Does this sound like hypothyroid or am I just looking for excuse?
cmbx2mom
Posts: 56 Member
So I've been having a very hard time recently with losing weight. Just a bit of background:
I'm 40 year old female, 5'7" and currently ~180 lbs.
Have been doing crossfit 3-5 times a week for about 1.5 years
Before kids, never had a problem with weight, but was VERY active
Some current symptoms: Fatigue, trouble falling and staying asleep, very dry skin, weight gain, and my outer eyebrows are almost gone
The last 10 years or so (after 1st kid) I've yo-yo'ed with my weight but nothing too extreme (+/- 10 pounds or so)
The last few years I've been struggling with being a little heavier and having a harder time losing weight (I use "weight" here but I don't always go by scale weight, it's how my clothes fit/measurements)
I did a paleo challenge(8 weeks) last fall and lost a few pounds(5ish, but also lost strength). I was VERY strict. As soon as challenge was over I started adding some carbs back in diet and had regained that weight within 3 weeks. Decided to try Eat To Perform (increase calories) at beginning of year to "reset" metabolism and quickly gained about 10 pounds (I stopped the scale because I was too depressed). I couldn't fit into my clothes so I stopped after ~2 months as it was not working.
I then tried IF followed by lowering calories and increasing exercise and had almost no results. About 4 weeks ago I dug out my Fitbit and really focused on on counting calories and increasing exercise. I got on the scale this morning and am 1 pound heavier than 25 days ago (and today is not an anomally). According to fitbit I should be down almost 6 lbs. My more conservative calculations say down about 3 pounds.
I do not eat perfect. I have dark chocolate almonds almost daily. Ice cream is allowed. I do try to limit my grains/gluten. But overall I try to eat "decent". I'm trying to decide if I just need to eat perfectly clean to finally see wight loss, or if I might have a thyroid issue that is making this harder than it should be. I had a TSH test done a couple years ago and was told it was normal. I don't want to sound like someone who is looking for excuses for weight loss with a thyroid issue. Just want make sure if I ask Dr for additional testing I"m not fooling myself.....
I'm 40 year old female, 5'7" and currently ~180 lbs.
Have been doing crossfit 3-5 times a week for about 1.5 years
Before kids, never had a problem with weight, but was VERY active
Some current symptoms: Fatigue, trouble falling and staying asleep, very dry skin, weight gain, and my outer eyebrows are almost gone
The last 10 years or so (after 1st kid) I've yo-yo'ed with my weight but nothing too extreme (+/- 10 pounds or so)
The last few years I've been struggling with being a little heavier and having a harder time losing weight (I use "weight" here but I don't always go by scale weight, it's how my clothes fit/measurements)
I did a paleo challenge(8 weeks) last fall and lost a few pounds(5ish, but also lost strength). I was VERY strict. As soon as challenge was over I started adding some carbs back in diet and had regained that weight within 3 weeks. Decided to try Eat To Perform (increase calories) at beginning of year to "reset" metabolism and quickly gained about 10 pounds (I stopped the scale because I was too depressed). I couldn't fit into my clothes so I stopped after ~2 months as it was not working.
I then tried IF followed by lowering calories and increasing exercise and had almost no results. About 4 weeks ago I dug out my Fitbit and really focused on on counting calories and increasing exercise. I got on the scale this morning and am 1 pound heavier than 25 days ago (and today is not an anomally). According to fitbit I should be down almost 6 lbs. My more conservative calculations say down about 3 pounds.
I do not eat perfect. I have dark chocolate almonds almost daily. Ice cream is allowed. I do try to limit my grains/gluten. But overall I try to eat "decent". I'm trying to decide if I just need to eat perfectly clean to finally see wight loss, or if I might have a thyroid issue that is making this harder than it should be. I had a TSH test done a couple years ago and was told it was normal. I don't want to sound like someone who is looking for excuses for weight loss with a thyroid issue. Just want make sure if I ask Dr for additional testing I"m not fooling myself.....
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Replies
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That was me two years ago...
seriously.
I bought a food scale, logged accurately and consistently and stayed in goal and hit maintenance last summer...145lbs...I eat chocolate, drink, ice cream, deep fried stuff...as long as it fits in my goal.
Exercise is for fitness not weight loss.
Do you log? use a food scale?0 -
Get tested. Hair doesn't thin for no reason. Get the TSH, free T3 and free T4 (both free's should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal limit - for most people).
