From 168lbs to 139lbs (pics) w/ hypothyroidism

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  • QueenChar75
    QueenChar75 Posts: 41
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    Congrats! You have definitely lost and look amazing!
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    Congratulations! IT is all about taking control of your life! I was also diagnosed with Hypothyroid at age 19. It's always been an excuse with me. But it doesn't matter what you have to deal with because it is what YOU have to deal with. You can still lose weight, but it is harder and takes more effort than someone without thyroid disease.

    I didn't get serious about losing weight until I turned 50, went through menopause and quit my job to sit behind my home office desk all day long! I lost 70 pounds battling those obstacles! With hypothyroid disease! IT wasn't easy but it wasn't impossible either! It is simply the effort you put into it. You did it, I did it, and many others have done it and are doing it! Having an under active thyroid is no excuse for being fat unless you want it to be!
  • mommymovingmountains
    mommymovingmountains Posts: 192 Member
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    Awesome! You are such an inspiration, especially to those that are struggling with hypothyroidism. I know a few people that, sadly, use that as an excuse. Great job!
  • IntoQuestion
    IntoQuestion Posts: 5
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    It's really hard losing weight with hypothyroidism, so first of all: congratulations!

    I've been struggling with it for a few years now, and know from experience that the weight gain and the lack of energy are a killer combination. (You don't burn calories, and you cannot seem to get your behind up from the chair to do anything about it.) I've started what finally seems to be the right dosage of meds a few weeks ago, and I've only recently overcome the worst of it all.

    I really hope I'll be able to follow the awesome example you've made. ;)
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    That is an awesome accomplishment! I also have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism within the last 5 years and my doctor has been experimenting with dosage of levothyroxine...we started low and continued to raise the dosage until it got to 70mcg and my hair started falling out in clumps so we took it back down to 50mcg...I still have hair loss and struggle to lose weight. Would you mind sharing what plan your doctor has you on? I'd love any suggestions as I am seeing a new doctor this month. Congratulations on getting your hypothyroidism under control and on the weightloss!!!

    Your colleague is probably hyperthyroid (over active) or has her hypothyroidism (under active) under control.

    Well done OP, I've had hypothyroidism since I was 14 and have struggled with my weight on and off since, I can have two weeks where I eat the same thing, lost 5lb one week and gain 2 the next, it's frustrating and slow going but I'm getting there!
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
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    Hypothyroidism sucks. I am 50 pounds overweight and it is absolutely impossible to shed an ounce. I am 56 years old and I go to the gym 5-6 days a week for two hours. I don't leave until I have burned 1000 calories. I lift weights, do cardio and stay fairly busy throughout the day walking me two big dogs and even riding the stationary bike at my house. Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat so I must be putting on muscle. Muscle does weigh more but the difference is miniscule. I need help. I take synthroid, cytomel and don't know what else to do. I've tried a high protein diet, but one doctor, who is hypothyroid himself, said that this diet is not good for anyone with this condition. I usually eat about 1400 calories. Glad to hear about your success, but I never get any. Frustrated beyond belief.

    Dear Lynn: You've only just begun MFP. Your post leaves many questions unanswered, but I would like to lend my support to ease your frustrations. Give yourself more time at 1400 calories, assuming you feel that limit is a good fit for you for the moment. Give yourself more time to get used to the calorie deficit. At the same time, eat at least half of your calories back. I am convinced that one should eat all of their calories back, but I remember how illogical this sounded to me when I joined MFP in January. So, do your best to not overestimate calories burned and eat back at least half of your exercise calories. If you are truly working out 10-12 hours each week, your body really needs those calories -- your body doesn't just want them, it NEEDS them!!!

    While muscle takes up less volume than fat at a given mass, you're right, the difference is minimal, so let people's comments about this go in one ear & out the other.

    Personally, I am have mild hypothyroidism -- I only need 50micrograms a day -- but I have found, through experimentation, that I lose weight more easily if I make a point to eat all of my protein grams, even if that means I haven't eaten my daily allotted calories. You might like to experiment with your macro ratios and with different exercise routines.

