Tough to lose weight even though Thyroid is regulated?
skeck
Posts: 46
I'm sure this has been discussed on here, but I am new to this board!
Is it factual that my hypothyroidism will make it more difficult for me to lose weight even though I am taking Synthroid and it tests out to be stable?
Please be kind to the newbie
Is it factual that my hypothyroidism will make it more difficult for me to lose weight even though I am taking Synthroid and it tests out to be stable?
Please be kind to the newbie
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Replies
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It really depends. Some people have good experiences with just Synthroid, others a combo of Synthroid + Cytomel, and others with a natural dessicated thyroid. Everyone is different.
I'm one of those people who didn't do well with just Synthroid, and still had major symptoms even though my labs tested normal. All that had to be done is add in Cytomel,and I felt like a brand new woman.
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Welcome to the forum!! I agree with mmmdrop - "it depends" -- "testing stable" probably means your TSH levels are normal - but TSH is not an accurate indicator that your thyroid is regulating your metabolism the way it is supposed to.
I would recommend that you learn about your thyroid -- all the various hormones it produces as well as the symptoms of hypothyroidism. You can get a ton of info at www.stopthethyroidmadness.com .
What I experienced on Synthroid, was normal TSH levels, but I still had many symptoms of hypothyroidism -- low body temp, cold, hair loss, dry hair/skin, weight gain, insomnia, constipation, depression. So Synthroid did not help me at all. But my docs (now fired!) all said my levels were normal.
Terri0 -
Some say that you will lose weight like a normal person when your levels are treated properly. Some don't have that experience.
For me, it kind of depends on a lot of factors. I can lose weight more easily when my thyroid is balanced, but it helps that I'm not on birth control pills anymore, or migraine medications that made me drowsy and I am getting regular sleep. Even then, I still lose weight slowly. I find that taking good care of myself is worthwhile whether or not I lose weight, but I still try.
I could care less how long it takes. I'll just keep plugging away at it.0 -
I think everyone's experience is different. Even though my thyroid is properly regulated with thyroid replacement hormones and I have an overall sense of well being it is still difficult to lose weight. I am also post menopausal and have never had a fast metabolism so I guess part of it is where I am in life and genetics - the luck of the draw!
Not to say it makes it impossible but I have to work very hard and be consistent for each *ounce* that I lose!0 -
This group is really interesting to read. I do have difficulty losing weight and have to be extremely good with my diet to do so. I just thought it was because I'm in my late forties and that my metabolism had slowed down. I have never been to endocrinologist and am now wondering if I should do that. My hair loss slowed down after I started taking synthroid, but I have never gotten it back to where it was before. Has anyone else experience permanent hair loss?0
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This group is really interesting to read. I do have difficulty losing weight and have to be extremely good with my diet to do so. I just thought it was because I'm in my late forties and that my metabolism had slowed down. I have never been to endocrinologist and am now wondering if I should do that. My hair loss slowed down after I started taking synthroid, but I have never gotten it back to where it was before. Has anyone else experience permanent hair loss?
I think hair loss is semi-permanent and peri-menopause can contribute also -- you might want to try Black Currant Oil -- it's a capsule like fish oil that they say promotes hair growth and prevents hair loss. At least it's natural, so can't hurt you!! I ordered mine online - I think Amazon.com.
I never lost any of my hypo symptoms while on synthroid...
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Thanks everybody! You've been extremely helpful!
Would you recommend going to an endocronologist as opposed to a regular family doctor for treatment?0 -
Thanks everybody! You've been extremely helpful!
Would you recommend going to an endocronologist as opposed to a regular family doctor for treatment?
Only if you can find an endo that will agree to treat you for your symptoms and not just your TSH lab results. There's lots of ideas for finding a doc that will really treat your thyroid and adrenals properly: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/how-to-find-a-good-doc/
Bookmark this site, and if you can, buy their book -- educate yourself. It's the most loving thing you can do for your own body!!
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/t4-only-meds-dont-work/
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/long-and-pathetic/
Terri0 -
i noticed one time when i had my prescription filled it was Synthroid, and then the next time they filled it with Levothyroxine... what would be the difference between the 2? should i be concerned that it was changed without me knowing?0
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im on meds and my doc told me i was doing fine....but im struggling to lose weight . i have friends who are also working out the same as me and when i see them each week, it feels like i havent lost anything at all!!0
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Levothyroxin or however you spell it lol, is the generic of synthroid. the 2 are interchangeable and nothing to worry about unless your doctor says specifically that you respond better to one or the other. Always discuss these changes with your dr and your concerns.0
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I have the same problem... It's really hard for me to loose weight. My labs come back fine (in face, I recently got a lower dosage of Synthroid) but I still have symptoms (cold, dry skin/hair/nails, insomnia, constipation and diarrhea). If anyone has any suggestions and whether or not I should talk to my doctor about alternative drugs please reply and let me know.0
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thx. i never noticed a difference in me when they drug store switched them without me knowing... at that time i was still struggling in general as my tests were coming back normal but i was so not normal... I FINALLY convinced my dr to up my meds last fall and wow in a few weeks i felt like a different person! I did tests late nov and she said it was perfect, i could go any higher with meds. I just had my levels re tested on wed, so we will see now that it's been a few months where they sit now...0
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I have the same problem... It's really hard for me to loose weight. My labs come back fine (in face, I recently got a lower dosage of Synthroid) but I still have symptoms (cold, dry skin/hair/nails, insomnia, constipation and diarrhea). If anyone has any suggestions and whether or not I should talk to my doctor about alternative drugs please reply and let me know.
