Someone please help......:-(

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Artbyrosie
Artbyrosie Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Could anyone, that knows something about how to lose weight when you don't have a thyroid, give me some advice on my diet so that I actually do lose some weight. My food diary is open, and you will see that I am usually under my calorie totals etc, so the laws of physics dictates that I should be losing weight but I have been stuck on 88kgs (194 lbs) for more than two weeks now. Started out at 90.3 kgs (199 lbs) back at the beginning of July. Do I need to change my ratios calories/fat/protein ? I try to do elliptical and use the calorie burn totals from the machine, not from on here, but both of my knees are not good, so it's painful, so not too much exercise but I am active all day.
I would really appreciate some help as I am getting extremely frustrated with it all and only a 5 lb loss in over 3 months effort :-(
I am 54 - 5' 4" on 50mgs Synthroid daily and look like an apple with arms and legs.........

Replies

  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    You really should take this to an RD who specializes in patients who have had a thyroidectomy... this website doesnt have medical staff who can answer things like this...
  • veduffey
    veduffey Posts: 73
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    Have you seen a doctor or a dietician. I was going to suggest changing your work out plan. If you are doing a treadmill try changing to the stair master or a stationary bike, sometimes changing how you exercise will help kick start weight loss.:flowerforyou:
  • epiphany29
    epiphany29 Posts: 122 Member
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    I too recommend seeing your doctor and making sure you are where you need to be with that. Also if you had a thyroidectomy, or I 131 that ablated the entire gland you may need more than synthroid. There is a synthetic T3 and a synthetic combination product, as well a natural (pig thyroid) product. I had the I131, and synthroid never was "enough" for me. I still felt exhausted and wiped out and had lots of hair loss as well, but when I switched to the armour thyroid (the natural product) I felt light years better. Weight loss happens for those like us. Just maybe a little slower.

    Good luck. I hope you get some answers.

    pip
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    That is tricky. Can you get advice from your doctor?
  • masirahmo
    masirahmo Posts: 30 Member
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    Hi - I am exactly the same.

    54, with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. It's taken me about 12 weeks to lose 10lbs, but there have been periods when I lost nothing, and I AM exercising - hard! According to the calculator when you finalise your day's food entry, the weight should be falling off me - but it's not. I've come to the conclusion that at our age, with our condition, we just have to accept that any weight loss is going to be very slow, however frustrating it is. Have you tried measuring yourself rather than weighing? I have lost inches which is keeping me going; also a pair of jeans which I try on every once in a while and see the gap at the waistband getting a little smaller!! I am also a lot fitter than when I started which is also helping. Hang in there - you are losing - and if you're anything like me, it may just be a blip. Please feel free to message me - I have a few tips on taking the medication which you may or may not already know.
  • Ledgehanger
    Ledgehanger Posts: 125 Member
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    As somebody who does not have thyroid issues, but has a spouse that does, I'll do my best. Having said that, I think the advice really has very little to do with lack of thyroid. If your synthroid dose is right, your weight loss should be manageable in much the same as somebody without thyroid issues.

    First, do you have a good endocrinologist? They should be checking your thyroid levels regularly (every 3-6 months?) to be sure your dose of meds is right. Might be worth a call to your "endo" to check with them on the struggles you are having. (It's certainly possible that your body is reacting differently now since you've lost weight.

    Second, I would recommend actually *upping* your calorie intake some. If you are eating as little as you have been logging for the last few days, your metabolism will likely slow down and you will have less energy as your body tries to conserve calories. You need to be sure you are getting adequate calories to "feed the fire" while you are trying to get fit. (There are those on these boards who will disagree with this - but I've both heard it from medical authorities I trust and found it to be true for me that weight loss is usually faster at moderate caloric deficits than for those that try to maintain extreme caloric deficits.)

    Third, I would recommend a book by Gary Taubes called, "Why We Get Fat, and What to do About It." It is likely that Taubes would recommend further restricting carbohydrates (maybe 30 grams per day?), and increasing your fat intake.

    Finally, I would recommend significantly increasing your water intake. Adequate hydration is critically important for our bodies to run efficiently - and having our bodies run efficiently is critically important for effective weight loss.

    For what it's worth.
  • prettybub
    prettybub Posts: 54 Member
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    Hey, I looked at your diary..went back two weeks even... try EATING! Im serious. A cup of tea or filter coffee is not a meal. If you eat less then1200 net calories your body WILL hold on. You need to be eating regularly( 3 meals and at least 2 snacks) and you need to be netting at least 1200 calories. I would also recommend working out out you BMR too and increasing your calories....I bet if you ate more..your weight would come off off. JMO. Im sure your Dr would agree. Unless you are seriously overweight thee is no need for you to be on such low calories.

    Good luck!
  • angel79202
    angel79202 Posts: 1,012 Member
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    I agree with seeing a dietitian..mine has been a godsend..but u really need to eat more IMO..
  • NZhellkat
    NZhellkat Posts: 355 Member
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    Hey, I looked at your diary..went back two weeks even... try EATING! Im serious. A cup of tea or filter coffee is not a meal. If you eat less then1200 net calories your body WILL hold on. You need to be eating regularly( 3 meals and at least 2 snacks) and you need to be netting at least 1200 calories. I would also recommend working out out you BMR too and increasing your calories....I bet if you ate more..your weight would come off off. JMO. Im sure your Dr would agree. Unless you are seriously overweight thee is no need for you to be on such low calories.

    Good luck!

    I'm with you on this one. You need to eat more cause you are starving your body of what it needs which means you will not lose weight. And please drink more water.
  • Artbyrosie
    Artbyrosie Posts: 4 Member
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    Thank you everyone, it was a joy to read the responses. I don't have an endo, I had my thyroid removed back in 1988 in the UK. I moved to New Zealand in 2005 and the GP's I have had have been shockers to say the least and they do not have a clue about thyroid stuff!!! It's funny (isn't really) but I did not take any medication for 3 months and my blood tests still came back "normal" and that was with no thyroid!! So unfortunately I just have to muddle along the best I can. Cannot get the natural thyroid hormones here unless you are willing to pay $1000 a month, not within my budget unfortunately. Cannot be prescribed T3 either, GP says I don't need it or an appointment with an endo either, I just need to eat less, exercise more and apparently the weight will fall off me! If its not, then I must be eating too much. I was on 200 mg levothyroxine daily until January, now on 50 mg of Synthroid, apparently it's better for me!
  • Artbyrosie
    Artbyrosie Posts: 4 Member
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    Oh yeah 87.7kgs this morning, it's slow progress, but it's progress :-) thanks everyone for the advice.

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