    I won't wish you luck, because this has nothing to do with luck, but has everything to do with hard work, dedication and commitment. Learning takes effort, including learning about what works for your body. Don't give up!
  • pgldish
    pgldish Posts: 5
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    I was just diagnosed with hashimotos as well after dealing with hypothyroidism for 4 years. Found a great doctor and my weight is finally starting to go down.

    One thing that helped the most is clean eating. I've cut out gluten. Not only is the scale going down but I feel so much better.

    Thanks for sharing the pics! You look great!
  • pgldish
    pgldish Posts: 5
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    Hypothyroidism sucks. I am 50 pounds overweight and it is absolutely impossible to shed an ounce. I am 56 years old and I go to the gym 5-6 days a week for two hours. I don't leave until I have burned 1000 calories. I lift weights, do cardio and stay fairly busy throughout the day walking me two big dogs and even riding the stationary bike at my house. Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat so I must be putting on muscle. Muscle does weigh more but the difference is miniscule. I need help. I take synthroid, cytomel and don't know what else to do. I've tried a high protein diet, but one doctor, who is hypothyroid himself, said that this diet is not good for anyone with this condition. I usually eat about 1400 calories. Glad to hear about your success, but I never get any. Frustrated beyond belief.

    Google the link between hyporhytoidism and gluten. I never saw any progress until I cut out gluten. It didn't matter if I ate a steady diet of 1250 calories or ate 3500 calories. I had stopped gaining but wasn't losing. Finally, I turned to functional medicine and was diagnose with hashimotos after three endos old me that it was all in my head. Three weeks of clean eating have led to a 14 lb loss and I feel great.
  • paul7799
    paul7799 Posts: 98 Member
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    You are such a beauty! Good job. A friend of mine has had thyroid issues to the point where hers had to be destroyed by radiation. I'll share your story with her it may inspire her as she has had struggles of her own.
  • cheercoach80
    cheercoach80 Posts: 45
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    You look amazing, thanks for sharing!
  • themommie
    themommie Posts: 4,996 Member
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    Congrats on your weight loss, you look great. I too have hypothyroid and know how hard it can be to lose, it maybe be hard but not impossible
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
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    Great job OP! You look great!
    Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat so I must be putting on muscle. Muscle does weigh more but the difference is miniscule.

    Minuscule? /blinks in disbelief

    18429001_8072.jpg

    Doesn't seem minuscule to me but maybe I'm crazy.

    Sorry OP to derail the thread a little, I couldn't help but respond to that when I saw it.
  • Ivana331
    Ivana331 Posts: 230
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    wow, you wear 139 well for being 5'0". I am 5'2" and weigh about 128 now, and as you can see in my pics, I don't wear the weight well at all.
    But good job, you look amazing!! :)
  • nwhitley
    nwhitley Posts: 619
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    You look great! Congratulations!!
  • Artbyrosie
    Artbyrosie Posts: 4 Member
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    Congratulations jroseonline, and thank you for sharing your journey. Having read the other posts I can see that I am in 'good' (not) company, if you know what I mean about hypothyroid and it's control over our bodies. I had my thyroid removed in 1988 due to a large goiter obstructing my wind pipe. I was so overweight that it did not show in my neck! I was the fattest anorexic you would ever see, I ate about 500 calories a day and weighed over 230lbs on a 5' 4" frame, an apple with legs was how I described myself. After my thyroid removal, I was put on 200mg of levothyroxine and over a period of two years I got down to 155lbs. I was extremely happy and fit and all was well until about 2000 when my thyroid meds were changed to a different brand. I put on weight rapidly and my doctor even put me on Duromine as he thought I was overeating! So I ended up not eating at all and ended up in hospital as I was starving to death inside this fat body! I gave up pretty much and decided that this was how my body wanted to be, fat! I just ate what I wanted and gradually my weight settled at 198lbs. I exercised at the gym three times a week, did all the required strength and cardio regimes and never lost an ounce, did not put an ounce on either, trainer was despairing but I knew that was how it was. I moved out to New Zealand in 2005 and I could not get my normal dose or brand of levothyroxine here so was put on Eltroxin, which made me extremely sick. I ended up taking reflux medication and despite throwing up every day my weight never budged. Now a new doctor (could not cope with one who just did not give a damn) has put me on 50mg of Synthroid daily (from 200mg Eltroxin) and I am now following a Mediterranean type of diet and lower carb to see if I can lose weight. He thinks my metabolism is completely shot to bits and my BMR is so low that my body just does not cope with food and I am in a permanent starvation mode. So I am now trying my hardest to lose weight and stay fit and healthy. I do now eat, work out a little and try my hardest not to stress out about it. I am down to 194lbs only a 4lb loss in 12 weeks, but it is a loss. Sorry for the long post, it's been a long journey! I so wish I could get back to that 155lbs again, but at this rate, I will be 100 by the time that happens lol, but I am NOT GIVING UP....
  • jroseonline
    jroseonline Posts: 45 Member
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    I didn't realize I was still getting responses as I am not notified when I do.

