Hi
I am probably going to get slammed for this but....I have been hypothyroid for over twenty years. I finally was put on armour in February and trying to get my hormones in balance - had a complete hysterectomy back in 1989.

Anyway, my TDEE - 20% was 1587 calories. I tried that for six weeks, logged everything, exercised by videos or the weight room and DID NOT lose one pound. It was so frustrating. So my husband and I talked and he said that in the past I didn't really need that many calories as long as it was healthy eating so I went back to 1200 for a couple of weeks. Nothing. I dropped it to 900 and lost my first pound in a week. I am now at around 800 calories and do not eat back any of my exercise calories. I have lost consistently +2 pounds per week. I also had to start drinking a organic tea to help with how little I was going to the bathroom (TMI - I know).

I feel great! My clothes fit better, my attitude is better, some of my aches and pains (I am 54 so I will always have some) have lessened. And like I said I eat really heathly fulfilling things so I am not suffering.

When I meet my weight goals I might go back up in calories for maintenance, but....

Once you get used to your thyroid medicine it should actually help you lose. It took a couple of weeks once I switched from Synthroid to Armour, but now everything is starting to come together.

I also love food - I could eat all day - this is not fun, but I keep dreaming about a new outfit because I haven't treated myself to anything new for years.

I'm so glad to see this, I have to eat so low to lose. The good news is I have a wider range to stay in maintenance but if I want to lose I can't be over 1250 and 1200 is better. I was not a healthy eater until last summer, but no one ever told me that being hypothyroid can decrease your metabolism. I've always thought I had a slow metabolism since I gain really easily, so I wonder if I've always been hypo or when it developed.

I'm currently on 1390 calories a day (as calculated by MFP), I log everything - it is all weighed and documented, however my weight loss has ground to a halt - in fact it now seems to be in reverse! I've lost 29lbs in the last year (slow progress I know - but I want this to be permanent)! I'm just beginning to see a change in my body and how my clothes fit and now the weight seems to be going back on. I am currently 13st 7.5lbs (189.5lbs)

I've always been led to believe that if I keep taking my thyroxine then I should be able to lose weight 'normally'. Now I'm not so sure! Would you say that I'm eating too many calories? Would you recommend dropping to say 1200 a day to see if that restarts the weight loss? I HATE exercise with a vengeance but I am including some - weather dependent (I am in the UK) I do walk to work and back every day (20 mins each way - and this is at a fairly fast pace), and I am trying to do more during the day, and I have just purchased some workout DVD's to do in my lounge.

I have booked an appointment with my GP, as I had a feeling that my medication may need tweaking, but maybe I'm just eating too much.

Any advice gratefully received.

I generally stick to 1400 calories max- so I don't eat back calories when I work out. I wasn't losing weight otherwise. Both my endocrinologist and dietician have told me to do this (don't go over 1400). I find that since adding the cytomel, I am a bit hungrier, and I am eating above 1400 on some days when I exercise. But I am still losing weight so hopefully that means the new medicine is working.

1200 strictly, and when I exercise I don't eat back the calories. I thought I go to 1500 and maintain, but I just started gaining back, and gave up....gained back 70+ lbs of the 90 some I had lost doing 1200 with a high exercise level. Back on 1200 now, but haven't gotten back into the exercising. Still pretty bitter about everything. Hate being so restricted. Feels better knowing I'm not as alone as I sometimes feel.

Hashimotos diagnosed in 2011. 50 mcg of Synthroid generic daily.

~ Krissi

these technology tools are very motivating...but the best tools i find is real data that you collect about your self.

I ignore eating back calories and just count the calories i consume.....

TDEE –
Eat at your TDEE to maintain
Eat below your TDEE to lose weight
Eat above your TDEE to gain weight

• 1 lb equates to 3500 calories –
 Reduce your TDEE by 3500 calories over time to lose 1 lb
 You can’t reduce your TDEE by 3500 in 1 day unless you fast and then work out a crazy amount – 1700 calories to burn off…that’s crazy
 So you work at reducing your TDEE over time.
 You can think of a calorie as energy. If you eat under your TDEE then the body turns to fat or muscle to burn to survive. Hence….the lost weight.


But wait…what is my TDEE? Scooby says this but that includes estimating activity level.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Here is what I did to try to take the guess work of how much those Activity level calories are.


Here is a way you can tell if Scooby calculations are on the right track.


TIME TO TRACK
 Weigh yourself
 Track what you eat – measure your food – and record the accurate calorie intake from food/drink for at least 30 days – everything counts, even veggies.
 Weigh yourself on the 31st day.

OK…the tracking is done..Now time for the calculations.. Remember….3500 calories equates to 1 pound.

TIME TO CALCULATE

Add up all of the calories you ate days 1 through 30 – this a sum from each day – total them all = TCC ( Total Calories Consumed )
Subtract Weight on day 31 minus Weight on day 1
Mulitply the total weight difference by 3500 = total number of calories attributed to weight difference = TCW ( Total Calories from weight differential )
If you maintained weight => TCW =0 ( you ate at your TDEE )
If you lost weight => TCW > 0 ( you ate under your TDEE )
If you gained weight = > TCW < 0 ( you ate over your TDEE )

Final Calculation for TDEE over those 30 days that you tracked

You add the calories associated with the weight loss, TCW, to the total calories you tracked that you ate, TCC, and divide the whole thing by 30( THE NUMBER OF DAYS YOU TRACKED).

