Anyone has "low thyroid" ?

wangxiaoling5
wangxiaoling5 Posts: 11 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!!
I was diagnosed with low thyroid about 1.5 years ago.
It does not bother my life much but it does bother my fitness plan. I can hardly lose any weight!!
I want to know if I'm alone or not at my fitness pal ?

Replies

  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    I have hypothyroidism and have been on Levoxyl for years. I didnt have any problems losing weight or keeping it off for the past 3 years. If you are on medication make sure you have your thyroid levels checked regularly to make sure you are on the correct dosage.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    If your levels are well controlled, you shouldn't have any more trouble losing weight than someone without thyroid issues. But, losing weight is hard, no matter how you look at it. I've been on thyroid meds for about 12 years now.
  • wangxiaoling5
    wangxiaoling5 Posts: 11 Member
    Thank you Eileen and Omma!! I'm going back to the doctor next week and will see .

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    If you are medicated, or not having a reason to be medicated yet (subclinical), weight should not be affected. For hypothyroidism to seriously affect weight, it has to be really out of control. I was diagnosed 20 years ago and have been medicated ever since. I do not believe it affects my weight.
  • SusanDLP
    SusanDLP Posts: 36 Member
    Hypothyroidism certainly can make it difficult to lose weight. Make sure you are having your levels checked, see a good doctor or endo and eat sensibly and work out regularly. My endo said starting exercise every day (especially cardio) is like warming up a very cold engine, but once warmed it should run efficiently. It IS harder to get to the gym and get on the machines, but I do it.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited February 2015
    I have looked into hypothyroidism in the past because I tend to gain weight easily (did not know anything about nutrition back then to realize I was simply eating more than I thought), but it was ruled out and I was told by the doctor (who was a specialist) that even those who have it only experience a slight gain in weight due to the condition (10-15 pounds at best) compared to an average person with average thyroid readings, the rest of it comes from overeating but the issue is that because of this slightly lower metabolism losing the weight is slower for those who have it which could be frustrating.
  • MmmDrop
    MmmDrop Posts: 160 Member
    That doctor was an idiot, and I would run as fast as you could from them. Many years and thousands of thyroid patient experience in actually getting well, and being mis-treated by doctors have been compiled - stopthethyroidmadness.com.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    Half of my thyroid was removed due to cancer in 2005. No issue with weight loss.
  • aplcr0331
    aplcr0331 Posts: 186 Member
    My endo tells me that hypothyroidism does not make it harder to lose weight, although many of his patients would like that to be true. When the condition is controlled hypthyroidism sufferers will have the same success as others.

    I'm on 200mcg of Synthroid. Lost 18.8 pounds in the last 36 days. Counting calories and walking 3 miles 6 days a week. That's it.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    aplcr0331 wrote: »
    My endo tells me that hypothyroidism does not make it harder to lose weight, although many of his patients would like that to be true. When the condition is controlled hypthyroidism sufferers will have the same success as others.

    I'm on 200mcg of Synthroid. Lost 18.8 pounds in the last 36 days. Counting calories and walking 3 miles 6 days a week. That's it.

    Exactly. There should be very few problems with weight loss as long as it's correctly controlled. That initial slight weight gain and difficulty losing is usually before the condition is diagnosed and controlled.
  • madmadamemeam
    madmadamemeam Posts: 2 Member
    I stayed on 1200 calories for 6 months 3 years ago...lost 30 pounds. Then I continued and couldn't lose an ounce for 6 months...
    I saw 3 doctors. The 1st told me to drop my calories to 500, NO.... The next 2 told me my Thyroid was functioning normally...the Endo started treating me. I had half of my gland removed this past summer. I just now started feeling 'normal.' I am back on track...gained 20 during the process but starting to lose once again!
  • wangxiaoling5
    wangxiaoling5 Posts: 11 Member
    Wow, thanks for sharing your stories everyone ! I appreciate !!!
    I said it didn't bother my life but actually now when I think about it, it does. I have poor sleep. I go to sleep around 9pm then wake up around 2,3am something like that. This has been like this since I had my daughter born. She is 2.5 years old now.
    Anyway, I run, 3-4 days a week. 2 miles each time. I love running. But run makes me hungry and eat more. I'm a stay at home mother so I can easily grab something to eat which I don't like. I know my big problem with weight is overeating. My calorie goal should be 1500, according tony fitness pal app. I'm trying to stay under it . But it goes over it usually without noticing... And I blame to my low thyroid...
    I think the biggest thing is "control myself".
    Thanks again guys !! I will try harder to control myself.
    Best wishes for everyone!!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited February 2015
    I have hypothyroidism intermittently (been on and off levothy and tirosint for around 2-3 years. Will be chugging along fine, be overdosed because thyroid levels balance themselves and then go hyper because i'm taking medication) and i was suffering with it for about 6 months when i initially lost 30 pounds. Some days i would have swelling in my face and full-body bloat, sleeping problems, low mood, had to drag myself out of bed, anemia and vitamin deficiencies, cold ALL the time, brittle dry hair and nails.

    Believe me when i say it's possible to lose weight (even if unmedicated) but it takes SIGNIFICANT effort, consistency, and potentially a higher deficit than your average person. Having a low thyroid effects the calories out portion of the equation, so it's imperative you adjust the calories in.

    I am 5'4 and have to consume 11-1200 calories per day consistently along with 3-4 days in the gym (lifting weights and doing cardio) to lose the 1-ish pounds per week.

    The most important thing i think is accuracy, determination, consistency, absolutely refusing to let low thyroid control your life, and refusing to be a victim of circumstance.
  • itstimeRK
    itstimeRK Posts: 112 Member
    It can be impossible to lose weight if you are unmediated. I did not realize my thyroid had any problems last year, and my doctor shrugged it off giving me a lecture about dieting and eating right when I told him something was wrong. I went from 130 lbs to 195 lbs in four months, even when on the second month of gaining weight I went on a 1350 calorie a day diet. My thyroid was out of control. Finally my gynecologist figured out the problem when she was checking to see if my weight gain was PCOS.

    Now that I am on medications, the fat I gained is now coming off at a normal rate of about 2.5 lbs a week. It feels great knowing what the problem is so that I can address it. If you're having trouble losing, talk to your doctor about other options of medications, because maybe you haven't found the right one. Weight loss is a slow process and it takes a lot more time to take it off than it does to put it on. Be patient and just keep working toward your goals.
  • jaegging
    jaegging Posts: 29 Member
    Sometimes being correctly controlled is the hard part. I've been treated for hypothyroidism since 2006, and have had blood tests every 3-6 months ever since. Not a single one of those tests would ever be anywhere near the same from one to the next. Since I started my weight loss in April, I've been hyper. Yesterday I had my first normal TSH since my weight loss began, but I've also been the least active since my weight loss began. I imagine that once I get back into my workout routine, I'll be overactive again.

    At this point, I can usually tell if I am hyper (heart palpitations and mania) or hypo (unexplained exhaustion) so I can complain to my doctor for a re-check.

    Anyway, metabolic conditions like hypothyroidism can make weight loss a little tricky. If your thyroid isn't well controlled, your caloric needs might be lower (if you're hypo) or higher (if you're hyper).

    Do you see a regular doctor for treatment, or a specialist? My recommendation would be to have your doctor refer you to a dietitian who has some experience with metabolic disorders and can help you come up with a good plan. They can help you calculate your BMR better than online tools, which I think would really help you.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    MFP has a Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism

    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). Thyroid meds (in my case, Synthroid & Cytomel) reduce the fatigue so I can be more active. But I lost just like everybody else—by eating fewer calories than I burned. Logging works.
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