Hypothyroidism and Weightloss

ALittleSwanny
ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!
I've had hypothyroidism since I was around 18 years old (almost 23 now) and I've always struggled with my weight.
My diet is healthy and almost completely vegan (I'm transitioning to veganism, dairy is 100% gone from my diet and meat/eggs are approx once a week consumed) and I exercise daily. I haven't seemed to find a diet/caloric amount/exercise type that suits me best yet even after all these years. I seem to be putting in so much effort and seeing little results.

Anyone here with hypothyroidism and found anything that seems to work for you? I'm open to all suggestions!


Lizzie xx

Replies

  • marathon_44
    marathon_44 Posts: 62 Member
    I've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism for about 3 years now. I read about a link between hypothyroidism and gluten intolerance, and asked my doctor about it. She suggested to try going gluten free for several weeks and to see how I feel. I'm so glad I did, as I feel much better when I am off gluten. Until I went off gluten, I couldn't get my levothyroxine dosage leveled off, as my TSH numbers were doing a constant roller coaster. It was only after I went gluten free did my TSH levels normalize on the meds (I'm assuming because my body was able to process the medication more effectively when there wasn't the gluten inflammation going on).

    Aside from that, I find that a whole foods based diet works well for me. Pretty much Paleo plus beans and dairy. Moderate fat and protein, lower carb). However, you are in a totally different situation with your transitioning to veganism.
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    I've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism for about 3 years now. I read about a link between hypothyroidism and gluten intolerance, and asked my doctor about it. She suggested to try going gluten free for several weeks and to see how I feel. I'm so glad I did, as I feel much better when I am off gluten. Until I went off gluten, I couldn't get my levothyroxine dosage leveled off, as my TSH numbers were doing a constant roller coaster. It was only after I went gluten free did my TSH levels normalize on the meds (I'm assuming because my body was able to process the medication more effectively when there wasn't the gluten inflammation going on).

    Aside from that, I find that a whole foods based diet works well for me. Pretty much Paleo plus beans and dairy. Moderate fat and protein, lower carb). However, you are in a totally different situation with your transitioning to veganism.

    I have Hashimotos also. My meds have been stable for the last almost 3 years now and I don't have a reaction to gluten that I'm aware of (though my sister has coeliac so there is probably a link somewhere!)
    Thank you for your comments though I appreciate it :)
  • JustPeachy044
    JustPeachy044 Posts: 770 Member
    i have been hypo my entire life. i lost 40 lbs.eating almost vegetarian, with steady diet and exercise. cardio and lifting.

    lately have shifted back into more protein from meat. heavy protein, mostly from chicken and eggs. losing the last 10 lbs. but this won't help you as a vegan.

    i do find that not eating bread is best for me too...and i used to love bread. now it's in the same class as a cheesecake...very rarely consumed, only as a treat.

    good luck on your journey.
  • Chadomaniac
    Chadomaniac Posts: 1,785 Member
    i personally dont have Hypothyroidism , but a have a friend who has it and he couldnt gain weight no matter what , He started lifting and eating what he could and hardly gained a pound in a month. I assumed calories in vs calories out which is true to an extent . Only difference is he needs 4000+ cals a day to make gains.

    I had him on 1000calorie protein/peanutbutter shakes . Guy is a tank today :)
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    i have been hypo my entire life. i lost 40 lbs.eating almost vegetarian, with steady diet and exercise. cardio and lifting.

    lately have shifted back into more protein from meat. heavy protein, mostly from chicken and eggs. losing the last 10 lbs. but this won't help you as a vegan.

    i do find that not eating bread is best for me too...and i used to love bread. now it's in the same class as a cheesecake...very rarely consumed, only as a treat.

    good luck on your journey.

    I could up my protein from plant based sources and see how that helps :) thank you!
  • bzign
    bzign Posts: 41 Member
    i personally dont have Hypothyroidism , but a have a friend who has it and he couldnt gain weight no matter what , He started lifting and eating what he could and hardly gained a pound in a month. I assumed calories in vs calories out which is true to an extent . Only difference is he needs 4000+ cals a day to make gains.

