Anyone have thyroid problems and still losing?

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getnfitn2011
getnfitn2011 Posts: 77
in Motivation and Support
Hey all,
Well I have been trying to really stick to my plan (minus one day that was just a blurr of one wrong choice after another) logging everything (even when it was just plain embarassing) working out six days a week, drinking all my water everyday still I see no change in numbers. I am really scared that I might have a thyroid problem like my mom (hypo which means slow or innactive which means its easy to gain and really hard to lose) I am the only one in my house that has no medical insurance because it is just a crazy expense to add me to my husband's plan so I have no access to a Dr. or treatmeant. The reason I think that it may be a thyroid issue is because when i was pregnant three years ago they said my thyroid was getting pretty close to innactive but not enough to put me on meds at that time. So as I sit here trying to get pumped up to work out again I keep thinking is all for nothing? Last week I was on my game, did everything right and ended up gaining three to four pounds!I know working out and eating healthy is never going to be harmful or unproductive. But I have forty to fifty pounds to lose so the idea of just stayin put weight wise because of something I have no control over is really quite defeating. Is there anyone that has an innactive thyroid and still managed to lose weight? If so I would just LOVE to hear your story!!! Thank you in advance!
MIsty

Replies

  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
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    I have inactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and I lose not as fast as I like but I guess Im doing pretty good, Good Luck it can be hard but not impossible between my 2nd and 3rd child I lost 65 lbs in about 7 months it has been slower this time around though but that could be because I just turned 30 and I was 25 before plus I was going to the gym at least 3x a week then and I dont get to go as often now.
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
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    Have you been measuring? Try sticking to the plan, no cheat days, for a month. Measure and weigh today. Do it again in a month.
  • ChristyP0303
    ChristyP0303 Posts: 212 Member
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    I was diagnoised with hypothyroidism when I was 15...I'm now 30. I've been on meds on and off every since. I did go through a period where I just refused to take them. I hate pills! I lost 20 pound last year and kind of got off track for a while. Then in March this year I started again. I have lost 30 more pounds since then. I have lost 50 pounds to date....but it has been so slow lately. The last month I have only lost 5 pounds! Its almost like...whats the point???
  • kappyblu
    kappyblu Posts: 654 Member
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    Where I live, there is a medical clinic where you can get help at low or little cost. I would check to see if there is something like that where you live. Call your local health department, every county has one. They should be able to give you information. If your mother has a thyroid problem, you very well could, too. You will drive yourself nuts until you find out. Please get it checked out so you can at the very least have peace of mind.

    My mother had a thyroid problem for years. My thryoid is still okay according to my doctor, but I have a goiter (it appeared when I was pregnant with my second son in 2002) that won't go away. I am thinking of having it removed. But it has not hindered my weight loss as far as I know. My concern is that the more weight I lose, the more pronounced it will be. Good luck, hon! :flowerforyou:
  • Picky_nikki
    Picky_nikki Posts: 405 Member
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    Thyroid prescriptions are some of the most inexpensive. It would be worth seeing your Dr to confirm. I have been diagnosed as Hypo for 9 years, and I gain if I am not on right dose, or forget them.... Your body needs them to run it if you do not have enough. Thyroid stimulating hormone runs your whole metabolism, digestion, ect... helps keep hair on your head (I lose eyebrows when levels are too low :P common side effect)

    If you do not want to go that route, there are great book resources for Thyroid diets you can take out of your library that are food alternatives to help stimulate your thyroid... good luck!

    As for me personally, I have PCOS, and am Hypo... every pound I lose seems to take forever! and was well earned!! Good luck!
  • melanienj
    melanienj Posts: 31
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    I have severe hypothyroidism. I found out several years ago after I gained 70 pound in 3 months of having my daughter. It has been a battle, but I have found out that taking the correct medication/therapy has helped me shed the weight. Also, there are certain foods that people with hypothyroidism CANNOT eat...once I found out all of this information I started shedding the weight fast.

    If you cannot afford to see a specialist there are inexpensive ways to test yourself. There is a website that can help you with any question that you may have...There is also a list of specialists in US, Canada and the UK that are willing to treat you according to alternative/natural medications.

    www.stopthethyroidmadness.com

    Make sure that you get tested because an under active thyroid is a serious issue that affects ALL of the main functions of your body including the heart and the brain.



