Hypothyroidism and weightloss...or lack of...

natalieszapton

Any suggestions on how to lose weight. I exercise more than I have in the past 2 years. Eating much healthier too. Any tricks? Vitamins? no prescribed meds yet since I'm still being tested.

andrea198721

I have hypothyroidism as well. Try to get more iodine in your diet. I saw a supplement with GNC and Puritan's Pride I believe. I take my prescribed meds so I don't personally take those supplements. Def. something to check into.

AmoreCouture

If you're not on meds, it's nearly impossible. I didn't drop anything no matter how hard I tried until I was on medicine.

rdzilla

It is just another hurdle in the battle. You still control what goes into your mouth and how much you work out. Going on the medication is only a help. My sister is a great inspiration for those of us with hypothyroidism as she lost almost 80 pounds by diet, exercise and proper dosage of Synthroid. With my 175mcg dosage I'm trying to follow in her footsteps.

SandyMilton

Part of my great "re-gain" of 2010 issue was being under-medicated. No matter what I did, ate, how much I busted my *kitten*, I kept gaining. I finally gave up completely. It took me to the end of last year to get my thyroid regulated again and now I'm on a great level of Synthroid (also 175) and my numbers are fantastic now.

One note of caution, get tested a little more often than norm during your weight loss journey as burning off the fat will do some wonky things with your thyroid. I ignored the symptoms in 2010, and then when I broke down and saw the doc, she still managed to keep me under-medicated.

One new doc later, new medication levels later, I feel fabulous and the weight loss is happening again!

artjat

I am just starting this battle too I was diagnosed about 6 months ago and I've had almost 12 blood draws in that time. It's miserable. They can't get my meds right. I'll be stable for about 5 weeks and then off I go again one way or the other. I have found substitutes for almost all bread and pasta (except for the occasional bread with peanut butter or dinner with friends) and that has helped my energy levels but it's also been amazing for my "fight the flab" (what I'm calling my weight loss goal). I've finally gotten down to sleeping about 7 hours (was at 10) per night and feeling comfortable with that.

It isn't easy, but like others have said, it's another piece to the puzzle. My Dr. promised me that we would keep testing until we had my thyroid regulated. However, she also recommended aiming for a low CARB diet, not just low calories. So, find ways to turn veggies into your "pasta" and enjoy trying new things. (Suggestions *** Cauli Rice, Cooked Celery strings as pasta, slivered and cooked carrots with alfredo or pesto, cucumbers shaved for cold antipasta type salads... just try it. don't look for a recipe just mix stuff together and try it!

I've been logging in for 15 days and so far, I've lost 6 pounds. I feel good I'm feeling awake and more alert

natalieszapton

Thank you for all the info! I feel like a walking zombie! I force myself to the gym. I force myself to fight the urge to sleep. I just recently was so exhausted that i just stayed in the car and slept. I eat healthier including tons of veggies. I have cut out high fructose corn syrup, soda, fruit juice, snacking, breads and pasta. I hop on the scale this morning after working out for a week straight and after eating small portions of salad with chicken and other healthy meals and it says I gained 1.8 lbs. how depressing! My obgyn told me that my T4 level was at 4 back in 2009 when I was pregnant ( he was looking a old results to help me figure out why I'm exhausted). I went to my family physician who told me in 2010 that my thyroid was perfect. I suffer from about 90% of he symptoms. I'm going for more blood work this week, but honestly I am scared they won't find anything wrong with my thyroid since the ultrasound showed nothing.

savlien

I'm also a thyroid patient (112 mcg) per day. When I went to my family physician first, he misread my labs and also told me nothing was wrong. I was still having many of the symptoms so he referred me to an endocrinologist who found it right away and immediately put me on Synthroid. I've lost 22 pounds since last February and 14 since I've start My Fitness Pal! Try to get a second opinion...

Also, check out Jillian Michael's book "Master Your Metabolism." Believe it or not, she is also hypothyroid so has many good diet tips on foods that will help boost your thyroid and support a naturally slow metabolism! It's an easy read with some great recipe ideas as well.

Good Luck

cpldjski

I agree with most of the posters. It is definitely possible. I was having a really hard time losing and finally got on the right dose of Synthroid. During my weight loss journey I have swung the other way and actually became hyper. They are still trying to get my dosage correct, but I have lost weight so it is possible.

Like one of the other posters, my doctor suggested low carb. It really works. It was difficult at first, but after a few weeks I felt better, had more energy and the weight started coming off faster. It may not work for everyone, but it did work for me.

On a note about meds, I was also told that I needed to use the pure Synthroid and not the generic. Apparently the generic didn't work for me, so that may be a problem for others as well.

Good luck!

AmoreCouture

Thank you for all the info! I feel like a walking zombie! I force myself to the gym. I force myself to fight the urge to sleep. I just recently was so exhausted that i just stayed in the car and slept. I eat healthier including tons of veggies. I have cut out high fructose corn syrup, soda, fruit juice, snacking, breads and pasta. I hop on the scale this morning after working out for a week straight and after eating small portions of salad with chicken and other healthy meals and it says I gained 1.8 lbs. how depressing! My obgyn told me that my T4 level was at 4 back in 2009 when I was pregnant ( he was looking a old results to help me figure out why I'm exhausted). I went to my family physician who told me in 2010 that my thyroid was perfect. I suffer from about 90% of he symptoms. I'm going for more blood work this week, but honestly I am scared they won't find anything wrong with my thyroid since the ultrasound showed nothing.