    I had him on 1000calorie protein/peanutbutter shakes . Guy is a tank today :)

    Hypo or Hyper?
  • Hollyana
    Hollyana Posts: 55 Member
    I am hypothyroid and find what I can eat changes depending on how stable my meds are - last year I went very hyper and lost loads of weight no matter what I ate, but then again I couldn't really eat much out of anxiety for about eight months anyway! I had a period of initial recovery where I could eat loads and not gain, but sadly that's now passed!

    Now I'm stable again I'm finding it does matter what I eat and I have to be more aware. I don't restrict my diet but am starting to wonder whether it would be better to eat a lot less sugar to avoid the highs and lows I'm prone to anyway. Same with coffee. Anyone else tried giving these up?
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    i personally dont have Hypothyroidism , but a have a friend who has it and he couldnt gain weight no matter what , He started lifting and eating what he could and hardly gained a pound in a month. I assumed calories in vs calories out which is true to an extent . Only difference is he needs 4000+ cals a day to make gains.

    I had him on 1000calorie protein/peanutbutter shakes . Guy is a tank today :)

    Hypo or Hyper?

    I think he means hyper
  • happieharpie
    happieharpie Posts: 229 Member
    I've had thyroid disease for over 35 years, and nodular thyroid for most of that time. I took radioactive iodine in 1996, and since then have been on and off Armour thyroid, which seems to work better for me than synthetics.
    Over a very stressful period in my life, I finally became 100+ pounds over what I should weigh, and remained that way for the last 11 years.
    After some other issues surfaced, I stopped eating salt, sugar, grain, and dairy. I have now lost 25 pounds.
    I have found an excellent woman endocrinologist whom I trust, and she is willing to adjust my meds based on how I feel, and that's very helpful.
    Both she and my internist approve of my current eating plan. If they disapproved I would consider modification.
    Although I have never EVER known of a case in which someone with hypOthyroidism needed huge amounts of calories to maintain weight, it is a quirky disease.
    It is very interesting to me to read references to eliminating inflammation to address thyroid obesity. It sure seems to be working for me.
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    I've had thyroid disease for over 35 years, and nodular thyroid for most of that time. I took radioactive iodine in 1996, and since then have been on and off Armour thyroid, which seems to work better for me than synthetics.
    Over a very stressful period in my life, I finally became 100+ pounds over what I should weigh, and remained that way for the last 11 years.
    After some other issues surfaced, I stopped eating salt, sugar, grain, and dairy. I have now lost 25 pounds.
    I have found an excellent woman endocrinologist whom I trust, and she is willing to adjust my meds based on how I feel, and that's very helpful.
    Both she and my internist approve of my current eating plan. If they disapproved I would consider modification.
    Although I have never EVER known of a case in which someone with hypOthyroidism needed huge amounts of calories to maintain weight, it is a quirky disease.
    It is very interesting to me to read references to eliminating inflammation to address thyroid obesity. It sure seems to be working for me.

    Thank you for sharing your story!
    I think going vegan will be very helpful for me as animal protein can irritate inflammation related to such diseases. Well done on losing 25lbs!
    Yeah he told me he meant hyper not hypo haha :)
  • shelliemacs
    shelliemacs Posts: 42 Member
    I have Hypo. I exercise like a beast and don't loose at all (2 hrs daily cardio and 4 days weekly weight training). Its extremely frustrating. I wish I could know its the HYPO or if Im just a loser. If you find the answers, Im sure interested.
  • TXBelle1174
    TXBelle1174 Posts: 615 Member
    I have Hypo. I exercise like a beast and don't loose at all (2 hrs daily cardio and 4 days weekly weight training). Its extremely frustrating. I wish I could know its the HYPO or if Im just a loser. If you find the answers, Im sure interested.

    ^^^ This!

