Hypothyroidism....could this be why I am not losing ANY weight????
Replies
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Weigh your food, try eating more protein and fat. Try not eating back as many of your exercise calories.
But remember, even if your thyroid is your excuse, does that mean you give up? No, you'll have to work with what you got.
Thyroid isn't an "excuse." It's an actual medical condition. That's a really nasty thing to say.
Of course you don't give up. Eating healthy and exercising are about more than the scale and the measuring tape. They're about overall quality of life and health. But we also do like to see the scale and the measuring tape move and it's frustrating when we do all the right things and they don't. And when they don't because of something we have no control over, it's maddening. Calling it an "excuse" is dismissive and rude.
It's not nasty, and I never said it's NOT a medical condition. My mom is hypothyroid, but thanks.
OP clearly stated that her levels are right where they should be. There is no excuse or reason she shouldn't lose weight. That it's frustrating "when we(you) do all the right things" and the scale doesn't move, doesn't change the fact that her caloric needs are possibly less than someone who is not hypothyroid. I am not sure if that's even true if someones being medicated properly.
This falls in line with people who claim "x medication made me fat" when really it was that it increased their appetite, or slowed their metabolism. To combat that, they need to control their appetite and/or decrease their caloric intake.
If OP is in fact weighing all the food that she eats (and I mean ALL OF IT), and staying within her calorie goal and not losing, her BMR or TDEE calculations are off, and she needs to adjust her intake accordingly.0 -
Weigh your food, try eating more protein and fat. Try not eating back as many of your exercise calories.
But remember, even if your thyroid is your excuse, does that mean you give up? No, you'll have to work with what you got.
Thyroid isn't an "excuse." It's an actual medical condition. That's a really nasty thing to say.
Of course you don't give up. Eating healthy and exercising are about more than the scale and the measuring tape. They're about overall quality of life and health. But we also do like to see the scale and the measuring tape move and it's frustrating when we do all the right things and they don't. And when they don't because of something we have no control over, it's maddening. Calling it an "excuse" is dismissive and rude.
It's not nasty, and I never said it's NOT a medical condition. My mom is hypothyroid, but thanks.
OP clearly stated that her levels are right where they should be. There is no excuse or reason she shouldn't lose weight. That it's frustrating "when we(you) do all the right things" and the scale doesn't move, doesn't change the fact that her caloric needs are possibly less than someone who is not hypothyroid. I am not sure if that's even true if someones being medicated properly.
This falls in line with people who claim "x medication made me fat" when really it was that it increased their appetite, or slowed their metabolism. To combat that, they need to control their appetite and/or decrease their caloric intake.
If OP is in fact weighing all the food that she eats (and I mean ALL OF IT), and staying within her calorie goal and not losing, her BMR or TDEE calculations are off, and she needs to adjust her intake accordingly.
It's not quite the same thing. I agree that if a medication or disease alters your appetite or metabolism, if you have a lot of self discipline and are willing to drop below what is generally considered a healthy caloric intake, then you can maintain or lose weight if you want.
But hypothyroidism is a pretty complex disorder that most docs undertreat. My TSH was technically within lab ranges for years, and I ignored my symptoms because I trusted the lab values. I think several people have suggested OP reassess both her intake and her lab values.7 -
I feel what you're saying. I'm in the same boat. I talked with my endocrinologist and she said I just had to work harder. With my numbers, if anything, she should have decreased my meds, regardless of my symptoms. I'm walking a lot, which is helping, and staying away from processed foods. Lots of water. My calorie intake is around 1200.0
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Maybe try keeping track of your measurements instead of your weight. If you are exercise your body could be replacing your fat with muscle causing you to lose inches on your body but the number on the scale tends to take longer to show progress0
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To, would you mind posting your blood results? GPS tend to say that thyroid values are fine as they just about fall into the reference range. Many people, including me feel terrible when fT3 and fT4 are only at the lower end of the range. Just upping my medication a tiny bit made such a huge difference for me. Likewise, many doctors claim that the thyroid is fine when TSH are actually fairly high. In the Uk you're not considered hypothyroid if your TSH is not above 10 or so and if someone has problems then it surely cannot be the thyroid. other countries consider a TSH of above 2.5 too high.3
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On the thyroid front, I responded better to natural desiccated thyroid, as well. I take Armour. Synthroid worked for a while, then we had to keep increasing the dosage. I started at my general practitioner who thankfully let me try Armour after my own research, then I went to an endocrinologist to manage my dosage. He told me I'd screwed up by taking Armour and wanted me to "start over" by taking a low dose of Synthroid. I never went back to him. I found a homeopathic doctor instead; she helped manage my hypothyroidism, identified and treated hormone issues, identified and treated Lyme disease - and now I'm mostly symptom-free.
