Could losing 70lbs trigger a thyroid problem?

naonah

Hi,

History:
Back in 2005 I started Weight Watchers and lost 70 lbs! Was no longer considered obese and at my healthy goal weight (took me 10 mths to lose 50 and another 10 mths to lose the last 20). The last strtch was SO hard but I did it. The problem was that i disnt stay at goal for long. Although I never stopped tracking and weighing in, I gained back 30 lbs over the span of 1.5 years.

Now:
I have been continuously logging my food, exercising and weighing in but till this day I am EXACTLY the same weight (goal + 30lbs)!!! I am eating 1350 cals per day, chose healthy foods (veggies, fruits, lean ptotein, complex carbs), drink most of my water (couple of glasses short sometimes) and under normal circumstances exercise (high intensity) 2 to 3 times per week and/or have lower impact but more often. Plus, I eat my burned calories...I'll be honest, I love food and am human, so I do work in a sweet here and there.

The question?
Why is it that I cannot shed this weight? Some people eat nothing or just empty calories all day and still lose weight. While I have to think about everything that goes into my mouth, make sacrifices and am just maintaining my weight!?! Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that I stopped gaining over time. But I looked back at my weight charts and am exactly today what I was almost 3 yrs ago!!

Someone told me that maybe having lost so much weight triggered my thyroid and threw it out of whack. That maybe I should get it checked. I actually know someone to whom this has personally happened.

It's a mystery to me Charlie Brown! Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks fellow MFP followers!

DinaLKeil

bump

♥_Ellybean_♥

I lost 30lbs and suddenly had a thyroid problem, all my thyroid tests before came back fine. But I was working my bum off and was barely losing so they wanted to test my thyroid again.. and sure enough Hypothyroidism. It took about 3 months to finally get it regulated and now I take Synthroid 62mcg to keep my TSH at 1.6

mtnmaw

Hi, I have a very similar story including an over 75 lb. weight loss with Weight Watchers. My weight loss took me 4 years. Then, I gained 20 back. I do have a thyroid problem and take medication for it.. I attribute the slowness of my weight loss to my thyroid problem and my age (now 66). I figure the alternative to doing this MFP program or something similar, would be to gain more weight, so I have to stick to it as best I can. I suggest you do get your thyroid checked by an endocrinologist. You may find you need a little medication for it too.

naonah

Thanks guys. I know some of the weight is because of slowly increasing portions. But I have been measuring and paying attention and finding it hard to believe that I can be so way off that I'm staying relatively the same with just 1350 cals. I would want to give it one last push to see if anything gives.

naonah

bump

Not sure what this is supposed to mean...

DinaLKeil

Just makes it easier to follow the thread. I was very interested in your topic .....wanted to see if anyone had good words of wisdom. I too find it harder to lose weight. I lost about 70lbs..on weight watchers...gained about 55 back..now i'm losing again but working much harder to do it. Last time it seemed to fall off. Anyway-I guess I just wasn't ready to make a life change last time and didn't really do the exercise and work required (I just counted calories.

Cathleenr

Hi,

History:
Back in 2005 I started Weight Watchers and lost 70 lbs! Was no longer considered obese and at my healthy goal weight (took me 10 mths to lose 50 and another 10 mths to lose the last 20). The last strtch was SO hard but I did it. The problem was that i disnt stay at goal for long. Although I never stopped tracking and weighing in, I gained back 30 lbs over the span of 1.5 years.

Now:
I have been continuously logging my food, exercising and weighing in but till this day I am EXACTLY the same weight (goal + 30lbs)!!! I am eating 1350 cals per day, chose healthy foods (veggies, fruits, lean ptotein, complex carbs), drink most of my water (couple of glasses short sometimes) and under normal circumstances exercise (high intensity) 2 to 3 times per week and/or have lower impact but more often. Plus, I eat my burned calories...I'll be honest, I love food and am human, so I do work in a sweet here and there.

The question?
Why is it that I cannot shed this weight? Some people eat nothing or just empty calories all day and still lose weight. While I have to think about everything that goes into my mouth, make sacrifices and am just maintaining my weight!?! Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that I stopped gaining over time. But I looked back at my weight charts and am exactly today what I was almost 3 yrs ago!!

Someone told me that maybe having lost so much weight triggered my thyroid and threw it out of whack. That maybe I should get it checked. I actually know someone to whom this has personally happened.

It's a mystery to me Charlie Brown! Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks fellow MFP followers!

Losing weight does not "trigger" a thyroid problem! Geez, some doctors and their willingness to throw a pill at people!
When you are heavier, it takes a lot of energy to move that weight around, so you initially burn more calories doing it. As you lose, and if you keep doing the same thing (i.e.your "high intensity" workouts that probably haven't changed in frequency OR intensity), your body adapts to the increased energy requirements to become MORE efficient...it's a survival thing. If you weigh less, you need fewer calories to move it. So, you have been successful at maintainance, not losing. You may have the same lean body mass, meaning you have not built any more muscle mass which in turn, would burn more calories at rest.
HIIT is not meant to be consistent...its meant to be increased in either the number of intervals done or the intensity at which your highest energy expenditure occurs, so if that is your preferred method of cardiovascular activity, increase it.. Better to add strength training in to increase your muscle mass (and no, you won't gain mass like a man) and do HIIT after your weights.
Alter your diet, too....you may need a new macro mix when your activity level changes.