Friendship & Intro Thread

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  • katiedid582
    katiedid582 Posts: 16 Member
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    Hi, everyone! I have been on MFP for awhile now, but haven't been very consistent. My OB/Gyn discovered my thyroid issues when she sent me for bloodwork at the end of June. My husband and I have been trying to conceive a 4th child for about a year now with no results. Well, all the other bloodwork (progesterone levels and a bunch of other stuff) came back normal except for my TSH levels, which were at 10.5! I have an appointment with an endocrinologist next week and am hoping to get the ball rolling on stabilizing my levels. It would be nice to feel "normal" again...sick of being tired all the time and struggling to lose weight--it's hard to stay motivated without seeing results.
  • UtahWI
    UtahWI Posts: 257 Member
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    Hi, new here also. I was tested about 10 days ago after going months with no weight loss. Finally, my hair started to fall out and that was the final straw, lol! My mother's side of the family has a loooong history of thyroid issues, so she said she had been waiting for me to have problems. Most signs and symptoms were masked by the fact that I was treated for cancer from 7/2012-5/2013...we just assumed the fatigue was left over from that, as well as the brain fog and a few other issues. Some things that I struggle with certainly are related to that treatment, but others now feel like, well, hindsight is 20/20.

    I agree with Katie^ it is so hard to go so long without seeing results, very hard to stay motivated...
  • Lizzey8282
    Lizzey8282 Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi, I've been on MFP for a while and managed to lose 3st last year. However I found out a couple of weeks ago that I have hyperthyroidism and am a bit worried about how this is going to affect my weight.
    I had been maintaining pretty well since xmas and then had a major blip (which I'm guessing was the start of the hyoerthyroidism) and since then I have not been able to stop eating and I put on several pounds quite quickly, but as my condition has got worse, the weight has since gone back down again. I have my consultation with the hospital next week but I am nervous about what kind of things to ask and what to look out for. Would really appreciate some advice?
  • scthomas100
    scthomas100 Posts: 31 Member
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    Hi everyone,
    I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and went through RAI four years ago. When I swung around to the hypo side of everything, I gained 70-80 pounds since then by not watching my food intake and not being as active as I could have been. I have been with MFP since December to help with maintenance while I finish grad school and am starting to get into high gear with exercise and losing. Maintaining my weight (+/- a pound or two) for this long has been a huge success for me and I'm excited to finally see some of this weight disappear.
  • sunlight_through_trees
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    Hi all, just recently started properly using MyFitnessPal, and it has been so helpful to read your all stories. If anyone wants to add me, I would love some fellow MFP thyroid buds, to help each other through!!

    I have hypothyroidism / Hashimoto's (along with PCOS and insulin resistance). Looking back, I have always had symptoms of those three terrible triplets... but only got my proper diagnoses earlier this year. When I was diagnosed I was also seriously deficient in Vitamin D and all the B's, ferritin iron, and calcium. My symptoms got so bad that I had to quit my job a couple of months ago (which was a hard pill to swallow). Like many of you, I am now striving to get my health in order, my weight under control, and my life back on track. It's a slow process and some days I feel very low and worried about it all. But for the most part, I think I am improving bit by bit, by putting alot of effort into getting fit and strong.

    I am currently building up levothyroxine slowly (Eltroxin brand) - I am on alternating days 100mcg and 75mcg, up for review soon. Still don't feel 100%, but I am told it takes a pretty long time for the medication to properly kick in. Have had my eye on natural dessicated thyroid meds like Armour since Day 1, but my endocrinologist wants to try the mainstream approach first... not sure I'm convinced, but we'll see...

    While I am still battling with many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism (obesity, lethargy, mental fog, dry skin, etc etc), I have had one major success that I want to share, in case anyone reading this is struggling with something similar. My thyroid problem was discovered when I got alopecia areata - I was brushing my hair one evening and suddenly noticed a fairly large, completely bald patch, stretching from just above my right ear to the back of my head. Then I discovered a couple more patches on the other side. I freaked out, went to a few doctors, got blood tests, started acupuncture and, to cut a long story short, these led me to the diagnoses I have today.

    It took several months, and in the meantime my hair thinned out quit a bit overall.... but I am absolutely thrilled to report that the hair is finally growing back and filling in! It is still pretty thin on the patches, but it is now about an inch long. I am delighted to see progress - because one doctor warned me to expect the alopecia to only get worse, that it was almost certain I would lose more hair. It seems like she was wrong!

