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.

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?

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.

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!

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.

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:

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.

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!

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!

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!

Hi my name is Marie and I have Hashimotos, been feeling icky for the last 20 years, but the doctors would not run the antibodies test. Changed doctors this year and found out why I have felt like this, why I had the miscarriages, ect. I have a lot of weight to lose and I am going to try the zone diet and see how it works. If anyone can tell me what else I can do I would appreciate it.

Hi, I am also back to MFP. (Not sure I ever really officially started.) I have hypothryoid (plus PCOS and Insulin Resistance) I was really successful with Weight Watchers for a while, but hit a plateau I never got past, gained some weight back and have had a hard time getting on track.

I am exercising about 4 times a week and am trying to eat less carbs, more protein and veggies (hoping that helps with the thyroid factor). My biggest struggle has been finding that fine line of eating the right amount, so I am losing weight, without feeling like I am starving. Oh, and night time. Feel free to add me as a friend. I could use some distractions at night time, other than food. :-)

Hi Gwenpally, if you're still reading this, I also experienced issues in getting diagnosed. Even when dieting was nearly impossible and the dietician insisted I had to have a medical condition, the GP would not test for it. It was only when my other half went to see the GP together with me because I literally slept all weekend from being sooooo tired, that they tested. I probably have had issues all my life as I've always been overweight, but until I finished university it was not too much and my energy was relatively ok. And as you point out, it's hereditary, daughters tend to be more at risk than sons, so tell them that your family has it. It's a simple blood test to confirm.

Hello!!

I'm pretty excited that I found this group. I joined My Fitness Pal in July of last year and was doing pretty good until the holiday's hit. Between that and the fact that if I even enter the same room as a donut I'll put on about 10 pounds (per minute), I got frustrated and before I knew it, it's February and I can't blame the holidays anymore.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2011. I'm also fighting thyroid cancer. The weight issues that come with all of it just add insult to injury. I'm really excited to have found a group of people that will understand some of the unique struggles we have when it comes to losing and managing weight.

Back again

Well I have been doing a LOT of reading here. Rather amazed to hear of all the exercise you guys are doing. Sheesh I am proud that I hold down a full time job but other than that I count it as an accomplishment if I manage to stay vertical long enough to cook a meal! Well done to you all - I hope to be there too one day in the not too distant future.

Anyway, now that my medication has me in a better place I am ready to lose weight. Previously I lost 3.5 stone following Slimming World. I was doing really well and then BAM between one week and the next I was gaining. I kept on gaining and went through food diaries etc with my session leader and all was good. I was also feeling very fatigued and temps low. Tada - finally light-bulb went on - I needed to raise my meds! However my GP disagreed as I was still within the ridiculously wide TSH range. (No FT3/FT4 unless I go private.) I carried on going to Slimming world for another 2 months, tweaking the diet, trying to exercise and nothing helped - all the weight piled back on and I gave up. Demoralised, defeated, dejected and a BLIMP!

At that stage I gave up on my GP and self medicated. It's not a decision I took lightly. I did a lot of research prior to starting, (it helps that my fiance is a nurse, he gets me access to the the best medical research sites.) I refuse to waste any more of my life with this condition. Within a month of starting NDT the weight gain stopped and I even lost a few pounds. However, it took me a while to pluck up the courage to even TRY a diet again.

So, here I am. I kicked the gluten, and can't take "gluten-free" products anyway, so I am planning a rounded diet but with carbs on the low side, 90% cooked from scratch. I take a good set of vitamins and minerals (plus Betain HCL as I have low stomach acid,) and my bloods show my non-thyroid "Top 5" (Iron, Folate, Ferritin, B12, D) are all now in a good place so there is nothing to stop me.

Exercise is still very minimal. I have 2 metal knees, am more than double the weight I should be and am only 5' 2" so look like a beach ball! I also still tire quickly, so am starting very slowly. I am open to ideas for things I can do at home.

Would love a weight-loss buddy. If possible someone in UK and who has more than 4 stone to lose.
I will do my first weigh-in (since starting the diet) on Monday. Fingers crossed