Good luck.0 -
I'd normally say you're making excuses (and you may be) but since you have other symptoms (the hair loss stood out to me specifically), it might be worth checking out. You're 40 years old, so many of those symptoms could be hormone related. I would definitely make sure you're logging accurately and staying in a deficit, but a trip to your doctor is not out of the question. Won't hurt anything to get it checked out.0
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I've been logging fairly consistently the past month. I had a food scale but it broke. I used it for a long time so I have a good idea of my portion sizes. I mention exercise specifically as I hear all the time about increasing muscle mass to up metabolism. I have a lot of muscle mass (I lift pretty heavy) but I also have a fair amount of belly fat.0
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They are most likely hormone related, but I would go to a Dr. to be sure. Hair loss can start happening before menopause.0
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What is your calorie goal (before exercise)?0
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What sezxystef said.... Do you log? Do you use a food scale? You don't have to eat paleo or IF (unless you totally want to) to lose weight. You do HAVE to eat less than you burn, you have to create a deficit. You also have to be consistent and accurate with your method. You don't do it for a week or two and then decide "Oh this isn't working fast enough" and then jump onto another method.0
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Forgot to mention that my knees had been bothering me and I had cortisone injection in each knee back in February. Dr assured me no impact to weight, but I'm wondering if that is also playing a part....0
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During those 25 days did you weigh your food using a digital scale, use measuring cups/spoons only when that was impossible, or estimate really well when even that was impossible?
A lot of your working about tracking your diet is wishy washy/vague. You counted calories. But did you actually use the proper tools to be sure you were assigning correct calorie counts? You eat "decent." What does that mean? You weigh yourself but not with a scale. See what I mean? There's no way to tell what is going on with you without actually using concrete means to assess what you're doing. Just like there's no way for us to diagnose you with hypothyroid issues since we are not doctors who can do the proper tests.0 -
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I lift heavy but also have alot of belly fat. I eat too much. When I really watch what I eat, I know I can lose. I am also in my 40's.
Fact of life. Exercise does not negate a chitty diet. Heavy weights will reshape the muscles and help your metabolism but it is not the holy grail.
Get control of your intake.
Regarding the thyroid, have it checked out but that alone does not account for retention of weight.0 -
nvsmomketo wrote: »Get tested. Hair doesn't thin for no reason. Get the TSH, free T3 and free T4 (both free's should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal limit - for most people).
Good luck.
2 years is a long time. To put your mind at ease I would get these number^ checked. can't hurt. All you lose is a little time and money (well spent). I started symptoms in my late 30's.
Once you find out then you can move on confident in what steps you are taking in weight loss. jmo0 -
I started peri-menopausal symptoms in my early 40's. It could be that...hormonal changes can affect weight loss/gain. But I would get checked too. Thyroid issues run in my family and I have been tested every so often. I've never had an issue until recently, it's low, but not low enough to worry about just low enough to watch. According to my doctor our thyroid can often change during menopause.
So right now it just makes losing weight more difficult....but NOT impossible.
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I'm 40 year old female, 5'7" and currently ~180 lbs.
Some current symptoms: Fatigue, trouble falling and staying asleep, very dry skin, weight gain, and my outer eyebrows are almost gone.
About 4 weeks ago I dug out my Fitbit and really focused on on counting calories and increasing exercise. According to fitbit I should be down almost 6 lbs. My more conservative calculations say down about 3 pounds.
I'm in my 40s and have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). The only way to be diagnosed is a blood test. Thyroid meds reduce the fatigue so I can be more active, but they had zero effect on my weight. Logging accurately & honestly did—I lost the weight & have maintained for a year thanks to MFP + Fitbit.
You're doing better than you think. A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight. Undereating will not get you to goal any more quickly. The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works.
And weight loss is not linear. Some weeks you do everything right but maintain—or even gain. Others you lose a whole lot in a "whoosh." All that matters is a downward trend.0 -
Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit
Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided
Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. No need to log any step-based activity—your Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both.
You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users0 -
There are a couple of groups on MFP with loads of information. Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism is one group. The other is Hypothyroidism & Hard At Work. Hope this helps.
I started on Synthroid at your age.
Also the if you are border line on your 'levels' from your blood work, these numbers are subjective and one doctor may not agree with another doctor's opinion.0 -
What I said was that while I do weigh myself on a scale I also take into consideration how my body looks as I believe that the scale is not the end all. I stopped weighing myself during my metabolism "rest" stage because it was too depressing.
When I say "decent", I mean that I am not 100% clean. I do have cheats, but I try to focus on mostly eating meats, nuts, fruits and veggies along with protein powder. I do allow some treats such as ice cream and almost daily dark chocolate almonds.