    So for anyone out there with hair loss linked to thyroid problems, I just wanted to tell you that there really is hope! I am not sure if it was the levothyroxine, the vitamins, or the acupuncture (or the combination)... but it has worked. Won't bore everyone with the details here, but if you are suffering from thyroid hairloss and want to hear what worked for me, do feel free to send me a message.
  • ccassityii
    ccassityii Posts: 23 Member
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    I have hypothyroidism and take levothyroxine, I found out 4 months ago, I've only been on a diet for 18 days after getting my levels correct, its hard, working out, but all my levels are normal, and my T3 and T4 are fine as well, asked my doctor to check them after stop the thyroid madness website, I cycle for exercise but about to start doing different exercises to work my stomach and arms, I gained a lot of weight after having my son 4 years ago, couldn't get pregnant again, lost my gallbladder as well at the same time I found out I had thyroid issues, I am 270 lbs, lost 13 lbs so far, I gave up weighing myself every week because the scale never seem to move any, so I'm thinking of doing it every 10 days or once a month I work out a lot and eat right, hopefully this weight will go away in time
  • JacquiMayCrook
    JacquiMayCrook Posts: 307 Member
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    Hi everybody!

    I have only just been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and have just started yesterday on levothyroxine at a dose of 100mcg daily. I first joined MFP last year and successfully lost 24lb, but it all crept back on again plus more, particularly since April with a 10lb gain.

    I rejoined the gym and went cardio mad two months ago, averaging a burn of 500-700 cals a day, which coupled with a 1200 day calorie controlled diet, resulted in a loss of only 5lbs over 8 weeks! I had a five day holiday of eating normally and it all went straight back on! Of course, since my diagnosis I have started to realise that I may have actually done more harm than good and slowed my metabolism even more, so this week I have started to concentrate more on strength training.

    Any advise would be gratefully received as this is all so new to me, I don't know what to expect. And more friends are always welcome!
  • ccassityii
    ccassityii Posts: 23 Member
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    I had to get all my levels checked, my tsh, t3, t4, sometimes people with hypothyroidism can't convert t4s into t3's, my weight goes up and down, if I have to much sodium, not enough water. I lose slowly, but its going. I work out a lot and I eat around 1200 or so, I read somewhere that I should eat 200 less than what I should be eating because of my metabolism is a lot slower, don't know if that is true or not, but trying to eat over 1400 is kind of hard for me. Of course I also read that if your levels are fine, you should have no problem losing the weight as a normal person who doesn't have thyroid issues. (lies) it takes like 4 to 6 weeks for the medicine to start to work, lots of blood test, lowering or upping doses before your body starts to go back to normal I started 4 months ago I take levothyroxine 25 mcg, all my levels are considered normal now
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    have you read the web site for "stop the thyroid madness"? it could well help you. it can help you understand your own numbers. perhaps understand what your doctor thinks! mostly you should find a list of symptoms so you can round all yours up and make a good case for being reconsidered or for finding a second opinion.

    there is a wealth of information which will empower you.
  • ccassityii
    ccassityii Posts: 23 Member
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    I like that website has a ton of info on there
  • OUCHilly1
    OUCHilly1 Posts: 44 Member
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    Hello everyone, I have been here a few months now and am happy to say I am having my first success in years. I am a veteran Hypothyroid of 30 some odd years and have taken most of the synthetic medications which, for me, the only one that worked was synthroid before they changed the formula. I am now taking armor thyroid 3 grain (180mg) which is a combination of T3 and T4. I am feeling much better and finally loosing some weight. I havnt had my levels checked sense I started the new doseage but I feel good, so Im betting they are normalizing. Please feel free to friend me and I would love to chat. I have lost 18 lbs in three months and changed a lot of old habits that were unhealthy. Hope to hear from you :flowerforyou:
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Hello everybody!

    I joined this group because I have Hashimoto's... I think for around 11 years perhaps. Also, I have type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes (i.e. I don't make insulin due to an auto-immune disease - type 1; and I am resistant/inefficient with insulin - type 2).

    Weight loss has been slow going, primarily because of the type 1, but also due to some of the other medical challenges and because I'm busy. I've made some progress - you can see 20 lbs. so far, and that is from starting 1/1/14. I wish I could say I feel better after having lost some weight, but I don't. In fact, I feel worse some days and I seem to have even less energy. Part of why I feel worse is due to blood sugar fluctuations as I struggle to keep up with changes in insulin sensitivity. Part of it is because I am busy, and part of it is that my tolerance to foods seems to be changing rapidly as I eat healthier and less. I still expect to feel better when I'm done losing weight and can stabilize blood sugars and eating habits.

