Any one out loosing weight with Thyroid issues

Alicia7519

I began taking Synthroid nine years ago. I lost some weight at first, but then gained it back. My bad eating habits were the culprit that caused me to be overweight.

dia77

I was on Tapazole for a few years and from February 2012 I am on shynthyroid( sintetic hormone) . I went up and down (more up!) 25 pounds. I have counting my calories for the last year or so . What seems to work for me is Dukan Diet - eat as much as I like but certain foods.

I have been vegetarian for the last 18 years and I started eating fish a few years ago ( doctor recomandation) The only things that work for me : active life- gym or yoga,counting calories , healthy - clean eating, over 3 liters of water per day , proteins in the morning , low carb ,low fat diet .little or no alchool( one glass of wine or less per week)

I did all this and the only thing that I got was to gain weight at a slower rate. Since I am in Dukan diet , I started losing weight ( 9 pounds in one month).

Bad habits are real but low thyroid hormones are real too and you can pack up to 40 pounds and keep going if you are not careful.

dia77

I've been taking 200 mcg levothyroxine for hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis) since June of 1999. I'm also diabetic, have PCOS (poly cystic ovary syndrome) and a family history of obesity on both sides. I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago. All the odds seemed to have been stacked against me. But I believe that's all excuses to not reach our full and well deserved potential. Anyone who truly wants to lose the weight & get healthy will do so simply through educating themselves and being consistent and persistent with healthy eating and an exercise program. It's not rocket science but it does require a total commitment and a certain mindset. Best of luck to you.

This ! well said. Thank you.

lessofme150

I've been on thyroid medication for 20yrs. My weight has yoyo'd during this time but I think it had more to do with old bad eating habits than my thyroid

Same here. My meds get adjusted constantly as I gain and lose weight. I started losing my weight in August and since then my doctor has increased my dose. I go back in a couple of weeks to get it retested. I thought it was odd that my dose was going up with my loss but even though they kind of go hand in hand, there are other reasons for both.

Colleen118

I take sinthroid because my thyroid was removed. Are you on meds for thyroid?

170isreal

It can be done! I'm taking Synthroid 125mcg. I have been on MFP for a year and lost a little over 70lbs. I'm sure that my meds have helped but, I have done this through, you guessed it changing my diet and moving my body. I have always been overweight and my thyroid was fine up until a few years ago. So there goes my excuse lol

Martina_Who

I've lost 37lbs since June and it's all thanks to me switching my thyroid meds!
Fly so miserable on synthetic tyroxine, I won't name brands as there are a few and differs in what country you are in.
I've switched to armour, a natural drug available in many countries like Ireland, uk, USA

I did a lot of research on it and I would advice you to do the same then demand you are changed on to it.

So many people don't realise how much better it is for you!


Feel free to message/adde for any questions!

skinnyforhi

Just wondering how people loose weight with an under active thyroid and keep it off. I go up and down in weight like its nothing. Have been on a thyroid medicine for about 3 years and have ranged from the same 40lbs throughout the whole time.

Thanks
Amber

Not me personally--but I know someone who had the double whammy of losing weight with thyroid issues AND a back so bad even after surgery that exercise was basically out. It took 3 years but she looks fantastic and that sure motivates me and it made me realize how hollow all my excuses were. It can be done.

CarolinaMoon76

I have been on eltroxin for 14 years at this stage - i started at 25mg and now up to 200mg and have been told that it will get progressively worse. Its frustrating for me as it does cause weight gain, it does make it harder to lose, I eventually do lose the weight and then I gain again because my thyroid gets worse :grumble:

All I can say is do have regular blood tests, watch out for times when you start to feel bad - or even better, make sure people around you know the symptoms as well. As well as weight gain my husband pointed out to me this summer that I was always tired - it was a little lightbulb in my head and off I went for a test....and another increase in tablets. I am stable again and losing weight again. I actually feel more confident this time because I have increased my exercise so much that I actually feel a bit more in control.

mrsna

I've been on Synthroid for 2 years now. It has been difficult. Although my levels are "normal" it just isn't the same. I have been successful at times by excercising regularly and tracking my calories. I have lost over 30 lbs since July 20th by faithfully tracking. You can be successful but you have to be intentional with thyroid issues. Feel free to add me as a friend. Also, there are a couple of thyroid groups on MFP.

firstsip

I've lost 37lbs since June and it's all thanks to me switching my thyroid meds!
Fly so miserable on synthetic tyroxine, I won't name brands as there are a few and differs in what country you are in.
I've switched to armour, a natural drug available in many countries like Ireland, uk, USA

I did a lot of research on it and I would advice you to do the same then demand you are changed on to it.

