Hypothyroid?

sometimes_blondie

Hi, I've been on Myfitnesspal for a long time now. I was a vegetarian for the better half of my life. After my second child, I really focused on losing weight, I mean, how many overweight vegetarians do you see out there? I've been counting calories, eating fairly healthy and clean (I actually enjoy the healthy foods!) and exercise fairly vigorously. Yet the weight barely budged! Adjusting my sugar and salt intake would only yield a few pounds of water weight. After doing a ton of research, I decided to get tested for hypothyroid, which turned out to be exactly the problem! Words can't even describe how relieved I was! Now I'm even more determined to tackle this weight! I'm also looking for some friends that might be going through the same thing, and we can support each other!

sometimes_blondie

Nobody out there?

Sweet_Pandora

Hi

I have been hypothyroid for almost 12 years.

I struggle with my weight going up and down 10-15 lbs. Weight loss can be slow at times but if I am disciplined with my food and exercise it does happen.

Feel free to add me.

Karen

MammaC66

Hi. Just an FYI for you. Since you are a vegetarian I wondered if you might be eating quite a bit of soy products, I have read that soy is not good for you if you are hypothyroid. I am hypothyroid, too ,and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Just thought you might like to know.

katapple

I'm Hypo, but lost the majority of my weight before being diagnosed (took about 2 years!). Once on Meds I was able to lose those last 10 (took almost another year), but I find it a struggle to maintain and eat like a normal person would. I still have to limit my calorie intake to a small deficit in order to stay where I'm at. It's a lot of trial and error, just don't think that being on meds is your cure-all! Feel free to friend me

GabbyP93

I don't know if it's hypothyroidism, but my doctor told me that my thyroid gland was very inactive, and that I was to stay away from gluten. (gluten sensitivity/intolerance)

x4mygirlsx

Why dont u join the hypothyroidism group on here. Lots of information on there. x

Tracepa98

I had issues with my thyroid but it was something different. They found a nodule but it was too small to worry about surgery and it was noticed that my thyroid was enlarged. I had a condition called Goiter. Researched it online and it was due to an iodine deficiency in my diet. No meds, I just took a daily vitamin with iodine and I can lose weight again.


Good luck!

75Juniper

Hi. Just an FYI for you. Since you are a vegetarian I wondered if you might be eating quite a bit of soy products, I have read that soy is not good for you if you are hypothyroid. I am hypothyroid, too ,and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Just thought you might like to know.

From the research I've done, it's only an issue if you eat it within 4 hours of taking your thyroid meds. It can reduce the absorption of your pill which can make your levels whacky. By waiting, it gives it a chance to get into your system.

CaboFitness

I have hypothyroidism as well, and it is hard to get the weight off, but once it starts, it keeps on coming off. It takes awhile,but it does happen.

farmgirlh

I've been hypo for 10 years. I am glad you're diagnosed and your health will start improving. It's hard to lose weight and by hypo even on meds. Feel free to add me if you like. I lost 40 pounds and then gained 20 back (nothing I did to cause this), I am now relosing that weight again, but like the other commenters meantioned it takes a long time.

candicejn

I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. I take Armour thyroid and it seems to help, but it's a constant adjustment to figure out the right medication level! Weight loss is harder IMO, but not impossible

swagner73

Yep, hypothyroid here as well. I suspect I have been my entire life, though I wasn't tested until after my daughter was born -- she turns 14 next week. I was taking 200 mcg of synthroid every day but recently starting seeing a hormone specialist & she switched me to Armour, which is a natural thyroid medication made from dessicated pig thyroid & not synthetic like synthroid. It has helped with my T3 levels but my TSH still needs adjusting so she adjusted it again yesterday. I had been unable to lose weight on synthroid & felt an immediate difference once I was switched to Armour. I'm hoping once my levels are regulated, that the weight will drop off.

gam219

You can add me too if you'd like. I was diagnosed hypo back in August and now I'm on Armour, eating better and working on getting in more walking. It's made a big difference in how I feel.

jesindc

I'm hypothyroid too (hashimoto). Make sure to get a blood test every six months and make sure your listening to your body (is your hair suddenly unruly, or more than normal hair loss, changes in your skin, changes in your energy level, unexplained weight gain or weight loss). . It's not a bad idea to get a blood test between appointments if you just don't feel right. Getting your thyroid levels perfect is not an exact science, and sometimes, even if your blood work comes back normal, but you just don't feel right, your dosage might need to be tweaked. Don't be afraid to be vocal with your doctor.

