HYPOTHYROIDISM - An Excuse?

Hypothyroidism isn't an excuse, it's a condition that genuinely makes weight loss harder, as the metabolism is slow (i.e. you're not burning as many calories as you should be, normal calorie calculators won't be accurate and you'll need to eat less than usual to create a deficit). It only becomes an excuse if someone who doesn't have it just arbitarily decides they must have it because their diet's not working.

If you actually have hypothyroidism, i.e. diagnosed by a doctor, then you should take the pills as they will make your metabolism speed up to where it should be. There is more to hypothyroidism than a slow metabolism... the body won't be functioning correctly as it's not getting the energy it should be (BMR calories are to keep your body working properly). Eating fewer calories to create a deficit while the metabolism is already slow, is likely to just make things worse. So take the meds, get your metabolism sped up to where it should be so your body gets the energy to function properly. Then, you'll probably find that weight loss is easier too, because your body and metabolism is working as it should be. Even with the thyroid meds you will only lose weight with good portion control, because even when your metabolism is working right, if you eat more than you burn off you'll still get fat. But a faster metabolism always helps.

Also, it may take time to get the right dose and kind of thyroid meds, so see your doctor about any undesirable side effects.

I've had no thyroid gland for thirty five years..if your med level is correct there's no issue. I have heard people use it for an excuse, but it isn't. Hypothyroidism if untreated can cause wt. gain and decreased energy levels, but once regulated there's no difference in your ability to lose wt. or maintain a loss. Diet and exercise, thyroid meds if needed, and keep working at it. Good luck.

Do what the doctor stated.

As for being an excuse, well I think that depends on the situation. When untreated (and even sometimes while on meds) it can cause weight gain. It can also make it harder for you to lose weight. There are also a lot of other problems it can cause.

It's an excuse if you want it to be.

But for others like me, who take the meds and work out and watch you intake it's just another part of it.

Sorry you're dealing with it, it ain't fun.

Im being tested for this tomorrow and am nervous. since christmas ive unexplainably gained twenty lbs. i was on wwpp and expected a slight gain when i got off of it, but at this rate im gaining a lb a week. i keep food journals and admittedly have not been overly active over the winter. but i do not consume enough calories to gain that sort of weight. there is no history of this in my family. im so glad there are others on here who are dealing with this (i always thought it was an excuse too)

Im being tested for this tomorrow and am nervous. since christmas ive unexplainably gained twenty lbs. i was on wwpp and expected a slight gain when i got off of it, but at this rate im gaining a lb a week. i keep food journals and admittedly have not been overly active over the winter. but i do not consume enough calories to gain that sort of weight. there is no history of this in my family. im so glad there are others on here who are dealing with this (i always thought it was an excuse too)

I hope they can figure out what the problem is. I have thyroid problems as well and I have gained about 20 pounds in 2 months for no reason about 3 times in the last 2 years. It's controllable as a lot of others have said but it takes more work too. My endo doc has decided not to treat me with meds for now and we just monitor and do labs and ultrasounds every 6 months. I have heard the meds either help or hurt weight loss just depends on who you talk to and then again unless youre in the kitchen with them you don't really know if the meds are working or if they have changed their diets for better or worse. :-) I hope it all works out. There are a couple of thyroid groups on here too if anyone wants to chat with other ladies about their experiences as well.

My best advice is find a good doctor who will listen to you and not just go off the results on the paper. Good luck!!

Best advice yet, find a good doctor! And no it is not an excuse, left untreated it can cause serious health problems. I've struggled with mine for years and finally got a doctor that realized Synthroid was not working for me. I have a problem converting T3 so Armour thryoid works best for me. After trying several exercise and diet programs over the years, this is the first time I have lost more than 10 pounds on a diet and it is all due to the fact that my meds are now regulated correctly. I can tell the difference in how I feel too, no longer tired all the time and much more energy. Please, please, please take your meds, this is not something to play around with. It is your long-term health that we're talking about here.

Hypothyroidism needs to be treated, and not just because it will make you fat. Untreated hypothyroidism will affect in the end your metabolism, your mental health and can be fatal. If the question is whether you cannot lose weight because of borderline hypothyroidism, the answer is most probably no, this will not make a significant difference. But this does not change the fact you need treatment.

it is an excuse, it doesn't break the first laws of thermodynamics

It doesn't break any laws of thermodynamics, but it results in some chemical reactions in the body slowing down, hence why the person burns fewer calories than someone their size and weight should.

