Does this sound like hypothyroid or am I just looking for excuse?
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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.
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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.
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 -
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.
still needs to be looked at / excluded0 -
Could be hypothyroid, could be something else. Need a doctor to figure it out. Make sure they run a full panel and not just TSH.
I'm always surprised by how different my experience has been than others. I had bigger thyroid issues than most, though. Once all my thyroid stuff got fixed, I began to lose weight. That hadn't been possible before. I lose slowly, but steadily. It's such a huge and happy thing for me!
Losing weight isn't the only thing that improved, though. So many things improved that even if I weren't able to lose weight, I'd still have the surgery all over again.
My eyebrows came back a little. My hair has not. I still hold out teeny-tiny hope there, but in my heart, I know my hair is gone for good. Boo-Hoo, woe is me. That's a vanity issue, though, and doesn't have any effect on my life, which got better. 0 -
I am 26, have a healthy thyroid, and I eat (usually) well. My hair, every 6 months or so, will fall out for no reason. (In BIG chunks leaving bald spots.) I've been told it's Alopecia.
I've had my thyroid checked and everything else. My hair just doesn't like my head for some reason.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.
still needs to be looked at / excluded
not really...as I said she described me 2 years ago...my first thought was no thyroid it was I am over weight and need to get off my lazy *kitten* and lose it before I break...
Logging needs to be brought under control before a doctor is seen.
I too lost hair/eyebrows post child birth..not enough protein will cause it too and looking at the diary it's can be sparse a lot.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.
still needs to be looked at / excluded
not really...as I said she described me 2 years ago...my first thought was no thyroid it was I am over weight and need to get off my lazy *kitten* and lose it before I break...
Logging needs to be brought under control before a doctor is seen.
it's good you're able to diagnose people over the internet.
she needs to have her health looked after, in addition to dealing with whatever goals she's got re 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.
this
not necessarily...hair can thin due to a few reasons like poor nutrition...not just thyroid issues.
still needs to be looked at / excluded
not really...as I said she described me 2 years ago...my first thought was no thyroid it was I am over weight and need to get off my lazy *kitten* and lose it before I break...
Logging needs to be brought under control before a doctor is seen.
it's good you're able to diagnose people over the internet.
she needs to have her health looked after, in addition to dealing with whatever goals she's got re weight.
The OP said she had blood work done before and it was fine...so why is that the first thing to get checked now?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.
still needs to be looked at / excluded
not really...as I said she described me 2 years ago...my first thought was no thyroid it was I am over weight and need to get off my lazy *kitten* and lose it before I break...
Logging needs to be brought under control before a doctor is seen.
it's good you're able to diagnose people over the internet.
she needs to have her health looked after, in addition to dealing with whatever goals she's got re weight.
The OP said she had blood work done before and it was fine...so why is that the first thing to get checked now?
The standard thyroid test is crap.0 -
Get a hormone panel - relatively cheap and fully covered by nearly all insurance plans. Ensure your TSH is between 0.3 - 3.0 and pay attention to your T4, T3, and RT3 results.
When TSH is overstimulated this may cause an increase in cellular absorption, where people will gain ~10 lbs or so, but this is water weight.
No harm in getting yourself tested as your hormones are constantly changing and competing with one another. Note that when you gain weight this may cause an imbalance by itself.0 -
Losing your eyebrows is a very common indication of some kind of thyroid issue. Please get re-tested..... Hypo-thyroidism is a silent pandemic and many physicians do not understand it - how to diagnose OR how to treat it. Please educate yourself about the tests (TSH is not helpful. You would need T4, T3, Free T4, Free T3, and Reverse T3 and also look into testing your adrenal glands. There are some excellent websites - although some of them can be a little shrill and are biased in favor of certain medications. A good place to start is with the work of Mary Shomon, who has a site called Stop The Thyroid Madness. Please feel free to inbox me. Hope you feel better.0
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Thanks everyone. I totally understand the folks who question the food logging, but I joined MFP years ago and do have a very good grip on logging. Yes a few days have been skipped. However, there are times when I have seriously been too busy to get to logging. Quick add is sometimes required when I can't find the food I"m looking for fast enough (I work FT and don't always have time to look up every item I eat, even though I may know it's calorie content). If days are skipped more likely than not, I'm eating basically the same foods day in/week in and day out/week out.
I'm not against getting a new food scale, and I will admit when I got my first one I was surprised at what I thought I was eating vs what I actually was eating. So I do get why people harp on that. However, even if I add 250 calories to each day that I logged (which I highly doubt I overate that much vs logged EVERY day) I still should be seeing some loss. ANd that is where I am questioning things.
I should have a yearly physical coming up soon anyway, so I'm going to request some additional testing.
I wish I could someone express this in words...my body is not acting the same as it did a few years ago. My weight would have dropped previously following the same regiman I am doing now. So I'm really trying to see if it's just age creeping up on me or something more, and hoping some folks here might recognize this and say:
1. Nope on thyroid..just age catching up to you and you need to decrease calories OR
2. Definitely sounds like exactly what happened to me....get some tests done.0
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