Hypothyroidism....???

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Hi I'm Rachel,

I'm new to MFP and have hypothyroidism. I need to lose about 100 lbs and with my thyroid being out of whack my weight just seems to constantly go up and down. Anyone else have thyroid issues? What works for you for weight loss? What keeps you motivated?

Replies

  • Bhlinebee
    Bhlinebee Posts: 71 Member
    edited December 2015
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    I have hypo too, when I'm not medicated correctly I don't lose regardless of CICO when I am medicated correctly I drop according to the effort I put in. I've lost about 20 pounds this year; slow and steady wins the race and I'm ok with that. People on here can disagree with that being hypo doesn't matter, but every human is different. As you might be too, so take it with a grain of salt. :)

    My motivation: my son. I want to run and play and see him grow.

    I will say this, go into it as a long term plan not a diet. Change for your health and be mindful - I eat 1700 to 1800 cals a day, excercise is usually walking 10,000 steps or jogging 4 miles and I don't eat back calories (usually). Small changes made the payoff for me - I watch how many calories I drink, watch my sugar (pre diabetic), lots of fruit/veg alongside my smaller portion of lasagna (LOL)...

    If you feel that following a certain diet will help you kick start, go for it but at the end of the day just track and be honest ( some find a scale helpful). What do you have to lose...
  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
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    Are you on medication? If so, and if it's well regulated, then your thyroid should be in normal range (not out of whack) and you should be able to lose like anyone else.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,382 Member
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    I'm hypo, well-medicated, and have lost 54 pounds since mid-April of this year. (I'm also *much* older than you, and menopausal, two other factors that some cite as bugaboos for weight loss.)

    In my experience, the MFP process - CICO - works. Log meticulously and consistently, set attainable goals (not unsustainably or unhealthfully aggressive), eat at the calorie deficit recommended, and just stick with it. The "stickies" (permanent posts at the top of forum categories) are *extremely* helpful, especially those in the "Getting Started" and "General Weight Loss" categories.

    Like Bhlinebee, I recommend thinking for the long term, rather than faddish quick-fix diets as an eating plan. If you track what you eat, and make adjustments where you feel you can make cuts while still feeling satiated rather than deprived, you'll be learning along the way about how to change your eating permanently to stay healthy. If you do more exotic eating plans, i.e., things you wouldn't want to do forever, you lose the benefit of that learning.

    As someone with hypothyroidism, its possible that you'll find yourself not quite losing on a calorie level MFP recommends. If that turns out to be true, make sure you're logging very accurately (i.e., weigh your food when possible - it's not hard or time consuming once you learn the efficient methods (they're in the "stickies")). If you're accurate but haven't lost after 2-3 weeks, then cut 50 or 100 more calories a day for a couple of weeks, and see if your body responds. You'll probably find the right level for you within a short period. If you have to go way, way lower than MFP suggests, then see your doctor.

    If you commit to this, you can do it and lose weight.

    What keeps me motivated is that I finally got *fed up* with health problems that would've been way less likely if I weren't fat. (If you want specifics, click on my ID & read my profile.) Now I'm nearly at goal weight, my cholesterol and blood pressure are solidly in the healthy ranges, my bad knee barely hurts anymore, so I think it has been worth it. Maintaining the weight will be my new challenge, but I'm feeling up to it.

    You're young enough that if you get a handle on weight & health now, you can probably avoid some of the bad health consequences that my stupidity got me into over the years. I wish you well with it!
  • mzkvg
    mzkvg Posts: 5 Member
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    I have hypo also. Per my doctor until you get your numbers in range it is harder to loose the weight. I got mine in range using levothyroxine 125 mg daily at the same time. No dairy products within 4 hours of taking med. It's a life style change not a diet. I google foods to stay away from and i don't stay away from them i just have them in moderation. One thing i learned was to only eat broccoli cooked. It's best to wait at least an hour before taking other medicines. I just did alot of research. Overall i just increased my protein and veggies. Don't drink my calories. I give myself a cheat day until i can change to only cheat meal. Hope this helps a little.
  • Rlaspada
    Rlaspada Posts: 6 Member
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    Pawsforme wrote: »
    Are you on medication? If so, and if it's well regulated, then your thyroid should be in normal range (not out of whack) and you should be able to lose like anyone else.

    I should have clarified...I've been hypo for 3 years , recently my levels changed up again (not the first time) . I have been taking levothyrixine since I was diagnosed. I had my dosage upped two months ago and actually get bloodwork tomorrow to check my levels again, however, I have a feeling they're still high.

  • Rlaspada
    Rlaspada Posts: 6 Member
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    mzkvg wrote: »
    I have hypo also. Per my doctor until you get your numbers in range it is harder to loose the weight. I got mine in range using levothyroxine 125 mg daily at the same time. No dairy products within 4 hours of taking med. It's a life style change not a diet. I google foods to stay away from and i don't stay away from them i just have them in moderation. One thing i learned was to only eat broccoli cooked. It's best to wait at least an hour before taking other medicines. I just did alot of research. Overall i just increased my protein and veggies. Don't drink my calories. I give myself a cheat day until i can change to only cheat meal. Hope this helps a little.

    I'm on levothyroxine 88mcg a day but I think it will be going up. I get checked again tomorrow so we shall see. I just read about the broccoli and kale needing to be cooked as well :-) it made me sad because those are two of my favorites to have raw lol. I may try boosting protein and veggies though. Too many carbs make me feel ten times worse.
  • Rlaspada
    Rlaspada Posts: 6 Member
    edited December 2015
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    Thank you all for the responses. Great advice from all of you! Here's to losing B)
  • tiffkittyw
    tiffkittyw Posts: 366 Member
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    I was just diagnosed as hypothyroid in October and prescribed 50 mcg of levothyroxizine. My lab work was done in August (it took 2 months to get an appointment with the doctor). I began MFP on August 30 and had already lost 10 lbs by the time I started medication by eating 1,000 to 1,300 calories 6 days a week and then 2,400 one day a week and getting 10,000+ steps a day with weight lifting 3 days a week. I also try to carb cycle with less than 50 net carbs on low carb days and less than 100 net carbs on high carb days with the one refeed day a week. I'm down 21 lbs with 23 lbs to go.