thyroid problems and working out

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I feel I have a thyroid problem with all the symptoms and I am going to the doctor and finding out, I have been busting my tail working out, eating clean and watching calories. i was wondering with all the hard work has my metabolism sped up so if I get on medication will the extra pounds come off faster? I hope I am making sense. I have been working hard for almost a year and have lost zero pounds, I am still in the same size clothes. I want to get slimmer and leaner. My symptoms had me go to the doctor and I am wondering if I get it fixed will I still be stuck where I am at? I guess I can be happy I have not gained any weight but I really wish to loose this extra fat. Does anyone have any answers?

Replies

  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
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    If you haven't gained any weight, chances are it wont be too difficult to lose when you cut calories and start working out while on medication. When my thyroid problems started, I gained 39 lbs in less than 18 months. So I knew it was going to be a challenge coming back off. With my medication though (armour thyroid) I've been losing while doing a 1200 calorie diet and exercising. I don't think that you will need to go to the extreme of 1200 calories though. I'm hoping to get my armour leveled off soon and be able to eat more calories without gaining!

    Also there is a thyroid group on MFP that you can join to get answers from a lot of other women with thyroid issues.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,099 Member
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    Worry about it after you get your test results.

    If you are hypothyroid, the meds would help you lose weight. Keep working out in the meantime. It won't affect test results, and you will be burning more.

    Will you permanently increase your metabolism by an hour a day cardio, 5 days a week? Only if you keep doing it. Strength training is better, more muscle burns more calories at all times, not just while you do it.
  • NicolioRussell
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    Even once you get your levels evened out, you may still have problems losing weight. Thyroid issues affect vitamin and nutrient consumption, sleep patterns, etc....All of which can certainly hinder your weight loss progress.
  • DeenieWeenie
    DeenieWeenie Posts: 149 Member
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    I have Graves disease with hyperthyroidism. My endocrinologist told me, that I'm the weight I am, because of what I eat, not the diseases causing it. I think he's full of it. lolol Okay maybe he isn't, but I am an over weight hyperthyroid, so it's weird to me, that I struggle with being over weight, being hyper! To be honest, I gained even more weight, when I was first treated.(I went untreated for years and years, talking since my 20's) Last year I lost over 50 pounds, and I like to gain 10 pounds, lose 10 pounds. anyways you get the picture. There isn't any answers for me. I can't get past the darn 10 pounds I keep re-gaining then losing! One doctor will say something, the next the opposite. I'm in remission and was taken off my anti-thyroid medicine for a month now, still holding my own! I would suggest what your doing, go to the doctor, get a blood work up and test your thyroid hormones and go from there! ;) Good luck!
  • DeenieWeenie
    DeenieWeenie Posts: 149 Member
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    Even once you get your levels evened out, you may still have problems losing weight. Thyroid issues affect vitamin and nutrient consumption, sleep patterns, etc....All of which can certainly hinder your weight loss progress.

    This too! It's horrible!
  • TriTigress
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    Deenie Weenie, your doctor does not know what he is talking about....in one sense. I had ..well technically you always have it...Grave's disease 14 years ago..and I was one of the 25% of patients with Grave's that are heavy...because instead of dropping pounds..I ate to keep up with my hunger....so part of it is what we are eating..but the huge factor..is being so hungry that you can't help but put things in your mouth all of the time..which is because of the hyperthyroidism....Anyway..so I took radioactive iodine to kill my thyroid and now am on Levoxyl.

    To the original poster.....thyroid issues so could be causing this..but you must get it checked. Keeping your levels right is important for every aspect of life. For instance, did you know when your thyroid levels are low, your cells are only getting 80% of the oxygen they need...it is nuts....So please make sure and get it tested. Also, thyroid pills are not the cure all for weight loss, some people have tried to take them for that..and it is incredibly dangerous......the levels have to be in the right range...regardless if you are losing weight or not because thyroid affects every single system in your body. If you are too low, and your pituitary gland is having to send out thyroid stimulating hormone in excess amounts..your heart has to work harder to support that..and it could cause cardiac problems..buy the same token..if your thyroid is too high...it raises your blood pressure and pulse rate...when I had my thyroid storm..I had to be put on mega doses of heart medicine until my thyroid died off from the radioactive iodine....so it is very important to make sure your levels are correct..and not to self diagnose ...to let the blood work speak.
  • NicolioRussell
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    I have Graves disease with hyperthyroidism. My endocrinologist told me, that I'm the weight I am, because of what I eat, not the diseases causing it. I think he's full of it. lolol Okay maybe he isn't, but I am an over weight hyperthyroid, so it's weird to me, that I struggle with being over weight, being hyper! To be honest, I gained even more weight, when I was first treated.(I went untreated for years and years, talking since my 20's) Last year I lost over 50 pounds, and I like to gain 10 pounds, lose 10 pounds. anyways you get the picture. There isn't any answers for me. I can't get past the darn 10 pounds I keep re-gaining then losing! One doctor will say something, the next the opposite. I'm in remission and was taken off my anti-thyroid medicine for a month now, still holding my own! I would suggest what your doing, go to the doctor, get a blood work up and test your thyroid hormones and go from there! ;) Good luck!

