Hashimoto's Thyroiditis & weight loss

if you have autoimmune thyroid disease eating seaweed or iodine supplements can be like throwing gasoline on a fire fyi.

whatevs, works for me. People need to hear both sides of an argument. I have hypothyroidism and at my worst my immune system was not at all functional and iodine in the form of kelp supplements and eating plenty of Japanese food definitely help me.

I think most people are smart enough to realise that advice on a forum is anecdotal. Where is your information from ?

lmao...wow ok, first of all my comment wasn't directed solely at YOU alone. Secondly, if eveyrone is smart enough to know that information in a forum is anecdotal, who are you to ask me where I got my info from? Let's get all mad over an opposing piece of advice from someone on the internet shall we?

I have Hashi's, I've experience the Hashi flare from too much iodine. Just because it works for you doesn't make it ok to tell everyone to go eat iodine. I wasn't bashing you for eating it or telling you not to eat it. Just throwing a warning out there for people.

my mistake, I was taking the condescending 'fyi' at the end to mean that you were positive that you were the most right. i was asking where your info was from out of interest because I'd never heard of that reaction before and it would potentially cause me to add a warning to my 'it works for me' story.

I pretty clearly said that people need both sides of the story. I'm not arguing with you, though your tone in both posts is pretty abrupt, borderline rude really.

No point fighting about things, just present things from both sides. You gave no detail in your original post. After reading the second, it's clearer.

no problemo, and no rudeness implied at all. :flowerforyou: I am just a to the point type of person, no fluff when it comes to stuff like this. I've been around the block with hashi's and know my stuff as well.

Just to toss it out there since you never heard of that type of reaction, for some with AI thyroid disease ingesting iodine can cause a severe AI reaction on the thyroid and really worsen the disease causing thyroid inflammation and pain, along with the tons of other symptoms that we all deal with.

to be fair I don't seem to have a lot of those issues - I have no gluten or dairy issues either - so I think it's just that my meds are bang on? I did have a large discussion with the doctor and he agreed to let me set my own drug level as long as I was testing in range, so i take nearly half as much again as originally prescribed and was tested regularly while setting it and it works for me. Therefore what works for me has been proven to not work for everyone.

It might be that you and people like you are hypersensitive to iodine but something else (coconut is great too) may work for you. Your meds may not be bang on - or they may be and the iodine just gets you.

Bodies are odd things eh? Thanks for clarifying

to be fair I don't seem to have a lot of those issues - I have no gluten or dairy issues either - so I think it's just that my meds are bang on? I did have a large discussion with the doctor and he agreed to let me set my own drug level as long as I was testing in range, so i take nearly half as much again as originally prescribed and was tested regularly while setting it and it works for me. Therefore what works for me has been proven to not work for everyone.

It might be that you and people like you are hypersensitive to iodine but something else (coconut is great too) may work for you. Your meds may not be bang on - or they may be and the iodine just gets you.

Bodies are odd things eh? Thanks for clarifying

It's possible you have just hypothyroidism and not autoimmune hypo, they are two different beasts for sure. Consider yourself lucky you have no issues with gluten and dairy, I do and it suuuucks because I LOVE pizza and ice cream lmao!! I still have them occasionally and as long as I'm good to myself I don't have a reaction. I love that you have a fantastic Dr like that, I hope to find a better one myself soon.

I love coconut too, I cook/bake with it and even use it on my skin and agree 100% that coconut is great to supplement with. I still have some work to do to get my meds situated, it's hard to do when my thyroid keeps sputtering in and out the way it does between attacks...but I'll get there one day.

And yes, bodies ARE indeed odd things to say the least.

God, the cycling is the worst.... and the vitamin deficiencies *blech*

I don't have issues with gluten and/or dairy (thank god because I would probably shoot myself lol). My WORST problem with this is cold intolerance. I don't mean "oh I am cold" ... I mean my core body temp plummets down to 96 and I freeze from the inside out. When I get to that point, I have to drop everything and jump in my scorching HOT bath tub and sit until my temp raises That is the hardest for me. The fatigue is next especially when lifting so I have to break longer than most probably... sux..

Right now they say it is dead, done, finished so hopefully I won't be cycling any more... needless to say I am prior Army (vet) and this condition was left swept under the rug and left untreated for almost 13 years...

I was just wondering if there was anyone with Hashimoto's out there that can share their experience with losing weight. I have it and I'm not sure if it affects weight loss at all,

I have suffered from Hashimotos and hypothyroidism for years and find it very difficult to lose weight. I was also diagnosed with insulin resistance and can't lose weight on a restricted diet or low carb diet unless I spend hours and hours exercising. I did find several articles about Hashimotos and iodine supplements. There are many doctors who feel its bad for people with autoimmune disorders. But some studies show iodine with selenium is actually beneficial. I think if you plan to supplement do so under the care of a doctor who can monitor your levels.