TDEE = ( TCC + TCW ) / 30


If you maintained your weight TCW = 0:

TDEE = TCC/ 30

Here is an example:

Day 1: 200 pounds weigh in
Tracked for 30 days and ate 1500 calories per day = 30 x 1500 = 45000 = TCC
Day 31: 195 Pounds Weigh in

Weight Lost = 5 pounds
TCW = 5 x 3500 = 17500


TDEE = (45,000 + 17,500)/30 = 62,500/30 = 2083.33 ~ 2083 Calories


Once you have your TDEE….Then you can decide to reduce your TDEE each day by a certain amount.

If you reduce your TDEE by 500 calories over 7 days you will lose a pound.





Remember – water weighs a lot…
a gallon weighs 8 pounds
a quart weighs 2 pounds
a pint weighs 1 pound
an 8 oz. glass weighs ½ pound

So if you are TOM and retaining…stay the course. It will eventually come off. I usually plateau for about three weeks then go up and then all of a sudden drop 2 or 3.

Hope this wasn’t too lengthy for you.

It is quite interesting to see how different we all are.. Some seem to only be able to loose weight by starving themselves, some use the 'Eat more to weigh less' approach. Some swear by heavy lifting and minimal cardio, some jog for an hour a day.
I personally seem to maintain my weight when I burn 2200-2400 kcal and eat no more than 1800 kcal a day. A healthy person of my weight and height has a BMR of ~1400 kcal.

I use a TDEE method based on my body fat %. The formula is the Katch Macardle I believe. I track not only weight, but body fat as well.

My TDEE is 1500. I eat between 1200-1300 calories a day. On a high day I may eat 1400 calories but I always ensure I have a deficit and I create the rest of calorie deficit via exercise (cardio). I have my fasting "good morning" walks of 30 minutes. I then do additional cardio one more session in the day during my lunch hour or perhaps after work. So far I'm losing body fat so it's working. I'm also on 1 grain NP Thyroid and I take Vitamin D and Iron to increase those levels and support my thyroid.

I went back to read everyone's comments.

I remember when my hormone levels were wacked, I was gaining weight like crazy. I was gaining 10 lbs a month. My weight stopped increasing as much when I began a dose of synthroid but my body responded even better when I was put on Armour and then NP Thyroid. Please check that ALL levels important to thyroid function are in a healthy range (vitamin d, Iron, free t3, etc.). I feel as though your metabolisms should not be that low if your treatment was working for you they way it should. The thing with hypothyroid is that we have to get those levels normalized with proper treatment. If we are not receiving proper treatment our weight loss efforts would be like trying to jumpstart a car that can't or won't run. It won't work the way it should. I highly recommend if you haven't already to read the book stop the thyroid madness. I learned so much from that book. To this day I'm still learning.

Please know that eating such low calorie levels decreases your body's available thyroid hormone T3. T3 is your active thyroid hormone, it is what your cells use and you feel energized when you have the right amounts in your body. Eating very low calorie like that is like a double edge sword. The real answer is not to eat so low calories but to ensure that you have PROPER treatment, only then you'll be able to *kitten* a healthier calorie intake that will not compromise your body's T3 hormone. Be your advocate with your doctor. Educate yourself and fight for you until you hit on the right treatment for you and your body.

Also, if you can, please start a weight lifting program. Muscle increases calorie burn so you want to build that muscle to help us make that furnace burn those calories. We could use every little bit of help we can. Having muscles in the long run would allow us to eat a little bit more without gaining weight.

Just my 2 cents based on my experience. I wish you all healthy treatment for that will open up the gates to fat loss for us hypothyroid folks.

Hi
I am probably going to get slammed for this but....I have been hypothyroid for over twenty years. I finally was put on armour in February and trying to get my hormones in balance - had a complete hysterectomy back in 1989.

Anyway, my TDEE - 20% was 1587 calories. I tried that for six weeks, logged everything, exercised by videos or the weight room and DID NOT lose one pound. It was so frustrating. So my husband and I talked and he said that in the past I didn't really need that many calories as long as it was healthy eating so I went back to 1200 for a couple of weeks. Nothing. I dropped it to 900 and lost my first pound in a week. I am now at around 800 calories and do not eat back any of my exercise calories. I have lost consistently +2 pounds per week. I also had to start drinking a organic tea to help with how little I was going to the bathroom (TMI - I know).

I feel great! My clothes fit better, my attitude is better, some of my aches and pains (I am 54 so I will always have some) have lessened. And like I said I eat really heathly fulfilling things so I am not suffering.

When I meet my weight goals I might go back up in calories for maintenance, but....

How did you guys figure out your number of calories to eat. I think have hypothyroid makes it even more difficult when determining this. I am glad you are seeing some results. It can be frustrating. Are you hungry. For me I am starving at 1200 calories. For me I am good at around 1350 to 1500. But sometimes if I am busy I can get away with less.

Once you get used to your thyroid medicine it should actually help you lose. It took a couple of weeks once I switched from Synthroid to Armour, but now everything is starting to come together.

I also love food - I could eat all day - this is not fun, but I keep dreaming about a new outfit because I haven't treated myself to anything new for years.

Armour, do you guys find that better. I have been on Synthroid for almost 5 years and it does nothing for me with symptoms. And I have to work hard and watch my food intake and type to lose weight.