Starvation Mode and Hypothryroidism

misslibbyh

I had been told by a nutritionist based on a food journal that I had turned in that I was not eating enough. Here I am at 265 pounds and I'm having a hard time meeting my calorie goal! I am on medication for an under active thyroid which I'm sure has something to do with it, and I heard folks with Hypo are more sensitive to starvation mode. I recently became a vegetarian and I think that makes it even more challenging to plug in those calories if I'm just not hungry. What kind of foods should I be eating??? Where should I get those calories when I don't feel like eating or feel nausea? Why does this feel so crazy backward!? I think I've been something of a binge eater at times... that is... bouncing between not eating much of anything to eating all day if I had the chance... I've really chilled out on the binging part, but I feel sick to my stomach a lot and don't feel like eating. Will forcing myself to eat really help me lose weight???

kiffypooh

I have a hypo thyroid and I am on a higher dose of medication then my sister-in-law who had her thyroid removed. I have no issues eating :laugh: or getting my calories in. When was the last time you had it checked? Are you just seeing your MD or a specialist? My whole world turned around once I started seeing a specialist.
As far as feeling sick, that's my bodies way of saying I've waited WAY too long to eat. Every body is different though. Why don't you try to add high calorie foods to your meals rather then lower ones? Cheese is always good, double your lunch mean on a sandwich. i've actually never had a problem of not being able to eat my calories, so take it as you will :blushing:

CareyT

Well, I see on this site all the time people saying it feels crazy to eat so much, but it seems to work. My mother and I have similar low metabolism, bottom heavy pear shaped bodies and she lost about 60 pounds by raising her metabolism eating all the time. I have been with this site for only 3 weeks and I've been eating 6 small meals a day since New Years. It's hard to eat when you aren't hungry, but adding a handful of raw almonds to most of my daytime meals seems to help. Although I'm almost always under on calories and fats, I'm almost always high on my sugar with trying my best to not eat sweets. I had no idea there were so many sugars in the things I ate. Anyway, adding low fat carbs like cups of brown rice is a great way to get closer to the calorie goal. It has definitely gotten easier since I started. It's not easy, but I'm getting there. Just keep cooking healthy meals and eating every few hours and it will get easier to eat more. So many successful people say this works, so I think it probably does.

j_g4ever

I also have hypothyroidism and when i started this journey I weighed 213. I'm not a veggie however pretty dang close. Remember to eat fish, tuna and even peanut butter or other nuts to get your protein in. I recently was in starvation mode and didn't even know it. I have been doing this for almost 2 years. Always remember to eat your calories and you shed your weight.

if you any other questions we are always here to help

misslibbyh

I'm wondering if something like Boost, or even a diet drink like Slim Fast would be a solution to calories when I feel nausea. I like that brown rice idea too. That's very palatable.

drvvork

I'm wondering if something like Boost, or even a diet drink like Slim Fast would be a solution to calories when I feel nausea. I like that brown rice idea too. That's very palatable.

You need to watch the meal drinks such as Boost and the such... some are loaded with carbs and you didn't mention your sugar but you might consider Glycerna or Zoic so not to spike your sugar - those crashes don't help with you feeling well, either.

SASSYJAX

Slim fast is full of baddies and expensive....dont go there, nourish our body in other ways try and make yourself a shake if you think this is what you would fance...try a banana and yoghurt with soya milk, add extra fibre too if you want to, strawberry or tinned peaches too....

pulses are a good way to up your proteoin, lentils, chick peas, houmus on crackers.
Cheese
what about the tinned tuna in oil?

I eat like you too!
Doing great to keep at it though, I am also worried about eating all my calories but it seems like its worth a go, I havent done a week yet though so we will see!
x x x

lwbrozek

For those of you who are hypothyroid DO NOT eat any soy unless it's fermented. Soy is one of the worst things you can eat for your thyroid. Fermented forms of soy: natto, miso, tempeh and soy sauce. Some tofu is fermented and some is not, so check the source. A great resource for more information read: "Living Well with Hypothyroidism: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You... That You Need to Know" by Mary J. Shomon.

leavinglasvegas

I have this problem as well. And I'm veggie:drinker:

I agree with the person who said that her life turned around when she started seeing a specialist. Mine did too. Immensely!

My specialist, teamed with a dietician, permit me to use HMR shakes twice per day to help me make my calorie goals. (even with the shakes, i still struggle with this, but its a little easier) You might want to ask about them, you can't buy them at the grocery store. They are not like booost or ensure, only doctors can sell them.