    I have hypo/Hashi's and it seems like I have to starve and exercise constantly just to maintain. If I eat and dont exercise, even if within calorie goals, I gain. It really sucks. I am gluten free, working on dairy free, and stick to low sugar (for other health reasons). I eat lots of protein, veggies, limited fruits, etc. Be careful of soy, its supposedly not good for those with thyroid issues. I dont eat it but being vegan - you might. Try the hypothyroidism group board. There are a lot of successful people on there with a wealth of information and knowledge. Good luck!
  • AmyW125
    AmyW125 Posts: 303 Member
    Hypo...can't lose. I was fine no symptoms or anything- went to the Dr (had lost 70 pounds at that point) she said I was hypo and put me on meds. I gained 10 pounds in 8 days and as you can see it hasn't come off and that was last Sept!!! I eat well, count my calories and work out like a beast!!! NOTHING!!! I understand your pain!!! I was 5 pounds to my goal weight...now I'm back at 15!!! grrrrr. :explode: :angry: :grumble: :noway: :huh:
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    I found that the more I tried the less I lost. So I've started cutting it back now. The more strain you put on your body through hard cardio the slower your thyroid function will be. Thyroids are very sensitive to bodily stress.
    The more I try the less I lose. So I'm going for squatting and lifting at the moment with not so much cardio to see how that works for me.
  • LGinSoCal
    LGinSoCal Posts: 21 Member
    I have Graves and received the RAI treatment. Plyometrics (Beachbody Insanity) works really well for me BUT it is true that sometimes trying too hard can backfire. I exercise a lot because I like to do so.

    I have been holding steady at the same weight for a few years now. I am not where I want to be but I am in pretty good shape.

    Right now I am experimenting with ShaunT's new FocusT25 and using the meal plan that comes with the program.

    Now if someone can figure out the hair loss thing, I am all ears.
  • krissynicole787
    krissynicole787 Posts: 121 Member
    I just found out last month I am hypo. I lost around 65 lbs but only lost 20 within the last year and a half. I only have 7 lbs left to lose!!!

    I am on week 2 of my meds. I havent noticed weight gain or weight loss. I work out 5-6 times a week for an hour each time. With how much I exercise, I should have been at my goal weight A LONG TIME AGO!! But I have to stick to 1200 calories or else I will gain.

    I read that people who have thyroid issues need to avoid certain foods like soy, spinach, strawberries, peaches, peanuts, kale, coffee, and other things. Right now I am avoiding those foods a long with processed. Hopefully it will help.
  • Carol_L
    Carol_L Posts: 296 Member
    Hypothyroid all of my life but only diagnosed in my 30's. Spent years going from starvation dieting (600<, played hell with my blood pressure), to giving up, to low fat, VLC (very low carb), etc.

    Things are under control med-wise (levothyroxine) and I have a trainer, a nutrition plan, and a training ethos that works for me.
    5' 4" and losing weight on an average of just over 1800 cal/day. I don't starve myself, if it fits my macros and I'm so inclined I will eat it. If I'm not allergic to something and I like it, I'll eat it. I have sushi night once a week. I don't avoid carbs, protein, milk, wheat, or whatever has been identified as the next villain of the week might be.

    I work out hard 4 times a week, HITT and weights, with the occasional other activity mixed in but nothing crazy. I don't spend hours on a treadmill or elliptical machine because I don't have time.

    Unfortunately, there is a lot of FUD out in the cyberverse. It all comes down to
  • Keiras_Mom
    Keiras_Mom Posts: 844 Member
    I do alternate day fasting and it's worked amazingly for me (google JUDDD if you're interested). I wasn't diagnosed hypo until I'd already lost about 45 pounds, so it was working well even without medication. Now that I'm properly medicated, I continue to lose at about the same rate, so I think it works whether or not your thyroid is functioning properly. I'm down nearly 130 pounds now in about a year and a half, though in that time, I took several maintenance breaks, including one for 4 months because I thought I didn't want to lose anymore. I've just recently decided to lose another 10 pounds.
  • uthatswho
    uthatswho Posts: 34
    the medication helps, not just for weight, but hair loss, fatigue and moods. My weight didn't start coming off significantly until I started walking, which progressed to strength and more cardio.
  • ALittleSwanny
    ALittleSwanny Posts: 36 Member
    I do alternate day fasting and it's worked amazingly for me (google JUDDD if you're interested). I wasn't diagnosed hypo until I'd already lost about 45 pounds, so it was working well even without medication. Now that I'm properly medicated, I continue to lose at about the same rate, so I think it works whether or not your thyroid is functioning properly. I'm down nearly 130 pounds now in about a year and a half, though in that time, I took several maintenance breaks, including one for 4 months because I thought I didn't want to lose anymore. I've just recently decided to lose another 10 pounds.

    Wow that's amazing! I'm going to look into this! Thank you for sharing!

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