When I lost during the paleo challenge my calorie intake was low (~1200-1500 calories daily). I was starving even though I was eating nutritional food. I just couldn't deal with eating any more meat or veggies during the day so I would just stop eating. This calorie deficit resulted in the ~5 pound weight loss in 8 weeks. However I believe that loss was also muscle as I was weaker at the end of the challenge.0 -
I've been logging fairly consistently the past month. I had a food scale but it broke. I used it for a long time so I have a good idea of my portion sizes. I mention exercise specifically as I hear all the time about increasing muscle mass to up metabolism. I have a lot of muscle mass (I lift pretty heavy) but I also have a fair amount of belly fat.
Buy a new food scale - use it religiously for a month, if nothing changes then go to the Dr.0 -
My fitbit is connected to my MFP account. I have set my calories in MFP according to sedentary (1630 for 0.5 lb loss per week). I allow fitbit to use the steps to add in my exercise calories but do not only use that info determining my calorie intake. Some workouts don't register well, and I think some steps are over calculated. Instead I look at my exercise during the day (did I take a long walk at lunch, Crossfit- and what level of exertion etc?). My general goal is to average about 1800 calories a day. Typically on the higher side on workout days and lower on rest days.0
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Have been doing crossfit 3-5 times a week for about 1.5 years.
Before I was finally diagnosed and treated (Drs were reluctant because my bloods were just about still in range) I would sometimes sit down for a rest on the stairs because I didn't have enough energy to get all the way up or down in one go. Now I'm treated I always run up the stairs (why walk when you can run?). The fact that you can still do crossfit 3 x weekly makes me think it's unlikely that it's thyroid which is preventing weight loss.
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You could always have your thyroid checked out, they're just a simple blood test anyway but before I was diagnosed I had memory impairment, fatigue, sleepy alot, brain felt foggy like a barrier between me and the world, mood swings, amongst other things. Those were the main ones. If you're not feeling extreme fatigue its probably not thyroid issues but no harm in checking! Good luck
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The symptoms that are a hallmark of thyroid issues can often have other sources as well. Your best option is to talk to your primary care provider and they will likely have some lab work done to confirm or rule out an issue with your thyroid.
For what it's worth, I had fatigue issues for a long time and never thought to mention it until my hair started falling out, too - I was diagnosed as having hypothyroidism and have been on medication for 2 or 3 years now.0 -
Could be thyroid, could be start of menopause (yes it's possible at that age), could be excuses, could be a combination of all. That being said, I have half a thyroid (cancer) and went through menopause at the age of 26 (premature ovarian failure) and still managed to lose weight even though my hormones are about as crazy as you can get. It may be more of a challenge, but it is possible.
I suggest getting bloodwork done for peace of mind and move on from there.0 -
So I've been having a very hard time recently with losing weight. Just a bit of background:
I'm 40 year old female, 5'7" and currently ~180 lbs.
Have been doing crossfit 3-5 times a week for about 1.5 years
Before kids, never had a problem with weight, but was VERY active
Some current symptoms: Fatigue, trouble falling and staying asleep, very dry skin, weight gain, and my outer eyebrows are almost gone
The last 10 years or so (after 1st kid) I've yo-yo'ed with my weight but nothing too extreme (+/- 10 pounds or so)
The last few years I've been struggling with being a little heavier and having a harder time losing weight (I use "weight" here but I don't always go by scale weight, it's how my clothes fit/measurements)
I did a paleo challenge(8 weeks) last fall and lost a few pounds(5ish, but also lost strength). I was VERY strict. As soon as challenge was over I started adding some carbs back in diet and had regained that weight within 3 weeks. Decided to try Eat To Perform (increase calories) at beginning of year to "reset" metabolism and quickly gained about 10 pounds (I stopped the scale because I was too depressed). I couldn't fit into my clothes so I stopped after ~2 months as it was not working.
I then tried IF followed by lowering calories and increasing exercise and had almost no results. About 4 weeks ago I dug out my Fitbit and really focused on on counting calories and increasing exercise. I got on the scale this morning and am 1 pound heavier than 25 days ago (and today is not an anomally). According to fitbit I should be down almost 6 lbs. My more conservative calculations say down about 3 pounds.
I do not eat perfect. I have dark chocolate almonds almost daily. Ice cream is allowed. I do try to limit my grains/gluten. But overall I try to eat "decent". I'm trying to decide if I just need to eat perfectly clean to finally see wight loss, or if I might have a thyroid issue that is making this harder than it should be. I had a TSH test done a couple years ago and was told it was normal. I don't want to sound like someone who is looking for excuses for weight loss with a thyroid issue. Just want make sure if I ask Dr for additional testing I"m not fooling myself.....
