Synthroid for your Thyroid,can you still lose weight?

I am on a thyroid med for under-active thyroid (not Synthroid - Lethothyroz??) and I have lost 35 lbs. Regulating my thyroid with medication was not the miracle cure to losing the weight but I don't think I would have lost any or near as much without regulating it. The real results though came from diet and exercise. MFP helps me control my calories and I work out everyday for at least 30 mins. Nothing too extreme - some walking videos, some Jillian Michaels videos, elliptical or stationary bike here and there, hour long walks near my home, etc. So, I totally understand your concern and fear, but from my experience I would think once you are on meds to do for your body what the thyroid did then you can lose weight. Good luck to you!

I have been taking Synthroid... now Levothryoxine for about, I say, 10 years now. I gained plenty of weight when I wasn't diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and ever since starting MFP and working out the way that I do - I am now 35 pounds lighter in under 90 days. It sucks having to take a pill in order to survive the day, but if you are already regulated by the medicine, the rest is your diet and exercise.

My dosage is now 150 and I am on the high end of "normal"... so I'm thinking that my dosage is going to be going up pretty soon.

That is horrible news about Graves Disease.... I hope that everything works out for you!!! :flowerforyou: If you are worried about the weight - keep logging your food and exercise, you will be fine!!

I've been on synthroid for most of my adult life. I was able to lose weight in exactly the amount I should have based on using this site and tracking.

In other words, it was not difficult for me to lose 55 lbs. I just had to be honest and persistent. It took about seven months, which is not a long time for that weight.

1.964 lbs per week. Using only MFP and the numbers found here. No other fancy gimmicks or tricks.

I've been on synthroid for over a decade and once I found the right diet for me, I have been losing just fine. Watch what you eat and how your body reacts to it, stay active and follow your doctor's plan and you should be okay.

My Dad has been on Synthroid for years and he managed to lose over 100 lbs last year (6' tall and almost 300 lbs down to 190 lbs). It can be done with determination and focus.

My experience is that you can lose weight, but it's not a good idea to compare your results with someone with a healthy thyroid. You may have to work harder for less impressive results. Also in my experience, you must exercise. The calorie control only method simply doesn't work for me.

Most importantly- educate yourself asap about the many dietary conflicts with synthroid. My original doctor basically told me not to eat an hour after I take the medication, in reality its much more complicated than that (and 3 hours is more appropriate).

My husband had that same treatment for an overactive thyroid. It took him forever to be diagnosed, and he was so ill by the time he was diagnosed that I was afraid he had cancer. He's been on synthroid for about 4 years now. Not long after his treatement, I found out that I had an underactive thyroid, so I'm on the medication too.

I'd hoped that my underactive thyroid was the reason I couldn't lose weight, that once I was on the medicine that the weight would just slide off. It didn't. I had to accept the it wasn't my thyroid that was the problem, it was my eating too much!

My husband did gain a lot of weight after his treatment, but I think it was just because the food he was eating was actually staying in him. This will probably be TMI, but his only symptom of the thyroid problem was uncontrolled diarreah. He was losing the food before it could be used.

When he was treated, he was down to about 130 pounds (scary skinny - he's about 5'8"). He gained about 45-50 pounds. But I must stress again that I think this was from too much and too much junk.

Since we've been seriously trying to get healthier, I've lost 25 pounds and he's lost nearly 20.

The key is finding the right dose for you. I am hypothyroid, and yes, there have been times that weight loss is a struggle. I didn't give up, and some of the weight actually came off.

Just eat healthy and exercise. It needs to be a habit. Focus on being healthy, and the weight will be a nice side effect of doing what you know is good for you anyway.

I find that strength training is really helpful in keeping my hormones stable, so if you're all over the place, try lifting heavy or get some resistance bands out.

My thyroid had to be removed about 3 years ago. Mine was underactive though. It took about three months for my body to actually start responding normally. From personal experience I'd like to say that there is a problem with the generics on thyroid medicines. They are similar in all ways but their strengths will vary slightly. I finally had to stick with Levoxyl. Good luck to you, and you're new beginning.:happy: :flowerforyou:

I had a complete thyroid removal four years ago and started taking synthroid. The weight lost has been a struggle because of finding the right diet to fit it the fact that I have to take a thyroid replacement. You can lose weight, but the key is finding the right diet. I am in the military, so I do a great deal of physical activity and still have problems losing weight. I contribute it to trying things that do not work for "me" not someone else. I tried the low calorie intake and it simply does not work so now I do a modified Atkins diet which in all honesty is similar to a diabetic diet that my grandmother used to do. It has given me the best results and debunks the fact that once you start taking a thyroid replacement specifically synthroid you will have problems losing weight. The weight was dropping off, so fast that I could not believe it. Again, the result was exercise, diet and taking my synthroid in the morning at least 2-3 hours before breakfast. You can do it! Stay encouraged!

