How to lose with no thyroid?
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fwyatt1
Posts: 7 Member
Hello,
I have never posted before but I am getting so frustrated and depressed I thought I would see if anyone can help me.
I had a total thyroidectomy in Feb last year after having severe Graves disease for over a year.
After the surgery they started me on 137mg of synthroid and after gaining 15lbs before the surgery I started MFP sticking to 1200 cal and working out every other day. I lost 13lbs in 3 months and then plateaued. During that time my TSH dropped below 1 and I experienced Hypothyroid symptoms so they dropped me from 137 to 125mg of synthroid.
Since September I started to feel pretty tired, craved carbohydrates and stopped MFP. I gained 30lbs from September to Jan. In January they increased me to 137 again. I continued to gain weight despite eating healthily, I tracked on MFP and was eating between 1600-1800 a day with lots of salad, veggies and fruit. I started feeling very depressed, tired, cold and had no motivation to do anything. I started craving carbs and went back to the Dr. My labs were "normal" with a TSH of 1.9 but my Dr. agreed to try me at 150mg of synthroid to see if I felt any better.
Since then I have tried to lose the weight. I no longer feel terrible and started walking more, biking and logging on MFP. This last week I decided to give it a really good try and stuck to 1200 net a day ( I am actually 2000 cal under my goal for the week) and I weighed myself this morning. I GAINED A POUND. I feel so depressed and frustrated, what is the point in trying so hard to GAIN weight. I feel like I am doomed to gain weight and I'm not sure if I should even try any more.
I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless and alone.
If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful
Thanks
Faye
I have never posted before but I am getting so frustrated and depressed I thought I would see if anyone can help me.
I had a total thyroidectomy in Feb last year after having severe Graves disease for over a year.
After the surgery they started me on 137mg of synthroid and after gaining 15lbs before the surgery I started MFP sticking to 1200 cal and working out every other day. I lost 13lbs in 3 months and then plateaued. During that time my TSH dropped below 1 and I experienced Hypothyroid symptoms so they dropped me from 137 to 125mg of synthroid.
Since September I started to feel pretty tired, craved carbohydrates and stopped MFP. I gained 30lbs from September to Jan. In January they increased me to 137 again. I continued to gain weight despite eating healthily, I tracked on MFP and was eating between 1600-1800 a day with lots of salad, veggies and fruit. I started feeling very depressed, tired, cold and had no motivation to do anything. I started craving carbs and went back to the Dr. My labs were "normal" with a TSH of 1.9 but my Dr. agreed to try me at 150mg of synthroid to see if I felt any better.
Since then I have tried to lose the weight. I no longer feel terrible and started walking more, biking and logging on MFP. This last week I decided to give it a really good try and stuck to 1200 net a day ( I am actually 2000 cal under my goal for the week) and I weighed myself this morning. I GAINED A POUND. I feel so depressed and frustrated, what is the point in trying so hard to GAIN weight. I feel like I am doomed to gain weight and I'm not sure if I should even try any more.
I don't know what to do. I feel so helpless and alone.
If anyone has any advice I would be very grateful
Thanks
Faye
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Replies
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Hi Faye. Hold your head up gal. I think all of us here are "works in progress" so you're not alone. I would first say that it sounds like you do not lead a sedentary life, so 1200 is too few calories. Esp if you're cycling. Your body is going to hang on to every single calorie it can get! Make sure you get some strength training in there too.
If you're keen on using MFPs calculations about how much you should be eating, be sure to eat back your exercise calories. If you'd like to create custom goals, I cannot recommend the Scooby calculator more! You can find it here:
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
I've found that it gives me very true numbers and I can lose as long as I stick to that number. I had successfully kept off a 120 pound loss for several years, but packed on 40 after my TT (about 22 months ago--and I hit menopause at the same time...yay me! ). I'm what they call "lightly active" and if I average over 2100 cals a day, I will start gaining. Under that and I can lose.
Second, you'll probably hear from folks who recommend you get off Synthroid and move to a natural dessicated thyroid medicine. But if your dr is anything like mine, it won't be prescribed. So you might ask if you can add some synthetic T3 (Cytomel) to your Synth. I take mine twice a day and it made a small difference in how I feel. But it's the best I can do right now.
It's all trial and error and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. But hang in there. And it will work out!
-Cynthia0 -
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you for your advice! I used the calculator you suggested and it recommends I eat 1800 cal a day. I am going to try that and see if it makes a difference. I know you are right about the strength training, I'll try that too.
I'm going to go to the Dr's again and see about the Cytomel, it seems to be that everyone says it helps. I hope that my Dr is open to it, or at least open to testing for FT3 and FT4 as well as the TSH that she usually goes by.
It is good to know that it can be done! I feel a little less discouraged now, thank you!
Faye0 -
Hi Faye:
Hope you don't me butting into your conversation. I had a TT 8 years ago, and have had thyroid issues for 25+ years. I can point you in the right direction.
For starters, you're taking the wrong meds. Go to amazon and search for a book called "Stop The Thyroid Madness". It will explain everything far better than I can. There are facebook groups and tons of help out there.
