Hypothyroid & Losing Weight

I'm on 88 mcg of synthroid. I've been able to lose 40 lbs this past year by following MFP. Just log accurately and maintain your deficit and you will lose. Take your synthroid as prescribed and keep your doctor's appointments so they can check your blood to make sure your thyroid level is under control.

I was diagnosed in June and am also on 50 mcg of Levothyroxine.

Per the instructions that came with my medication, I take it 30 to 60 minutes before having my morning coffee or eating anything. Usually it's a lot closer to 30 than 60.

It took about six weeks for it to really kick in. I started feeling quite a bit better after just a couple of weeks (brain fog improved dramatically), but it took six weeks before I started losing weight. Since then I've lost 25 pounds fairly easily, and I can't begin to describe how much better I feel. I'm 53 and honestly feel better than I've ever felt in my life.

Ok. Thanks for this post. I have a question for y'all. I've been on Levo at 125 mcg for the last 6-7 months and my # looks great. The problem is I'm not seeing any of the good side effects that y'all are saying you get. I'm still VERY sluggish and have been having a problem with losing weight. Could a change in meds make a difference there? and not screw up my good #? I hate feeling like this and am sooooo ready to rid myself of this weight. If it's time for a med change, what do you suggest? Thanks in advance!

I've been on 75mcg of generic synthroid for a while and lost 67 pounds using MFP. You shouldn't have any trouble at all as long as you weigh/measure and log your food correctly.

Do keep in mind that dosing is based on multiple factors -- the first one being the person's body weight. A 200 pound person is going to need more thyroid hormone than a 100 pound person. The second factor is age-in general older people need a smaller dosage than younger people. And the third factor is, of course, how that individual responds to a particular dose. But I don't find that it really does much good comparing dosages w/o taking body weight and age into account. FWIW, most sources list the "average" dose as being 1.7 mcg. per kg. of body weight, or 1 mcg. per kg. of body weight for older people. I'm not sure what constitutes "older."

This is valuable information for me. I have nodule on my thyroid and I fear my thyroid may have to come out in less than a year. I have been worried about gaining weight after its removed and I'm on medication.
The nodule isnt cancerous, my thyroid numbers are normal and Im not experiencing any difficulties with the nodule

I have been on Synthroid for over 35 years, (I'm 46 now).
Sometimes it takes a while to get the correct dose, so give it some time. You will be able to lose weight, just make sure that you are eating high quality calories and eat at a deficit. Also try to get some physical exercise daily, it helps combat the fatigue you get when your thyroid is not working properly.

And always take thyroid replacement on an empty stomach, with a full glass of water, wait at least 30-60 minutes before eating, and at least 3 hours before you take any vitamins, supplement, or calcium containing products.

Some people take their medication at bedtime, but most take in the morning, if you take other medications consult your doctor or pharmacist about whether you can take them at the same time as your thyroid replacement.

i have been on Synthroid for about 26 years with a few ups and downs. Generic thyroid medication (I have been told by my doctor) can have a varied dose of actual medication in it, and so the effect can vary. But studies have shown that Synthroid appears to be very consistent. Some people are more sensitive to these variations than others, so it is important to have your blood work done regularly (as your doctor recommends) to make sure your levels are even. Getting too much or too little can have a dramatic impact on how you feel. For your first prescription, your doctor is really giving you his or her best guess at what will work for you, based on a number of considerations, so do not be surprised if your meds have to be adjusted once or twice.

If you google the effects of hypothyroidism, you can see that how many bodily functions can be affected, and how many symptoms can be manifest to indicate that you have a problem in this area, from itchy dry skin to unconsciousness! It is so important to take your meds properly - follow your doctors (or your pharmacists) directions.

In terms of weight loss, once you are on the right doseage, you should have no difficulties in losing weight - good luck!

Total thyroidectomy in 2000 and put on ~60lbs largely due to not being aware of what I was eating and stopping exercising after transitioning from the military to a cushy civilian life. Once I found MFP I started logging my intake and activity and lost the extra weight.

You may need to tweak your intake and logging. Note that it is very difficult to estimate caloric intake, so if the weight is not coming off - check and recheck your logs to make sure you are including everything.

Your TSH should be <2.0. If not and you don't feel well work with your endocrinologist to get this managed and get a full thyroid panel as well. Keep copies of your records and share your MFP data with your physician as well. Docs love objective evidence!

Speaking as someone who manufactures pharmaceuticals there is a difference between generic and branded product. Not always, but there is with Synthroid. This is one of the more complex products to manufacture and I don't react as well to generic. You also need to take this on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I set an alarm for 5am, take the pill, then drink 16oz water about an hour later. Hydration is also key with thyroid disorders, so drink to your thirst.

One last tip - there are tons of people trying to exploit hypothyroidism, so steer clear of any claims of "curing" thyroid disorders.

