Any one out loosing weight with Thyroid issues

rosie73becs

Hi there, I have been taking thyroxine for about 8 years and my weight has gone up and up since then,
I think this is down to my lifestyle and inactivity more than anything, just been on fitness pal for 1 week
and it has motivated me to get moving more and look at what I eat and drink, (far too much red wine it
appears)!
feel free to add me as a friend, i go on mfp every day,
good luck
Jan x

NocturnalGirl

As long as you are in a calorie deficit from your maintenance then you will lose weight, and yes you can keep it off. Takes hard work but it's possible

anp7989

Thanks everyone, very informative!

mgobluetx12

I've lost 37lbs since June and am on thyroid medications. I just do the same thing everyone else does to lose - eat less, move more and drink lots of water. There's nothing complicated to it.

Also, I eat 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat, which I think helps a lot. You can look at my diary if you're interested.

JustPeachy044

not sure why some say you need t3 and t4 meds. conflicting research/info out there i think. i've only had synthroid my entire life and have been able to lose ok--yeah it's hard but not impossible.

lcfairbairn74

My thyroid was diagnosed as being underactive about 15 years ago and it has got progressively worse. I am now over the recommended maximum dose of thyroxine daily. Since I started on mfp I have been astounded I have been able to lose weight as was told just to accept my weight and give up on trying to shift those pounds. It will probably come off slower than the average person but it is still possible, I am living proof. And I have been in a wheelchair the whole time due to ankle reconstruction so have shed the pounds with no exercise either! Stick with it and you will see results!

firstsip

Not sure why this is in success stories (unless it's because you're looking specifically for thyroid success stories).

My thyroid's been out for ten years this December, and as a result of pretty poor endos (i've been through quite a few), I've been both severely underdosed and severely overdosed, both times causing severe adrenal issues (the first resulting in my adrenal glands starting to shut down!)... both of these instances resulted in weight gain regardless of my diet/fitness (as I never had overeating issues; if anything, undereating for too long)... and that's why I came to this site!

I've lost weight, but not nearly as quickly as lots around me, or as quickly as I did the first time my adrenals went down the ****ter. I shoot for under 180g of carbs because my endo says it's a good plan for anyone with thyroid/hormonal issues. I've built muscle and lost inches though pretty regularly... so my advice is to try and focus on those things and not pay attention to the scale It will kill you.

And goddammit, it's "losing," not "loosing"!

californiagirl2012

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

Yup, I've been on thyroid medicine since right before I started this journey a little over 3 years ago when I was still obese. I found that it was not a magic pill. I still had to do the hard work.

There is no mystery to weight loss, everyone thinks something is wrong, their metabolism is broken, they have low thyroid, they have menopause or whatever issue, they are as unique as a snowflake, whatever. I thought a lot of these things once too but once the doctor helped resolve the health issues for me I learned there is still no magic pill. Most people eat more than they need to and are not at good at estimating calories as they think they are. Most people have a lower BMR than they think they do. The only way to know for sure is to go to a lab and have it tested. It doesn't seem fair to have to eat less and feel a little hunger. It's hard to face the truth of it, very hard. It's not fun. It's drudgery at times. But if you learn to enjoy your smaller amounts of food (necessary to lose weight, since the reason we got fat in the first place was eating too much whether we knew it or not), and rejoice in your victories it can be done.

Your body loses weight in chunks, not linear. I have found that you can do everything right and your weight loss seems to plateau but if you are patient and keep exercising and eating at a deficit (however slight) you will lose it, it will suddenly "whoosh". There are so many variables for the scale; water retention, digestion, hormones, allergies, sodium, carbs, water intake, DOMS, inflammation, the list goes on. People mistakenly think they lose or gain weight when they eat more or less because of these fluctuations.

Losing weight requires tremendous patience. You will not lose it when you want it or where you want it. The body does its thing. Some apparent plateaus can last a month or so. You cannot make it happen faster. You must focus on two things; calories and exercise. Nothing else matters. Scales and metrics don't matter. The day in and day out grind of exercise and calories are all that matters. It is not very exciting until things fall into place. You get your victories and you ride one victory to the next.

The scale is a trend tool. The scale is good but put it away and only check once a week and only use it as a trend tool. It will fluctuate, it does not matter. Take front side and back progress pictures at least once a month. You will see differences that the metrics won't tell you and it's that little bit of NSV that will keep you going until the next victory.

If you plug in all your info (typically age, gender, height and weight) into one of those calculators what you get is the average metabolic rate of a group of people who share your age, sex, height and weight. What you DON’T get is YOUR EXACT calorie needs.

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss. Don't make it complicated.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

kimad

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

I have been on meds for 12 years, but I agree with the above poster to a 't'
IT WAS ME AND MY BAD HABITS!!!! I have had no problem losing the weight and maintaining when I watch what I eat... when I don't, I can pack it back on quite quickly.

newmein2013

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.

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.