can you lose weight if you have thyroid problems?

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  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Pretty much what everyone else has said ... I take a synthetic T3/T4 combo ... Just t4 doesn't work for some people (didn't for me ... I had ALL hypo symptoms when on T4 only ... brittle nails and hair, edema, fatigue, poor digestion ...) ... I also stay awau from gluten and soy ... Soy inhibits thyroid hormone absorption and there is a correlation between gluten intolerance and hypothyroidism (Hasimoto's and other autoimmune issues especially) ... About.com's thyroid pages and stopthethyroidmadness.com are good resources .... They have lists of supplements and other helpful advice ...
  • southernbelle85
    southernbelle85 Posts: 13
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    I have to take synthroid every day and I have PCOS... so far I have lost over 90 pounds. It can definitely be done.

    I think the people who say it can't be done are making excuses for themselves. Do they tell you they are big boned to?

    Would you mind sharing what your diet normally consists of and your exercise plan? Seeing you are are battling your thyroid and PCOS and you've still lost weight is very encouraging.
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    I will have to disagree with some "information" regarding proper levels, medication etc... I have battled this for 13 years. I was left undiagnosed for over 6 years and then left on .50mcg of Synthroid when someone did figure it out. I kept telling them I didn't feel good and all my exact symptoms, they kept ignoring. I started digging, researching and arming myself with knowledge.

    Finally, 13 years later, I have Hashimotos subacute thyroiditis (rare) and my synthroid medicaiton is at .175mcg which is a high dosage for someone that still has a thyroid. According to they latest ultrasound, my thyroid is now too small and barely pumping. Why they leave it in I have no idea.

    My levels can be fine for a month then completely go haywire again one way or the other. I have no control over it and hence why my medications fluctuate dramatically. So no, I don't think "If your levels are normal then you are normal" works nor do I think I am making an excuse for anything.

    I know my loss will be slow but I know it can/will be done unless something blows up :) I got nothing but time (figuratively speaking).
  • ClaUuuUuu
    ClaUuuUuu Posts: 13 Member
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    Hi!!! Hey, what a coincidence I had RAI 3 weeks from now.

    I got my test results and tomorrow I´ll see my endo...

    Its so inspiring to see all you guys that have lost so much weight!!!

    I REFUSE TO WEIGHT GAIN!!!!

    :)
  • YummyApples
    YummyApples Posts: 3
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    I'M a combo of T3 and T4 meds and feeling great, weightloss wise - not coming off as easy as they said it would. Actually I keep gaining, not sure how to stop it, I eat very healthy.
  • kaylorraine44
    kaylorraine44 Posts: 135 Member
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    I take synthroid everyday and have not struggled with weight loss in the slightest. Don't let them scare you!
  • ploppersdf1
    ploppersdf1 Posts: 89 Member
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    I have hypothyroidism and I don't take thyroid medication (I know I should but I am waitin for insurance) and I have lost over 40 pounds so it's possible even without medication.
  • xachooo
    xachooo Posts: 42
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    I also just had RAI for toxic adenoma. While hyper I am very bloated and it is horrible. Exercise tolerance is poor too. Appetite is out of control. Hoping I will be normal again someday. I was briefly normal earlier this year and I lost 5 pounds (probably mostly water) very quickly and it was amazing because I actually felt good. But then it acted back up and I ended up bloated and it seems like my muscles mass is deteriorating. Now I am just waiting to see what happens---terrified of going hypo and then being one of the unlucky folks who never feels that well again. And for the record, I really don't like the thyroid madness website. Sure it has a ton of information, but so much of it is hokus pokus information not founded on research. It makes thyroid problems seem more like the end of the world than they already do.
  • DJ478
    DJ478 Posts: 909 Member
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    I'm 23 got diagnosed with low Active thyroid back in 2011 I had reach 188 about 6 months before being diagnosed which was 35lb weight gain without eating excessively once diagnosed I got put on synthroid and started doing Zumba 5-6x/week that alone help me drop 20 lbs in a month then I changed my eating habits to healthier options and started insanity and reach my goal weight of 140 on the day my husband got back from deployment so it can be done last year I got pregnant and have birth this past spring since then I got off my medication I told the doctor I wanted to see what happens If I'm off it because I don't want to rely on the pill forever since then I went from 199 (pregnancy weight) to 158 which has been my weight past few days so I have been doin good so far my pre pregnancy weight is 155 which is my 1st goal I'm currently doing insanity so it has helped gettin me closer and breaking the plateau I was in which was 165-168 my next goal weight is 140 and final goal weight 135 for now lol
  • shoeloveramber
    shoeloveramber Posts: 291 Member
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    I had my thyroid removed due to cancer and before I had it done I was told by several people "Once you get on medication you will drop the weight quickly" but after I had it out and was on medication I found that not to be true in my case. I started researching and learning and because of that I am finally in charge of my healthcare and am getting my levels optimized so that I can finally lose the weight. The more you know the more seriously your doctor takes you and if they don't you need a new one.