oh and me too, my levels were coming back normal and i was gaining weight... i was trying so hard to loose wight and it wasn't happening at all. I had to beg my dr to up my meds and once that happened about 1 month later i felt so better and i was slowly seeing weight come off. it is still a major struggle for me, i only have lost 8 lbs since Oct 22nd and i still have atleast 6 more lbs to go before i get back to myself...0 -
Folks, most endos and GPs are only measuring your TSH -- which is why they say you are normal.
Please educate yourself and learn to "talk back" to your doctor -- they are not the boss of your thyroid!! You have choices - and if you are eating nutritional and healthy food and exercising, you should be able to lose weight!!
Please try to read this: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless/
It will help you if you need to have a conversation with your doctor and ask him to treat your symptoms, not your TSH Lab test.
Terri0 -
I have been chugging along losing weight slowly on Synthroid and metformin. My doctor felt like I needed birth control to help with PCOS symptoms. I have been bloated and feeling icky ever since. The PCOS symptoms are better. I recently started IBS medicine. I will be turning 40 this year and seem to be going down hill fast:( I have not been able to get the scale to budge. I am so confused, do I follow a PCOS diet, hypothyroid, or IBS diet????0
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Folks, most endos and GPs are only measuring your TSH -- which is why they say you are normal.
Please educate yourself and learn to "talk back" to your doctor -- they are not the boss of your thyroid!! You have choices - and if you are eating nutritional and healthy food and exercising, you should be able to lose weight!!
Please try to read this: http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/tsh-why-its-useless/
It will help you if you need to have a conversation with your doctor and ask him to treat your symptoms, not your TSH Lab test.
Terri
true but in my case i made her do all the tests and show me the results. all were in the so called normal range.....0 -
Are you sure they did all the tests? I was told by several internists that *all* my levels were fine and yet I felt awful. It turns out not all the tests were done and my thyroid disease is autoimmune. I cannot echo enough what Terri posted about being your own advocate and educating yourself and pushing back on your doctor or looking for a new one who dismisses your concerns0
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well i was sure they did, they did tsh, t3 and t4 and a few others in my blood work. I totally agree you can only get what you want if you push it yourself, that is how i finally got my dr to bump up my meds. she refused for almost a year and then the weight was piling on, i felt really really terrible and then she agree to up it. It made the world of difference. To think i had to push it.... i just dont get why they don't try it, they all know that even when you are on the normal side and still low that it can be too low for some people and they should have it more personalized not a general number for all...0
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Are you sure they did all the tests? I was told by several internists that *all* my levels were fine and yet I felt awful. It turns out not all the tests were done and my thyroid disease is autoimmune. I cannot echo enough what Terri posted about being your own advocate and educating yourself and pushing back on your doctor or looking for a new one who dismisses your concerns
That's true -- my Naturopath is actively addressing each of my thyroid levels as well as my Reverse T3, B12, Vit D levels and others -- and we are working towards a number where I don't have any symptoms -- not a number that are so-called "normal". If "normal" feels like crap, then it' might feel normal for some people, but not for me.
Terri0 -
I would agree that everyone is different. I, myself, find it VERY difficult to lose weight. I am happy just to maintain and be healthy - as long as it doesn't go back up.0
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Dropping wheat helped for me after I read that people with thyroid problems have difficulty processing wheat.
I dropped it completely at first and went very low carb (only in fruits and veg) and lost 18lbs in the first month. Then started re-introducing non wheat based carbs ie rice, potatoes and gluten free bread.
The last few months I've only lost about 2 lb a month, usually when water comes off at TOTM, but I've only got a few pounds left to go and my goal date was June.0 -
I think one key is keeping the carbs low - say under 90-100 grams - and making ALL the carbs come from fruit and veggies. If you can stay away from white food, you should lose.0
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Hello,
I'm new here too. I am learning lots the last few days. I just found out on Friday that I have a low thyroid. Went in for more precise blood tests today. I am really not happy to hear that your meds have not helped with your metabolisms! Mine slowed right down, and I put on almost 40 lbs in the last few years, though I had lost that same weight & kept it off for a decade (before menopause). I chalked it up to menopause & some very difficult years... along with lack of exercise.
Anyway, in September I bought the MyTrak & have been exercising like crazy, which has enabled me (along with a very strict diet), to lose 30 + lbs (at the rate of 1 lb @ week)...
However, the last few months I have been having serious vertigo problems, along with all the other symptoms you've mentioned. Then all of the sudden, my heart rate has gone crazy. The heart-belt clued me in... so I went to the dr (feeling like a hypochondriac), asking the dr to check my thyroid. Sure enough, its low.... so we'll see. But he did tell me that the meds would help my metabolism. I sure hope it does!!! Don't understand why most of you are still having difficulties.