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/2011/05/iodine-and-hashimotos-thyroiditis-part-i/

Maria Emmerich has a been a big help to me for a variety of things regarding weight loss... http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/healthy-rice-pudding/ -

I have Hashimoto's & take Synthroid. I lost 20 lbs. in a year by logging accurately & honestly and by moving more.

I lost slowly, but I did lose.

[ Japanese people are almost never diagnosed with underactive thyroids because they eat so much seaweed and other iodine rich food. You're so right - it has the best effects

Hi, this is incorrect information. It turns out that the rate of incidence of Hashimoto'sdisease in Japan (and Finland) are very similar to that of the United States according to "The Journal Of Autoimmune Diseases" " Immunogenetics of Hashimoto's thyroiditis" by Dimitry A Chistiakov Found here: http://www.jautoimdis.com/content/2/1/1

" Epidemiology and clinical features of Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis, or Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a common form of chronic autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). The disorder affects up to 2% of the general population [2] and is more common in older women and ten times more frequent in women than in men [3]. In the NHALES III study, performed in the USA, the prevalence of subclinical and clinical hypothyroidism was 4.6% and 0.3% respectively [4]. Another US epidemiological study, the Whickham survey, showed the prevalence of spontaneous hypothyroidism to be 1.5% in females and less than 0.1% in males [5]. These prevalence rates are similar to those reported in Japan [6] and Finland [7]."

I gained 5 lbs before I found out I had it. I've been taking synthetic thyroid hormone for close to 15 years now. I lost those 5 and have not found it makes it any harder to manage my weight.

Once your levels are re-established through replacement, as long as you get it checked ever year, you should be good.

I have it - just had an ultrasound and Endo appt. My thyroid is dead and non functioning. I am on high dosage of Synthroid (.175). The only thing I have noticed is that it is slower to lose but I am going for it while my levels are in check (before it goes haywire again lol).

Synthroid is weight based so your dosage will change/needs to change along with your weight. I want to lose 20 lbs so I can go back to the 175 LOL. If you haven't had thyroid cancer, I've heard that Armour works a lot better than Synthroid.

I have it. Weight loss is a struggle, but not impossible. I also found out I was quite deficient in Vitamin D. Since starting a rapid repletion vitamin, my energy level is much improved and that has helped give me the extra energy to stay moving! I've started losing weight again since being on the Vitamin D. Not sure if one has anything to do with the other.

I was also found to be deficient in Vitamin D and need to take supplements. Not sure if there is a connection either but my weight loss is slow despite exercise and diet changes. Having said that, I do not restrict food types or eat gluten free.

I've had Hashimoto's since I was 19, and weight loss has ALWAYS been a struggle!!! However, last year I started having major thyroid issues, did lots of research, and asked my doctor to switch me from levothyroxine to Armour plus liothyronine. It saved my life!!! My thyroid was so swollen and full for YEARS, and now my neck is slender and normal. I had overall swelling/edema, and that's gone. Synthroid/levothyroxine is a T4 medication, and your body has to convert that T4 (which is the inactive form) into T3, which is what the body actually uses. Armour has both, and liothyronine is T3. Made all the difference for me.

Also, the weight that had piled on while I was so sick melted off just from the medication switch! Supplements help - particularly selenium and one called TMI (thyroid metabolism + iodine). I just keep shrinking, which is awesome, although I feel a little guilty for not working harder to make it happen (although that's in part because it's taken me this long to bounce back from being soooo sick and then to dig out of the pile of to-do's that accumulated while so sick). I'm planning to get back to working out and really eating clean - and I do notice a HUGE difference when I stick strictly to Paleo and really avoid gluten. It's worth the strictness. Another good friend who has a thyroid problem said that going gluten free has made ALL the difference for her, eliminating fatigue and aches.

But the biggest tip I have for you is to make sure your thyroid is OPTIMAL - not just in the "regular" levels. No matter what you eat and how hard you work out, if your thyroid isn't working well, you won't lose weight. Period. I went through seven rounds of bloodwork testing, pushing and pushing because even though my levels were in the normal range, I did NOT feel normal. The Facebook page Thyroid Sexy has tons of great information (cheesy as the name is) - that's where I started my research that helped me get better. Dr. Wiggy's Facebook page has great info, too. Good luck!!!!

hmmmm

Tlmarchand - thanks for your response. I was just snacking on some almonds and promptly threw them away.