The good news is, once you get your dose right, synthetic thyroid works just as well as the real stuff and you should have no problem losing that weight and you'll feel much better than you've been feeling lately!

A few more tips, since it is tricky to get your dosage just right, it's really really important to take your thyroid med at the same time every day and on an empty stomach (either an hour before eating anything and/or 2 hours after eating). I like to keep a glass of water and my pill bottle on my nightstand. When my alarm goes off in the morning, the first thing I do is take my thyroid.
But if that doesn't work for you, just make sure that what ever you do is consistent every day.

Feel free to add me as a friend. I'd love to hear how things go for you!

Sarahmarie51285

I had not been feeling well lately and went to the doctor, she took some blood tests and found that I had some abnormalities in my thyroid. She said that I was not hypotyroid yet, but it is only a matter of time and I will need to get tested yearly to ensure they can treat it right away. I have been having all the symptoms however, and I am considering getting a second opinion to see if it truely is hypothyroidism or not. This runs in my family, and most of my family is overweight. It seems lately everytime I even look at food, I gain a pound. It would be nice to have someone who knows what this is like to support each other through our weightloss. I am glad I found this post!

lovinlife22

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in 1999 after the birth of my second daughter....have struggled with my weight until finding MFP in 2011. Feel free to add me.

mazzer16

Hi

i was diagnosed 5 years ago... the weight just sorta came from nowhere.. before i knew it i was big.. then became lazy.. wouldnt even go out of house unless i was forced to... now i have type2 diabetes .... i am fighting them every day... and slowly i am losing some weight... i never thought i would lose anything... and i have read many here that have also lost weight...

feel free to add me...

danwood2

I'm a Hypo as well... with a nice 150mcg's dosage of Levothyroxine to take up my mornings before coming into work. If i miss the dosage for 2 days, I'm struggling to get out of bed. I was diagnosed while in college... and the weight piled on me as well as a nice rash on the face! I've been to a ton of docs but it took an esthitician (sp?) to advise me to get my thyroid checked.

I'm now dying to get back to my doc that checks my blood because of my last visit. He started commenting on the fact that I'm still gaining weight but my Thyroid levels are normal... my starting weight back in June on here was 242... well now i'm down to 195, it took me just over 4 months to lose the weight and I'm looking to get down to the 185 range. So, you can lose weight with the HypoThyroidism, just get the right dosage and stick with a good meal plan... it will start coming off. If you would like to friend me, please feel free, everyone needs support in this adventure, that is for sure!!

boophil

Hi! I'm hypothyroid, too - was diagnosed back in 2002 while trying to conceive. I've been on Synthroid ever since. Started out at 50mcg/day, bumped up to 100 mcg/day while I was pregnant with DD, and now I've been maintaining normal levels on 75 mcg/day for the past 8 1/2 years.

I've found that the weight will come off as long as I am VERY disciplined with my eating AND exercise. Exercise is the most important for me.

Also, another option for taking your meds on an empty stomach - I also keep mine on my nightstand, but I take it just before bed. It also helps me to curb any late night eating urges because "I just took my pill and I can't eat for 2 hours, so I might as well go to bed!"

Lastly, to whoever mentioned the hypothyroidism group here on MFP - THANK YOU! I didn't know such a group existed! Off to join the group now.....

Alice_H

Coffee with your thyroid pill can also interfere with its absorption.

Watch the cruciferous veggies too - they can mess with your thyroid even if you don't eat them at the same time as you take your meds.

Make sure your lab isn't going by the old TSH normals - your TSH should be between 0.3 and 3.0, not the 0.5 to 5.5 that was the old standard. Many people feel best and have the best success with weight loss with a TSH around a 1.0. If your doctor questions your requesting the new normals, here's the link to the AACE article you'll want to show him/her: https://www.aace.com/files/hypo-hyper.pdf

Unfortunately, starting a thyroid pill isn't some magic cure for overweight. It will make weight loss possible, it will alleviate some of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism, but weight loss is rarely as easy as it was before your thyroid started misbehaving.