I'm sure your medical journey won't be the same, but please try to do your own research and be your own advocate.1 -
Weigh your food, try eating more protein and fat. Try not eating back as many of your exercise calories.
But remember, even if your thyroid is your excuse, does that mean you give up? No, you'll have to work with what you got.
Thyroid isn't an "excuse." It's an actual medical condition. That's a really nasty thing to say.
Of course you don't give up. Eating healthy and exercising are about more than the scale and the measuring tape. They're about overall quality of life and health. But we also do like to see the scale and the measuring tape move and it's frustrating when we do all the right things and they don't. And when they don't because of something we have no control over, it's maddening. Calling it an "excuse" is dismissive and rude.
It's not nasty, and I never said it's NOT a medical condition. My mom is hypothyroid, but thanks.
OP clearly stated that her levels are right where they should be. There is no excuse or reason she shouldn't lose weight. That it's frustrating "when we(you) do all the right things" and the scale doesn't move, doesn't change the fact that her caloric needs are possibly less than someone who is not hypothyroid. I am not sure if that's even true if someones being medicated properly.
This falls in line with people who claim "x medication made me fat" when really it was that it increased their appetite, or slowed their metabolism. To combat that, they need to control their appetite and/or decrease their caloric intake.
If OP is in fact weighing all the food that she eats (and I mean ALL OF IT), and staying within her calorie goal and not losing, her BMR or TDEE calculations are off, and she needs to adjust her intake accordingly.
You have absolutely no understanding of the disorder. At all.4 -
Weigh your food, try eating more protein and fat. Try not eating back as many of your exercise calories.
But remember, even if your thyroid is your excuse, does that mean you give up? No, you'll have to work with what you got.
Thyroid isn't an "excuse." It's an actual medical condition. That's a really nasty thing to say.
Of course you don't give up. Eating healthy and exercising are about more than the scale and the measuring tape. They're about overall quality of life and health. But we also do like to see the scale and the measuring tape move and it's frustrating when we do all the right things and they don't. And when they don't because of something we have no control over, it's maddening. Calling it an "excuse" is dismissive and rude.
It's not nasty, and I never said it's NOT a medical condition. My mom is hypothyroid, but thanks.
OP clearly stated that her levels are right where they should be. There is no excuse or reason she shouldn't lose weight. That it's frustrating "when we(you) do all the right things" and the scale doesn't move, doesn't change the fact that her caloric needs are possibly less than someone who is not hypothyroid. I am not sure if that's even true if someones being medicated properly.
This falls in line with people who claim "x medication made me fat" when really it was that it increased their appetite, or slowed their metabolism. To combat that, they need to control their appetite and/or decrease their caloric intake.
If OP is in fact weighing all the food that she eats (and I mean ALL OF IT), and staying within her calorie goal and not losing, her BMR or TDEE calculations are off, and she needs to adjust her intake accordingly.
You have absolutely no understanding of the disorder. At all.
I do. I was completely untreated, had no energy at all and had a massive amount of antibodies, and I lost weight just fine. Really, it's still cico also with hypothyroidism. The BMR might be a bit lower (peer reviewed literature talks about 4% max!) but that's not a reason to NOT lose weight.1 -
Weigh your food, try eating more protein and fat. Try not eating back as many of your exercise calories.
But remember, even if your thyroid is your excuse, does that mean you give up? No, you'll have to work with what you got.