    From this group, I'm hoping to get tips on how to maintain energy as I labor through this journey.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Hello everyone, I have been here a few months now and am happy to say I am having my first success in years. I am a veteran Hypothyroid of 30 some odd years and have taken most of the synthetic medications which, for me, the only one that worked was synthroid before they changed the formula. I am now taking armor thyroid 3 grain (180mg) which is a combination of T3 and T4. I am feeling much better and finally loosing some weight. I havnt had my levels checked sense I started the new doseage but I feel good, so Im betting they are normalizing. Please feel free to friend me and I would love to chat. I have lost 18 lbs in three months and changed a lot of old habits that were unhealthy. Hope to hear from you :flowerforyou:

    I didn't know that Synthroid changed the formula... when did that happen? My synthroid dose has increased twice in the last 2 years and tests keep supporting that. I am scheduled to do another test in late Dec., and if that shows I need to increase again, I'm thinking maybe I should ask my dr. about something else.
  • shreyaanand22
    shreyaanand22 Posts: 8 Member
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    Hi! i am 26 year old and i have had hypothyroidism from last 10 year... unnecessary weight gain and difficulty to reduce it.. lethargy has been biggest problem area.
  • moparjer
    moparjer Posts: 125 Member
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    Hi! I spent 6 years having my thyroid nodules scanned and biopsied. Last Spring, I got tired of not being able to breathe at night and always having to clear my throat. Dr. said I had a large growth in my right thyroid, so last June he removed it (the size of a baseball). Since then, I've had my levels checked every 90 days and am finally at "normal" levels using 0.112MG. He only removed 1/2 of my thryoid. Since then, my weight has slowly crept back up. Very frustrating as I was on average 17,000 steps/day and am very active at work and go to Zumba 2 times/week. I'm eating close to 1350 calories a day and am 5'0". It's so nice to share on this site. Feel free to request me as friend but please leave me a note so I know a little about you! Thanks!
  • LadyLots2Lose
    LadyLots2Lose Posts: 110 Member
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    G'day,
    I have congenital hypothyroidism (no thyroid tissue at all from birth) so, it's been a life long challenge for me (36 years and counting). I was always a bit heavier than my twin sister but, my size/weight became a problem in my late teens. Then the criticism and negativity started and food became a comfort and a curse which made things much worse and set me on a never ending cycle of fad diets and unrealistic expectations.

    Every GP I've seen since I was 16 has wanted to reduce the dose of my medication which just compounds the struggle. Though I'm happy to report that I've finally found a GP who isn't simply trying to make the numbers fit into their little bracket of "normal". I've been told by an Endocrinologist that there's 'nothing wrong' with my endocrine system (in spite of missing an integral part) and that I'm simply eating too much and moving too little. So, I also know the frustration of dealing with quacks that have the bedside manner of a rock.

    The good news is that I've finally managed to get myself into the 'recommended' fat percentage range! Everything beyond this point is a bonus. It has taken years of discipline, blood sweat and tears to get here but, it IS possible friends.

    I joined MFP in 2012 but, haven't been active on here until this week. My focus has been on Weight Watchers which is a very simplified program. Now it's time to look at the details and make sure that I'm getting the right mix of food and exercise to maintain a healthier lifestyle.
  • TarynPage
    TarynPage Posts: 69 Member
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    Hi everybody! So just found out today that I have Hashimotos and probably hypothyroidism, which explains why I have always been active, but never able to lose weight. My mom has RA, so it was pretty apparent that I had an autoimmune disease, even when I was a kid, but I have never had anything show up until now.

    Anyway, I've always had a problem with my weight, although I (hopefully) never let it hold me back in my life. I just would like to look and feel better, considering it is now even more unhealthy for me to be overweight. Also, because my hypothyroidism often makes me fatigued and depressed, it is even harder for me to follow a program all the way through without becoming discouraged.

    However, I really like the community support and information MFP offers. I love the mobile app, and I hope all of these things will keep me on a schedule. I walk around 3-6 miles a day and don't eat nearly enough, so my first step to my true self is to start eating breakfast and maybe start something in addition to walking. I have to admit even those walks are hard to start, especially since they don't really pay off in the form of weight loss.

