Hypothyroid and Weight Loss?! Help, Please!

ak10388
ak10388 Posts: 33 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi!

I was diagnosed with Hypo about a year ago, and my body has finally adjusted to the dosage - 87.5 mg. I had put on weight at the time, from 55 kg to 63 kg. After the medication my weight has come down to 60 kg, and no amount of exercise seems to make this budge. I apoke to my endo and he's put me on Alli (Orlistat, 60mg/twice a day).

I am currently doing Hammer and Chisel with running about thrice a wee. Should I add HIIT workouts too? What do I do to lose the weight? Am I doing something wrong? Would really like to some help and advice!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    You don't mention how many calories you're eating?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Ditch the Alli and start logging your food on here. The only thing you need to lose weight is a calorie deficit.
  • ak10388
    ak10388 Posts: 33 Member
    edited July 2016
    I'm eating between 1400 to 1600 calories per day. I eat, generally, pretty healthy food. Mornings are eggs and bananas, afternoons are grilled chicken and vegetables. Dinner, however is erratic - some days I end up eating a heavy dinner, but all before 8pm. Even on days when I cheat, I generally make sure I stay within my calories / macros. I don't smoke and I drink a glass of red maybe once in about 2 months - VERY occasional. What I am guilty of is sugar - I love sweet stuff and about once a week I end up eating gelato. But that can't be the reason I'm not losing ANY weight right? If I were to look at the way I eat, I'm about 80% 'good'.

    According to my endo, my body has kind of reset itself and losing weight is going to be pretty tough for me, hence the Alli. I'm not sure how much it will help - I have read contradictory reports and I know it varies from person to person.

    Is there something that I need to change? Something that I can do sustainably, because I work almost 14 hours a day, and try and squeeze in workouts somehow. It's almost impossible for me to start a sport etc. and I really need something to speed this up or change my body or just... something. Should I add another workout? Should I do something differently? Should I ban certain food? I'm so effing perplexed!

    Also, I'm 5ft 3 inches, and weigh 60 kgs at the moment. I know I'm still within the good range in BMI but I want to lose about 5 kgs and tone the hell up. Please help me! I'm desperate now!
  • ForeverFitnessPT
    ForeverFitnessPT Posts: 15 Member
    I'm not a fan of alli either. Your fat loss is going to have a lot more to do with what you eat, your stress level and your sleep than it will with working out. Get the other three in check and the exercise effort will show. I always tell my clients, exercise is for a fitness modality (strength, mass, endurance, speed, mobility, agility, balance, etc.). Exercise will only show on the outside if you're dealing with the other three things.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast
  • mellyrunsfar
    mellyrunsfar Posts: 30 Member
    Hi there. Have you read any books about nutrition plans specifically targeted toward Hypothyroidism? Has your Dr mentioned Hashimotos which is actually an autoimmune disorder which suppresses thyroid function? I say all of this because I've been diagnosed, for nearly 8 years now, and I'm still learning about how to restore my health. My favorite books so far are Root Cause and Superimmunity. The weightloss can and will happen for you. Best of luck and feel free to friend me :smile:
  • kelbeck71
    kelbeck71 Posts: 3 Member
    Be careful using Alli. The side effects can be quite embarrassing! I tried using it twice and both times decided that the "posterior" affects weren't worth it! Would love to hear more ideas about hypothyroidism and losing weight!
  • Anabug81
    Anabug81 Posts: 161 Member
    I have Hypothyroidism and take Synthroid, a thyroid hormone for my hypothyroidism.
  • ak10388
    ak10388 Posts: 33 Member
    mellyrunsfar wrote: »
    Hi there. Have you read any books about nutrition plans specifically targeted toward Hypothyroidism? Has your Dr mentioned Hashimotos which is actually an autoimmune disorder which suppresses thyroid function? I say all of this because I've been diagnosed, for nearly 8 years now, and I'm still learning about how to restore my health. My favorite books so far are Root Cause and Superimmunity. The weightloss can and will happen for you. Best of luck and feel free to friend me :smile:


    I've been reading a LOT about hypo, and I'm trying to check if I have any gluten sensitivity as well, but the symptoms for both are largely the same so trying a new diet by cutting some foods out. I got myself checked for Hashimotos and I def don't have it. I'll give the books you've suggested a read and hopefully try and work it out. Thank you!
  • ak10388
    ak10388 Posts: 33 Member
    ForeverFitnessPT wrote: »
    I'm not a fan of alli either. Your fat loss is going to have a lot more to do with what you eat, your stress level and your sleep than it will with working out. Get the other three in check and the exercise effort will show. I always tell my clients, exercise is for a fitness modality (strength, mass, endurance, speed, mobility, agility, balance, etc.). Exercise will only show on the outside if you're dealing with the other three things.

    Allan Misner
    NASM Certified Personal Trainer, Host of the 40+ Fitness Podcast

    Like I said, 80% of my eating habits are pretty good. I eat healthy and nutritious food, but a couple of times a wekk I end up cheating - but this is largely what is sustainable because it's bound to happen. I sleep atleast 8 hours a day, and although I don't feel stressed, I have no clue if I am or not. I know bodies can be going through stress and we don't even realise it. I'll try and work on this and get it further in check, maybe?
  • ak10388
    ak10388 Posts: 33 Member
    kelbeck71 wrote: »
    Be careful using Alli. The side effects can be quite embarrassing! I tried using it twice and both times decided that the "posterior" affects weren't worth it! Would love to hear more ideas about hypothyroidism and losing weight!

    Haha I know, right? But since I barely eat very fatty food the effects have been alright, so far. None of the 'Continous Bathrooming' I've heard about. There are no long-term side-effects of Alli that you know about are there?
  • Hungry_Shopgirl
    Hungry_Shopgirl Posts: 329 Member
    I've had hypothyroidism for 11 years now and here's what I've learned: once the dosage is correct, if you take your synthroid every day then you're golden. It's like wearing glasses: wear the right prescription and your eyes work fine.

    For years I blamed my lack of weight loss on the hypo not realizing that since I was on the right dosage the only thing keeping me back from losing weight was me: I was eating too many calories, period. Once I started eating consistently less calories, I started losing.

    Hope that helps, best of luck on your weight loss journey!!
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    Being hypothyroid puts one at a double disadvantage because your metabolism is slowed by the poor thyroid function and also eating at a deficit reduces the metabolism too. I strongly advise you to read much of the info on the Stop the Thyroid Madness site, I understand they have a presence on facebook too. There are other thyroid support sites like Thyroid UK over here.

    I hold to the view that t4 supplementation does not always work for many hypothyroid persons particularly those with hashimotos thyroiditis, which only means we have antibodies which will eventually destroy the thyroid unless the cause is discovered. many doctors do not test for antibodies because the so called treatment is the same. My experience has been that the spectrum of tests are not carried out which pinpoint the key to the "thyroid" problem which can be one of conversion to the active form, or emanate from other poor interactions within the endocrine system. As you are all to well aware the problems can be much broader and devastating than the oft shouted unexplained weight gain some complain of.

    I did read somewhere there are herbs which can boost the metabolism. I've not tried them because I'm salicylate sensitive and herbs are usually extremely high in the stuff. For me this is yet another consequence of being refused consideration for my lack of thyroid function because my numbers did not fit with their numbers for many many years. Symptom heavy but numbers in my 30's so called "normal range", for who, for what. Oh for the days when they treated by symptoms.

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