Hypothyroidism and weight loss!

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  • maggie_teacher
    maggie_teacher Posts: 18 Member
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    I've never been much into fats, I don't even enjoy butter but just managed to have some on my sandwich.

    It's actually very helpful what you're saying. I do eat a lot of fat free diary purely because it hadshigher amounts of proteins which fills me up and keeps me going.

    Sometimes I pick up food in a local store and scan barcodes that's why the language I guess.

    Good energy levels are what I need, indeed! I'll try and review my habits! Thank youuuuuuu!
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    cortney876 wrote: »
    I had my thyroids removed and have to take a supplement for the rest of my life and have been battling with weight all my life. I have tried every diet in the book and it worked for anfew days and all of the diets are restricting me from soemthing. I tried this app here 3 days ago today and i haven't lost a thing. My husband is really counting on me to stick to it seeing that i quit every time.i really need some motivation well i got plenty you just to live i got a family but the support is almost i need someone to walk with with me in life being encouraging not literally but u kniw what im saying

    First of all, you have to do this for yourself - not for your husband or anyone else.

    Secondly, you've only been doing this for 3 days and you haven't lost weight? 3 days?

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    mamapeach910 wrote: »
    Even items in packages often weigh more than what is stated and contain more calories than what they say. I've weighed out slices of bread that weighed 50% more than what a serving size was listed as.

    DEFINITELY this. ;)

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    You are eating more than you think you are. You have little weight to lose, so even 200 calories more or less, are enough to make the difference. Use a scale for a while, so you can figure out where you are underestimating your calories.
  • PrimroseFlower
    PrimroseFlower Posts: 110 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I have thyroid disease too. I have to really keep an eye on what I eat or it seems like i can gain 5 to 10 pounds rather quickly. I lost weight about three years ago with calorie counting but then slowly put it back on by slipping into old bad habits (not logging, eating out a lot, cakes and desserts). What i have noticed is that the medication is not a magic pill. I take generic synthroid. It only makes you normal and function like everyone else. It takes me about 6 weeks to see any changes when I really start trying. Keep at it. When you have thyroid problems, it will be a very slow and steady race. Stay positive and remember that you are making investments in your health even when the scale doesn't budge. ;)
  • maggie_teacher
    maggie_teacher Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks Primrose Flower!

    Same story here. I lose and then gain, swings in roundabouts. I noticed though that when I lose weight I just ease of on myself a little and let myself go sometimes. I ended up drinking cherry syrup latte and never logged one in. WhenI found out how many calories one cup provides to your body I nearly fainted.
    Thanks for motivating me! I do feel that I need it more than anything!
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Here are my suggestions based on the posts. Please keep in mind this is what worked for me:
    • I've found the dietary effects are very individual. I'm hypothyroid and I eat a ton of soy. Having some tofu now, actually! :smiley:
    • Mind your meds--avoid antacids, take them as far away from your thyroid meds as possible. Shoot for at least 4 hours before you have any calcium. Ideally, take the meds 4 hours before eating--I take mine in the middle of the night.
    • There are also recommendations to avoid cruciferous veggies, peaches and strawberries. I avoid none of them.
    • The food scale and measuring cups are critical as the serving size and an actual serving differ. Even for a slice of bread. The package says a slice of bread is 100 calories. I weigh the slice and it's actually 115 calories. Two slices of bread: 30 additional calories. Those really add up throughout the day.
    • Weightlifting and increasing my muscle mass over time helped.
    • Interval (HIIT) training gets my heart rate up.
    • Going lower carb helped. I do 35% protein, 35% carb, 30% fat. Usually. :smiley: Fiber is important.
    • Be assertive when it comes to your meds and numbers. Just because your TSH is "normal" does not necessarily make you all better. Free T3, Free T4 are important. I didn't start feeling better until I started taking a T3. Know what the standard is that your lab is using and what the standard is set by the medical professional association where you are. You said your weight in stones, so I'm not thinking you're in the US. Here, it's the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Sometimes they use different numbers. You need to be your own best advocate.
    • You're close to a healthy BMI, losing weight gets tougher when you have less to lose.
    • Be patient, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
  • cheezels83
    cheezels83 Posts: 62 Member
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    Hi Psycgrrl, you are lucky with the soy. I was drinking soya milk, taking soya basked shakes, eating a ton of tofu and other soya based products as I was replacing meat with it. I stopped taking soya when I read about its effect on the thyroid because at that point nothing was working and I literally went into meltdown. My body reacted extremely badly with the meds which hadn't really been working, suddenly I was sweating, shaking, anxious, complete shutdown. It was the most scariest horrific time. It might not affect everyone in the same way, but for me stopping anything soya helped. It also showed that even though my dose was high and I was now having extreme hyper symptoms the blood tests showed I couldn't convert. I now take T3 also and it has changed my life.

    There are loads of articles pointing to avoiding soya if you have a thyroid problem. You must be one of the lucky ones!