    HTH....Mel
  • ReneNJ
    ReneNJ Posts: 2
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    Hi Misty

    That totally stinks not having medical insurance but it definitely sounds like a trip to the doctor is in order. Explain to him or her your financial predicament and hopefully they will work with you. You will have to have blood work done to diagnose the thyroid problem, there is no way around it. Ask the doctor if he will just order the thyroid level and nothing else, and it shouldn't be too expensive. Thyroid medicine isn't horribly expensive and they have generic. You really need to get this checked, Misty. Your thyroid does more than just cause you to gain and lose weight. It affects your whole entire body, including heart, skin and kidneys. Low levels of thyroid will show itself with increased hair loss and dry skin too. You will feel so much better once you get on medicine. Please get yourself checked.
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
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    I have inactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) and I lose not as fast as I like but I guess Im doing pretty good, Good Luck it can be hard but not impossible between my 2nd and 3rd child I lost 65 lbs in about 7 months it has been slower this time around though but that could be because I just turned 30 and I was 25 before plus I was going to the gym at least 3x a week then and I dont get to go as often now.
    Last time I lost weight as well as this time I was on my meds both times I was told if I was to go off my meds I would get sleep and after too long without my body would start literally shutting down(I was born with hypothyroidism and my mom was told this by my endocrinologist as a child, I dont want to scare you) so maybe you could find a clinic that might be income based or something because without medicine and it being controlled you may not lose much or at all, especially since you said your mom had it and yours was already slow it would be worth it to try to get tested again somehow I know not having insurance can be a pain from experience
  • mariabee
    mariabee Posts: 212 Member
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    ^^ What hernandezedw said...

    Also Misty, (I'm from Canada so we're spoiled with our medical system here, but...) I think you just might need to fork out some money for a blood test. You do not want to sit around and wait to see what will happen, just get 'er done. Speaking from personal experience I was hyperthyroid, had it zapped, then became hypo. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's just what I think.

    Also, being "hypothyroid" has several other symptons that accompany slow weight loss, ie: super exhausted (not just your every day tired, I mean not being able to move EXHAUSTED, super sensitive to heat, etc.... (I could go on for days here, LOL).

    And yes, being hypothyroid makes it more difficult to lose weight, but it's not impossible, I've been struggling with these last 10 pounds for EVER. Good luck!! Nothing some Turbo Fire can't fix, right???
  • LosinMama2b
    LosinMama2b Posts: 85
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    I'm not sure if I have thyroid issues (I've tested but they always say I'm within the normal range but at the lower end of the scale so therefore according to them I don't have a problem)...but its been VERY slow going. I started MFP in April of this year and I've only lost 4lbs. I weigh and measure my foods, I stick to the plan as well as I can, I excercise at least 240min/4hrs a week plus some depending on how much time is available, I drink more than the recommend 8 glasses of water, and have been focusing on meeting all of my nutritional goals every day. With all of this, I still haven't lost quickly like everyone else on here seems to. I've been at the same weight for 2 months. I'll go up a bit and back down to what I'm at...sometimes I get excited and I see it go down...but it always goes back up by weigh in day. So while I can't really give you any advice on how to lose...and I can tell you that I am completely depressed about my inability to lose anything...I just try to keep focusing on my health and nutrition and feel that as long as I'm being nutritious and excercisising and living a healthy way, the weight eventually has to go somewhere...its just apparently going to take 10 times as long as everyone else. Its all I can hope for.
  • Meglm1117
    Meglm1117 Posts: 70
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    Hey there, lets see. I can definitely relate with you. I got diagnosed with hypothyroidism last year. I really do feel like i've had the problem for about 3 years tho. After I had my 1st child in 2005, I lost all the weight I gained (25 lbs)plus some. About 2 1/2 years after that, I started noticing symptoms.

    I think I went into my 2nd pregnancy in 2009 having uncontrolled hypo. After I had him, I kept on 20 lbs out of the 40 I gained. That right there was a sign for me.

    Before I got pregnant with my son, I did this 8 week workout program at the gym. I worked out 2 hours a day 5 days a week and everyone around me had lost like 20 lbs and I lost about 4 lbs during that whole program. Very discouraging.