Thyroid isn't an "excuse." It's an actual medical condition. That's a really nasty thing to say.
Of course you don't give up. Eating healthy and exercising are about more than the scale and the measuring tape. They're about overall quality of life and health. But we also do like to see the scale and the measuring tape move and it's frustrating when we do all the right things and they don't. And when they don't because of something we have no control over, it's maddening. Calling it an "excuse" is dismissive and rude.
It's not nasty, and I never said it's NOT a medical condition. My mom is hypothyroid, but thanks.
OP clearly stated that her levels are right where they should be. There is no excuse or reason she shouldn't lose weight. That it's frustrating "when we(you) do all the right things" and the scale doesn't move, doesn't change the fact that her caloric needs are possibly less than someone who is not hypothyroid. I am not sure if that's even true if someones being medicated properly.
This falls in line with people who claim "x medication made me fat" when really it was that it increased their appetite, or slowed their metabolism. To combat that, they need to control their appetite and/or decrease their caloric intake.
If OP is in fact weighing all the food that she eats (and I mean ALL OF IT), and staying within her calorie goal and not losing, her BMR or TDEE calculations are off, and she needs to adjust her intake accordingly.
You have absolutely no understanding of the disorder. At all.
I do. I was completely untreated and with a massive amount of antibodies, and I lost weight just fine. Really, it's still cico also with hypothyroidism. The BMR might be a bit lower (peer reviewed literature talks about 4% max!) but that's not a reason to NOT lose weight.
My friend has hypo, numbers look good. She can also lose weight fine.0 -
Oh, and to add that that: I was also deficient in iron, vitamin b12 and vitamin D3 (guess where my energy levels were). Also had no influence on weight loss.0
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Oh, and to add that that: I was also deficient in iron, vitamin b12 and vitamin D3 (guess where my energy levels were). Also had no influence on weight loss.
Yes, but unfortunately symptoms are not standard for everyone with hypothyroidism. Many people tend to sleep a long time, and feel tired. I had insomnia. Classic hyperthyroidism often includes supraventricular arrhythmias, and yet when I'm hypothyroid I (and many others) experience paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Some people gain weight, others don't.
I'll say it again. Hormone disorders are extremely complicated. Your experience is not necessarily the experience of everyone with thyroid disease.3 -
Jazus - I feel blessed when I hear what some of you have to go through. I have been taking thyroid meds for 27 years. I got fat cuz I ate too much. I lost weight (77lbs as of yesterday) when I stopped doing that, with the help of MFP and some education. Good luck everyone!0
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I'm hypothyroid and have been lucky enough to be able to lose weight fairly easily.
I say lucky because I really do believe that's a big part of it. I'm lucky that my body reacted to medication so that I've been able to lose weight. I am unlucky in that I still have some other pesky symptoms that won't go away, even though my numbers are good.
I am not so arrogant or narrow minded that I'd tell anyone with such a complex hormonal problem that their inability to lose weight is all their own fault. I sure don't think the non-weight related symptoms I'm still having are my own fault!
OP, assuming you're sure you're weighing and logging are accurate in your shoes I'd be searching out another doctor who will really listen to you. Maybe you can find an endocrinologist who will. My guess is that an integrative medicine doctor would be a better choice. If my pesky symptoms get any worse and if my doctor won't take my issues seriously then I've already researched and found an integrative practitioner I'll schedule an appointment with.
Good luck!3 -
Op I feel your pain. My latest tsh result was 40 and my doctor decided to start from the lowest dose and retest every six weeks. I'm quite undermedicated at the moment and my symthoms are the worst they have ever been.
That said I have been losing weight but my calorie in take is lower than would be reccomended.
I'm to tired to get in time at the gym so walking is the only exercise I can do right now. I walk for about 45_60 minutes a day.
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I had thyroid cancer, so mine was removed & I can't make any thyroid hormone myself any more. As it happens, I don't convert T4 to T3 well at all. At first I was seeing endos who just kept upping my T4 (levothyroxine) dose, and I felt horrible. When I finally found an endocrinologist who would treat according to my symptoms, we found out I need my Free T3 in the top third to quartile of the normal range to feel ok.