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    Regarding cruciferous veggies? Just eat them cooked. Cooking partially destroys the goitrogens.

    I eat all the goitrogenic foods all the time. Peanuts, strawberries, edamame, cauliflower...
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
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    I'm also hypothyroid and take 100mcg of thyroxine a day. I've lost 21lbs since January and I've had lots of days going over my daily allowance. I don't cut out any of the foods which are mentioned as being a problem for those with thyroid problems.

    Provided you are properly medicated there is no reason why you can't lose weight the same as anyone else provided you are eating the right amount of calories for you.

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease), and I lost more slowly than most MFPers. So be patient! But I did it just like everybody else—by eating fewer than I burn.

    I followed the advice in the Sexypants post: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Per my endocrinologist, I didn't avoid any foods nor add any new ones. I just learned to log everything I eat & drink accurately and honestly.

    Edited to add that I reached goal before my thyroid levels entered the "normal" range. Synthroid & Cytomel reduce the fatigue, so I can be more active. But I kept gaining until I tightened up my logging. Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.
  • maggie_teacher
    maggie_teacher Posts: 18 Member
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    Editorgrrl, thanks for getting involved. Guys I already feel more motivated. I can't remember when I last had that 'I can' attitude.

    I heard many times that through good eating and a healthy diet you can eliminate symptoms of the disease but I guess it's just my excuse to keep gaining weight.

    I will honestly and truthfully will log EVERYTHING from now on!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    maggie_teacher wrote: »
    I heard many times that through good eating and a healthy diet you can eliminate symptoms of the disease but I guess it's just my excuse to keep gaining weight.

    If your thyroid has been damaged, the only treatment is hormone replacement:
    Synthroid, or
    Synthroid + Cytomel, or
    Armour (desiccated pig or pig + cow thyroid glands)

    Thyroid meds (just like weight loss) takes trial & error to find what works for you.
  • maggie_teacher
    maggie_teacher Posts: 18 Member
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    How do I know if it's been damaged? Seems like my doctor is experimenting too with what works and what doesn't.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    maggie_teacher wrote: »
    How do I know if it's been damaged? Seems like my doctor is experimenting too with what works and what doesn't.

    What is your diagnosis? If it's hypothyroidism, your thyroid isn't producing enough hormones. You need to take thyroid replacement (one of the three options listed above)—just as people with Type 1 diabetes take insulin because their pancreas is damaged.

    If your diagnosis is Hashimoto's, your body is attacking your thyroid with antibodies. Usually, your thyroid responds by not making enough hormones. Sometimes it reacts by overproducing.

    My point is that you can't fix your thyroid with "good eating." Take your meds!
  • tlanquist
    tlanquist Posts: 2 Member
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    mine is Hypothyroidism too and I take levothyroxin 50mg ( or however that's spelled) and now Im gonna be meeting an endo doc to go over my thyroid ultrasound that sounds a bunch of nodules on it and around it. Should of been found yrs ago but I didn't have any health insurance.
  • katyconn123
    katyconn123 Posts: 24 Member
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    Hi I too have hypothyroidism diagnosed 2 yrs ago been on 100 g levothyroxine,and a vitamin b12 defiency been losing weight since end of Feb 10lbs so far bloods done other day doctor called today to say my thyroid has got worse upping my dose to 125m, but I'm determined not to let this beat me anymore, I hoping as the weight comes off my thyroid issues will get better, good luck to you all x

  • maggie_teacher
    maggie_teacher Posts: 18 Member
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    I was diagnosed 12 years ago, Hashimoto's about 3 months ago. I'd been on 25 till then. Had to push my doc really hard to change it to a higher dose. Must say that I feel so much better! Unfortunately my weight seems to be an issue. I've heard and read a lot about Hashimoto's and I honestly and truthfully don't know what to believe in. Lacto free but be mindful with soya products, gluten free as it reduces inflammation. Supplements (zinc, potassium, magnesium) but when you eat healthy do you really need to overdo them?
    Everything seems to be an issue.
    I guess I need to find my way like you Guys have. I'm proud of you, you're doing absolutely fantastic! :smile:
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    It's a pharmacological fact that hypothyroidic conditions do not cause weight gain. They simply change your metabolic rate. So, adjusting your caloric intake to meet your caloric burns having such a condition is paramount. If you want to lose, you've got to measure, especially with such a small loss goal anyway. Surprised I don't see anyone pointing out that expecting a quick loss with your goal is unreasonable even for someone without metabolic issues.

    Either way, the physics still apply. You have to take in less than you burn in order to lose. If a person with normal metabolism should eat 1400 at your height and weight to lose, I think it's perfectly reasonable to suggest that someone with metabolic rate issues to cut to 1200 instead.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    A person with thyroid disease who is on a proper dose of medication does not need to make any additional adjustments to calorie intake to account for "metabolic issues". Their medication already does that.

    Eating too little over a long amount of time does one's metabolism no favors.

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