My specialist told me that it is important to eat 5 times per day to keep the metabolism running smoothly. I agree, it is not easy. The shakes have made it 1000 times easier and I have lost 10 pounds in the past month by taking my thyroid med and doing what they have told me. Most days are a struggle, and it is totally the opposite problem than most people seem to have. Funny how these things work:laugh:

Good luck!
Holly:flowerforyou:

Dom_m

I was going to say have some soy yoghurt, but after the last post I guess I shouldn't. I'm vegan and also struggle getting calories in. I just had tacos for dinner and the taco shells were nearly half the total calories! I had to have a glass of apple juice and some olives to make up the difference.

You could try rice milk or other types of natural fruit juice (just make sure they're 100% fruit juice). Or better yet, eat a lot of fruit. Most pieces of fruit have around 80 calories, so 1-2 between each meal helps bring the numbers up.

I have two breakfasts - one cereal with a banana and soy milk, then an hour later I have toast with vegemite (that's a yeast extract spread very popular here in Aus - I'd say pretty much everyone eats it unless they grew up overseas)

Lentils can get calories up. Add some flaxseed oil to get the fats as well.

Finally, if you've just become vegetarian, keep a close eye on your calcium and iron levels. Its easy to get these if you try, but if you don't think about it its also easy not to get any!

pinbotchick

Some easy ways to add calories:

put avocado on your salad or sandwich, use regular salad dressing, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, drink a glass of milk, make your own fruit/vege juice, add cheese to salad or sandwich, eat a handful of nuts, dip veges in hummus, or have a cup of soup with crackers

2kidzlater

Try adding nuts or seeds to your salads. They will add calories fast and they're good for you. Trader joes sells handful bags which are about 200 caloreis. Hemp, almond or soy milk (since your vegetarian) is a quick and easy drink which will add caloreis and protein. Quina is also a whole food that is delicous and nutricious. Check out Whole Foods Market website for recipes. Best to you on your journey. I wish I could say I wasen't always hungry.

misslibbyh

Some reading I've done suggests that Soy can effect the way the meds for hypo are absorbed and so soy should be avoided within an hour of taking them. Otherwise it is important to get enough iodine in your diet to prevent the negative effects soy can have on the thyroid. Using only idodized salt and taking supplements can help vegetarians get enough iodine to prevent this.

Soy milk is really my biggest soy intake. I don't do much tofu unless I'm at a restaurant. Tofu doesn't seem to last very long in my fridge.:ohwell:

Thank you for all your wonderful input! There are some great ideas here! I'm really looking at the shake idea... and I forget to eat peanut butter... which is quite tasty on toast. If you're gonna get the fat from butter or margarine you might as well use peanut butter and get some of that protein too.

It's hard for me to eat 5 times a day... especially at work. I might need to bring more snacks with me like grapes and peanut butter and crackers or cheese. I usually eat a very small breakfast like a bowl of cereal or something and then have a lean quisine(sp?) or veggie burger for lunch. I'm going to scroll through all the replies and make a list of foods to pay more attention to. Thanks guys!

izzypup

I eat cereal for breakfast as well.... Put some almonds and blueberries in your cereal. If blueberries aren't available try bannana. I used to really have issues with milk but I have tried organic milk and i don't have problems with it. Soy is a no no!!!!! I have been on thyroid med for over 20 yrs and it's so important to eat your cals! I also feel like I am eating all day, but you will get rid of that nauseated feeling. Yogurt, almonds, fruit, are great snacks during the day. It has also helped me to eat a bigger breakfast, then a snack within 2 hrs. I usually eat at 7:30 am, snack at 9, lunch at 11:30, snack at 1:30, snack at 4ish, dinner by 7. By the time i make my dinner at 7 i am not really that hungry. But I make myself eat it all. I eat about 6 meals a day. If i don't eat my calories I actually gain weight. It took my doc and myself awhile to figure it out. But we did. Good luck

kiffypooh

Some reading I've done suggests that Soy can effect the way the meds for hypo are absorbed and so soy should be avoided within an hour of taking them. Otherwise it is important to get enough iodine in your diet to prevent the negative effects soy can have on the thyroid. Using only idodized salt and taking supplements can help vegetarians get enough iodine to prevent this.

Soy milk is really my biggest soy intake. I don't do much tofu unless I'm at a restaurant. Tofu doesn't seem to last very long in my fridge.:ohwell:

Thank you for all your wonderful input! There are some great ideas here! I'm really looking at the shake idea... and I forget to eat peanut butter... which is quite tasty on toast. If you're gonna get the fat from butter or margarine you might as well use peanut butter and get some of that protein too.