I'd love to be friends, and learn all I can from you.
Blessings,
Debby
PS... going to check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com right now. Thank you!0 -
I am having a tough time as well even though my thyroid is "regulated" now. Any tips on how to jump start this weight loss since the hypothyroidism has pushed me back a little? I am determined to get this weight off!0
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Hello,
I'm new here too. I am learning lots the last few days. I just found out on Friday that I have a low thyroid. Went in for more precise blood tests today. I am really not happy to hear that your meds have not helped with your metabolisms! Mine slowed right down, and I put on almost 40 lbs in the last few years, though I had lost that same weight & kept it off for a decade (before menopause). I chalked it up to menopause & some very difficult years... along with lack of exercise.
Anyway, in September I bought the MyTrak & have been exercising like crazy, which has enabled me (along with a very strict diet), to lose 30 + lbs (at the rate of 1 lb @ week)...
However, the last few months I have been having serious vertigo problems, along with all the other symptoms you've mentioned. Then all of the sudden, my heart rate has gone crazy. The heart-belt clued me in... so I went to the dr (feeling like a hypochondriac), asking the dr to check my thyroid. Sure enough, its low.... so we'll see. But he did tell me that the meds would help my metabolism. I sure hope it does!!! Don't understand why most of you are still having difficulties.
I'd love to be friends, and learn all I can from you.
Blessings,
Debby
PS... going to check out www.stopthethyroidmadness.com right now. Thank you!
I have vertigo also -- really bad at least once a week - several times it sent me to the hospital because I couldn't stop vomiting and my blood pressure was through the roof. My Naturopath has me on GABA for vertigo -- I think it's 500mg - twice a day. You can purchase GABA in any health food store, Whole Foods, or online. I take 2 with lunch and 2 with dinner.
Metabolism is a tough thing -- it's not just thyroid. It's also adrenals - cortisol, etc. It's also Vitamin D levels, ferritin/iron levels. It's how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep. It's also what you eat -- not always how much you eat, but what you eat. I have a hard time with it because I love intense exercise - but my body tends to stall on weight loss when I exercise every day. So, I am playing around with how many calories I replace when I exercise... can I believe the number of calories burned that's on my heart rate monitor?
As for diet -- I cannot lose any weight at all if I am eating starchy or sugary foods. It doesn't matter if I only eat 500 calories a day - if it's a high carb/low nutrtition type food (like bread, pasta, cereal) I am not going to lose weight. That's why I am gluten free and dairy free. Still, my weight loss is in spurts. I'm almost to my goal weight, so focusing on not gaining!!
So losing weight is different for each of us -- but I have to be honest with my food diary - and hold myself accountable if I am eating high calorie/low nutritional foods. Our food needs to come from nature - not a box
!
Terri0 -
Hey! I'm so glad I found this group, reading the posts have been really helpful!
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a year ago and I've gained over 8kg. I want to go back to my previous normal weight but finding it really hard, I'm not really sure what I should be doing or what I should be eating. Normal dieting doesn't seem to work for me anymore, anyone have any suggestions or tips? I'm guessing a low carb diet would a good option for this situation?
Thanks for the help 0 -
Hey! I'm so glad I found this group, reading the posts have been really helpful!
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a year ago and I've gained over 8kg. I want to go back to my previous normal weight but finding it really hard, I'm not really sure what I should be doing or what I should be eating. Normal dieting doesn't seem to work for me anymore, anyone have any suggestions or tips? I'm guessing a low carb diet would a good option for this situation?
Thanks for the help
We have several members that are doing Paleo or Primal diets -- these are low carb options that are healthier than Adkins. One of them allows dairy and one doesn't - but I can never remember which is which. So, they allow healthy fruit, unlimited veggies, and meat/fish -- not necessarily the "lean" options -- they believe that the fat from animals isn't really all that bad. As other fat options, you could use olive oil or coconut oil (my favorite), nuts, seeds and avocado.
Primal and Paleo are frequently called "caveman" diets - because they take our body back to a place in ancient times when no one was fat - there were no processed foods, heavy sugar usage, bread, etc. It takes your body some time to get used to the healthy food and to begin to give up the fat.
The only reason I don't fully embrace it is because I am addicted to exercise -- I'm not sure these diets would do well for me. But I do think they are a great way to eat and you can see yourself eating this way forever -- so, its not really a diet! I do try to keep my carbs to under 100 gms per day -- and nearly all from fruits and veggies.
But I don't think any diet will work if your thyroid is not leveled out (and not only TSH!), and your adrenals and other critical metabolic levels are optimal. This takes a lot of focus and a doctor that will work on it. Lot's of info on stopthethyroidmadness.com
Terri0 -
It is with me, but I am also going through menopause. That adds to my problem0
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Thanks Terri,
I take Borax drops, from the health food store (which takes away the vertigo in 12-20 hrs). But it keeps coming back every month, so I'm wondering what is causing it.
So, from your comments, I may end up gaining weight when I go on meds? Yikes!0
