Thyroid and weight loss

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clholbrooks
clholbrooks Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I need MAJOR advice. I have hypothyroidism, take 100 mcg of synthroid daily, eat between 1200-1400 calories daily, and do cardio 5x a week. And, I continue to gain weight. I'm only 5'3 and weigh 145. What else can I do? I've been on weight watchers for a year. So frustrated because everything I'm doing isn't working.
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Replies

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    First have your hormone levels rechecked. You might just need your meds adjusted. If your levels are appearing fine see if you can be reffered to a dietitian. Some of us with thyroid issues respond well to special diets.
  • clholbrooks
    clholbrooks Posts: 5 Member
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    I had my levels checked last month, and they were within normal range now. Any certain diet I should try?
  • sarahthes
    sarahthes Posts: 3,252 Member
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    If your levels are fine, your thyroid probably isn't why you aren't losing. You say you are on weight watchers, but are you calorie tracking? At your size your deficit will be pretty small so you may need to resort to weighing your foods to ensure your portion sizes are correct.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    there is a wide range of "fine levels" - normal TSH is like .45 to 4.5 (IIRC) - while mine levels were "normal" I felt like crap - and it took convincing my doc to increase my dosage - I went from 3.5 down to .45 and its like night and day difference; also my body doesn't react well to synthroid - but I'm much better on levothyroxine (the generic version) - something to consider (experience - no thyroid, on meds for 4yrs now)

    then look at what @sarahthes said - you need to weigh EVERYTHING - being in a healthy range for your height already, there isn't much of an error margin when it comes to logging
  • clholbrooks
    clholbrooks Posts: 5 Member
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    sarahthes wrote: »
    If your levels are fine, your thyroid probably isn't why you aren't losing. You say you are on weight watchers, but are you calorie tracking? At your size your deficit will be pretty small so you may need to resort to weighing your foods to ensure your portion sizes are correct.

    I do all of those. I track in MFP as well. Weigh everything in grams, ounces, etc.
  • moira1968
    moira1968 Posts: 17 Member
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    I've been on synthetic thyroxine for over 25 years, since it was first introduced (it came from cows before that). I had to have my thyroid removed due to cancer. I have found that there is very little correlation between what the textbooks and doctors say about thyroid function levels and how people feel in reality. It took about 15 years for my dose to stabilise- I now take 150mcg daily but on initial diagnosis I was taking 300mcg daily (levels are kept high for cancer treatment). In reality, I should have all the symptoms of hyperthyroid but I don't. I gain weight, get constipated, sleep for long periods, have peeling fingernails, etc. I have an excellent endocrinologist who listens to me and my symptoms rather than only going on blood test results.

    I would suggest you get a referral to an endocrinologist. This is their area of expertise and can offer you more advice than your GP (unless he/she has a special interest in thyroid disease).
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
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    sarahthes wrote: »
    If your levels are fine, your thyroid probably isn't why you aren't losing. You say you are on weight watchers, but are you calorie tracking? At your size your deficit will be pretty small so you may need to resort to weighing your foods to ensure your portion sizes are correct.

    So true. If your thyroid levels are low, it could affect things.

    I was maintaining fine but then my thyroid took a down turn, I ate a bit more for energy, and I gained 5-10 pounds this fall/winter. I fixed my thyroid levels by upping my meds (from 150mcg of natural desiccated thyroid to 180mcg) and the weight started falling off again without changing my diet much at all.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    moira1968 wrote: »
    I've been on synthetic thyroxine for over 25 years, since it was first introduced (it came from cows before that). I had to have my thyroid removed due to cancer. I have found that there is very little correlation between what the textbooks and doctors say about thyroid function levels and how people feel in reality. It took about 15 years for my dose to stabilise- I now take 150mcg daily but on initial diagnosis I was taking 300mcg daily (levels are kept high for cancer treatment). In reality, I should have all the symptoms of hyperthyroid but I don't. I gain weight, get constipated, sleep for long periods, have peeling fingernails, etc. I have an excellent endocrinologist who listens to me and my symptoms rather than only going on blood test results.

    I would suggest you get a referral to an endocrinologist. This is their area of expertise and can offer you more advice than your GP (unless he/she has a special interest in thyroid disease).

    I went through 3 endo's who wouldn't listen to me about my blood work before going back to my PCM (internal med) who did and was ok with tweaking my meds - you have to be your own advocate and push - ATA (thyroid association) recently changed guidelines for recommended treatment
  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
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    A change in dr saw a change in what was considered normal for blood test results for me.