It will help you and follow your doctors recommended dosage. They will have to test you a few times to get it adjusted correctly and that is slow since it takes a few weeks to get the real accurate reading. Also I would advise you to get a second opinion if you can since doctors vary widely in their test and dosage.
I have graves disease. It is a genetic blood disorder that was triggering my thyroid/metabolism wide open all the time. They did not discover my condition until I was 38 and by then i was shaking uncontrollably and very very weak. (near death) Every muscle in my body was trembling/convulsing including my heart. 3 doctors did not diagnose me correctly because Graves is inherited from family and they didn't test for that. Finally one figured it out and my readings were so high there was no reading. I weighed 125 pounds by then. After they radiated my thyroid twice (killed it with radioactive iodine) I went from Hyper to hypo. I have been on synthroid / levothyroxin ever since then. I prefer the synthroid but the levo is cheaper. Anyway I gained weight slowly but steadily to 268 pounds (now I am learning how to balance my nutrition and calorie intake) I just started Jan 1 but it was not a new years resolution I just feel like a 75 year old and i want to live happy not sickly. I'm only 53 so I decided to learn and change. Here's what I've accomplished and how.
1. I stopped making any excuses and decided that from now on I am 100% in charge of me. (this has been amazingly liberating)
2. I stopped dieting and listening to any advise on the subject. I hear but don't hear if you know what i mean. My father just passed at 93 he was healthy and happy right up until his last month. He was still going dancing at 92 3 nights a week and had girlfriends fighting over him LOL.. He was never heavier that 155 pounds his entire life. He was concerned for my weight gain so he told me this: Never eat more than a handful of any one thing. After breakfast eat very small meals all day every hour or two if possible. He also said I should keep moving no matter what I'm doing just keep moving. Of course back then i didn't do what he said but I am now.
3. I do the math and am learning the numbers for all the foods that I enjoy. I can eat anything as long as it adds up. I have found many of the things i used to eat were simply not worth it. I am shooting for near balance.
4. Since Jan 1,2016 I have already lost 28 pounds starting at 268 i weighed in at 240 this morning.

The last thing I will let you know is that the dosage of synthroid will need to be adjusted as we lose weight. That means tests every month or two as they get it adjusted. I cheat a wee bit here since I have to go every 6 months I will wait until my next appointment (early march) for him to do his regular test he will then see i'm losing weight, talk to me about it and i will have to go back sooner like probably 3 months in that case. Same applies for weight gain. Just personal experience here.
You will be great! I am feeling better than I did in my 30's already and my new saying is "Nothing can possibly taste as good as I feel!"

AnnPT77 wrote: »

FWIW, a data point: My thyroid meds have not (so far) required dosage adjustment despite losing approximately 60 pounds. I was switched to my current dose (175mcg) at about my starting weight of 183, retested June 2015 at about 155 pounds (no material change in TSH from post-adjustment stabilization point), retested again in December 2015 at about 125 pounds (no material change). Perhaps that's just not enough weight to make a difference - though my doctor didn't seem to think a change due to weight loss was expected.

possible difference could be the dosage level and actual causes. In my case they completely killed my thyroid or they told me 98% inactive. I think because the radiation treatment is not an exact science.. they had to do mine twice and it may recover a little as the years go by. My condition would require they stop it from functioning as entirely as possible or remove it surgically. I do not want the scar. Also no two doctors agree 100% and no two people are alike. I would never advise anyone medically on this or any other site/blog. Getting a second opinion is always recommended because of the huge variance in doctors views on treatments. (I had one before that had my levels way too low so I was experiencing symptoms.. that should not have even happened.) I do not think that one was actually doing the tests but they were charging me for them. I changed to a new doctor, did a second opinion even after getting him and both were on the same dosage.... no problems since.

My weight change was from 125 pounds all the way up to around 270 pounds over the last 15 years. Yes they did have to adjust my dosage because of my body mass. about 2 times over the 15 years but i do not remember the weights i was at when they did it however last time was 2 years ago and I was 260 then. I'm not sure if my inactivity came into play but i also slowed down dramatically when I got an inactive desk job. (I used to have a very physical job) so all things are a factor. None of it however was a real excuse for my weight gain. My bad habits did that and I am 100% at fault for not taking control of myself sooner.

I'm on armour thyroid and have been for 6 years. Before that, was on synthroid for 4 years. Yes, it's more difficult with the condition, but the meds will help. Don't let your conditions become your excuses! Moreso than the meds, having a very clean diet, keeping a very positive disposition, and lots of sunlight and exercise are what served me the best.
Also, I'm on a fairly low dose, 45 mg. I can't remember what my dosage was for synthroid. Best to you!

Terri70 wrote: »

Ok. Thanks for this post. I have a question for y'all. I've been on Levo at 125 mcg for the last 6-7 months and my # looks great. The problem is I'm not seeing any of the good side effects that y'all are saying you get. I'm still VERY sluggish and have been having a problem with losing weight. Could a change in meds make a difference there? and not screw up my good #? I hate feeling like this and am sooooo ready to rid myself of this weight. If it's time for a med change, what do you suggest? Thanks in advance!

Hi Terri. I've been on levo for... probably 18 months now. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's and related hypothyroid with my last pregnancy. My ob-gyn started me on it and what a HUGE difference it made for me! However, calorie-cutting and clean eating weren't enough for me to lose more than 1 lb a month (even though I was breastfeeding), which I would immediately gain back with a single cheat meal, no exaggeration.

My endo has me alternate 88 mcg and 75 mcg every other day, and when I told her about my difficulties with weight loss she said my body may not be effectively converting T4 to T3. She added 5 mcg of Cytomel 2x a day and I'm finally – FINALLY – able to lose the weight. I've been losing about 1.5 lbs/week by following a 5:2 intermittent fasting diet. I eat about 1300 calories 5 days a week and 500 calories or less 2 days a week. However, she wouldn't give the Cytomel to me while I was still nursing my baby because it can get into breastmilk and cause crankiness and other hyperthyroid symptoms in baby.

I'm so grateful for the Cytomel, seriously. I've been trying after the birth of our 2nd child 3.5 years ago to lose weight with very little success. This has finally made it possible for me. Good luck!