So many people don't realise how much better it is for you!


Feel free to message/adde for any questions!

It's not better for everyone, though! It's a lifeline for those who have tried every form of T4 only without success, but many people (even those without thyroids) can achieve high success through T4 only, too.

I don't like the endos who advocate T4 only... but I also don't think it's healthy to ONLY advocate T4/T3 as "it's better for you."

Hormones, be it progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, TSH, etc... are all vastly different in different people. Just like not every form of HRT or BC is good for another person, same thing with thyroid meds

Lattegurl

Bump for later

NotReadyForMomJeans

I've had hypothyroidism for 13 years, since I was 22. I thought weight loss was more challenging, but since using MFP and actually logging calories instead of keeping a mental tally and making assumptions I am losing weight at a reasonable pace. While I don't lose as fast as MFP tells me I should be, I am pleased with the results. My sister also has hypo, and is using MFP and losing weight too. If your dosage is correct you should be be OK - I can always tell when mine fluctuates - I have restless sleeps, etc - my dosage has been adjusted a few times in the last 4 years, since having kids. Good luck to you!

Scottb4857

Ready to chime in also on this. Been on synthroid/levoxyl for 15+ years. First noticed trouble swallowing, thyroid was swelling so much and of course tired all the time. Got diagnosed, started meds and felt great again. Pretty active then so weight not really an issue. Fast forward a few years - new job, kids, unhealthy eating and suddenly realized I had put on 65 pounds. Of course got the TSH tested and was normal so no blaming the meds, time to get in gear. This was 10 years ago, so started watching the calories and found a program I liked, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle by Tom Venuto (Not sure it is for everyone but worked for me). Over a 8 month period dropped 55 pounds and felt/looked great! Maintained for quite some time and was happy about it. Of course, switch jobs, move twice due to jobs, too much time in the office and restaurants and again I'm back up but this time even 10 pounds bigger. This was about a year and a half ago and was also noticing how incredible tired I was all the time. Argued with doc that TSH was just too high but foolishly listened and allowed just a slight adjustment. 9 months later enough was enough, found another doc who specialized in thyroid issues. One meeting with him and time for some serious changes to the meds. Over 6 months we got it dialed in, energy levels back but weight not going anywhere. Damn, so much for hoping the thyroid would solve it. So after a few months of pretending to watch my diet and exercise, realized the only way it is going to happen is to go all in again. After a week or so found MFP to track the calories, only three weeks in but so much easier than last time. Going back to my old system and so far so good, three weeks in and 12 pounds down - wish I knew how to change original weight on MFP, didn't find it until after I had taken off 4-5 pounds.

SO to answer the original post - yes, you can lose weight with Thyroid issues. Not really any different than anyone else, weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than consume. Of course, you must work with your doctor to make sure you are on correct dosage no matter what brand/type you take so you can have the energy needed to do the work and your body is functioning as close to normal as possible, maybe even a dietitian to get a better idea of true BMR. After that, it is all about the individual effort in watching the intake and burning as much as you can through activity and exercise.

As for me, 12 pounds into 65 goal. Wish me luck as definitely harder this time being ten years older - but just reading all the success stories makes me realize that it is not only possible, but an easy road compared to many.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

dmehz

I been having hypothyrodism since i was 13 years old so now is been oveer 9 years and had no problem losing weight after I gave birth to my child. I am 135 right now want to lose 20lbs to my originalk weight and is so hard to lose it but I know.. my body is diffrent take pills everyday, check up 3 to 6months and my trick behind excersice walk for an hour can't do cardio or i gain weight.

Shelbert79

I had my thyroid removed in May 2010 while I was pregnant. In the little over a year since my surgery I had gained over 50lbs. At the beginning of the year I decided that I didnt' want to be over 200lbs forever. It's taken me 9 months to lose 40 lbs. I HAVE to watch what I eat and I HAVE to work out at least 5-6 days a week. If I slip up even a day or 2 a week I will gain. There's no more 'maintaining', once I hit my goal I'm probably going to have to keep working just to stay there.

_CowgirlUp_

I'm going to be my brutally honest self here and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings...it's not my intention but it's probably going to happen...

Stop making excuses!

If you're on your thyroid medication and your regular check-up blood work shows your meds are working by putting your thyroid function in the normal range then you're just like everyone else...your thyroid is working normally with the medication. I get tired of people finding excuses for not losing weight and blaming it on something that's totally not part of the problem.

Yes, I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 years ago and my synthroid is on target and my thyroid function is within normal range now with my medication. I still struggle to lose weight but it's because I'm not 100% on top of my game and I eat too much fat & don't do any strength training!! I know what I need to do, I just don't do it.

