Hypothyroid... Are you SURE I'm not a snowflake?

I'm not sure how any of this effects that TDEE thing

I understand the concerns people have about discontinuing medications. I also understand that hypothyroidism is not the same as diabetes in the way diet and exercise effects thyroid function. However... As some people have experienced... The thyroid is supposed to self regulate which is why it adjusts it's production of hormone even when parts of it are removed. Brain chemistry and other factors effect thyroid function and these things self regulate and react to each-other... by replacing the hormone I am giving my thyroid the ok to keep doing what it's doing. Replacing the hormone actually cues the body to stop making it. That is not what I want my body to do. My condition was caused by improper diet and long periods of starving myself in my past along with the toxins I ingested and who knows how many factors. Low fat diets have made things worse and i have read that fat plays a huge role in thyroid function so low fat was the worst thing I could do. So... low carb DOES make sense... because if i have to stay within a calorie range and I need the fats to maintain thyroid function, i would rather not use up my calories on carbs. I am not suffering very aggressive symptoms... I do experience some tiredness, headaches, dry skin, low body temp... but they are not generally intolerable and I have noticed some improvement in the last couple of years in spite of discontinuing the meds. The headaches are much more rare than they were. I appreciate the responses and concerns about stopping the meds... But it is my choice after reading up on how the meds work and natural alternatives. If after giving it my best shot to achieve health naturally i can not realize my goals... I will go the pharmaceutical rout... but I have a feeling that I will not need to be on medication for the rest of my life because i chose not to.

I've been meaning to make an appointment to get my levels checked, but I am not ready to hand over my body to the pharmacy just yet.

To those who think that the condition can not be treated any other way and is utterly irriversible, here is just one blip I've read. The sources of info are endless that suggest self care can be effective.



"We often see hypothyroid symptoms totally reversed when a woman commits to an alternative hypothyroidism treatment program that supports balance through nutrition and daily self-care, including but not limited to the following guidelines:

Consume foods naturally high in B vitamins, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and iodine (fish, seaweed, vegetables and root vegetables).

Exercise daily, at least 30–60 minutes per day, 4–5 times a week.

Practice deep breathing and other techniques that trigger the “relaxation response,” such as meditation and guided visualization.

Get adequate sun exposure if you live in a northern clime (15–20 minutes twice a day of unprotected sun in early morning and late afternoon between April and October) to maintain vitamin D levels, which support healthy immune function and calcium metabolism. Discuss supplementation during the winter months with your practitioner.

Zero in on unresolved emotional issues as a source of stress. In naturopathic medicine, the thyroid reflects a woman’s voice in her life. Many women have experienced a “trapped voice,” and by the time perimenopause arrives the accumulated effect gives rise to symptoms, including poor thyroid function. Over and over we have seen that when women make progress in using their voices, their thyroid symptoms subside.

Consider other alternative techniques that have been useful in correcting an underactive or low thyroid, such as acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, biofeedback, and osteopathy.
In our experience a multi-tiered hypothyroid treatment approach that deals directly with the nutritional, stress-related and emotional factors of hypothyroidism — in combination with alternative therapies — often restores a woman’s thyroid function completely."

http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/alternativetreatments.aspx

I'm sorry to say this but discontinuing your medications was a wrong move. I'm a medical student (not a doctor yet) and I really think that your hypothyroidism cannot be cured by diet and exercise alone. Its not the same as with Type II diabetes or hypertension that you skip the meds and replace with healthy lifestyle. Do you know what caused your hypothyroidism? Is it an autoimmune disease? If you are not feeling any improvement with medications, the solution is not stop taking them altogether. The solution is to explore other types of medications that can possibly make it better. I wonder if you consulted with your doctor before deciding to just stop taking drugs altogether. Low carb diets would not work for hypothyroid people. That doesn't even make sense. You are already low on energy and low carb diets has the potential to slow metabolism even more. You are just doing yourself more harm than good.

As for your daily caloric intake to lose weight. Yes you would need less calories to lose weight than MFP is saying because those numbers are for synthyroid people. Again, I would really like to know how you become hypothyroid (the cause). I think I will give a more specific advice with that info

I've been meaning to make an appointment to get my levels checked, but I am not ready to hand over my body to the pharmacy just yet.

To those who think that the condition can not be treated any other way and is utterly irriversible, here is just one blip I've read. The sources of info are endless that suggest self care can be effective.



"We often see hypothyroid symptoms totally reversed when a woman commits to an alternative hypothyroidism treatment program that supports balance through nutrition and daily self-care, including but not limited to the following guidelines:

Consume foods naturally high in B vitamins, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and iodine (fish, seaweed, vegetables and root vegetables).

Exercise daily, at least 30–60 minutes per day, 4–5 times a week.

Practice deep breathing and other techniques that trigger the “relaxation response,” such as meditation and guided visualization.

Get adequate sun exposure if you live in a northern clime (15–20 minutes twice a day of unprotected sun in early morning and late afternoon between April and October) to maintain vitamin D levels, which support healthy immune function and calcium metabolism. Discuss supplementation during the winter months with your practitioner.

Zero in on unresolved emotional issues as a source of stress. In naturopathic medicine, the thyroid reflects a woman’s voice in her life. Many women have experienced a “trapped voice,” and by the time perimenopause arrives the accumulated effect gives rise to symptoms, including poor thyroid function. Over and over we have seen that when women make progress in using their voices, their thyroid symptoms subside.

Consider other alternative techniques that have been useful in correcting an underactive or low thyroid, such as acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, naturopathic medicine, homeopathic medicine, biofeedback, and osteopathy.
In our experience a multi-tiered hypothyroid treatment approach that deals directly with the nutritional, stress-related and emotional factors of hypothyroidism — in combination with alternative therapies — often restores a woman’s thyroid function completely."

http://www.womentowomen.com/hypothyroidism/alternativetreatments.aspx

I'm sorry to say this but discontinuing your medications was a wrong move. I'm a medical student (not a doctor yet) and I really think that your hypothyroidism cannot be cured by diet and exercise alone. Its not the same as with Type II diabetes or hypertension that you skip the meds and replace with healthy lifestyle. Do you know what caused your hypothyroidism? Is it an autoimmune disease? If you are not feeling any improvement with medications, the solution is not stop taking them altogether. The solution is to explore other types of medications that can possibly make it better. I wonder if you consulted with your doctor before deciding to just stop taking drugs altogether. Low carb diets would not work for hypothyroid people. That doesn't even make sense. You are already low on energy and low carb diets has the potential to slow metabolism even more. You are just doing yourself more harm than good.

As for your daily caloric intake to lose weight. Yes you would need less calories to lose weight than MFP is saying because those numbers are for synthyroid people. Again, I would really like to know how you become hypothyroid (the cause). I think I will give a more specific advice with that info

I have to disagree a bit with Dr. Purple that low carb diets have the potential to slow metabolism. Not sure why that would be so. Lower carbs reduce insulin spiking but I don't see that slowing metabolism. There have been studies where ketogenic diets have been used for treating thyroid diseases like Hashimoto's disease. Not prescribing a diet here but shifting some of your existing calories from carbs to good fat sources and keeping within your calories may be something to try. But I am not a doc and don't play one on TV.