I'm currently going through what my doc is considering "probable Hashi's", technically all my thyroid levels are 'normal' but they are on the "normal to almost hypothyroid" level. I've had every symptom you've had plus have a nodule on my right side that is listed as benign. It's less than a centimeter, so I was literally just told yesterday that we'll just leave it in there because my levels are still normal. Thyroid issues run rampant on my dad's side of the family, so it is what it is at this stage of the game. I just hate not having a definitive answer right now.

I was told to go gluten free/dairy free, avoid the goitrogenics as well as start a Vitamin D supplement. I'm to revisit the issue is 3-6 months (which is horrifying to me because I'm getting married in 8 months).

@krissynicole7 I'd ask your Endocrinologist to put you back on 88mcg. It's about finding what dose works for you. Heck, who cares if the gland was overactive! With Hashimoto's, we will never be in the hyper range again.

My thyroid numbers are generally always normal. I know when I need my synthroid dose increased, as I will have a spike in symptoms such as fatigue and bloating of my abdomen. During these spike in symptoms I usually put on added weight as well. I have one nodule on the back right side of my thyroid gland, but it's too small so my biopsy came back inconclusive. If any of you have a biopsy of your nodules, they can test the cells to see if you are genetically predisposed to thyroid cancer. At which point, if you have a high chance of developing cancer, your doctor will probably recommend removing all or part of the thyroid gland. Because my nodule is so small not to allow the test, my doctor has me go for routine ultrasounds every six months to monitor the growth of the nodule, as well as my swollen lymph nodes. My doctor told me the lymph nodes will likely be swollen most of the time, since it's the immune system that's attacking the thyroid gland. My doc compared it to our immune systems attacking a cold or the flu and the lymph nodes are swollen when we are sick.

Also, I've seen a lot of you mention your doctor's recommended a gluten free/dairy free diet. While this may work for one, it won't work for all. Paleo auto-immune diet is gluten free and dairy free, but it's a huge lifestyle change. And remember, even though the Paleo auto-immune diet is high protein allowing only meat, fish, fruits and veggies, you must be careful not to consume too many goitrogenic foods. If you do eat goitrogens, cook the ones that can be cooked. Here is a list of foods to avoid....copy and paste into browser....
http://www.lowthyroiddiet.com/foods-to-avoid.htm

For more info on the Paleo auto-immune diet read this: http://www.hashimotoshealing.com/hashimotos-diet-keys-to-success/

I've been eating a high protein diet, however, I haven't cut milk or eggs from my diet. I did switch to lactose free skim milk. I would drink soy milk or almond milk, but those are products on the list to avoid. I cut cheese from diet almost completely and if you know me, you'd know how difficult leaving the cheese behind is for me, as it's been my best friend for years. I continue to use non-fat Greek yogurt, as it's high in protein. I use Greek yogurt for all of my veggie dips and even use it with my organic rolled oats and fruit.

This is a typical breakfast for me:

one egg (any way I like it)
one slice whole grain bread (not on Paleo diet)
half avocado spread on the bread
1 clementine or grapefruit
cup of hot lemon water with honey


or

overnight oats
raspberries
cup of hot lemon water with honey

I've learned to make my own roasted soups, which are really simple, using carrots and tomatoes. We eat a lot of salad for lunch or dinner, in our house. However, I don't use store bought dressings. I simply use lemon juice and olive oil or make my own dressing in the blender with tomato, avocado and extra virgin olive oil.

I eat fresh salmon, tilapia, occasionally shrimp and I love smoked oysters. My husband hunts so we have an over abundance of venison meat in our deep freezer. I eat a lot of venison anything (since it doesn't contain fat), from venison sticks, venison jerky, venison meatloaf, etc. I also eat turkey and chicken, but I've cut deli meats out of my diet completely.

What diets and/or combinations work for you? I'd love to hear how others have changed their diets.

Hi,
I have had Hashimoto hypothyroid for over 10 years now. I have been on so many different meds. I have gained and lost and regain more than what I lost. I have had an extremely high sed rate- normal is 1-15 I was at 107. I have been through every single test you can think of and no one has a clue ! I am really frustrated that everything I try to loose weight does nothing. I will how ever say while researching on line I found for people with Hashimoto the natural thyroid med Amour works well. So I decided to give it a try. I have noticed a difference with my hair being softer, my nails growing and outer edge of my eyebrows growing back. So I know it is working better than the other meds, but still need to figure out what my other issue is. I'm happy to be able to chat with people who know what I am going through. Everyone wants to help you but they don't realize it isn't easy for us to do things.