losing weight on thyroid medication
dhanshaw123
Posts: 4 Member
I need some help...since going on thyroid medication I have gained 10 pounds and put on 4% body fat, lost muscle and even bone mass but no one can help me. I have tried gluten free without change, tried eating more calories adding strength training and cutting out sugar without any change. I feel bloated and it seems to me that my body is swollen and retaining water. Could it be that my medication refuses to allow me to lose this 10 pounds? I don't mind putting in the effort as long as there are some results but I am so disheartened. My concern is not so much the number on the scale but my clothes are tight and my body feels so flabby...I hate it. People without thyroid issues do not understand the struggle so any advice from someone who knows about thyroid issues/medications would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
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Replies
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All the things you have mentioned did not include calorie counting.
read this
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p10 -
I'm afraid I didn't notice any real difference in my ability to lose weight when on meds as opposed to without. I DID find it easier to gain weight before I was ideally treated because I was eating for energy. It was a very short term fix and helped lead to weight gain.
I lost my weight (about 35 lbs) when I was undiagnosed while eating at a caloric deficit (no logging) and following the Eat Clean Diet. I basically cut out almost all processed foods. It took me about 4-5 months.
I eventually regained most of the weight when I started reintroducing baked goods and sugars into my diet.
I began treatment for hypothyroidism with Synthroid. It didn't work well for me. We played with the meds for almost a year trying to get it right. During that time I lost maybe 10 lbs.
When I started natural desiccated thyroid I finally felt better and was able to lose a bit of weight - it's easier for me to lose weight when I feel well.
Then I was on steroids for a year and the weight came back.
I've now lost almost all of it (while eating a LCHF diet at a deficit). Eating lower carbs helped me avoid carb cravings - often a problem for me.
My advice would be to make sure you are optimally treated (with a TSH near a 1 and freeT3 and free T4 in the 50-75% range of the lab's normal range). I found feeling healthy made weight loss an easier task. Good luck.0 -
Nope, I do some form of exercise every single day and count every calorie (been doing this for years) and am always under my calorie goal....the weight is NOT due to eating too much.0
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Perhaps try a new way of eating.
It seems to me that I can lose weight eating very LCHF at a faster rate than a higher carb diet of the same calories. Most wouldn't believe that but it seems to be true for me.0 -
How long have you been on medication? Have you had blood work done yet to see how you're reacting?
Could be several things going on --
Maybe you haven't been taking it long enough for it to start working. It took me about six weeks after I started medication to be able to start losing weight. In those six weeks I was eating 1100-1200 calories a day to maintain. Once the medication kicked in I started losing nicely on that amount.
Or it could be that you need a higher dose. Again, have you had blood work done recently?
Some people need two medications to get optimal results. Synthroid (or one of the generics) for T4 and another medication (Cytomel is one) to help with T3. And for some people the natural thyroid medicine (Armour I think is the name) seems to work better than Synthroid.
You don't mention anything about calorie counting. Thyroid medication isn't a magic bullet. It definitely enabled me to lose weight, but that's all -- it just made it possible. I still had to watch my calorie intake closely just like any other dieter.
I understand the swollen/retaining water/flabby feeling. I knew before I was diagnosed that what I was feeling was different than "just" regular weight gain.0 -
I have been on meds for 4 years now. I gained 6 pounds in the first month after going on the meds,it was Levothyroxin at that time but I am now on armour thyroid. I have been able to maintain the weight I am at now pretty much but I cannot lose the weight I have gained. Calories are not an issue, I hardly ever net anything over 1000 calories after exercise which I do in some form every day. My blood work is perfect but I am on a very low dose. So low I am considering going off the meds and supplementing with natural herbs instead just to see if the meds are the weight issue.0
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dhanshaw123 wrote: »I have been on meds for 4 years now. I gained 6 pounds in the first month after going on the meds,it was Levothyroxin at that time but I am now on armour thyroid. I have been able to maintain the weight I am at now pretty much but I cannot lose the weight I have gained. Calories are not an issue, I hardly ever net anything over 1000 calories after exercise which I do in some form every day. My blood work is perfect but I am on a very low dose. So low I am considering going off the meds and supplementing with natural herbs instead just to see if the meds are the weight issue.
How do you calculate your calorie burns?0 -
The meds are probably not causing weight gain or preventing wieght loss.0
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People who are hyper and start meds often gain weight. They're accustomed to eating lots of calories and staying thin, so getting their thyroid straightened out is a big of a shocker, weight-wise.
People taking Synthroid don't generally have a problem with bloating or gaining weight. Some - like me - get their hypo straightened out and start losing weight like crazy.