Absolutely you can. It helps a lot if you can exercise and eat the right things, and you're here, so you can watch your food intake and not let the weight pile on.

I started eating differently at the beginning of July, and got here at the end of August. I started at 298.

And I finally got back on my synthroid on the 15th of August.

So not only can you lose weight on Synthroid (I've lost 3 pounds since I've been here) but you can even lose weight with a crappy thyroid.

It's doable. And I believe in you.

I have a hyperthyroid, but recently went hypo due to my anti-thyroid meds. During the period that I was hypo I lost about 10 lbs.

I totally understand your concerns, I think us hyperthyroid ladies in particular worry - but please do remember that any weight loss with hyperthyroid is really unhealthy, and can lead to osteoporosis, early heart disease, and many other problems. I know, I know, not what you were looking for - I just always have to throw that out there!

Once treated, I strongly encourage you to always ensure that you a) get the appropriate lab work; and b) always get a COPY of your lab work (and don't just let the doctor say you are "within normal range".

TSH: most/many doctors will look just at your TSH, and this is NOT correct. TSH comes from your pituitary gland, therefore it isn't a direct measure of what your thyroid is doing. As well, many doctors incorrectly use the old "normal" range for TSH (.5-5.0) instead of the new range (.3-3.0) introduced in 2002.
Free T3 and Free T3: these are an actual measure of your thyroid hormone - make sure it's "free" and not total T3/T4. Your results should be in the top 1/3 of the range your lab uses.


Finally: it can take a LONG time to normalize after RAI treatment. Did they test you for Graves antibodies before the surgery? If not that's ok, but I would push to have this tested regularly as well (especially if you plan/want to get pregnant one day; highly unlikely with Graves antibodies present). Some people find it takes years for their thyroid to die off - just keep getting lab work, get the actual results, and feel free to try different types of replacement thyroid hormone if one isn't working for you.

Check out some of Mary Shomon's info - she is great!!
http://thyroid.about.com/



And for any others reading and interested - please, PLEASE remember that radioactive iodine is NOT the only treatment option for Graves, and should NOT be the automatic first option selected. It can absolutely be a valuable option - but remember that you have the right to explore other options.

I had thyroid cancer. I was thin before my surgery but since my RAI to kill the rest of the cancer I have gained probably 25 pounds. I have been very discouraged and it seems if I look at food I gain weight. Prior to surgery, it was just the opposite for me. I could eat a healthy diet but many calories without repercussion. s I am still hypothyroid and it takes several months to get to normal as the only raise the medicine every six weeks. I am already up to 175mcg which is a big dose for a woman. Anyhow, it is encouraging to see what all of you have written. I needed that.

I need to get back on my fitness pal and start monitoring better what goes in my mouth. I am still very tired and not moving as much but am pushing myself more now of days. I doubt much will come off till this hypothyroidism is resolved but I need to try again.

As far as TSH goes, that measures if your thyroid is producing enough thyroid hormone. In my case that number will be through the roof as my pituitary will try to figure out why I have no production (no thyroid). Your thyroid makes T3 and T4 but the ration of one to the other is 20 to 80%. T4 is converted to T3 to be used by the body. So no matter what form it is in both T3 and T4 have to be right in order to loose weight. It is important they measure free T3 and free T4, ReverseT3, thyroid antibodies, TSH and other mineral and vitamins to get someone in the right direction.

So tomorrow is the start of getting back to normal. Thanks for the inspiration.

It was an eye opener when I read all of these posts about "Synthroid or Thyroid" (Or Synthroid for NO Thyroid). Most of the replies are from people that have been in this situation their entire lives. Is there anyone that is dealing with this recently? Im asking because its my understanding that these drugs take a very long time to stabilize. I had my thyroid removed in July and I have consistently gained weight taking Levothyroxine x 235Mcg daily, even though Im tracking exercise and food intake that clearly recorded a consistent 500 cal reduction per day. Unfortunately, the fat is rolling in so fast that its starting to look like the North Shore of Hawaii!! Does anyone recommend switching to Synthroid?

I am also on Synthroid and my doctor ran some tests when she found out I was losing weight and found that my medication needed to increased slightly. But what I was never told, nor is it on any prescription bottle, is that I needed to take it 30 minutes before any other meds or food. Really? That's kind of an important instruction isn't it? After making the adjustment and taking it like I was supposed to for a week - I actually dropped four pounds! Now I was also watching my calories and excising so I don't know if it was the new medication or a combination of all - whatever it was caused a dancing party in the bathroom Friday morning!