time! shocker!
    As far as weight loss/gain goes - i've noticed that if i apply myself the weight loss is fairly easy - but man oh man, it is SO easy to gain weight!
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    Thanks for the replies about the vitamin supplements . I am just about to join the british thyroid self help group that sends news letters about recommened diet and vitamin supplements and up to date research.

    As\there are obviously some of us on here from the UK and some from USA it will be good to swap notes.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    When i was 22 yrs old I was diagnosed w/ hypothyroidism. 11 yrs later - i think i've gotten used to it and can handle it. I've had 3 children in 5 yrs and between pregnancy hormones, weight gain and breastfeeding - it got really out of whack. i noticed that right after each child was born my thyroid levels went completely bonkers. I am now up to 150mcg of supplement and feel pretty good. i was up to 175mcg but was getting dizzy/nauseous a lot and my levels were tested and i was actually HYPERthyroid at that time! shocker!
    As far as weight loss/gain goes - i've noticed that if i apply myself the weight loss is fairly easy - but man oh man, it is SO easy to gain weight!

    Have you ever been tested for Hashimoto's Disease (thyroid autoimmune disease, detected by an antibody test)? One of the symptoms is that you can go from Hypo to hyper seemingly overnite. You may want to ask your doctor if he's ever done the antibody test on you...
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    I've found that taking L-tyrosine helps my thyroid, gives it a boost. And I feel the same way about exercise. If I make myself go do it I do feel better but somedays I would rather just sleep all day! This weekend is rough because I work 12 hour night shifts so getting in enough sleep AND spending time with my kids before work makes exercise difficult.

    Yep my vitamin support tabs contain L-tyrosine too. What do you think to kelp tablets? I've heard good and bad things about taking those, so I haven't bothered as yet.

    Please be VERY CAREFUL with natural supplements. If you have Hashimoto's and don't know it, taking Iodine or Kelp supplements could be very bad for you and make things way worse! I walked into a healthfood store yesterday and told her I had Hashimoto's and wanted something for Thyroid support and she tried to sell me both of those after looking it up in her "book". When I got home I did some online research and found a million articles about this. Here's one:
    http://drknews.com/iodine-and-hashimotos/
    Be your own advocate and do plenty of research before self-medicating. A great resource is www.stopthethyroidmadness.com.
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    do they not treat hashimotos with tablets in the USA ? And how did you find out it was this particular disease rather than under active thyroid?
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
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    If your thyroid level is high (meaning your TSH- thus indicating hypothryroidism) you should be on Synthroid or the generic version. The normal lab value is a bit different at different institutions, but is typically between 0.5 and 5. That being said, many people have a rather narrow range within that larger range where they feel good. Having a TSH on the high side is the only way you can be diagnosed with an "underactive" thyroid. If it is truly underactive then you should be on medication.

    My TSH was hovering right around the 5 mark. I had lost about 15 pounds, but was REALLY struggling to lose anymore. Since my TSH was so close to the "normal" range, my md was hesitant to start me on Synthroid. However, he did agree to start me on a low dose and it has made ALL the difference! My level is now around 2.5 and I feel SO much better. I have more energy, my hair is less dry and "crispy" , and my weight is coming off in a more reasonable time.

    Someone posted that every person has a different tolerance to thyroid levels and that is very true. I have a patient who feels best when her TSH is around 1. When her level increased to around 3 at her last appointment, I increased her Synthroid a bit and she feels normal again. For me, my 2.5 seems to be ok for me.

    You may need to be your own health care advocate on this and make certain you don't need Synthroid. If your health care provider says you have an "underactive thyroid" but don't need medication, have him explain why. Not that he/she is wrong, but it is unusual.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    do they not treat hashimotos with tablets in the USA ? And how did you find out it was this particular disease rather than under active thyroid?

    Yes they do. I was unsure if you meant natural supplements or actual thyroid meds (synthroid or armour). To determine Hashimotos, they do an antibody test as well as the regular TSH.
    http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/hashimotos/

    HOW DO I CONFIRM HASHI’S LABWISE? Hashi’s is confirmed by two antibodies labs: anti-TPO and TgAb. The first antibody, anti-TPO, attacks an enzyme normally found in your thyroid gland, called the Thyroid Peroxidase, which is important in the production of thyroid hormones. The second antibody, TgAb, attacks the key protein in the thyroid gland, the thyroglobulin, which is essential in the production of the T4 and T3 thyroid hormones. Note: it is unfortunately common for a doctor to only do ONE test, and you need BOTH tests, since you can be normal in one and high in another! We have also noted that saliva does not always accurately detect Hashi’s as well as blood tests do.
  • abyssfully
    abyssfully Posts: 410 Member
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    I don't calorie count per se, but keep track of what I eat.

    I eat five-six small, balanced meals every day (think protein, good carbs and healthy fat) and exercise (strength training and cardio) and drink lots of water.

    I've lost 9.4 lbs in a month.
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    thanks for your posts - I am still getting my head round all this .I think my TSH level was 3.5 which in the Uk was apparently border line for medication. But I have been given tablets which I have been taking for just a few days . They netioned something about an antibody level being high - but as my cholesterol and sugar levels were up as well it was all a lot to take in at once. I will certainly ask some more questions when I go back in 7 weeks time for more tests.

    And thanks I will check the website and be even more careful with my diet.
  • snockers3112
    snockers3112 Posts: 190 Member
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    Please be VERY CAREFUL with natural supplements. If you have Hashimoto's and don't know it, taking Iodine or Kelp supplements could be very bad for you and make things way worse! I walked into a healthfood store yesterday and told her I had Hashimoto's and wanted something for Thyroid support and she tried to sell me both of those after looking it up in her "book". When I got home I did some online research and found a million articles about this. Here's one:
    http://drknews.com/iodine-and-hashimotos/
    Be your own advocate and do plenty of research before self-medicating. A great resource is www.stopthethyroidmadness.com.

    Thank you for the links, they make for very interesting reading :)
  • JMatGam
    JMatGam Posts: 11 Member
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    I just had my second round of bloodwork and my TSH went from 105 to 5. I'm still symptomatic and he hasn't even bothered to call me since the blood test which was March 4th. My T4 is still on the high side as well. Time for a new doctor.
    Does anyone else have trouble digesting fruits and vegetables?
  • jansus
    jansus Posts: 58 Member
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    I have suffered from IBS for years and I am now wondering if it was actually down to thyroid. at the moment my most worrying symptom is short term memory problems
  • JMatGam
    JMatGam Posts: 11 Member
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    Wow, there are some great stories on here and lots of good advice too :) What I found really exciting was looking at everyones tickers...everyone is doing well with the weightloss..even if it is harder for us..we're doing great!

    I agree about refined carbs, I stopped eating white bread at Christmas and felt better for it, I've also swapped to brown rice and very little potato. I used to get a lot of stomach cramps but since changing my diet those have all but gone and I feel healthier. I've also started taking a thyroid support vitamin supplement, as it makes sense to feed your thyroid what it needs to stay as healthy as it can be :)

    I still get very tired days when all I want to do is curl up and sleep but have found that forcing myself to exercise, even if it is just a walk really wakes me up and makes me feel energetic again. Though sometimes of course I give in and sleep :)

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