If you have serious concerns about your thyroid you need to see a specialist and have a thyroid panel done. Possibly more than once. Jumping from one difficult to sustain food regimen to another will not help you lose weight and will do nothing for your thyroid.
I had thyroid cancer ( and hypothyroidism before that ) and now am on a correct dose of a couple of thyroid m3ds and have over the last 2 years lost 65 pounds ( I am almost 70 now, which is not an easy age to lose weight ) by eating a varied, healthy food that I weigh , measure and then log accurately.
Only about 3% of the people who at any time are trying to lose weight actually have gained more than about five pounds through endocrynological problems alone. The rest ( like I ) gain, because they expect to gain and then just eat more. In other words we give up, or don't even seriously start. I did a lot of self pity eating, because I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer as well as active systemic Lupus within month and thought I was in my right to over eat each day.
I would suggest for you to get a scale and weigh everything and log faithfully. I would for a few weeks not worry about the quantities, because just seeing how many calories you ingest will show you where to tweak your plan.
As long as you don't really weigh and measure your food, there is nothing to go by and when making decisions re: your diet or the amounts of food to eat, you might as well just flip a coin.
And of course I would check out my thyroid ( taking also into consideration that thyroid panels are famous for their false negatives....meaning they say you are ok, while in reality you are not ).
I just would like to point out, that even if maybe you have thyroid problems and get meds for them things are not going to get easier. It's just better once you know, because you can chose your options more wisely. But right now I would not yet worry about that. Try to figure out if your thyroid is ok, or not and take it step by step from there.
Good Luck !
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It doesn't sound like you're making any excuses to me, but rather searching for answers. I have not been able to loose weight the "easy way" since I was in my 20's; I'm now 48. I'm only 5'1" and even when I was 22 & weighed 104, I was only able to do that by exercising every day and eating clean. I can gain 45 lbs in a matter of months just by not exercising. After a very difficult pregnancy and having my daughter in 1999, I gained a ton of weight and ended up at my highest 216. In 2004, I started walking on a treadmill four hours a day (no exaggeration; I'd do it before work and then after my daughter went to bed); I dropped to 140. I did that for a year and never lost any more weight, but I ended up gaining it back by 2006. Lost it again in 2007, but gained it back by 2011 & was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I was determined not to let it get me down, even though there are nights I am lucky to sleep a few hours and I have extreme pain in my limbs. In January 2012, I started using MFP, bought an HRM, a food scale, changed all my eating habits, took up running, zumba, started using weights and lost 65 lbs in a eight months, ran my two 5Ks, did a 13 mile trail hike, and then I got bursitis in my hip and nothing helped except not doing anything. I ended up gaining 45 lbs back within 15 months. I should add that over all the years I have had my thyroid checked I can't tell you how many times along with every other bit of blood work there is. I've also seen a nutritionist. Even when I couldn't exercise, I would log my food and for the most part was careful about what I ate and I don't believe in getting rid of everything that makes me happy; I do believe in moderation. The only thing that works for me when it comes to losing weight is to exercise faithfully 4-5 days a week. I also see my doctor every three-six months & he is amazed at how easily I can gain weight. I wish you luck finding out what's going on and in reaching your goals.0
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So based on what I've read in your responses and looking at your diary....
you are eating more than you think.
You mentioned no food scale but feel you can guesstimate pretty good...but...when you aren't losing chances are you aren't good at guesstimating.
I looked at your diary...no food scale of course (mentioned prior) quick adds, very low protein levels, lack of logging on days etc.
Regardless of having issues with thyroid or not logging is key to weight loss and to be quite frank yours won't cut it if you want to lose.
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Food diary is loaded with dubious entries. Measuring out rice by the cup is like living in a state of mortal (dieting) sin.
Fix your obvious first, before reaching for "disease" explanations.0 -
nvsmomketo wrote: »Get tested. Hair doesn't thin for no reason. Get the TSH, free T3 and free T4 (both free's should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal limit - for most people).
Good luck.
this0 -
Food diary is loaded with dubious entries. Measuring out rice by the cup is like living in a state of mortal (dieting) sin.
Fix your obvious first, before reaching for "disease" explanations.
yeah address any food issues, but get a good workup as well. LOTS of women have thyroid issues that show up at your age, and if it is perimenopause, you'll want to get a grip on that early.0 -
nvsmomketo wrote: »Get tested. Hair doesn't thin for no reason. Get the TSH, free T3 and free T4 (both free's should be in the 50-75% range of your lab's normal limit - for most people).
Good luck.
this
not necessarily...hair can thin due to a few reasons like poor nutrition...not just thyroid issues.0
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