    After I had my son, I worked out everyday and the scale would not move. I knew then, something was just not right and wasn't right for quite a while. It wasn't just the fact that I wasn't losing weight tho. I was EXTREMELY TIRED, I felt like a zombie. I was FREEZING all the time. I took showers in the hottest the water could go which is another sign. I was iritiable all the time, I had lost soo much hair that started 2 1/2 years after I had my daughter. I had decreased libido. I mean I felt like I had every symptom of hypo and it was the worst feeling. I finally got checked and sure enough I got diagnosed with hypo and put on meds.

    Since I have been able to lose but I will tell you-- IT IS STILL sooo much harder even with having controlled hypo but you will see results eventually. The meds won't make you lose weight, you still have to work your butt off for it and it may take you double time than it would for someone who doesn't have it but you'll get there. I do think you need to get checked out. It sounds like you really could be hypo, esp since 3 years ago they said you were close to being hypo. Do you have any other symptoms besides not being able to lose weight? You will just continue to feel so discouraged working out and seeing no improvements because I was there. I know what that feels like. It's depressing.

    Good luck to you! I hope you get it figured out and start seeing some improvements! :)
  • getnfitn2011
    getnfitn2011 Posts: 77
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    Ok you guys have convinced me....I am gonna see if i can find a Dr that wil work with me....there are clinics in Missouri that give disccounted prices but I live in Kansas and in all my reserch I haven't found a single clinic here that does that. Still, I had open heart surgery when I was 13 so when ya'll start mentioning the heart I started listening for real! I appriciate everyone anwering me! Now I will just pray I can find a Dr!!! Thank you so so much guys!!!
    Misty
  • Ritamas2
    Ritamas2 Posts: 319
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    Hi Misty,
    My advice is to go and get a blood test for a complete thyroid panel, because if you have developed hypothyroidism it will be impossible for you to lose weight, you'll be fighting an uphill battle, one that you won't win. I have Hypothyroidism and i have never eaten as much as everyone around me and just kept gaing weight, gave up soda for 2 years never lost 1 lb as a result when others that's all that they did and lost 30 lbs in 1 month. This was all before being diagnosed and put on meds. Sometimes it takes time and patience to find the right dosage but when it's found you can begin to lose weight. If you're having problems with your skin, hair, depression, breathlessness, no energy to name a few, I would most definetly go get that test, often times we write those symptoms off as aging or just tiredness from the day but the thyroid controls so much, when it's out of whack everything is out of whack! I hope my ramblings have helped you a little, if there is any other questions you have please feel free to add me and we can talk further. Hoping you get this figured out.

    Rita
  • lggk01
    lggk01 Posts: 16 Member
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    bump
  • brit49
    brit49 Posts: 461 Member
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    I look at your diary and your carbs are high for breakfast carbs = sugar. I try to stay in under 80 a day if if I do have heavy carb it 100 the most. I would have more fibre and protein and less sugar. drink water. You can friend me and take a look at my food diary. if it helps
  • yanksgurl613
    yanksgurl613 Posts: 60
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    I have severe hypothyroidism. I was put on synthroid for it. I had a very hard time losing weight even with the medication and I have the highest dose. A slow thyroid means you will be most likely sleepy cold and have a very slow metabolism meaning you will have a very hard time losing weight. 1) go get it checked out it may help if you are on medication if you do actually have a slow one. My whole family has slow thyroids- it's in the genes. 2) I am drinking this tea that is completely organic and natural and it has sped my metabolism like crazy! it is helping me shed 1-2 lbs a week which is great for me since I was losing nothing before I started drinking it. Of course I am exercising and dieting as well but that worked for me.

    Good luck with it!
  • ChristyP0303
    ChristyP0303 Posts: 212 Member
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    Yanksgurl613....what kind of tea is it?
  • InStabilityKills
    InStabilityKills Posts: 97
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    Hi - My mom has hyperthyroidism and about 10 years ago dropped a lot of weight but it took a lot of effort and hard work. For what I remember she wasn't doing it healthy at all (I saw her skip a lot of dinners). In my opinion if you just make the effort and change your diet to a healthier lifestyle and incorporate a workout into your life you will not only feel better than the days you eat nothing but junk food but should eventually see a change in your appearance. It just might take way longer than usual. So instead of doing 30minutes of cardio you need to be doing an hour. Oh and make sure you are strength training because that helps a lot more than one would think - it burns even when you aren't working out.

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