About to give up.
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sometimes_blondie
Posts: 241
I've been on MyFitnessPal since May 2011. I've had marginal success when I first started, but quickly gained it back. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in October this year. Since then, I've been put on levothyroxin, eat healthy, exercise as hard as I can, yet I'm not losing the weight!! I've actually gained 3 lbs in the last week. I'm not saying I'm going to dive head first into a chocolate cake, but I can't take much more disappointment. I've worked way to damn hard to inly have lost five pounds. I have another fifty to go. It's not water, it's not muscle. It's fat. And it won't budge. 
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Don't give up! There is a group for Hyper and Hypo thyroid folks - look at joining the group. I have learned a lot from reading other posts. I was first Hyper, then used radioactive iodine and am now hypo. That in 2009, but my body took the transition from hyper to hypo badly. I blew up like a whale and the endocrinologist is still adjusting my synthroid medication. I was first on levothyroxin as well, but it didn't seem to be working very well for me and now am on synthroid.
So, it may take a while to get things right. make sure your doctor checks T3 and T4 levels. I would recommend a heart rate monitor since it is harder for us to know what our metabolism really is, so the MFP recommendations may not be working for you.0 -
I have been down this road many times and it is so frustrating knowing you are trying and working so hard and not losing. When I get down about it I ask myself where I would be if I gave up on eating healthy and exercising.
You were just diagnosed in October, it can take a few months to get your meds adjusted to the correct dosage and for them to start making a difference.
Everyone is different and the medication effects people differently. My dosage can be off ever so slightly and I go out of whack.
I kept notes with dates and times and how I felt so I could show the Dr. what was going on with me.
Hang in there hun! Even if you are not seeing results right now know that what you are doing is living a healthy active lifestyle and that counts.
Karen0 -
It took about 18 months before things started working for me.
Some tips you might want to try....wait 1 hour after taking levothyroxin before eating and dont take other meds/supplements at the same time as they can interfere with absorption. (iron and calcium can)
Be patient, watch your caloric intake, eat a little junk every once in a while.0 -
I started taking it at night, 3 hours after dinner. I heard that it can absorb better. I know, I can't just give up on eating healthy and exercising. I'm one of those people that actually loves to exercise!
I just wish I had some results to show for it. Thank you for the responses! This is a great group and I'm glad there are people out there that understand what it's like. :flowerforyou: 0 -
It takes about 6 weeks to notice anything on thyroid meds, even then you might notice nothing as incorrect dosage, Unfortunately you may have to go back to the docs a few times before your dosage is "correct". It took me 18 months for this too. Its still just as hard to lose the weight but it is possible. Cardio has worked the best for me so far, but it has taken 2 years to lose 40lbs! Most folk on here can do that in 4 months (plus i cheat often nowadays).
There is hope, just keep exercising, eating good and it will happen :bigsmile:
Also take pics and measure all your inches lol0 -
I have been on for almost a year and I am facing the same struggles. I took off a bunch of weight right away and now, I am stuck. It is very discouraging at times BUT I can say that I feel better than I did when I was eating whatever I want. A couple things that worked for me - lowering carbs and cutting out processed stuff. I dont mean cutting healthy carbs like fruits and veggies. I mean cutting sugar, white flours, heavy starches, etc. I still eat sweet potatoes, fruit, lots of veggies, etc. but cutting out refined sugar and flours has really made a difference in how I feel and my hypoT/Hashi's symptoms. I gained a few pounds during a lapse in judgement that lasted 3 months but since making those changes, I have started to lose it again. Slowly, but the scale is creeping down which is better than nothing. I hate to say it but I notice the biggest difference when I cut out gluten. Of course, if you are eating low carb, its pretty easy to cut out gluten.
Anyway, I dont expect that type of diet to work for everyone, its just what worked for me.0 -
I have been Hypothyroid for many years and fat all my life. I recently had great success following the New Atkins diet. It is a low carbohydrate diet, eating mostly foundation Vegetables and some lean protein. (FREE online program) Read up on it, and adapt it to fit your needs if you do not totally agree with its philosophy. I was able to lose 50 pounds , then I stalled for a very long time. I know I stalled because I started to mentally track food and exercise , easy to lie to yourself. I am still following the program for the most part. I can fall off the wagon at the drop of a hat. This is the reason I came to MFP- I have a to track in black and white and limit my Calories in order for me to be successful.