This isn't breaking any laws of thermodynamics. Calories in v calories out still applies, but the calories out side of the equation is skewed by the body not working as it should.

For another example, dead people don't burn any calories at all, because ALL their metabolic processes have stopped. This is why if you keep a dead person in a freezer at a low enough temperature for 100 years, they won't lose any weight. No laws of thermodynamics have been broken, calories in v calories out is still true, just that their being dead has skewed the calories out side of the equation to the point that calories out is zero, hence dead people being able to maintain their weight without eating anything at all. Calories in (zero) = calories out (zero).

Some medical conditions, like hypothyroidism, slow the metabolism. This means the person is burning fewer calories than they should because some stuff in their body isn't working right.

hypothyroidism is a medical problem, and has some quite serious health implications if left untreated. The medication corrects this, and one effect of it is to bring the calories out side of the equation back to where it should be, which means people who gained weight because of this condition usually lose it again after the condition is treated. However, that actually isn't the main reason why people with hypothyroidism should get treatment for it, the main reason is the same as why people with insulin dependent diabetes should take insulin... because the body's not producing enough of a hormone that's very important to the body's functions, and that hormone needs to be replaced in order for the body to function right.

There are different causes of someone having too little thyroid hormone in their system, so just because you know one person whose doctor advised them not to take thyroid medication, does not mean that advice applies in every case. In most cases, the problem needs to be corrected with medication. Like my friend's baby, whose thyroid gland wasn't functioning right at birth. He has to take thyroid medication in order to grow and develop normally. The body is supposed to have this hormone in its system, not having it when it should be there causes problems, sometimes severe problems.

BTW way to go searching on the forum to find one ancient post to necromance just to be all high and mighty and tell people with medical issues that they're just making excuses......... and to show your total lack of understanding about thermodynamics in living organisms.

ETA: also, if someone has untreated hypothyroidism, while they can still lose weight without the medication by eating very little, this is not healthy at all and can make the hypothyroidism worse and leave the person at risk of a whole bunch of additional medical issues due to eating very little, e.g. nutritional deficiency. It's much more healthy for a person to have the condition treated so that their body is working right, *and then* strive to lose fat with a calorie deficit.

I had just the opposite about 20 years ago I had an over active thyroid and lost nearly all my muscle mass and the doctor told me I could have died from it. They treated it by using radioactive iodine and so now I effectively have no thyroid and have to take 150mg of thyroxin every day for the rest of my life. having said that the reason I got fat was simple too much in and not enough out since being on this lifestyle change Ive lost nearly 30kg. dont use it as an excuse use it to prove you can do it even if it is a little harder for some

Hypothyroidism is not an excuse! I have been reading up on it and my understanding is this condition slows down ones systems. Test results seem to go in reverse, 1 or 2 is probably ok. There is debate in the medical profession as to the level at which to start treatment. The US and Australia seem to think someone registering 3 with symptoms needs medication, the UK tend to be at a higher number, generalisation. Historically when natural thyroid was the only option you were offered the amount which eased all the symptoms, since the synthetic for was available for T3 and 4, and the test became "reliable" there has been a tendency to go with the numbers. From what I have read the natural offers support for all T's 1, 2, 3, and 4, in a ratio most in line with our requirements. Here in the UK I think for the most part only synthetic is available.

I find the cumulative effects that can be caused by under activity to be dumbfounding. Various stages in the digestive system can be slugish in themselves or as a whole, "sugar absorption" of all kinds of sugar can be impaired, finger nails weak, splitty, and painful, hair thin, eyebrows thin to best part missing, just to mention a few which I think are my issues.

My information came from the UK, USA, and the Australian thyroid support sites. I found the Australian one particularly informative.

TAKE THE MEDS!!!

I am also hypothyroid and I can tell you I feel SO much better it's not even a joke!

You wouldn't tell a Diabetic they don't need their insulin, and neither should you tell yourself that you don't need thyroid meds.

More than likely you have Hashimotos, which is an autoimmune thyroid disorder. That means your body is attacking your thyroid and slowing killing it off. Synthroid (or Levothyroxine) is not a diet pill, it's not a crutch, it's a cure for a very real medical disorder.