    For those that are struggling with hypo, it took me 2 1/2 years after being diagnosed to actually start losing weight. I finally found an endocrinologist who listened to me and how I was feeling physically as well as look at my lab results.

    I started out with levoxyl for 1 1/2 years, nothing happened, not even my hypo symptoms decreased. then I found a new doctor, an endo, who put me on 2 weeks of synthroid while waiting for my results from the blood tests. when we got those results, he found that I was also borderline diabetic and that I needed both T4 and T3 so he put me on Armour Thyroid. for 6 months, I changed my diet and started to exercise but I still wasn't losing weight.

    So he increased my dose of Armour Thyroid and recommended Blood Sugar Support supplements and it was then I started to lose weight. I lost 11lbs in 4 weeks. and the rest leads to where I'm at now. and I'm no longer borderline diabetic.

    When I lost about 20 lbs, he tried to decrease my dose of Armour Thyroid, but my hypo symptoms came back even though my lab results showed I was ok with the dose. So at my quarterly check up, i told him about my hypo symptoms coming back, but I was still losing weight, just not as fast, it slowed down a lot. He ended up going by my feelings and increased it back to where I was prior and now i'm feeling great.

    And even though I'm not losing weight as quickly, I know I am trimming down because I take measurements and pictures. I am teetering between 139-141lbs right now, but my clothes are definitely fitting better. I went from a sz 8 to a sz 5/6. 6 being a little loose but 5 being a bit too tight.

    just a tip: it's not always a great idea to stick to the scale, the measuring tape and taking progress pics are probably the best way to go, especially in the last stretches where you only need to lose about 10lbs.

    and for those who work out constantly and burn a lot, but still stick to low calorie diets, you may just be working against yourself. I did that in the beginning and I hit a plateau. I tried working out more, but still eating the same and nothing happened. Your body needs the fuel and like many has already said, you need to eat at least half your exercise calories. You'll start to notice a bit of weight gain at first, but then you'll definitely start losing.

    I recommended sticking to your low calorie on days you don't work out and eating a bit more on the days you do work out.

    Also, weight training helps out soooo much. I only did cardio the first 4-5 months of my journey and have now added weight training and I must say the results are a lot better than cardio alone.

    Hope this helps and again, thank you to everyone who's shown me support!
  • icesk8ermom
    icesk8ermom Posts: 82 Member
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    Hypothyroidism sucks. I am 50 pounds overweight and it is absolutely impossible to shed an ounce. I am 56 years old and I go to the gym 5-6 days a week for two hours. I don't leave until I have burned 1000 calories. I lift weights, do cardio and stay fairly busy throughout the day walking me two big dogs and even riding the stationary bike at my house. Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat so I must be putting on muscle. Muscle does weigh more but the difference is miniscule. I need help. I take synthroid, cytomel and don't know what else to do. I've tried a high protein diet, but one doctor, who is hypothyroid himself, said that this diet is not good for anyone with this condition. I usually eat about 1400 calories. Glad to hear about your success, but I never get any. Frustrated beyond belief.