Bottom line...quit making excuses.

MsTanya77

I have lost 75lbs with a thyroid condition. You just have to make sure you are taking the right dosage of meds and that your stay consistent w/ your diet and workout. You can't try all the fad diets and you can't follow everyone's diet advice because of your thyroid condition. You have to stick w/ what works for you.

Doodlewhopper

I was running every day 2 -4 miles before being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The endo was afraid my heart would over speed and advised me to go sit on the couch until my condition reversed to hypothyroidism. At that time my resting heart rate was 52 bpm and bp was normal. Now too depressing to check my resting heart rate & I am having to take bp meds and hate it.

Ive been on synthroid for about 18 months, and in the past 30 days I have dropped 15 pounds without exercise. (my diary is open) My total focus is on dropping weight. I am at 245# now and will probably start running again very soon.

I havent done the research, but I think one of the reasons Im not having a lot of trouble dropping is due to the fact that first thing in the morning I take the med and then shower and dress before I eat. (I get up early so I can wait 1 hour before eating.)

FWIW: The endo suggested I wait 15 minutes, but the pharmacist suggested 1 hour before breakfast.

BetherFace

I've had Hashimoto's for a long time and with or without medication, it never affected my ability to lose weight. I have had no luck keeping it off but I suspect that has more to do with my terrible diet and sedentary lifestyle than anything else.

BetherFace

Also thanks for posting because I just realized I forgot to take my pill.

firstsip

I'm going to be my brutally honest self here and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings...it's not my intention but it's probably going to happen...

Stop making excuses!

If you're on your thyroid medication and your regular check-up blood work shows your meds are working by putting your thyroid function in the normal range then you're just like everyone else...your thyroid is working normally with the medication. I get tired of people finding excuses for not losing weight and blaming it on something that's totally not part of the problem.

Yes, I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 years ago and my synthroid is on target and my thyroid function is within normal range now with my medication. I still struggle to lose weight but it's because I'm not 100% on top of my game and I eat too much fat & don't do any strength training!! I know what I need to do, I just don't do it.

Bottom line...quit making excuses.

This is a really sad post; this is exactly why people struggle to find correct treatment. The TSH "norms" just changed to reflect how off they were before, but that still doesn't take into account that many people dealing with thyroid issues have different, well, issues. I said it earlier, but I'll say it again; you can't look at two women, identical by circumstance, age, height, weight, whatever, and expect that the same birth control will work for them. Thyroid is no different.

The different meds, different doses, different physiologies, etc. all play a huge role in EACH individual person. Many people struggle with a variety of symptoms as hyper- or hypo- even though their TSH is "fine." But it might not be fine for them (really, there's more and more endos realizing that the effects of TSH, T4, T3 and RT3 affect each person differently, and the scale is not necessarily the most accurate). We are the "guinea pigs" of a condition that's only been readily treated for a few centuries, with only a few decades of research. Plus, I didn't even mention that so many people end up getting only TSH bloodwork... but their T4 and/or T3 are not normal, even by the not very accurate medical guidelines!

Plus, thyroid medication has a LONG halflife compared to other drugs. It's also a slow change anytime you make a change, etc. You could have fine bloodwork at three months after a dosage change, for example, but your brain is not registering this until six months after... so your TSH is fine, but the weight's still not coming off, your period's still wonky, and your hands are so numb you can't button your coat!

There, blood work is "fine"... but the body is still catching up!

There's so much more at work than "bloodwork" with thyroid, and that includes brain chemistry, adrenal function, etc.; it's simplistic, and offensive, to say it's as simple as "Hey, if you're having symptoms but one test says you're okay, you're just lazy and lying to yourself!"

Especially when so many people on here have been honest enough to admit, "My bad habits made me gain the weight/make it difficult to lose it!"

I'd say my situation is simply anecdotal to mention that I have been very active and eaten healthy all of my life, and gained weight because of thyroid issues and have trouble losing said weight now because of thyroid issues... except "slow metabolism" is an almost universal symptom of hypothyroidism in any medical textbook :laugh: So I'm not quite anecdotal! (Well, other things sure are...)

Doodlewhopper

I'm going to be my brutally honest self here and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings...it's not my intention but it's probably going to happen...

Stop making excuses!

If you're on your thyroid medication and your regular check-up blood work shows your meds are working by putting your thyroid function in the normal range then you're just like everyone else...your thyroid is working normally with the medication. I get tired of people finding excuses for not losing weight and blaming it on something that's totally not part of the problem.

Yes, I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 years ago and my synthroid is on target and my thyroid function is within normal range now with my medication. I still struggle to lose weight but it's because I'm not 100% on top of my game and I eat too much fat & don't do any strength training!! I know what I need to do, I just don't do it.

