Thyroid and weight loss

achiever84
achiever84 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone, this is my first post in this forum, so BIG HELLO! :)

My issue is that Ive got a very bad case of thyroid, which I found out in 20011, about two years ago. Ive been on Levothyroxin since then, and on and off. I get depressed and demotivated often, and Ive put on at least 20 pounds since then.. very down now. I need to lose all these weight, and I just cant seem to get them off no matter how much I diet. I also tried exercising but honestly I just cant keep up because the weighing scale doesnt move, it just goes up...

Other than this, I walk a LOT, (like really a LOT) each day, at least two hours a day (sometimes up to 4 hours) and yet the weight doesnt seem to go off, and because of the thyroid (hypothyroidism) I just get demotivated and tired..

I need help..anyone else had success weight loss with hypothyroidism? What are your weights now and how did you start losing weight effectively?

Cheers!

Replies

  • JamieM8168
    JamieM8168 Posts: 248 Member
    Yes. I have hypothyroidism...or had at least... I was taken off of my medication after I lost weight. I just posted some progress pics. I went from 250 to currently 165. It's all about diet AND exercise and drink water. Give it time but if nothings working go get your levels checked again and you may have to adjust your medication.
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
    I have been Levoxothyrine since 2008 or so. My question is why do you stop taking it? Once you level off with the thyroid medication the symptoms go away. I know it took some time to get my thyroid to even out, had depression, tired all the time, cold a lot too. I knew when my levels weren't right. However, we finally got to the right level and I have been there for like 2 years now. It is a little harder to lose, but the exercise helps with my energy level, so I continue.
  • fannyfrost
    fannyfrost Posts: 756 Member
    Yes. I have hypothyroidism...or had at least... I was taken off of my medication after I lost weight. I just posted some progress pics. I went from 250 to currently 165. It's all about diet AND exercise and drink water. Give it time but if nothings working go get your levels checked again and you may have to adjust your medication.

    Lucky that you got to get off the meds. I never will, my Dr says mine is hereditary, it is Hashimoto's (sp?). My thyroid is larger and I will have to take the meds forever. Its funny I always hated anything around my neck and I keep wondering if it is related because of the enlarged thyroid.
  • marksjl
    marksjl Posts: 2 Member
    How often do you get your thyroid level checked? My doc has me on a 6 month cycle since my level has been stable. Do you take your medicine on an empty stomach and wait awhile before you eat?

    Have you had a full blood workup? Low iron or B12 levels can also cause your symptoms.

    I've been taking levothyroxin (synthroid when I had better insurance) for about 20 years now. Low thyroid shouldn't slow you down if it is under control.
  • JamieM8168
    JamieM8168 Posts: 248 Member
    Yes. I have hypothyroidism...or had at least... I was taken off of my medication after I lost weight. I just posted some progress pics. I went from 250 to currently 165. It's all about diet AND exercise and drink water. Give it time but if nothings working go get your levels checked again and you may have to adjust your medication.

    Lucky that you got to get off the meds. I never will, my Dr says mine is hereditary, it is Hashimoto's (sp?). My thyroid is larger and I will have to take the meds forever. Its funny I always hated anything around my neck and I keep wondering if it is related because of the enlarged thyroid.

    My doctor told me I'd be on them for the rest of my life too, I was surprised when he changed his mind
  • msmotherof3
    msmotherof3 Posts: 6 Member
    I had my thyroid removed in January due to thyroid cancer. I will always be considered hypothyroid and will have to be on medicine for the rest of my life. I'm also on prednisone for chronic hives (have had them for over a year now) which doesn't help with the weight situation at all!!! Anyway, I am now down 14 pounds by eating clean (no processed foods), count your calories and weigh your food, lots and lots of water, and exercising. Those of us with thyroid issues have to work even harder to lose weight, and by that, I've worked up to working out at an hour or more a day/5 to 6 days a week. Yes, it's hard, and a lot of times I just want to go to bed, but you have to press on. I do listen to my body and rest when I need to. My doctor even told me yesterday that I'm the only one he's ever treated that is on prednisone that has been able to lose weight. It can be done........don't get discouraged! Hang in there!
  • scottishsenorita
    scottishsenorita Posts: 17
    I have hypothyroidism too, diagnosed nearly 9 years ago and I lost over 80lbs and have kept it off. You should get your levels checked as you shouldn't be feeling the tiredness and drained if taking the proper dosage. Healthy diet and exercise WILL take the weight off. You need to be honest and log everything you eat and try not to overestimate your exercise. It is harder to lose when you have a thyroid issue but it is achievable if you work at it x
  • sbbhbm
    sbbhbm Posts: 1,312 Member
    I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis... took me a while to get my meds adjusted correctly, and since my thyroid is continuously being attacked by my immune system, they need to be adjusted frequently. And yet, I still managed to lose 140 pounds. It can be done, it's just harder, which sucks. If you're still feeling depressed and demotivated, it's probably hormone related unfortunately. Make sure you tell your physician you are dealing with those things.
  • mrsburghart
    mrsburghart Posts: 166 Member
    I have been taking levothyroxine since 2002. I, too, was on again off again with it, mainly because I was lazy and didn't realize that the pills were there to help! I didn't want to be a slave to it for the rest of my life. But now I've had it regulated (and take my pills religiously) for the last 5 years, and it has made a HUGE difference! I've managed to lose almost 60 lbs with hypothyroidism. My thyroid isn't extremely out of control (I only take 75mcg of meds) and I have managed to lose close to 60 lbs in the last year. It's pretty tough, but definitely do-able!

