No thyroid - how do I lose weight?

farah_r
farah_r Posts: 1 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

So a few years ago I had my entire thyroid removed. Ever since then I have been piling the pounds on. I am finding it really difficult to lose weight.

Any advice on how to lose weight without a thyroid will be most appreciate.
Thanks
Farah

Replies

  • JakeBrownVB
    JakeBrownVB Posts: 399 Member
    Sucks to have thyroid removed but all that did was lower your TDEE. That simply means you have to consume less calories then you used to. Your body still works no differently to everyone elses.

    Best thing you can do is figure out your maintenance by tracking your nutrition and weighing yourself daily and then go from there.

    Even with a thyroid removed you can still have a really high maintenance that will allow you to eat a lot but you will have to work for it. Harder than most people unfortunately :(

    Best of luck
  • Sean_TheITGuy
    Sean_TheITGuy Posts: 67 Member
    Are you on thyroid replacement medication? Synthroid or Armor or something of the like? If so, you shouldn't notice much difference in your TDEE, as long as your medication is at the proper dose. If your bloodwork shows your T4 and TSH are in low or middle of the "normal" range, work with your doctor to slightly increase the dosage to get it up into the upper normal range.

    I'm extremely hypothyroid. Still have my thyroid, for all the good it does, but my numbers were the lowest my doctor had ever seen. We worked for over a year to find my correct dosage. Blood work every 3 months, upping the synthoid dosage every time. We started at 50ug and I'm now at 250ug, and not entirely sure we're quite there yet. I do notice a LOT more energy over the last few months, but I'm still not just dropping the weight off like I hoped.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    It is also a good idea to follow free T3. Some people have trouble converting and therefore do better on Armour.
  • Petitemalie
    Petitemalie Posts: 2 Member
    Hi.I also do not have a thyroid.I can lose weight but very slowly. If my thyroid blood levels are low,then it is even harder.
    maintaining a good thyroid level (not too low for me).I find I can lose weight.
  • miss_holly01
    miss_holly01 Posts: 19 Member
    I have thyroid problems too. I'd get your levels checked if you are on medication. You can loose weight but it won't be easy. Just keep logging accurately and working out you will get there- you can improve your metabolism via exercise. Muscles use more energy than fat. Even if you don't see dramatic results exercising more and eating better will do you good. Habits take time to develop so don't be too hard on yourself. We all have set backs and there is no quick fix for anyone. We believe in you, you can do it! :)
  • radonskies
    radonskies Posts: 24 Member
    I've had Hashimotos for 20 years and on thyroid replacement meds. I know I CAN lose with thyroid issues, but it's generally very slow (less than a pound a week). I also think moderate exercise is crucial because it helps boost the metabolism.
  • SlimBride2Be
    SlimBride2Be Posts: 315 Member
    I have no thyroid function. I take synthetic T4 and follow LCHF and have very easy weight loss. Don't worry about it!
  • Mediocrates55
    Mediocrates55 Posts: 326 Member
    Post-cancer here, had a hemispherectomy a couple years ago and now the other side is shot. Get your meds sorted first, then it's business as usual. Your rate of loss might be a touch slower but all the rules of science still apply once meds are on level.
  • clarey742015
    clarey742015 Posts: 6 Member
    I have an under active throiyd and on meds,ihave trouble loding weight too and it really gets me down.feel free to add me as im new here and dont know to add people or share my diary lol
  • Hemlon
    Hemlon Posts: 37 Member
    edited May 2015
    If you have thyroid issues, you lose weight the same way everyone else does: Eat less and/or burn more. It's a simple math equation.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    farah_r wrote: »
    Any advice on how to lose weight without a thyroid will be most appreciated.

    I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). I lost way more slowly than most MFPers, so be patient! But I did it just like everybody else—by eating fewer calories 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

    PS. MFP has a Hypothyroidism & Hyperthyroidism group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/753-hypothyroidism-and-hyperthyroidism
  • andeey
    andeey Posts: 709 Member
    I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and then had my thyroid removed completely last November. Ever since, I've been adjusting meds with my Endo to find the right dose. I gained 20 pound post-surgery and am finally losing that again with the most recent adjustment. You just need to keep working on getting the correct dosage for you until you get balanced in the blood work. Keep in mind those blood results are RANGES, so you may feel better/worse than others even if you show "normal" .. for me, my doctor ended up reducing the Synthroid and adding Cytomel because my body wasn't converting to T3 properly. Six weeks on that, and I started to see the scale go down again. That's me. Others work well on Armour. Still others work well on different doses of Synthroid (or other brands).

    Once your meds are in order, then you can just follow the usual routine of tracking food and exercising. Like everyone else said, the loss will (usually) be at a slower rate, that's just the "new normal" you need to get used to and make yourself be patient. It can/will come off, you will just have to work harder at being focused on the goal and make tweaks depending on how your body reacts.

    Best of luck!
  • jac674
    jac674 Posts: 1 Member
    My husband has Hashimoto's and has been on Armour for several years. I wish I'd discovered it earlier, but I would advise anyone with any type of autoimmune or GI condition (celiac, diabetes, thyroid, neurological, etc.) to check into the writings/blogs/podcasts of Dr. Amy Myers of Austin, TX (http://www.amymyersmd.com/). She draws from both her clinical practice and her personal thyroid issues, and describes the ways that traditional medicine fell short in addressing her disease. She recently published a new book called The Autoimmune Solution, which offers a lifestyle protocol that she claims has not only treated, but also even reversed the symptoms of thyroid disease in many of her patients. Weight loss is definitely addressed.

  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    farah_r wrote: »
    Hello,

    So a few years ago I had my entire thyroid removed. Ever since then I have been piling the pounds on. I am finding it really difficult to lose weight.

    Any advice on how to lose weight without a thyroid will be most appreciate.
    Thanks
    Farah

    My friend had her thyroid removed and she has to take medication for the rest of her life. She is able to manage her weight.

    You are on medication, right? Have you spoken with your doctor about adjusting the dose?
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