If you're bloating with Synthroid, tell the endo at your follow-up or even give them a call.
I don't know much about the Armour. I wouldn't suggest getting off your meds and attempting to treat a thyroid condition with food. You'll end up sicker. But if you must, you must! I wish you luck.0 -
I'm afraid I didn't notice any real difference in my ability to lose weight when on meds as opposed to without. I DID find it easier to gain weight before I was ideally treated because I was eating for energy. It was a very short term fix and helped lead to weight gain.
I lost my weight (about 35 lbs) when I was undiagnosed while eating at a caloric deficit (no logging) and following the Eat Clean Diet. I basically cut out almost all processed foods. It took me about 4-5 months.
I eventually regained most of the weight when I started reintroducing baked goods and sugars into my diet.
I began treatment for hypothyroidism with Synthroid. It didn't work well for me. We played with the meds for almost a year trying to get it right. During that time I lost maybe 10 lbs.
When I started natural desiccated thyroid I finally felt better and was able to lose a bit of weight - it's easier for me to lose weight when I feel well.
Then I was on steroids for a year and the weight came back.
I've now lost almost all of it (while eating a LCHF diet at a deficit). Eating lower carbs helped me avoid carb cravings - often a problem for me.
My advice would be to make sure you are optimally treated (with a TSH near a 1 and freeT3 and free T4 in the 50-75% range of the lab's normal range). I found feeling healthy made weight loss an easier task. Good luck.
I gotta ask @nvmomketo, if you stated you weren't logging when you weren't eating a low carb diet, but then state that you lose weight quicker on the doing low carb compared to when you were "eating for energy". How are you certain you were eating the same amount of calories?0 -
I'm afraid I didn't notice any real difference in my ability to lose weight when on meds as opposed to without. I DID find it easier to gain weight before I was ideally treated because I was eating for energy. It was a very short term fix and helped lead to weight gain.
I lost my weight (about 35 lbs) when I was undiagnosed while eating at a caloric deficit (no logging) and following the Eat Clean Diet. I basically cut out almost all processed foods. It took me about 4-5 months.
I eventually regained most of the weight when I started reintroducing baked goods and sugars into my diet.
I began treatment for hypothyroidism with Synthroid. It didn't work well for me. We played with the meds for almost a year trying to get it right. During that time I lost maybe 10 lbs.
When I started natural desiccated thyroid I finally felt better and was able to lose a bit of weight - it's easier for me to lose weight when I feel well.
Then I was on steroids for a year and the weight came back.
I've now lost almost all of it (while eating a LCHF diet at a deficit). Eating lower carbs helped me avoid carb cravings - often a problem for me.
My advice would be to make sure you are optimally treated (with a TSH near a 1 and freeT3 and free T4 in the 50-75% range of the lab's normal range). I found feeling healthy made weight loss an easier task. Good luck.
I gotta ask @nvmomketo, if you stated you weren't logging when you weren't eating a low carb diet, but then state that you lose weight quicker on the doing low carb compared to when you were "eating for energy". How are you certain you were eating the same amount of calories?
Apologies. I didn't preset that very clearly.
About 5 years ago, while following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet, I did not log. I was not aiming to eat low or lower carb, but in hindsight, it was fairly low carb.
I have been logging over the last 4-5 months, since switching to a very LCHF diet, while I lost 35-40 lbs. I averaged about 1500 calories per day, except in October when I was eating more like 2000-2200+ calories (and I basically stopped losing).
In the past, when I was eating too much and gaining, it was well over 2000 calories per day. I was eating too much, partially for energy, and partially just from bad fod choices.
To lose, I know CI<CO, but I also believe that some foods can affect the CO a small amount. I was losing at least a couple of pounds per week for a few months at 1500 C per day. It didn't seem like quite enough of a deficit to be losing that much considering I was only 20lbs over a normal BMI. I do have IR so that could be a factor in this.0 -
People who are hyper and start meds often gain weight. They're accustomed to eating lots of calories and staying thin, so getting their thyroid straightened out is a big of a shocker, weight-wise.
People taking Synthroid don't generally have a problem with bloating or gaining weight. Some - like me - get their hypo straightened out and start losing weight like crazy.
If you're bloating with Synthroid, tell the endo at your follow-up or even give them a call.
I don't know much about the Armour. I wouldn't suggest getting off your meds and attempting to treat a thyroid condition with food. You'll end up sicker. But if you must, you must! I wish you luck.
Oh, I can hope! (Start losing weight like crazy!)
I'm newly diagnosed hypo, and waiting for my referral appointment with an endocrinologist
Aside from the weight.....boy will it be nice to have my body regulate its temperature properly!