There are tens of thousands of people who are being mistreated by the thyroid docs. After feeling lousy for years, I found the book and switched to the proper meds. It is LIFE changing. I feel great and lost 8 pounds right away, and now I have to lose the rest.
Anyway, let me know if I can help.
Lou0 -
Faye,
Forgot to mention that you need to be taking natural thyroid, not synthetic. Brand names are Armour, Thyroid-S, etc. Cytomel is synthetic T-3. Natural thyroid has T1, T2, T3, and T4.0 -
Hi Lou,
Thank you for your information, I have ordered the stop the thyroid madness book so hopefully that will give me some good information! I really appreciate hearing that it can be done. I was wondering about natural thyroid medication, it seems that everywhere I look on the internet people are recommending it so I'll talk to my Dr. and see if I can try it for a while.
Thanks again for your help
Faye0 -
Faye,
You sound exactly like me. I have been working out hard for over 6 months now and I haven't lost an ounce. I do an hour of cardio 3 days a week and do weight training with a personal trainer 2 days a week and nothing. It's very discouraging right now, but I'm hanging in there. Not taking any medication yet, but have a thyroid scan this week. I've have symptoms for a while now, but finally found a doctor who would listen and not think I'm depressed or say it's because of menopause.
I'm here for ya! Hang in there.
Jackie0 -
Thanks Jackie, I hope they sort you out soon!
I went to my Dr today because I took myself for a blood test and my results came back. My TSH is too low (0.03) but I feel really well. I don't have a racing heart beat, I feel energetic but not overly so, and I don't feel cold all the time. I asked him if he could also check my Ft3 and Ft4 to see if I am in the normal range and he said no. I asked him if I could drop my synthroid dose and add a synthetic T3 and he said no, and I asked him if I could try natural thyroid and he said no. I argued with him about it but he just kept saying that there is no medical evidence, and he is only going by what the experts say. He said I should listen to expert advice rather than go on how I feel.
I'm SO frustrated. I think it is time to go to another Dr.0 -
Oh how frustrating! At a minimum, if your doctor doesn't believe in listening to your actual symptoms, I'd agree that it's time to find a new doctor.
My primary care doctor is definitely not an expert on thyroid issues. She might roll her eyes at me a bit (for doing obsessive research on my own), but she always listens to my symptoms, runs tests I ask her for when I explain why I think they'd be useful (and she can see the value in them, especially when I can point her to references from the NIH or Thyroid.org), and refers me to experts when she's reached the limit of her expertise on a specific issue. If she did anything short of that, I'd be looking for a new doctor.0 -
I'm SO frustrated. I think it is time to go to another Dr.
Yes... please! I went through 4 endos before landing on my current one (who I've been with for years now). Don't be afriad to switch.0 -
Second, you'll probably hear from folks who recommend you get off Synthroid and move to a natural dessicated thyroid medicine. But if your dr is anything like mine, it won't be prescribed. So you might ask if you can add some synthetic T3 (Cytomel) to your Synth. I take mine twice a day and it made a small difference in how I feel. But it's the best I can do right now.
It's all trial and error and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. But hang in there. And it will work out!
-Cynthia
YES YES YES!!! EVERYTHING THAT SHE SAID!!!
I was born without a thyroid and until 6 years ago I struggled with hypo symptoms my entire life..even with my levels right where they should have been. I started Cytomel along with my Levothyroxine and I finally feel great! I can lose weight MUCH easier than I used to AND I have to eat more in order to lose weight. I was eating 1200 calories and NOT eating my exercise calories and I wasn't losing anything, now I eat TDEE-20% on average eating higher some days and little lower on others. I also lift weights to build muscle with will help with my metabolism. I can see a HUGE difference and the scale is moving down again.
The thyroid naturally makes both T3 and T4 so since we don't have one, we should be replacing both!0 -
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in Sept of 2011, and had surgery to have a total thyroidectomy the next month. I have been taking Synthroid since then. I'm now taking 225 mcg a day, and they only difference I can tell is I'm not tired through the day. When I miss a dose, I feel like I'm dragging by. I only learned about the other medication for T3 recently (this week actually). I'm a little surprised my doctor didn't mention it, cause she also had thyroid cancer and had hers removed. I have gained weight since the surgery, about 25 pounds. I've lost 19 so far, but it's been very hard. I feel like I have to work 3 times as hard to lose 1 pound. I stick to a 1200 calorie diet, I work in a bank, so I'm not as active through the day. I am interested in looking into the T3 medicine, is Cytomel the only one around?0
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I am interested in looking into the T3 medicine, is Cytomel the only one around?
To my knowledge Cytomel is the only synthetic T3 around. Someone else may know of others. But synthetic is not the only way to add T3. You can also ask your dr about natural dessicated thyroid meds like Armour or Nature Throid. But be prepared to be answered with eyerolls.
And congrats on losing the 19 pounds! That's fantastic!0 -
I'm SO frustrated. I think it is time to go to another Dr.
Yes, RUN from that doc! There is a facebook page called Thyroid Sexy that has a list of great doctors that actually take their patients seriously and has lots of great info too and I believe the Stop the Thyroid Madness site has a list as well. Don't give up!0