    I have Graves, but with hypothyroid. Mine was alllll over the place when I was a kid....and they said "To hell with it" and got rid of it with RAI.

    I started taking synthroid after the RAI.... I had also gained a ton of weight. When I started taking the meds, I did NOT lose weight. As such, I have been taking levothyroxine for the last 2 years and have not lose weight with just that.



    I would suggest to anyone that they see a specialist vs. a family physician!! :-)
  • 0AmyMarie0
    0AmyMarie0 Posts: 315
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    I have Graves disease with hyperthyroidism. My endocrinologist told me, that I'm the weight I am, because of what I eat, not the diseases causing it. I think he's full of it. lolol Okay maybe he isn't, but I am an over weight hyperthyroid, so it's weird to me, that I struggle with being over weight, being hyper! To be honest, I gained even more weight, when I was first treated.(I went untreated for years and years, talking since my 20's) Last year I lost over 50 pounds, and I like to gain 10 pounds, lose 10 pounds. anyways you get the picture. There isn't any answers for me. I can't get past the darn 10 pounds I keep re-gaining then losing! One doctor will say something, the next the opposite. I'm in remission and was taken off my anti-thyroid medicine for a month now, still holding my own! I would suggest what your doing, go to the doctor, get a blood work up and test your thyroid hormones and go from there! ;) Good luck!

    I have Graves, but with hypothyroid. Mine was alllll over the place when I was a kid....and they said "To hell with it" and got rid of it with RAI.

    I started taking synthroid after the RAI.... I had also gained a ton of weight. When I started taking the meds, I did NOT lose weight. As such, I have been taking levothyroxine for the last 2 years and have not lose weight with just that.



    I would suggest to anyone that they see a specialist vs. a family physician!! :-)

    My friend has Graves and she too, is all over the place. She can easily gain/lose 100+ lbs in short times because of it, her body is a wreck!!

    Have you thought about trying armour? I know a lot of people that have no luck with the synthetic versions and are shocked by the results of armour. A lot of dr's dont like it though, it's not a big money maker!!

    I also recommend anyone with thyroid issues to check out stopthethyroidmadness.com. They have a lot of great info on there! I also take supplements for adrenal support, my cortisol levels were totally drained and I needed to get all of that working again for my thyroid to get better!
  • Amisha136
    Amisha136 Posts: 38 Member
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    YES I have read Stop the Thyroid Madness and that was when I switched to Armour. The hard part about switching from Synthroid to Armour is that there's a hard transition period until the doctor is able to figure out the correct dosage. In my transition period, I went through a long hypothyroid spell because we were slowly raising the dosage. During that time, I gained weight, etc, but it was worth it. After my dosage was worked out, I felt soooo much better than I ever did on Synthroid! It is like night and day, especially when it comes to energy levels and emotional issues.
  • Cskinner2
    Cskinner2 Posts: 16 Member
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    I have hypo and was diagnosed about a year and a half ago. I was told by my endo that I will never be able to lose weight. Guess what I am eating right, working out on a daily basis and I have dropped 20 pounds. I am back to a healthy weight, perfect on the BMI* scale and my blood pressure is back in a normal level. Do not let anyone tell you you cannot do it. I eat a strict 1200 calories a day and work out an average of 30 minutes to an hour 3-4 times a week. I am still losing and ready to go onto maintenance. You can do it if you really want it No excuses
  • karentcampbell
    karentcampbell Posts: 18 Member
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    I have Graves -hyperactive version. I gained weight even though I did things right, ate right, exercised etc. The specialist told me something that just stuck and I go back to it a lot. YOU have to work harder than everyone else but you can do it. I have been in remission for 6 months, no meds and have lost 17 pounds of 25. Change your lifestyle and don't worry about the disease it doesn't define you. It just makes who you are miserable sometimes :)
  • 2aycocks
    2aycocks Posts: 415 Member
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    I feel I have a thyroid problem with all the symptoms and I am going to the doctor and finding out, I have been busting my tail working out, eating clean and watching calories. i was wondering with all the hard work has my metabolism sped up so if I get on medication will the extra pounds come off faster? I hope I am making sense. I have been working hard for almost a year and have lost zero pounds, I am still in the same size clothes. I want to get slimmer and leaner. My symptoms had me go to the doctor and I am wondering if I get it fixed will I still be stuck where I am at? I guess I can be happy I have not gained any weight but I really wish to loose this extra fat. Does anyone have any answers?

    What symptoms are you talking about? You cant' get on thyroid meds just so you can lose weight. Has your body shape improved since working out? What age are you? Maybe you have developed muscles and lost some fat. Do you have enough energy?

    When I developed HYPO-thyroid I was so totally exhausted that I couldn't have exercised for anything. Just walking got me out of breath. And my hair was falling out, skin dried out, had heart palpitations, and my weight shot up fast. After getting on meds, I lost 15 pound pretty quickly, without any diet or exercise changes. Since then, I still have the extra weight. Hopefully the diet and exercise I'm on now will change that.

    See your doctor and get it checked out. But even if it is thyroid, you will still have to diet and exercise.
  • MCLA4mom
    MCLA4mom Posts: 219 Member
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    I have Hashimotos disease and am on synthroid. The medication did not change a thing for me weight wise. I found something else that helped. It did make my hair stop falling out and I felt more energy.