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No more dizzies, pooping without laxatives and stool softeners, softer skin, no more hair falling out, weight loss, ENERGY, and not being freezing cold when I shouldn't be...many benefits to Synthroid for me!juliebowman4 wrote: »People who are hyper and start meds often gain weight. They're accustomed to eating lots of calories and staying thin, so getting their thyroid straightened out is a big of a shocker, weight-wise.
People taking Synthroid don't generally have a problem with bloating or gaining weight. Some - like me - get their hypo straightened out and start losing weight like crazy.
If you're bloating with Synthroid, tell the endo at your follow-up or even give them a call.
I don't know much about the Armour. I wouldn't suggest getting off your meds and attempting to treat a thyroid condition with food. You'll end up sicker. But if you must, you must! I wish you luck.
Oh, I can hope! (Start losing weight like crazy!)
I'm newly diagnosed hypo, and waiting for my referral appointment with an endocrinologist
Aside from the weight.....boy will it be nice to have my body regulate its temperature properly!
It takes some time to happen, though. The pooping started pretty quick, but the energy took a lot longer. I still don't like the cold and get colder than others.
I'm Synthroid's biggest fan.
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I read this the other day in Galatians 3 How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God’s Spirit started in you? 4 Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? 5 God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. I am going to give this health problem over to the only one who can save me. I cannot wait to tell you all how God worked a miracle in me! God bless you all.0
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Levothyroxine helps weight loss, does not prevent it.
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Levothyroxine helps weight loss, does not prevent it.
Worth repeating.
Once the thyroid is normalized, weight loss works like it does for anyone.
Unless you are accurately assessing your intake with a food scale, your calorie counting is likely to be way off.
For all your asserting that it's not calories, inaccurate logging is the most likely scenario.
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Oh my. I never read anything like that in Galations. Do you have some kind of modern, souped up, version?
A miracle is not what you need, what you need is to manage your health yourself. People waiting for a god to step in and fix their minor issues are really just writing off their need to try.
#blessedandconfused
#WTF
#CICO0 -
No more dizzies, pooping without laxatives and stool softeners, softer skin, no more hair falling out, weight loss, ENERGY, and not being freezing cold when I shouldn't be...many benefits to Synthroid for me!juliebowman4 wrote: »People who are hyper and start meds often gain weight. They're accustomed to eating lots of calories and staying thin, so getting their thyroid straightened out is a big of a shocker, weight-wise.
People taking Synthroid don't generally have a problem with bloating or gaining weight. Some - like me - get their hypo straightened out and start losing weight like crazy.
If you're bloating with Synthroid, tell the endo at your follow-up or even give them a call.
I don't know much about the Armour. I wouldn't suggest getting off your meds and attempting to treat a thyroid condition with food. You'll end up sicker. But if you must, you must! I wish you luck.
Oh, I can hope! (Start losing weight like crazy!)
I'm newly diagnosed hypo, and waiting for my referral appointment with an endocrinologist
Aside from the weight.....boy will it be nice to have my body regulate its temperature properly!
It takes some time to happen, though. The pooping started pretty quick, but the energy took a lot longer. I still don't like the cold and get colder than others.
I'm Synthroid's biggest fan.
I haven't really had the poop issues.....I attribute it to actually liking bran, veggies and lots of fluids.
But the skin issues.....oh goodness.....patches of super dry, flaky skin! Decent lotions help for a half a day at most.
My family is forever finding hair in food I've prepared (gross). When I remember, I wear a ballcap while cooking to prevent the subsequent gagging at the dinner table.
And the hair in the shower drain?! I could fashion a large dog out of it.
The low energy makes exercise very difficult.....so if I want to lose weight (or at least not gain!) I have to watch my caloric intake very carefully (thank goodness for MFP). 1200cal is it....unless I can get some exercise in and eat back some.
Sigh.
Still waiting for my endocrinologist referral. While we have 'free' healthcare in Canada, specialist appointments are sometimes slow in coming...
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dhanshaw123 wrote: »I read this the other day in Galatians 3 How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God’s Spirit started in you? 4 Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? 5 God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. I am going to give this health problem over to the only one who can save me. I cannot wait to tell you all how God worked a miracle in me! God bless you all.
Bless your heart!0 -
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Oh my. I never read anything like that in Galations. Do you have some kind of modern, souped up, version?
A miracle is not what you need, what you need is to manage your health yourself. People waiting for a god to step in and fix their minor issues are really just writing off their need to try.