    Feel free to add me if you would like! You've got this, just takes a little work :)
  • momofkali
    momofkali Posts: 12
    I was on the levothyroxine (synthroid) as well for years and could never lose weight. If I restricted my calories my body went automatically in starvation mode. Also was on 2-3 antidepressants just to make it through the day.

    I got a new family doctor and I requested to try desiccated thyroid (my previous doctor treated me like I had asked him to provide me with crack). Anyway this doctor said sure he had other patients on it. A few years later and I am off all antidepressants (turned out I wasn't depressed after all) and I have slowly started to lose the weight.

    Maybe trying desiccated thyroid would be a good option for you. I know it's not for everybody but if something's not working it's time to try something else right?
  • broox80
    broox80 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I have had hypothyroidism for 6 years. I dont have an issue losing weight, but it takes a long time to get it off. It will for sure take me the full year post partum to lose my baby weight(50 lbs), then I need to lose another 30 on top of that. It takes forever, but thats better than gaining, so I will take it :) Its hard, but it can be done!! My motivation goes up and down. I do awesome at a healthy diet and exercise, then not so much!! For me its just being more good than bad (at food and exercise choices that is :devil:), drinking my water, and trying not to get discouraged. I am on 100mg of levo.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I've been on medication for almost 15 years now ... my weight has gone up, down, and up (and I'm working on down again). My weight loss/gain has been because of eating though, not my thyroid. If you are on medication, that should normalize you somewhat so that you should be ... normal *Ü*

    As far as being tired and unmotivated, I've found that it is often a viscous cycle ... ironically, when I work out, I feel energized and determined to do more. On a day I don't work out is when I feel down on tired. Therefore ... I work out every day. My activity still couldn't compensate for my caloric intake (I don't know exactly how much I was eating as I wasn't tracking, but as soon as I started tracking I realized just how quickly calories add up). I've been having success since I started here at MFP a couple months ago.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Staying on your medication has to be a priority, especially if you feel depressed when you're hypothyroid. I fill my prescription a week early, so that over time I've saved up at least a month's supply, in case I'm traveling, changing doctors, or anything comes up that might interfere with filling my prescription.

    At least you're exercising! I was hypothyroid for at least a decade before I was diagnosed. I think that all the walking I did kept me from becoming overweight. Still, I've lost a total of about 20 pounds since then. I would not go off my medication unless by some miracle my thyroid started working again, which actually happened to my mom.

    Some doctors recommend that you get tested for gluten intolerance if you have Hashimoto's. I have both, and giving up gluten also helped my energy level a lot.
  • Lizajayne23
    Lizajayne23 Posts: 123 Member
    Yes. I have hypothyroidism...or had at least... I was taken off of my medication after I lost weight. I just posted some progress pics. I went from 250 to currently 165. It's all about diet AND exercise and drink water. Give it time but if nothings working go get your levels checked again and you may have to adjust your medication.

    Lucky that you got to get off the meds. I never will, my Dr says mine is hereditary, it is Hashimoto's (sp?). My thyroid is larger and I will have to take the meds forever. Its funny I always hated anything around my neck and I keep wondering if it is related because of the enlarged thyroid.

    I've wondered this, too! I just spent 2 weeks unable to even look down to use my laptop from the closed up feeling in my throat. It makes me crazy! When it gets bad, I feel like I have a band around it and have difficulty even swallowing the tiny Levo pills.

    Back to the OP, tracking everything with MFP really helps me. I log EVERYTHING that goes in my mouth and it motivates me to exercise. I've lost 13 lbs so far, in 2 months. The main change that I've made is giving up all but one sugar-sweetened coffee a day. I never ate much, but was drinking a few hundred more calories than I realized. Now that I'm eating those calories, I'm actually losing. Strange, huh? It's tough and doesn't happen overnight, yeah, but be honest, make small changes and build on them and you can do it!

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