It's hard for me to eat 5 times a day... especially at work. I might need to bring more snacks with me like grapes and peanut butter and crackers or cheese. I usually eat a very small breakfast like a bowl of cereal or something and then have a lean quisine(sp?) or veggie burger for lunch. I'm going to scroll through all the replies and make a list of foods to pay more attention to. Thanks guys!

You should really try to avoid eating or drinking anything a4 hours before you take your meds or an hour after you take them and be sure to take them with lots of water. My dr said you can do 30 min after but not dairy or anything with Vit D, for that you have to wait an hour. I know about 5 people who have hypo and none of them knew that so I always pass it along. Once they start doing it they noticed a difference in the energy because your body isn't properly absorbing the medication otherwise.

lwbrozek

I realize that some with hypothyroidism still want to eat soy, but it has nothing to do with the ability of the body to absorb the thyroid medicine, soy can actually cause hypothyroidism. Here's a link to one article explaining some of the dangers of soy: http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/soydangers.htm

Also, Calcium and Iron within 4 hours of taking your thyroid medicine will effect your bodies ability to absorb the thyroid medicine. (Yet another thing Doctors don't usually tell you!)

Dom_m

If you find the tofu goes off quickly, submerge it in water. You should always store tofu in the fridge fully submerged, otherwise it will only last about half a day. It could easily last up to a week in water.

leavinglasvegas

I understand the logic, but I fail to see how this is possible unless you set an alarm to wake you in the middle of the night to take the meds. Or I guess this would mean skipping breakfast ?

I will do some research on the writer of the article/book, and I will bring this info to my next visit with my endo. He spends at least an hour with me once to twice per month, so I feel confident that he is telling me all he possily tell me in that time. He also goes over, sometimes we talk for 2 hours. If he could download his 12 years of study, 30 years in practice, and 15 years teaching at a major university into my brain, I'm sure he would.

Sometimes doctors don't tell patients things, but WE need to be informed. We can't possibly expect them to teach us everything and fix us all without any faults. They have phones, we go back for follow ups.... It is up to us to let them know what information is relevant for our situations. They are human and sometimes they have more pressing issues to worry about with our treatments. I know that my doctor is more worried about my low calorie intake than he is about me eating cereal with soy milk less than an hour after I take my medicine. Because I have to take my meds when I wake up, but I'm not allowed to eat past an hour after I wake. I also can't go more than 4 hours between meals and my medically prescribed diet requires certain exchanges at each feeding. Everybody has thier own situation, sometimes we can't all form to all the rules out there and still make our situation work.

Just sayin.....

kiffypooh

I take my meds right when I wake up and then wait an hour while I shower, etc then eat breakfast. It was really hard with I was pregnant with my daughter because I would have horrible heartburn and would have to take my meds in the middle of the night so I could take the antacids and eat breakfast first thing in the morning. The food thing should be in the information that is actually given to you with the medication. i reread it every few months to make sure I'm doing it right. It says 4 hours after and an hour before you eat, but my dr said 30 min after is OK unless it's dairy.
I don't eat soy (although I do love miso soup every few months, which I need to read about now), so that's not an issue for me.

misslibbyh

From The Mayo Clinic:

Question:
Is it true that people who have hypothyroidism should avoid soy?

Answer:
from Todd B. Nippoldt, M.D.

Hypothyroidism is generally treated with synthetic thyroid hormone — and soy has long been thought to interfere with the body's ability to absorb the medication. However, there's no evidence that people who have hypothyroidism should avoid soy completely.

If you have hypothyroidism, take thyroid hormone replacement as directed by your doctor — typically on an empty stomach. Generally, it's best to wait four hours after taking thyroid medication to consume any products that contain soy. The same guidelines apply to other products that may impair the body's ability to absorb thyroid medication, including high-fiber foods, iron and calcium supplements, and antacids that contain aluminum or magnesium.

---

Boy this Soy thing is a big debate...

Some sites are saying yes and some are saying no. This is a quote from the mayo clinic... but I'll keep looking for more clues as to who knows best.

ivykivy

Misslibby. If soy is a bean and high in fiber then you probably should avoid it within the time frame of 4 hours. I usually take my meds at 5:30 am then roll over and go back to sleep. By the time breakfast rolls around I could eat what I want. To be sure read the inserts that comes with your specific medication. If you go online to their website they should have all precautions you need to take.

I was plagued with nausea one summer ate was cinnamon toast and sweet potato casserole. I found anything spicy helped my nausea. I put cayenne pepper on everything.