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

Your story could be mine. I am also 5' tall, have three kids and had an overactive thryoid (that's the same as hypothyrodism, right?) I was 95 lbs when I got married in 1990 and was 163lbs when I joined MFP six weeks ago so my journey is just beginning. I am 46 and this is the first weight loss plan that is actually worked for me. ( Go figure eating right, working out regularly, calorie deficit, not exactly rocket science but so many of us have to try other things before following common sense. I am curious about finding the right doctor for your condition. I am on synthroid and have been for about 12 yrs. My doctor always says its the right medication for me but I wonder when I read about other treatments on the internet. Please feel free to add me as a friend and send me a message.

You look great and I aspire to be where you sometime within the next year.

Congrats!

Hypothyroidism is UNDER active thyroid, usually causes people to gain weight. That is why you are on synthroid, to replace the hormone level. You both have the same thing. (I'm a nurse...)

Thanks for that post! It's really inspiring to see that you can reach your goals even if you have hypothyroidism! I was diagnosed Hashimoto in early 2012 and am really struggeling to lose all that extra weight.
Great job!

Hi Lynne, I understand your frustration since I do not loose weight. I have a trainer 2 days a week and visit the gym 5 days per week. In 2009 my thyroid was removed because of cancer. I was up 50 lbs before the surgery but my thyroid disease was not detected until after the surgery. Drs would not listen to me something was wrong and I did not research enough to know something was wrong with my thyroid. I started on a 1200 calorie diet on 7/31 and going to give this a try. After 2 years with a trainer and the gym I have not lost any inches and only 5lbs. Frustrating when I see the progress of the people I train with.

Just wondering because I came across this and I am hypothyroid too....I found out like last year and I and I had gained about 10 lbs but I attribute that to eating habits and not the disease so I had started eating healthier a couple weeks ago and I don't have a scale but i noticed I felt slimmer and looked slimmer. So my question is, does having this condition make it inevitable to at some point gain a lot of weight? I'm pretty ok with my body right now, I just need to replace the fat I have with muscle and I think I will be at my target level...but I'm scared that in the future I will have weight problems because of hypothyroidism and was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to never have to go through the issues with gaining and being unable to lose weight with this disease (on medication of course).

and OP, awesome job (:

Just wondering because I came across this and I am hypothyroid too....I found out like last year and I and I had gained about 10 lbs but I attribute that to eating habits and not the disease so I had started eating healthier a couple weeks ago and I don't have a scale but i noticed I felt slimmer and looked slimmer. So my question is, does having this condition make it inevitable to at some point gain a lot of weight? I'm pretty ok with my body right now, I just need to replace the fat I have with muscle and I think I will be at my target level...but I'm scared that in the future I will have weight problems because of hypothyroidism and was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to never have to go through the issues with gaining and being unable to lose weight with this disease (on medication of course).

and OP, awesome job (:

The unfortunate thing about ANY issue with thyroid (since even OVERactive can cause weight gain), is that thyroid controls your metabolism. You may experience struggles with it later. You may eat completely healthy, exercise regularly, and find you are either not losing weight or even gaining weight. Many thyroid people have to adjust their lifestyles to something very different from a regular Joe. Like the famous "Less than 1200 calories is starvation" doesn't even hold complete truth to people with thyroid issues (specifically hypothyroidism).

I had my thyroid removed when I was 13 because of a variety of reasons, mostly being they thought I had cancer--I didn't, but it was the "safe" bet to do apparently. Ten years later, I've been through every range of issues (including "hyper" symptoms because my endo overmedicated me).

OP, what medication/dosage are you on?

good job!!!

Great job!!!!

You look amazing!! Congrats on a job well done. I have hypothyroidism, and it's a slow process losing the weight, but slow is better than stalled, or worse--gaining weight.

Your goals are very similar to mine gives me alot of motivation to keep on pushing towards my goals

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!

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.

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!

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.

You look amazing, thanks for sharing!