    Lynne I feel you...I am in the same boat!

    You said you eat a 1400 calorie diet and that you burn minimum 1000 calories a day.....Are you also eating the 1000 calories you burned? You need to eat a minium of 1200 calories a day AFTER you account for the calories you burn in order to lose weight and live a healthy life. So based on the info you shared you need to be eating 2400 calories because 1000 of those 2400 have been burned to nothing.
  • icesk8ermom
    icesk8ermom Posts: 82 Member
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    Great job OP! You look great!
    Please don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat so I must be putting on muscle. Muscle does weigh more but the difference is miniscule.

    Minuscule? /blinks in disbelief

    18429001_8072.jpg

    Doesn't seem minuscule to me but maybe I'm crazy.

    Sorry OP to derail the thread a little, I couldn't help but respond to that when I saw it.

    Actually muscle weighs the same as fat....the difference as you can see in the picture is 5 lbs. of muscle is larger in volume than 5 lbs. of muscle.
  • icesk8ermom
    icesk8ermom Posts: 82 Member
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    I've posted a few success stories the last few months, but thought I'd share again as I am at my lightest I have been in the last 4 years. It's been a long struggle. I developed hypothyroidism in 2009 and gained 40+ lbs. I am far from over, but I am extremely proud of my accomplishment so far. Once upon a time I used to be about 125lbs. 3 kids, development of hypothyroidism and almost a decade later, I shot up to my most heaviest at 167.9lbs.

    Finally found a doctor who put me on the right treatment plan and I've dropped about 29lbs in the last 10 months. Now I am working towards my ultimate goal of 125-128lbs and 17-18% body fat. Started at 167.9lbs 34% body fat and now down to 139.8lbs and 26% body fat.

    Oh and a side note: I am 5'0" tall. I've had 3 kids and I am 31 yrs old.

    See pics below. After seeing these pics side by side, I have found new motivation to push harder and get to my ultimate goal. I'm giving myself a realistic time frame to hit my goal. and that's the end of this year. I'm sure I can do it.

    Thanks for letting me share my success story.

    385456_10150422278799090_355906481_n.jpg
    this was me when I was 21 yrs old and at about 120-125lbs.

    photo4.jpg
    Left Side: 167.9lbs Right Side: 139.8lbs

    photo3.jpg
    Left: 155lbs Middle: 144lbs Right: 139lbs

    You look great.....I also am hypothyroid and struggle with my weight loss. So far I have only seen a 5 lbs. loss in 6 weeks; frustrating but I have seen a huge loss in inches. I am trying to keep my chin up because I know (like others here) I am gaining my muscle loss back from starving myself in the past. I had a huge amount of muscle atrophy and know I am building that back now so I know this is why I am not seeing the scale move.

    I have Hashimotos and had half my thyroid remove due to it be enlarged; mostly likely the other half has died off from what I have been told. I am on synthroid; 110 mcg and 112 mcg (alternating every other day). I am at that wonderful age of 43 so that doesn’t help either!


    ~ Good luck everyone

    ***Feel free to add me as a friend for support if you’d like!
  • tanyawitt
    tanyawitt Posts: 6
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    I usually just lurk but had to post on this thread! I lost 60 pounds 5 years ago and have maintained but was unable to shed any more weight! I'm a zumba instructor, roller derby girl, and work out at least 5-6 times a week. Figured my body had found it's plateau and that was that.

    For the last 4-5 months I was feeling tired, cranky.....not myself.....although I couldn't pinpoint anything specific wrong with me. Finally went to my doctor and found out I have an inactive thyroid. After about 4 weeks, my medications were adjusted properly and I'm doing much better! Have only shed a few pounds so far; but that's a HUGE accomplishment for me. I credit following the doctor's orders, ther ight combination of meds, and using MFP to track foods/exercise. I also use it as motivation and stories like yours rock! Thanks for sharing and you look amazing.

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