Would love to meet new friends , please add me.0 -
As you will see on this site, everybody finds a different way that their meds work for them. I keep my synthroid & a glass of water on my nightstand. I usually wake up around 4 a.m. for a "potty break" I take my synthroid then. That puts it into my "empty stomach and by the time my alarm goes off at 6 a.m. I have had it in 2 hours or more & can have my morning coffee & take my other meds. ('cept vitamins & calcium / wait a good 4 hrs. after synthroid)
Also, and again this was my problem personally, but my endo checked my sugar levels & DX me as "pre-diabetic" and put me on Metformin. My thyroid and my pancreas were not working in tune with each other. Once I started on both the synthroid & the Metformin I noticed a much easier ability to shed the pounds. This was my issue but it might not hurt to ask how your sugar levels are. I would have never thought about the thyroid and pancreas not working together.
Please don't give up. At some point it should all fall into place. I think we all agree that losing weight is never easy but unfortunately sometimes our bodies fight us no matter how hard we try.
Good luck & keep us all posted. We learn a lot from each other!0 -
I have been on for almost a year and I am facing the same struggles. I took off a bunch of weight right away and now, I am stuck. It is very discouraging at times BUT I can say that I feel better than I did when I was eating whatever I want. A couple things that worked for me - lowering carbs and cutting out processed stuff. I dont mean cutting healthy carbs like fruits and veggies. I mean cutting sugar, white flours, heavy starches, etc. I still eat sweet potatoes, fruit, lots of veggies, etc. but cutting out refined sugar and flours has really made a difference in how I feel and my hypoT/Hashi's symptoms. I gained a few pounds during a lapse in judgement that lasted 3 months but since making those changes, I have started to lose it again. Slowly, but the scale is creeping down which is better than nothing. I hate to say it but I notice the biggest difference when I cut out gluten. Of course, if you are eating low carb, its pretty easy to cut out gluten.
Anyway, I dont expect that type of diet to work for everyone, its just what worked for me.
I've been trying to ease into a gluten free diet. I don't eat a ton of bread, but I do love it! The gluten free bread is a little gross though!0 -
I have hypothyroidism and I, too, am having a hard time losing weight. I've been with MFP for almost a month (and Weight Watchers prior), and I keep losing and gaining the same 3 to 4 pounds. I had my thyroid checked yesterday, and it is functioning within normal range.I take my medication on an empty stomach and wait an hour to take any other meds or food.
I am befuddled, but I am not defeated. I refuse to give up. I have too much to lose to give up. I told my husband just the other day, I know I have lost more weight, but the scale hasn't caught up with it, yet.
So until then, I'm going to keep plugging away at the exercise and watching what I eat. I *have* to watch what I eat --- my mom is my "friend" here on MFP and monitors my food diary!
So to anyone who is in the same boat, keep paddling. The best is yet to be.0 -
What lab tests are they running to check your levels, and how often? Don't let them dose you based on TSH - it's not a great indicator of thyroid function, especially once you are supplementing, and it's a not a thyroid hormone (it's a pituitary gland hormone). You want those optimally in the top 1/3 of the range your lab uses (and NOT just "within normal range").
You should be getting your free (not total) T3 and free T4 tested. Since you just started meds I'd expect every 4 weeks, 6 tops.
Also, has your doctor talked to you about different med options? A lot of people don't do great on levothyroxine and synthroid, since they are T4-only synthetic supplements. You can ask about options like Nature Thyroid (I think it's called that in the US?) which contains both T3 and T4.
(T3 is the more biologically active form of thyroid hormones, so if your body has trouble converting T4 into T3 you could struggle just taking the synthetic T4 only).
Overall...be gentle with yourself. Even once you get the right meds and the right dose, it can take a while to get balanced. It sucks, but at least you're moving in the right direction.
I would also ask to be tested for Hashi's antibodies, along with iron, ferritin, and Vit D (required for proper thyroid function and most women are very deficient).0 -
I agree with the others, don't give up! also be careful to take a look at the medication indications, there might be foods and supplements you'll have to stay away from so that they don't interfere with the absorption.