If they ignore the problem, see an endocrinologist. Sometimes traditional doctors wont prescribe you the medicine if your levels aren't a certain number, which is an old standard. I could sleep 12 hours every night, and still be exhausted the next night. All I felt like doing was laying around, and exercising killed my muscles. I had major muscle fatigue and joint pain, then my neck and tongue started swelling up. I got on my medicine (125mcg) and within one week I was losing weight after spending a whole year struggling.

sabinecbauer

I'm about to get the whole testing process started officially. What I can see for myself is that all (or most of) the classical symptoms are there: always feeling cold, thin hair, weird muscle pains, and of course mind-boggling weight gain :noway:
What has helped me considerably over the past few weeks, including--finally!!--pretty consistent loss, is:

Thyodine (by Organika) - kelp extract (iodine!) drops
Thyro Support (by AOK) - mineral and vitamin supplement to support thyroid function, specifically T4 --> T3 conversion.

Both are available at your health food store.

b1791

A few years ago my thryoid went crazy and I was hyper for a few months (a horrible way to lose 30lbs quickly). Then my symptoms reversed and I became hypo. The weight piled right back on and then some. After about a year we narrowed down my optimal level of Synthroid. According to my doctor thyroids can kick in and out of gear for a long time before they finally pack it in and you can have a stable dose of Synthroid. Once I hit that point I stopped gaining weight and I've been able to lose a little bit of it since.

LosinitLBS

I had the same problem with regain about 5 years ago. I insisted I was feeling more tired, gaining more weight and my doctor (then) kept telling me it was carbs and just eat fewer carbs...without testing. 6 mos later, same doctor finally tests and I go from .001 mcg to .125 mcg. dosages. I was off the charts. I would tell anyone suspecting inadequate dosing to demand testing immediately.

Enigmatica

Thyroid is a complicated issue so you would be wise to have thorough testing done to find out what's going on and how to fix it. Iodine supplements are only useful if your thyroid isn't getting enough iodine - and can make the situation *worse* if your throid is suffering from other issues. Lots of info and various perspectives available via google.

Embell0830

It can take awhile to get the right dose and between my GP and Endo my levels get checked about 4x/year. I'm lucky that they work well together. For the longest time I was at 100mcg and bumped up to 137mcg and soon later bumped up to 150mcg. According to my Endo it takes about 6 weeks for the drug to take full effect.

dolphin9803

I agree with alot of the ppl here! I have been hypo since 2002, they found out by doing my blood for preg issues. With my second child I only gained 11 lbs while preg, and then steadily put it on after her, until the summer of last yr when FINALLY I am on a correct dose of Levoxyl 250mcg a day. I have lost 26lbs since July 2011, not alot but I am more then happy with the progress. Until they get you on meds I think the weightloss is next to impossible (not saying it can't be done) I can always tell when my meds need adjusted as I feel like crap alot of the time, freezing, tired, and slow weight gain. Just make sure you keep on them. The only down side to being hypo I think is all the dang blood draws as I have had 116 blood draws since 02 :ohwell:

swall0810

I finally got my levels straight and Im on the right dose of medication. That is the only way I can lose weight. It doesnt come off fast either. I lose a pound a week and that is having a semi strict diet and I exercise 30-45 minutes 6 days a week. Good luck, I understand how hard it is!!

swall0810

OH and if your joints and muscles hurt as bad as mine did working out... Get glucosemine and fish oil and take them religiously. You will see a HUGE difference. I am doing Insanity and I rarely have muscle fatigue now.

katkrak

I also have Hypothyroidism! I take 88 mcg of Levothyroxine every day. I never could lose weight before I was medicated. I get tested regularly, and since being on the proper dose, I am able to lose weight (with diet, exercise, and plenty of water!) Good luck getting on the right dose-that was the hardest part for me!

yesthistime

Hypothyroid groups on MFP:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/search?phrase=thyroid&order=0

buildingdreams

I've been hypo since I was 14.. I'm 43. testing is huge. Not all doctors understand. I had one doc tell me to work out 2 hrs a day. I literally started crying in her office. It is best to know how you feel at what dosage. I have to be borderline Hypo/Hyper to feel good.
Weight loss is a struggle. I joined MFP and started counting 1200 calories a day. My Endo suggested to do this instead of WW since they have a tendency to be over 1200/Day. I started this in January and have lost 10 lbs with out exercise( other than the occasional wall with hubby around the block)
I just read Dr. Fuhrman Eat to live and have moved over for the last week eating veggies, fruit, beans and salad and have lost an additional 5 lbs. No calories counting either. Check it out. It requires. 1lb of fruit /day... 1lb of raw veggies/day. I cup of any type of beans/day and 1lb cooked veggies/day. NO meat, dairy of bread... \I hve to say I do have my egg whites in the am and I do have FF milk in coffee 2x /day ( coffee and alcohol not allowed either) I highly recommend you read the book!