BMR/TDEE and Hypothyroidism

tbrey0

Does going by the BMR and/or TDEE method work for people with hypothyroidism??

navydentalchic

i WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THIS AS WELL. I am hypo and i figured all of the numbers out, figured tdee and cut, still exercised and gained 20 pounds..I am very discouraged..

juliemouse83

I am hypo, also. I'm on medication for it, and according to the doc (and this does not imply that her words are carved in stone) it is supposed to regulate function to normal levels, therefore my metabolism theoretically isn't messed up.

I dropped almost 30 pounds between mid January and mid April, but am finding the ride has come to a full and complete stop, as well. I'm not sure if this is because I am within ten or so pounds of my goal weight, or because I haven't been eating enough given the amount of lifting I have been doing.

I think, for me, that this is going to be a matter of tweaking until I get things right.

ETA - I did TDEE - 20% from February until a week or so ago, since the three week stall, and am cycling calories - lower when I don't lift and higher when I do.

tbrey0

Juliemouse83:

"I'm on medication for it, and according to the doc (and this does not imply that her words are carved in stone) it is supposed to regulate function to normal levels, therefore my metabolism theoretically isn't messed up."

"Theoretically" is the key word here for sure! I am also on meds with a "normal/within range TSH" but still have ALL of the hypothyroid symptoms! I have never bought into the "your meds will replace your thyroid hormone and you will be normal again" crap. I have heard of many, many others who are in the same boat - they are on thyroid replacement and labs show they are in the normal range but they are still sick. I don't believe that thyroid hormone replacement meds work in our bodies the same as our own natural thyroid hormone did - because if they did we wouldn't still have symptoms of underactive thyroid.

Sorry for that rant :-)

It is definitely frustrating, for sure!

-Tina

cats121

One of my pet peeves on MFP are all the people yelling about going under 1200 calories is going to send your body into "starvation mode." If you have thyroid disease (like all of us on this board), if you are on the shorter side, if you are over 40, if you have a sedentary job (i.e., sit most of the day), then just using an online calculator is NOT going to be that accurate a measure of metabolic rate. In particular, thyroid disease messes with your hormone levels and depending on how easy/hard it's been for you to manage your levels, this will impact your metabolism.

I had an overactive thyroid for almost 5 years before I had radioactive iodine therapy. I gained 30 pounds in about 4 months doing nothing different (except I felt like crap!) and then started dieting using the traditional 1200-1400 calories and NOTHING was happening. I went to an endocrinologist/weight specialist doctor who told me that given my thyroid disease, my height (I'm barely 5'1") and my age, now over 40, I would need to keep my calorie count between 800-1000.

When I exercise, I eat back some of my calories but not all of them. One of the hardest parts about thyroid disease is really listening to what your body is trying to tell you - what are you sypmptoms for under/over active. It is more of a challenge to lose weight having thyroid disease but it's not impossible!

Because I have to keep my calorie count low, I now make much better choices - I eat very healthy (lean protein, lots of different veggies and fruits, very little white sugar) and it's been working. As a result of eating better and exercising a lot, my thyroid levels aren't all over the place like they were before. As you lose weight, it's not uncommon to have to adjust your levels at some point but it's not as dramatic as before - at least for me it isn't and it could definitely be different for you!

Also, I've actually had my resting metabolic rate tested. Surprise, surprise, it's low and the test confirmed that I need to keep my calorie count between 800-1000 to lose weight.

My turn to apologize for the long ranting post but seriously, there are a lot of well intentioned people on this site who go by whatever calculator they found and think everyone is the same. We aren't all the same so listen to your body, try different calorie amounts, change up what your eating and find out what works for you!! Good luck!

tbrey0

Cats121:

I totally agree with you. Amen sister!!

maracuya23

If you have access to a research hospital or exercise physiology lab, you can have your actual RMR (resting metabolic rate) measured via a breath test. Given the strong impact thyroid issues have on RMR, and thus the fact that traditional equations that calculate RMR based off of height/ weight/ bf %/ etc don't apply, having your individual RMR measured is likely helpful. I had mine tested, and the nurse running the test mentioned that RMR measurements were the way folks used to be diagnosed with hypothyroidism before TSH tests. I wish this were still true, since I suspect hypothyroid patients would get much better and more individualized treatment.

go2grrl

I had my gland removed in June of 2011. A year later I had my RMR tested at a university lab. Granted it wasn't with an overnite stay, but the results were still pleasing. I came in at 1699, so if I laid in bed all day, that is what I could take in. Fortunately, despite having a nearly sedentary job, I still move around a lot and exercise. Plugging my numbers into the Scooby calculator and setting it for a 10% decrease awarded me with a daily TDEE of around 2031. And if I stick to that number I can lose weight. If I average a smidge above it, I maintain. If I average around 2500 I will gain.

I wear a Fitbit to give me more "precise" numbers and have found it's pretty true. There's a ton of number crunching involved, but I don't mind the work. I've been at this for over a decade and it all works for me.

Princess4Run

I think I will get my RMR tested, it sounds like a great idea to finally know how much I'm really burning per day.

crosbymo

I am very new to fitness pal (maybe 3 weeks). I lasted on the 1200 calorie/day for 2 days and then I changed to TDEE. I have lost 1.5, maybe 2 pounds. I also got changed to a higher dose on synthroid 3 months ago, so my body is still adjusting to that. Hopefully I can keep losing!

I just like the TDEE because I always had to eat my calories back on the 1200/day. I am active anyways so now I'm tracking calories and keeping a fitness diary. If I only lose another pound or 2 in the next month, I might bring my cals down a bit.

VastBreak

Found this info helpful ladies, thank you!