Hypothyroid Bodybuilders?

annemama

Are there any hypothyroid bodybuilders out there? I would love to hear your stories. Here are a few questions I would love for you to answer:

What has your transformation been like?
What are your workouts like?
What nutrition plan do you follow?
Anyone Primal/Paleo?
What are your macros set to?
How did you adjust your BMR/TDEE/Cut values to account for your low thyroid issues?
Anything else you think might be helpful?

I've been severely hypo for 12 years now, and I'd just like to learn from some of you who have found a way to make this happen.
I will post this in several places on the boards to see who will have something to share.

Thanks!

Lupercalia

Not sure if my situation would be of any help to you or not--I'm not hypothyroid or a bodybuilder. I am insulin resistant and have PCOS, and I do lift heavy. I'm not on any sort of medication at this point (YAY).

I'm still in the transformative process. Things went swimmingly in the early days, and I managed to drop about 50 lbs with no real difficulty (I was obese). All that has slowed right down, even though I still have about 40 lbs to lose.

I started out in July 2012, just walking, then about a month later, I added kettlebell workouts. I returned to barbell training in October, after I'd lost about 35 lbs or something.

My workouts now include all three things, and a bit more. Three days a week I strength train at the gym. I do a beginner's barbell training program (Starting Strength). On those days, I also walk to and from the gym (hour round trip). I like to do a bit of metabolic conditioning on those days following my lifting, so I typically do something like a quick kettlebell complex, or perhaps bodyweight/kettlebell stuff. Sometimes I sprint. Sometimes I will row or bike. I keep the conditioning portion pretty brief--around 15-20 minutes. On the alternating days, I do kettlebell workouts that are more of a cardio/endurance type of workout rather than focusing on strength building. I rest one or two days per week, depending on how I'm feeling.

I eat paleo, for the most part. Sometimes a bit of cheese, or a few bites of ice cream, but I can't do much with dairy as I'm lactose intolerant and slightly allergic.

I set my macros by first determining my lean body mass and basing the protein goal on that. My LBM is 116, so I set the goal at 120. Then I decided how many g of carbohydrate I'm ok with. I have tried keeping to 50 or under, but have found I feel really awful when training hard with that little carbohydrate. I've found that by just upping it slightly, to 60-70, I'm much better. So that's where I try to be. That's about 15%. Fats makes up the leftover calories, which is at 55% for me. As for meeting macros, I am concentrating most on hitting my protein goal and controlling blood sugar.

Um...BMR/TDEE/cut values seem extra difficult for me to calculate at any given stage of this epic "journey". I am at 1600 right now, and can not eat less or I really feel awful. I've been at 1800, and 2000 as well. It also depends a lot on how I'm feeling (kind of like the macros). If I'm feeling run down, I will eat a bit differently than when I'm feeling good and strong.

The one thing I do want to say is that I strongly feel that lifting heavy weights as opposed to just doing a bunch of steady state cardio has really been the best thing for balancing my hormones and increasing insulin sensitivity. Big plus for me. I think cutting out grains and sugars and really watching my carb intake has also been incredibly helpful

I know our situations aren't quite the same, but there are some similarities, I'd guess. Anyway, hope something in there was helpful or interesting to you.

Best wishes.

annemama

Thanks for the reply! You're right, we do have a similar situation... and calculations don't really seem to take that into account. Like you, I eat 1600, but have eaten as much as 2300 during an attempt to reset my metabolism. Like you, I lift heavy, but it does sound like you do more cardio. I try to eat Paleo as much as possible, but some days I honestly just don't make it. I'm planning to stick to 1600 for a while, and I've added some running intervals into my walking (but historically I've gained weight while running :noway: ). So thanks for sharing your story with me... and congrats on all the weight you've lost and for taking control of your life and health. YOU ROCK!!

Lupercalia

Thanks for the kind words. :flowerforyou:

I don't like to get hung up on the Paleo compliance stuff. I want to be as "normal" as I can be, yet still feel good. I'm not into the freakish dogma re: compliance or any of that. I guess I'm not much of a rule follower--never have been. So if I have a bit of ice cream, or a slice of cake on someone's birthday, I'm FINE with that. I supplement with whey protein too, which is apparently controversial amongst other paleo people, haha.

How did your attempted metabolism reset go? I've always been rather nervous to try that as calculating all the BMR/TDEE stuff is pretty much a crapshoot, as I'm sure you've experienced.

Do you suppose you gain whilst running due to high cortisol or something of that nature? I've never been much of a runner, so I'm not really sure how I'd do with running on a regular basis.

LBNOakland

bump:laugh:

LBNOakland

I have been hypothyroid for a decade. I am working with a strength coach. He had me try paleo. I did well but I don't feel it is realistic for me as a lifestyle. I am not on a diet. I am after a lifestyle I can stick with for the long haul. I want the weekly cheat meal and the occasiona ice cream sundae or StarBucks.

I did the higher calories but it didn't work for me. I am at 1500 cals now and I eat back some exercise cals. I shoot for 100+ grams of protein a day. macros are set qat 50 - p, 40 - c, 20 - f. I usually go over on fat and carbs and under on protein because 50% is way over 100 grams.

I was a cardio bunny for a long time. yo-yo up and down. Lifting makes me feel so much better, stronger, empowered. i couldn't see myself on an elliptical for an hour at age 65 but I can totally see myself swinging a kettlebell at 65.

Lupercalia

This article might be of interest to anyone following the topic:

"Apr. 7, 2013 — Researchers in the Life Sciences Institute at the University of Michigan have challenged a long-held belief that whitening of skeletal muscle in diabetes is harmful. In fact, the white muscle that increases with resistance training, age and diabetes helps keep blood sugar in check, the researchers showed.
In addition, the insights from the molecular pathways involved in this phenomenon and identified in the study may point the way to potential drug targets for obesity and metabolic disease."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130407132914.htm

Lupercalia

i couldn't see myself on an elliptical for an hour at age 65 but I can totally see myself swinging a kettlebell at 65.

ME TOO! I love kettlebells like crazy! :drinker:

navydentalchic

I would love to read some of the responses to this, I am doing heavy lifting and I have hypothyroid. Will read after my patients!

janatarnhem

I am very interested in the hypothyroid part! Am hypothyroid with lupus too! Been going to the gym and eating around 1600 to 2000 TDEE - but am knackered. Having a rest day between gym sessions. At Gym doing 40 mis cardio= elliptical, treadmill and rowing. and about 15 mins weights - 2 x 15 reps,various weights and aim to increase weights. Currently figuring out macros - trial and error - trying to increase protein at expense of carbs. Any advice would be welcomed!

annemama

I don't really know my cortisol levels, so you could be on to something there. Most people would say that they were hungry during a running program and ate more, hence the weight gain. But even careful control doesn't stop it. Maybe I'll have a test run for that.