Hi Maria :flowerforyou: Welcome!
I read the article below & have taken it into mind with my exercise routine. Since I now focus more on "moving & strength" rather then getting my heart into fast aerobics, I have had much better results with weight loss. Hope this helps!
Debby

I found this article very informative. http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/thyroid/overview.php
Below is that section that addresses exercise & strength training.

TH imbalance has a profound effect on cardiovascular fitness because TH helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Under hypothyroid conditions, the heart can slow to 30 heart beats a minute and develop arrhythmia. Blood pressure may fall from normal levels of 120/90 to 70/50. Hypothyroidism also weakens muscles, including the diaphragm. As a result, breathing can become less efficient. A goiter impairs breathing even more. Snoring may start or become worse. Fatigue sets in easily; in fact it never quite leaves a person with symptomatic hypothyroidism. Muscles and joints often ache. With respiration impaired and oxygen in short supply, exercise takes a heavy toll on the body, and muscles do not strengthen in response to exercise; nor does stamina improve.

Low thyroid levels actually trigger muscle fibers to change their type, from fast-twitch fibers to slow-twitch fibers. This may be an adaptive strategy for coping with starvation, since blood sugar is low under hypothyroid conditions and fast-twitch muscle fibers require high levels of glucose to operate. Fatty acid levels in the blood are elevated to provide fuel for the fat-burning slow-twitch muscles. However, low oxygen in the blood due to slow heart rate and respiratory problems limits the slow-twitch muscles' effectiveness.

Even after receiving treatment for hypothyroidism, many people find that their caloric needs and ability to handle exercise have changed permanently. Strength training can help restore their fitness, but only after thyroid hormone levels have normalized. Therefore, hypothyroidism affects the ability of people to undergo both aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Hi Debby, thank you for the quick response! :-) and the link. it was interesting and helpful. It just shows the extent to which hypothyroidism can affect your fitness. I used to be very fit before I was diagnosed almost three years ago, but it changed so fast! congrats on your amazing weight loss. I must add you as a friend! I did notice my heart rate being slower at times!
I think I will look into lifting weights. I think it will be good for me.

Your welcome! And thanks for the compliment. I am feeling so much better, that's for sure!
Tonight I moved & stacked a whole cord of fire-wood... something that I wouldn't have been able (or willing) to do last year. I really sweat & felt my muscles all over my body feeling that "tired" feeling of a good work-out. Gonna sleep good tonight! But oh... we have 3 more cords to move... so I'm gonna be enjoying this kind of exercise for a few more days! :laugh:

I've been hypo for 7 years. I started out on the Synthroid (levothyroxine) which is just synthetic T4, and it did not work for me. Every six months my doc was having to increase my dosage...I was on a pretty high dose before I switched too... I had my doc switch my meds to Armour (all natural T1,2,3 &4) and I'm actually seeing results! I was on 45mcg and that was too much so my doc recently lowered my dosage to 37.5 ( I take two of the 15s and cut one in half). I'm VERY happy. Since my medicine was switched to Armour I've lost 25lbs! I'm finally seeing a good result to all my hard work. I don't feel like a hamster running on a wheel that never moves anymore haha! That said, just because this medicine worked for me doesn't mean it will work for you. Different people need different therapys. There are other medicines that you can take other than just the Synthroid (which seems to be the go to medicne for docs for some reason...There is Cytomel, which is synthetic T3 (it's pretty expensive though). Don't settle. Find the medicine that works for you. If your doctor isn't openminded about changing your meds find a better doctor. Good luck with your journey.

@firstsip, sounds like I may be onto something if you lost weight lifting weights today! I look forward to the day I can lower my dosage. It's just too high I think for someone my age!

Regardless of thyroid issues, lifting weights is one of the biggest and best things someone can do for weight loss. It takes more energy to maintain muscle than weight, a.k.a, muscle burns calories while fat does not. It literally also makes me FEEL good. Cardio pumps endorphins, but nothing makes me feel as good as lifting weights.

My thyroid meds have been progressively lowered over the last year anyway because I dealt with thyroidtoxicosis, so I may be a bit of a different case here, but I AM a 23 year old who's gone from 137 mcg of levothyroxine (for the last four or so years) to 100 mcg which may now need to be lowered... and I don't have a thyroid!