    I am hoping that by joining this group, I can really learn about losing weight with hypothyroidism, and not give up on reaching my goal weight. At the moment I am 5'7 and weight ~199 lbs. My doctor says that losing 50 pounds would be optimal, so even though that is my end goal, my more immediate goal is 20 pounds. Feel free to add me as a friend- and hopefully I will get a blog up soon since I think that can really help keep up the habits up.

    Thanks guys! Have a great weekend!
  • erinhollander
    erinhollander Posts: 2 Member
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    Hello all,

    I have not yet been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, but I expect to when I go to the doctor next week. Every female on my father's side of the family, and several on my mother's, have hypothyroidism, and I fit over half the symptoms easily. I have been trying to lose only ten pounds for two months now, with 1300 net calories and exercising off 300-400 calories an average of five days a week, and the scale hasn't moved a millimeter. Highly frustrating. I am 5'3 and weigh 130 pounds. I have a very petite torso though, so it's all in my hips and butt and very embarrassing.

    I was very happy to find this group, since I had been looking up hypothyroidism and weight loss and found only stories of people unable to lose weight even after being on their medication for months. While I don't use MFP anymore, I hope to learn from hypothyroid veterans as I start on this process.
  • joslin2005
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    Hello everyone!
    I was recently diagnosed with Hashimotos. I have been trying to lose weight for 6 years off (not during pregnancy and while breastfeeding) and on. I tried everything. I completed the Body Revolution, 30 day shred, and other programs. I would lose inches but only lost a total of 5 pounds. I calorie counted, avoided GMOs and processed foods, tried to eat organic whenever possible, and overall a healthy diet but nothing seemed to get the weight down. Last year, I was sick for over a month. I came down with bronchitis and then got the flu. After being sick, I never quite bounced back. I started feeling so exhausted but couldn't go to sleep at night and begin missing periods. My appetite decreased and was gaining weight. I began talking to some friends and they recommended I see their doc and get my hormones/thyroid checked.

    The doc ran some blood work and told me my hormones were off, deficient in Vitamin B12, D, and I had Hashimotos (she didn't actually say Hashimotos but she wrote autoimmune next to the thyroid antibodies. I researched and found out it was Hashimotos) She told me all of this meant I basically didn't have a metabolism and that's why no matter what I did, I couldn't lose weight. She advised me to begin natural hormone replacement therapy along with Nature throid, Vitamin B12, A, D, K, Iodine supplement (contains Iodine, Iodide, selenium, zinc, potassium), and something called DIM. I also begin taking ground flaxseed (when I remember to add it to my foods) and a probiotic. After supplementing and the hrt, I have began to feel better. My energy has improved, sex drive increased, clearer thinking and have no problem going to bed at night. She said it would take 6 month to a year to get me rebalanced.

    I joined this group in hopes to gain knowledge from other Hashimoto's patients and find other's who understand this autoimmune disorder. I have tried to lose weight for so long that I just can't seem to find the motivation to try again. I guess I am just looking for some hope.

    Feel free to add me, offer me any advice you may have, success stories, or whatever you would like to share with me!
  • melancauliflower
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    Hi! My name is Monica, I'm 23. I'm new to MFP and very recently got diagnosed with hypothyroidism. My doctor immediately put me on levothyroxin but I'm having difficulty finding a good source of information on how to deal with my condition. It seems that weight loss and hypothyroidism is not discussed in black and white. I'm 5'3 and I've always been between 130 and 160, 130-140 being considered a healthy weight for my height. Currently, I weigh 180 and it has been a year long mystery to me why I could not shed the weight. I've been with my boyfriend for about two years now and his eating habits are HORRIBLE so I thought maybe I just caught the "relationship weight". Even so, I always ate primarily healthy and did all the cooking when I could. So dating back two years ago, I weighed about 136 and I first noticed the weight gain in January 2014. I've just ordered a recumbent exercise bike online and intend to exercise 90 minutes a day (hour in the morning, 30 minutes before bed...would usually do the other way around but I work night shift 9pm-7am so I am going to bed at 8 or 9am with daylight, and that's hard enough) and I've cut out cruciferous vegetables and just about every thyroid no-no I've read about. I'm also starting Paleo January 1st. I guess what I'm curious about is what should my nutritional calories be? Fat, protein, carbs, etc? Also, is it unrealistic for me to have 130 as my goal weight? I read one article online telling me I should pretty much give up on ever getting back to my best weight.