Focus on following a healthy lifestyle, because no matter how much you weigh, you have to eat healthy and exercise FOR LIFE. Hypo can bring a lot of other related illnesses and you want to keep those away and do your best at healthy living.
Eat properly, sleep properly, exercise every day, and be happy. It really won't matter what the number on the scale is. And before you know it, your dose will be correct and you might even start seeing weightloss.0 -
A lot of times T4 only meds for treating hypothyroidism doesn't work. I spent 2 years on T4 only and gained 80 pounds very very quickly no matter what I did to try to minimize the gain, and still FELT extremely hypo. It wasn't until T3 was added to my regime that I saw any progress whatsoever... but I had to fight with my doctor to try it.
For me - going gluten free wasn't something I cared to do - as I didn't have celiacs or anything. But I found that as soon as the T3 was added, as long as I watched my calorie intake, and working out regularly, it didn't really matter what I ate. Personally, when I try to put restrictions on my diet, it never works. The more I can't have something, the more I want it. And its damn near impossible anyways, when I have 4 other family members in the house eating something I can't have.
Point is - if you're not seeing progress, and if you're not still feeling human again, there's options out there. Don't feel like you HAVE to be stuck to just 1 medicine no matter what your current doctor says. There's also plenty of doctors out there who are willing to listen and have an open mind. Find something that works for you and be very vocal with your health care team.0 -
You might have to eat less/exercise more than MFP's calculators think. I know I do.0
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It has taken me about a year and a half to lose 20lbs. I consider that to be a huge success, regardless of how anyone else feels when they lose weight at this rate.
To be honest, most of the weight came off when I got off birth control meds and off my migraine pills. Monitoring my prescriptions has been more effective at changing my weight and my appearance than diet and exercise...
However, eating healthy and working out helped me get to the point where I actually could get off my other meds... because now I have energy and I don't feel like I'm going to pass out every 10 minutes.
So, I work out and try to eat well just so I can feel well... and then the weight loss is just a bonus. The weight just comes off as I start to feel better and become more active.
If you still feel like crap, keep pestering your doctor, or find another doctor.0 -
What lab tests are they running to check your levels, and how often? Don't let them dose you based on TSH - it's not a great indicator of thyroid function, especially once you are supplementing, and it's a not a thyroid hormone (it's a pituitary gland hormone). You want those optimally in the top 1/3 of the range your lab uses (and NOT just "within normal range").
You should be getting your free (not total) T3 and free T4 tested. Since you just started meds I'd expect every 4 weeks, 6 tops.
Also, has your doctor talked to you about different med options? A lot of people don't do great on levothyroxine and synthroid, since they are T4-only synthetic supplements. You can ask about options like Nature Thyroid (I think it's called that in the US?) which contains both T3 and T4.
(T3 is the more biologically active form of thyroid hormones, so if your body has trouble converting T4 into T3 you could struggle just taking the synthetic T4 only).
Overall...be gentle with yourself. Even once you get the right meds and the right dose, it can take a while to get balanced. It sucks, but at least you're moving in the right direction.
I would also ask to be tested for Hashi's antibodies, along with iron, ferritin, and Vit D (required for proper thyroid function and most women are very deficient).
4-6 weeks!!!! Here in the UK you get started then go back every 6 months! Then when they think its normal once a year
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4-6 weeks!!!! Here in the UK you get started then go back every 6 months! Then when they think its normal once a year
Oh yes, they try to pull that here too....it takes FOREVER to find a good thyroid doctor and to get proper care. I finally found one where I don't have to push and push and push.0 -
It took four years for my values TSH values to get in check, so don't give up. I take blood tests every month and see the endo every three months. I have resigned myself to workout twice as hard as the guidelines say for someone without hypo, and anyone else trying to loose weight. I try to keep my caloric intake well below the BMR for my size. It is just a fact of life, and if i don't do it, I gain.
In order for it to work for me exercise and food preparation has to be a habit, otherwise it is too hard. If I have to make decisions over temptations every day I will falter, so I try to cultivate it as a habit. Particularly towards the end of the day when resistance or friction is wearing will power down.0