    I have also found a correlation for me between resting heart rate and thyroid. If its low over a period of time I know its time to get another blood test.
  • moira1968
    moira1968 Posts: 17 Member
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    Oh, and I forgot to add that thyroid function tests can be affected by just about anything- illness, hot weather, exercise, the list is endless. I have by bloods checked 3-monthly and used to keep a diary which pinpointed what affected my levels.
    I have kept so many health diaries over the yearsIi'm surprised I'm not better at keeping my food diary.
    Hope all this helps you.
    It is amazing how much of our activities of daily living are affected by thyroid disease.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
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    been on levo for a year now, and my current levels as from last wek are 0.02, euthyroid, im half expecting my dr to ring and suggest reducing dosage but i dont have any hyper symptoms so im going with what works for me,
    as for weight, regardless of my thyroid being off or fine, i still struggle to lose. i lost 4.5 stone before i got diagnosed and not i just cant shift any, i go up and down the same few pounds, i train 4 times a week and i keep to tdee minus 25%
  • charlenekapf
    charlenekapf Posts: 309 Member
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    Get your thyroid free t3 levels checked. also levothyroxine is only t4. you may have a problem like i do of converting the t4 to t3. t3 is what actually is effective in your thyroid running optimally. check about taking either a combination of t3/t4 like levo/cytomel (t3) or armour (natural desiccated thyroid with t3/t4). you need to regularly monitor your thyroid levels though... i kept increasing my dose of armour without getting checked and suddenly went from hypo to hyper and the symptoms are very much like going hypo all over again except hyper is really bad for your heart and muscles.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
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    For me a normal range was too too too hyper - I was edgy and would burst into tears at the slightest provocation, couldnt focus on things, couldnt control moods - I was clearly not right. Had a check with my doctor and she adjusted downward and its like I am a different person - looking at my test results one would say I was not on the right dose, but sitting in a room with me you would think differently (I hope!)

    Once on the right dose (for me, not for the average patient) I was able to focus, and as a result, lost over 100lbs. I have been on levo for 28 years now.
  • hypodonthaveme
    hypodonthaveme Posts: 215 Member
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    Sound advice already. I will add extra salt does not help your cause. Foods have enough natural salts that you don't need to add it. Everyone is different and so is their dr. We also have to work harder to lose the weight. But it Can be done. Its not always a CICO thing. Patience is key here.
  • ccsernica
    ccsernica Posts: 1,040 Member
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    hypodonthaveme wrote: »
    Sound advice already. I will add extra salt does not help your cause. Foods have enough natural salts that you don't need to add it. Everyone is different and so is their dr. We also have to work harder to lose the weight. But it Can be done. Its not always a CICO thing. Patience is key here.

    If anyone is suggesting salt, it's not for the salt but for the iodine that's added to nearly all table salt. This is one of the major unsung health victories of the 20th century, and has resulted in goiter becoming very rare in Western countries. 90% of goiter cases are caused by iodine deficiency, and is associated with either hyper- or hypothyroidism.

    However, it's true that if the problem is something like Hashimoto's then iodine won't help.
  • Duchy82
    Duchy82 Posts: 560 Member
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    I would say that weight watchers no longer worked for me after my thyroid had packed in, so it may be a little bit of trial and error to find what does work for you and I will second what others are saying, if you are 100% sure you logging is accurate and with that I mean accurately weighed and using correct entries (cross checked with packaging, usda references, etc) then event though you might be in the normal range, that isn't your normal, you still have symptoms (i.e. weight gain) so you are not being treated optimally. A TSH of 2 or preferably below would be better, mine is suppressed and that is when I am asymptomatic. Once you are optimally treated you should start losing weight.
  • gnu4liberty
    gnu4liberty Posts: 48 Member
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    I think eating a grapefruit for breakfast helps with weight loss. I am on thyroid meds, am 65, in a wheelchair, am 5'9" and weigh 138.
  • PaulaWallaDingDong
    PaulaWallaDingDong Posts: 4,641 Member
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    gnu4liberty wrote: »
    I think eating a grapefruit for breakfast helps with weight loss. I am on thyroid meds, am 65, in a wheelchair, am 5'9" and weigh 138.

    In the sense that a grapefruit has fewer calories than a sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle, maybe. I'm not trying to mock you. There is nothing special about having a grapefruit or anything else for breakfast, or any other meal.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    If you are on medication and your blood tests show normal results, then it is not the reason you aren't losing weight.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    hypodonthaveme wrote: »
    Sound advice already. I will add extra salt does not help your cause. Foods have enough natural salts that you don't need to add it. Everyone is different and so is their dr. We also have to work harder to lose the weight. But it Can be done. Its not always a CICO thing. Patience is key here.

    its not that you had to work harder to lose weight - CICO still applies -its just that the calories out is diminished because of thyroid issues - so you can't eat as much

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