Bottom line...quit making excuses.

This is a really sad post; this is exactly why people struggle to find correct treatment. The TSH "norms" just changed to reflect how off they were before, but that still doesn't take into account that many people dealing with thyroid issues have different, well, issues. I said it earlier, but I'll say it again; you can't look at two women, identical by circumstance, age, height, weight, whatever, and expect that the same birth control will work for them. Thyroid is no different.

The different meds, different doses, different physiologies, etc. all play a huge role in EACH individual person. Many people struggle with a variety of symptoms as hyper- or hypo- even though their TSH is "fine." But it might not be fine for them (really, there's more and more endos realizing that the effects of TSH, T4, T3 and RT3 affect each person differently, and the scale is not necessarily the most accurate). We are the "guinea pigs" of a condition that's only been readily treated for a few centuries, with only a few decades of research. Plus, I didn't even mention that so many people end up getting only TSH bloodwork... but their T4 and/or T3 are not normal, even by the not very accurate medical guidelines!

Plus, thyroid medication has a LONG halflife compared to other drugs. It's also a slow change anytime you make a change, etc. You could have fine bloodwork at three months after a dosage change, for example, but your brain is not registering this until six months after... so your TSH is fine, but the weight's still not coming off, your period's still wonky, and your hands are so numb you can't button your coat!

There, blood work is "fine"... but the body is still catching up!

There's so much more at work than "bloodwork" with thyroid, and that includes brain chemistry, adrenal function, etc.; it's simplistic, and offensive, to say it's as simple as "Hey, if you're having symptoms but one test says you're okay, you're just lazy and lying to yourself!"

Especially when so many people on here have been honest enough to admit, "My bad habits made me gain the weight/make it difficult to lose it!"

I'd say my situation is simply anecdotal to mention that I have been very active and eaten healthy all of my life, and gained weight because of thyroid issues and have trouble losing said weight now because of thyroid issues... except "slow metabolism" is an almost universal symptom of hypothyroidism in any medical textbook :laugh: So I'm not quite anecdotal! (Well, other things sure are...)

Not trying to hurt anyone's feelings and I apologize if I offend, but for me, I accept no excuses. Maybe I dont know enough, but I will either do the things I need to do or I wont. It's all on me. Im fat because I took the easy road.

Yeah... I am an arrogant b^st^rd... but I will soon be a thinner one. LOL

mrsna

I'm going to be my brutally honest self here and I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings...it's not my intention but it's probably going to happen...

Stop making excuses!

If you're on your thyroid medication and your regular check-up blood work shows your meds are working by putting your thyroid function in the normal range then you're just like everyone else...your thyroid is working normally with the medication. I get tired of people finding excuses for not losing weight and blaming it on something that's totally not part of the problem.

Yes, I was diagnosed with an under active thyroid 3 years ago and my synthroid is on target and my thyroid function is within normal range now with my medication. I still struggle to lose weight but it's because I'm not 100% on top of my game and I eat too much fat & don't do any strength training!! I know what I need to do, I just don't do it.

Bottom line...quit making excuses.

I might be just like everyone else if my TSH is in the "normal" range but I am not just like I was before my body attacked my thyroid and I took radiation to make my thyroid inactive. There are no excuses. With an underactive thyroid you can lose weight and keep it off. If I am overweight it is because I am not doing the right things. All that being said, it is NOT the same and it is more of a struggle. Even thought I am "normal" I can't get away with the same things I could before this change in my body. I don't think your view and mine are too far off. I do think you need to give a little room for the fact that it is different even if you are "normal." We all have different struggles and our bodies react differently to the changes and this substituted substance that we are putting in our bodies. We all have to find what works for us and sometimes that takes time. It is not always an excuse. My dose have moved up and down every 3 to 6 months for 2 years now. It is hard to keep something going with all of the changes. It's not an excuse, just my new reality and the "normal" that I have to learn to deal with.

huskergirl0731

Just because your TSH level is within normal range doesn't mean that your metabolism is! Anyone that has hypothyroidism/Hashimoto's disease should get their metabolism checked. My endocrinologist suggested it because although I had managed to lose 20lbs after a total thyroidectomy my weight loss had stopped.

alocke37

I have been taking mine for 7 years now and yes if you don't watch your diet the weight comes on real easy. I had weight lose the first week and then it leveled off. I have to watch my diet and exersice like everyone else. Make sure you are also taking your vitamins, that will help with the fatigue. Listen to your body, you will know when the dose isn't working for you anymore. I have had to increase my dose over the years. Good luck