It's my thyroid....

I have 3 friends who have hypothyroidism and they all have said, that blaming an extreme weight gain on hypothyroidism is unrealistic. You will have some weight gain but it adds up over time...not the massive weight packed on in a short period. As for the weight loss after taking pills, it's the same thing. Slow and steady loss not a massive amount all at one time.

Hello! I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during my third pregnancy and have been on Synthroid ever since, my son is now 14. I was told right away that I would need to take the Synthroid the rest of my life. Before diagnosis, I was SO tired, even falling asleep while driving, and gained a lot of weight. I don't think that the meds made me drop weight fast, or at all, but I do think that my metabolism is working correctly now so that it's easier to lose. I think in my case it's heriditary, my grandma also had it.

Good luck with everything, and I wouldn't worry either, the only thing I have to do is take a small purple pill everyday.

I found out my thyroid was off about a year ago, though mine was only slightly. I started MFP in Jan and dropped 18 pounds but hit a plateau in March. No matter how hard I tried I was not losing weight. I got my thyroid checked again on June 3rd, it was at something like 5.3, and they have increased my medicine. I have not been following MFP like I should and have not lost any weight. I go back the middle of July to have it re-tested. So, my point is...if the thyroid was the SOLE reason you gained weight than yes you could lose quite a bit, but if your lifestyle attributed to the weight gain than no, the thyroid medicine isn't going to be your miracle drug. Now, you will see changes like better moods, less fatigue, healthier skin/nails/hair. Remember though, you should get it re-tested about every 6 months because hyperthyroidism is lifetime and your thyroid will continue to increasingly get worse and your meds will need to be adjusted accordingly.

I was diagnosed w hypothyroidism about 5 years ago. I never dropped any weight just from taking my thyroid meds. I was really hoping it would help, but it didn't. In fact, there were times when I wondered if my meds were the right dosage, because my energy never improved that much or anything. Looking back, I think a lot of it was due to depression. My lifestyle was not active at all, I was married to a jerk, and I was miserable.
Now that I am happy and free and active, the weight is finally coming off. But for me, the only thing that has helped me lose and keep it off is plenty of excercise and a sensible diet. Good luck! I hope the meds make weight loss easier for you.

I have 3 friends who have hypothyroidism and they all have said, that blaming an extreme weight gain on hypothyroidism is unrealistic. You will have some weight gain but it adds up over time...not the massive weight packed on in a short period. As for the weight loss after taking pills, it's the same thing. Slow and steady loss not a massive amount all at one time.

^^ this exactly. I am hypothyroid and blaming weight gain on underactive thyroid is totally a cop out for so many people. I was fat b/c I ate crappy food and too much of it in addition to no exercise. OP- can you honestly say you've been eating a realistic calorie amount, of healthy food, and exercising? If so- then sure- it's because of your thyroid.

And getting your levels regulated will not make you drop crazy amounts of weight, if any. Until you start eating better, exercising, etc... you won't be healthy. There is no easy fix but having your levels regulated will make you feel so much better and for me at least, feeling good gives me the motivation I need to make myself better.

Im pretty sure once your diagnosed its pretty permanent, but I was was born with hypothyroidism so Ive been taking medicine whole life. As for how fast you will lose the weight with the meds Im not sure Ive taken medicine all my life even through 3 pregnancies and still gained quite a bit and its still just as hard to lose afterwards

I would take this list of questions to my doctor's appointment. Because you are not going to get the best answers from here. Because different cases for different people.

I will tell you I have a Hypothyroid. The medicine did not make me lose weight like crazy, but I also have several other medical conditions that hinder my weightloss as well. I am not sure about taking the meds for the rest of your life, but I think that it is possible that you will. I don't think you have thyroid problems because of your weight, I think you have weight issues because of your tyroid. Don't think it is a good idea to think this is going to be your cure for being overweight. Just look at it as a great way to help get a good jump start to get you were you want to be and continue to work on being physically fit through exercise and eatting healthy.

Good luck to you

keep in mind its not impossible, my mother in law has underactive thyroid as well and she lost lots of weight.

Since you've just had it checked and it sounds like you haven't talked to your doctor yet, please make sure you write down ALL these questions- and ask him to explain it all to you as clearly as possible.
He is the one who can best answer them for you.

I imagine everyone's case is different- just as high blood pressure.

I am on synthroid, a rather low dose- been on it for about a year. The thyroid controls SO MANY facets of the body, and sometimes it can regulate itself once again after being on a hormone replacement- that will depend on WHY it got screwed up in the first place- it may be pregnancy triggered it but not sure anyone can answer that either.

Whether the weight gain caused it, not sure you can know that either.
But doing all that you can do- what is in YOUR power to do- keeping track of your food intake, eating a well-balanced diet, getting adequate exercise, and drinking the am't of water your body requires can ONLY HELP- even if your metabolism might be sluggish.

And, be patient- sometimes it takes a while to get the right dosage- it's one medication that comes in so many increments, that it's easy to "tweak" to get your balance right where it needs to be- THAT will be up to you to be vocal about- most doctors are happy with "close enough". My suggestion is to go for the generic ( some places are only $4)

Hi, I've had hypothyroidism for 11 years. It was also discovered after I gained 40lbs in a year. Starting the pill, I didn't lose any weight. I think this is due to the fact that I was overweight because of my sedentary lifestyle.

This is what you can expect:

*your Dr will probably prescribe you T4/levothyrox/or whatever is called where you live. This is a hormone. For some people, finding the right dosage is tricky, for others -like me- it is not. Other people swear by taking T3 instead of T4, but I couldn't explain the difference to you. Maybe you can ask your Dr, but I'm pretty sure most doctors prescribe T4. This is a controversial subject, from what I've read.

*You'll have check-ups every 6 months, to see if the dosage needs to be adjusted.

*I found it beneficial to be aware of the symptoms of it, so if you go back to feeling low energy, for example, you can talk to your Dr, get tested and the dosage changed.

Good luck!

I don't have thyroid problems but I just wanted to say best of luck to you. Be sure you discuss all your questions with your doctor before starting the meds

sometimes it takes a while to get the right dosage- it's one medication that comes in so many increments, that it's easy to "tweak" to get your balance right where it needs to be- THAT will be up to you to be vocal about- most doctors are happy with "close enough". My suggestion is to go for the generic ( some places are only $4)

Just a note, that there are a few different options as far as medications are concerned. Synthetic (Synthroid) is not your only option.