#blessedandconfused
#WTF
#CICO
That could be from The Message, it's a modern paraphrase.0 -
I've lost almost 75 pounds since getting on armour. But it was more so my lifestyle change (started around the same time since I finally had energy) than the meds itself. Has your doctor checked your T3 and T4?0
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This isn't meant to be rude. Unless you are under 80lbs, it's unlikely that eating 1000 calories net will let you GAIN weight. Thyroid medications will not affect weight loss in an of themselves, nor will thyroid conditions directly affect your weight. Even with a wrecked thyroid, your weight loss or gain is a direct function of how much you burn vs how much you eat. The reason thyroid and weight issues go hand in hand is that with a low thyroid hormone level, you want to move less and eat more.
You are eating too many calories if you are gaining weight. Either you are not gaining fat, and are just retaining water (likely due to sodium intake, but possibly also other medication related) or you are underestimating what you're eating, likely by a factor of at least 2.
I know that I run 3-4km a day, eat mindfully, and can still net 2000 calories a day when I faithfully weigh and log. Heck, three cookies at Subway are darn near netting 1000 calories.0 -
My guess is that you are undermedicated if you are not losing on a deficit and you are 100% sure your logging is accurate. It can take a long time to get medication right (it took a year for me), oedema is not unusual when newly diagnosed or undermedicated which can explain why you feel you're retaining water. I can definitely be done I have lost 27.5kg so far with calorie counting and having hypothyroidism, it hasn't slowed down a lot either (I'm about 7kg from my goal weight) and don't follow any elimination diet,I'm just not willing to give up bread, dairy or anything else.
Also please don't stop your medication this isn't a disorder you can solve with diet, the medication replaces what your body no longer can produce.0 -
I hope it's soon!juliebowman4 wrote: »
No more dizzies, pooping without laxatives and stool softeners, softer skin, no more hair falling out, weight loss, ENERGY, and not being freezing cold when I shouldn't be...many benefits to Synthroid for me!juliebowman4 wrote: »People who are hyper and start meds often gain weight. They're accustomed to eating lots of calories and staying thin, so getting their thyroid straightened out is a big of a shocker, weight-wise.
People taking Synthroid don't generally have a problem with bloating or gaining weight. Some - like me - get their hypo straightened out and start losing weight like crazy.
If you're bloating with Synthroid, tell the endo at your follow-up or even give them a call.
I don't know much about the Armour. I wouldn't suggest getting off your meds and attempting to treat a thyroid condition with food. You'll end up sicker. But if you must, you must! I wish you luck.
Oh, I can hope! (Start losing weight like crazy!)
I'm newly diagnosed hypo, and waiting for my referral appointment with an endocrinologist
Aside from the weight.....boy will it be nice to have my body regulate its temperature properly!
It takes some time to happen, though. The pooping started pretty quick, but the energy took a lot longer. I still don't like the cold and get colder than others.
I'm Synthroid's biggest fan.
I haven't really had the poop issues.....I attribute it to actually liking bran, veggies and lots of fluids.
But the skin issues.....oh goodness.....patches of super dry, flaky skin! Decent lotions help for a half a day at most.
My family is forever finding hair in food I've prepared (gross). When I remember, I wear a ballcap while cooking to prevent the subsequent gagging at the dinner table.
And the hair in the shower drain?! I could fashion a large dog out of it.
The low energy makes exercise very difficult.....so if I want to lose weight (or at least not gain!) I have to watch my caloric intake very carefully (thank goodness for MFP). 1200cal is it....unless I can get some exercise in and eat back some.
Sigh.
Still waiting for my endocrinologist referral. While we have 'free' healthcare in Canada, specialist appointments are sometimes slow in coming...
I was lucky (or unlucky) enough to have major problems (I could hardly breathe anymore) by the time I got a doctor who tested me properly, so from diagnosis to surgery was like two weeks. It was two weeks of seeing a bunch of doctors and having a bunch of tests, but it was quick.
That surgery and those pills changed my life. In the best way.
Even after you start the meds, you may end up playing around with it. Mine is always getting changed. If I have to go up again, I'll need two pills. But I feel better and it's a wonderful drug, IMO.
I hope that works out for you the way you think it will. I'd still encourage you to see a doctor, but it wish you luck with prayer.dhanshaw123 wrote: »I read this the other day in Galatians 3 How can you be so stupid? Do you think that by yourself you can complete what God’s Spirit started in you? 4 Have you gone through all of this for nothing? Is it all really for nothing? 5 God gives you his Spirit and works miracles in you. I am going to give this health problem over to the only one who can save me. I cannot wait to tell you all how God worked a miracle in me! God bless you all.
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