I was really sick before I was prescribed enough T3 - weight gain was one of many issues. It definitely isn't "just an excuse." Now I'm losing weight just fine eating the amount of calories expected for my TDEE. Including carbs and treats. OP, if you tightened up your logging & weigh all your food but still can't lose weight, definitely talk to your doctor.
I'd suggest learning as much as you can about thyroid hormone levels. Often it can take a lot of advocating for yourself. The normal range is pretty large, so just because you're in the normal range doesn't mean you're where *your* body wants to be. Stop the Thyroid Madness is a good place to start.
Good luck!
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I don't know if you're interested but I know a great MD who treats thyroid disorder the right way and with the right meds. Because many patients drive a long ways to see him, he started doing virtual consultations. Message me if you want his name and website.0
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Check the drug facts that come with your medicine. A lot of then can be limthier in their absorption by certain foods. Mine is soy, canola oil, safflower oil, and walnuts. Avoiding these foods can help your medicine work more effectively. The most important thing when losing weight with a thyroid condition is patience. It can be dredfully slow, but keep at it.0
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Noelani1503 wrote: »
But hypothyroidism is a pretty complex disorder that most docs undertreat. My TSH was technically within lab ranges for years, and I ignored my symptoms because I trusted the lab values. I think several people have suggested OP reassess both her intake and her lab values.
THIS! I've had a hard time even getting my regular GP to add the right tests to my labs. Half the time, I have to bring back my paperwork just to have him add the right tests.
It's so frustrating.
But yes, it can take a long time to get the right meds doing the right job. Stick to your guns and don't let your doctor tell you you're fine because your labs are fine.
I gained almost 30 pounds in a year and was told "Oh, you're just eating too much"... on an 1100 calorie diet. Yeah. 1100 calories. I'm doing great now, but it took putting my foot down and demanding referrals to specialists.0 -
I'm hypothyroid but can't tolerate the levothyroxine at all ( was put on 100m a day and was sick as a parrot til I came off it). I lost 50 pounds on a LC/ low calorie diet and was doing great until recently. After a long plateau I started putting ON a pound a week, 7 weeks ago.
Some one on another forum said that the one new addition to my previously successful diet -artificial sweetner - could be the problem.
I stick to 1200 calories log everything and exercise everyday without fail.
If it's not the sweetner, I'm afraid it will be a thyroid problem.
I'm hoping to get an appointment with my doctor and try different meds.0 -
To, would you mind posting your blood results? GPS tend to say that thyroid values are fine as they just about fall into the reference range. Many people, including me feel terrible when fT3 and fT4 are only at the lower end of the range. Just upping my medication a tiny bit made such a huge difference for me. Likewise, many doctors claim that the thyroid is fine when TSH are actually fairly high. In the Uk you're not considered hypothyroid if your TSH is not above 10 or so and if someone has problems then it surely cannot be the thyroid. other countries consider a TSH of above 2.5 too high.
This is absolutely true.
Most allopathic doctors have no idea how to treat hypothyroid diseases. They think it's a simple disease with a simple treatment, and it isn't. I was told my thyroid levels were fine on Synthroid for 20 years, with no explanation as to why I was still symptomatic. It wasn't until I finally got a full thyroid panel that my doctor saw I needed T3 as well as T4. Also, my treatment with levothyroxine was only getting my TSH down to around 3.0, which is not a healthy level.
During that entire 20 years, I suffered horribly from leg cramps. My doctor responded by putting me on quinine sulphate, which is apparently dangerous stuff. But when I look at the Synthroid official web site, leg cramps are listed as a "severe" side effect that should be reported to a doctor immediately.
Jennifclare, if you can't tolerate levo, you should try desiccated thyroid (Armour, Erfa Thyroid, etc.) For many of us it's a better medication by far.
And to the OP -- get a copy of your latest blood test. If your TSH is anything more than about 1.5, you're probably under-medicated. That could definitely affect your ability to lose weight.
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