Thyroid-Hypothyroidism

conniehv40

Is there a correlation in having hypothyroidism to making it hard to lose weight? Is there also a correlation in being older with hypothyroidism to easier weight gain?

I have been on synthroid for 14 years. I was diagnosed after my last child was born. Since then, it is no longer weight gain from having 3 kids. I am 50, still have my period.

I am not looking for excuses because I know I am not working hard enough, but I keep reading threads about this and it is making me wonder?
Just curious what you all with hypothyroidism or anyone in the medical profession know as fact.

kympow

Thyroid problems do/can make losing weight harder. However not impossible. I had thyroid cancer last year my entire thyroid was removed and am on synthroid. Since march I have lost over 40 pounds....and have not exercised yet (I want to just knee problems).

I would have your TSH checked, have you had an ultrasound done lately? Our thyroid levels change sooo much. I was taking 225 mcg and now 175 mcg due to the weightloss..

I am also a diabetic...so kinda a double whammy for me... But its not an excuse... you can still do it...you can still lose weight...

good luck on your journey! and know you CAN do this!

mmcgille

I was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism a few months ago, and I was told by my dr that hypothyroidism makes it extremely difficult to lose weight - usually causing the person to gain it despite doing the right things (if left untreated).

AmandaJade9

Hey
I was diagnosied with it about two years ago and couldnt figure out why I was gaining sooo much weight I was put on medication and found still that losing weight was harder then it was in the past before I was diagnosed. I think that it is definatly harder to lose weight if you have something wrong with your thyroid but if you are on medication and your thyroid is stable and producing enough thyroxin then it shouldnt be any harder to lose weight then your average person.
Wish you well with your weight loss journey Feel free to add me if you want to chat more about it or want any support.

Toughmudder8

I am a nurse and I also have hypothyroidism. I have been on a supplement for over a year now. The sad fact is that as we age our metabolism slows and we lose muscle mass a little each year- both making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose weight. If you are taking the supplement and your levels are normal ( your doctor should be checking) then you probably can't blame the extra weight on hypothyroidism. Even though you are still having your period- you are probably peri-menopause and this also contributes to weight gain and difficulty losing weight- the problem being the hormonal swings your body is most likely enduring.
I hoped that when I started my supplement that I would just miraculously shed some weight once my levels were normalized- but sadly that did not happen. The best advice is just to stick with healthy eating and increase your exercise!

dfisher88

I have hypothyroidism too. I've been on synthroid for about 3yrs now. When my endocrinologist diagnosed me and gave me the synthroid, she said, this will help some, but you HAVE to do the work. She said it was still going to be difficult or more difficult than it would be for a person that didn't have hypothyroidism, but not impossible. You just have to put in extra effort.

kuzurichan

The thyroid has a huge impact on our metabolism. Due to some medication, my metabolism/thyroid went all whack, and since then, I gained 90 lbs and have had to struggle to lose just a little.

I used to be 121 lbs - d*mn you, thyroid! >:[

fitX38

Well said Toughmudder...I was diagnosed 5 years ago with hypothyroidism and gained a lot of weight...then became pregnant at age 37 followed by gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, csection, congestive heart failure, PCOS, adenomyosis and peri-menopause all at age 38...It is my opinion that my age, weight and poor eating habits contributed to the snowball effect and most could have been avoided had I taken better care of myself. But, one thing leads to another with health issues so keeping the hypothyroidism under control with medication can save you a lot of problems in the long run (including heart issues). Eating healthy and exercising is imperative with hypothyroidism. By no means does hypothyroidism lead to the problems listed above but poor eating habits in combination with obesity do...hypothyroidism was just the beginning of a long battle for me.

Rinny_D

I've had [congenital] hypothyroidism my whole life, been on thyroxine since 10 days old! Im now 24 (also studying midwifery)

It makes all the difference in the world having the correct dose, and there is definitely a correlation between your Hypothyroidism & weight/metabolic function (as well as everything else metabolic & development wise)!

To the person on 175 mcg, is that per day? and what is your height/weight? I'm only on 100mcg/day at 60kg, 160 cm tall. (maybe 120 pounds?? and 5ft 3??, not sure of the exact conversions), Will need another lot of bloods done to look at my levels soon though.

simplyshannal

I have been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism since 2003. It is not easy to live with but if you can get your ranges to stay in the normal area, weight lose becomes really easy. Make sure your doses are correct and that you are not taking it with food. Another great thing is that if you chew or take Vitamin C tablets (I chew two when I take my Synthroid) it helps the body absorb the Synthroid much better. I have gained tons of weight due to my child and the fact that the doctors didn't monitor my thyroid at the time. It is hard to get your levels right when they go into the 20 range or so. I am finally back down to the 6 range and moving closer to the 2's. I have had so many miscarriages that I can't even count anymore. One they got to 20, I just stopped counting. Always remember that your thyroid is the thermostat for your body. It is the controller of your metabolism and because of that, when the ranges are high, it is hard to lose weight, no matter what you do.

CoderGal

Is there a correlation in having hypothyroidism to making it hard to lose weight? Is there also a correlation in being older with hypothyroidism to easier weight gain?

I have been on synthroid for 14 years. I was diagnosed after my last child was born. Since then, it is no longer weight gain from having 3 kids. I am 50, still have my period.

I am not looking for excuses because I know I am not working hard enough, but I keep reading threads about this and it is making me wonder?
Just curious what you all with hypothyroidism or anyone in the medical profession know as fact.

Yes, my friend has it and it's very hard for her to lose weight, she was eating about 1200 and gaining. I've convinced her (with success) that since her thyroid is messed up she shouldn't be going about it this way. Most people with thyroid problems have better success eating healthy whole foods with lots of protein.

conniehv40

Thank you for all of your great posts! It seems that I just need to work at it too! I am great about going to the doctor. I do snack, snack, snack and I am 50+ and I do not exercise enough!

I was just so surprised to see, throughout mfp, so many posts on the difficulty of losing weight due to hypothryroidism.

I have an appointment in October, I am on low 125mg synthroid and seem to be so steady. I guess that is good!

Good luck to you all!

ps I know my pre-medication self, was the most tired, cranky, cry baby, short-fused person on the face of the earth. So I will take a little weight gain over who I was after having the third baby! (that was when i was diagnosed--my physical with a general prac versus an ob after having kids for those 6 or so years....)