    The thyroid is a very tricky thing since everyone feels differently at different hormone levels. What is good for me might make you very hyper or hypo. If you had my thyroid levels you might feel great or have a ton of hypo/hyper symptoms. It is very individual so you need to make sure you have a doctor that will treat you properly and do ALL the tests necessary to make sure your levels are optimized. I highly recommend the book "Beautiful Inside and Out" to get you started on understanding how the thyroid works and how medication comes into play. It educates you about all the tests your doctor should be doing. Many doctors do not do all the tests so you have to be an advocate for yourself and make sure you get good care.

    If your T3 level is not optimized you will not lose weight or you will lose it very slowly. T3 is the active thyroid hormone, it is the hormone your body uses and it's like a key in a lock, without T3 it is very hard for your body to let go of fat. Your body cannot use T4, it has to convert it to T3 and MANY people are not good converters so a T4 medication (Synthroid) does not work properly. Some people are good converters and do great on a T4 medication. You will just have to wait and see which category you fall into.

    There are various medications but Synthroid has become a lot of doctors "go to" medication because their maker saturated the market with advertising and doctor "perks" to the point everyone started prescribing it back in the 70s when it came out NOT because it was better than the natural medications they had used up until then. Armour and Natur-Throid are natural desiccated thyroid and both work well for many people because it is a combination of T3 and T4.

    If you are on FB check out the group "Thyroid Sexy" and also "Mary Shoman:Thyroid Patient Advocate" both have tons of information in their "Notes" that you will appreciate and need to know.
  • wnav44
    wnav44 Posts: 1
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    I also have low thyroid issues but have lost 30 lbs on fitness pal so no worries as long as tyroid is level with meds should be fine
  • KM0692
    KM0692 Posts: 178 Member
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    I've been on meds for my thyroid for 20 years. I can lose weight just fine - if I do what is required. ;)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and I lost weight just like everybody else—by logging everything I eat & drink accurately & honestly. Get a digital food scale and weigh everything you eat—even packaged food.

    The advice in this post worked for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants

    MFP has two thyroid groups:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/770-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/51427-butterfly-chasers
  • jillvanorden
    jillvanorden Posts: 1
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    I had a complete thyroidectomy last sept and yes it is nearly impossible to lose after words.....people who still have a thyroid and are simply hypo are different than people who do not have a thyroid at all. I am on 100mcg of levothyroxine and 20 Mcg lyrothyronine T3 I workout 5 days a week for 1 and a half hours, cardio and weight training, I walk 2 miles a day and eat very few fatty foods and I can not loose a single pound :( I have gained 15 lbs since my thyroid has been taken out and no matter what I try the weight will not come off! If anyone has any other suggestion I would love to hear them.
  • Gunu09
    Gunu09 Posts: 6
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    Hi everyone! I have had thyroid for 5 years now. I have only gained weight... And I am 18 right now. I am feeling really depressed and I am starting to lose hope. I went to the doctor today and he told me that losing weight for me is almost impossible and in most cases it never works :(. He said even if it does it is a very slow process. It's hard being a young girl and not being able to wear nice clothes, or even being happy with the way I am, when I see thin healthy girls my age around me. It's just hard :'(
  • rcav123
    rcav123 Posts: 20
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    anybody using CLA supplements?

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