Thyroid and loosing fat???

Hello there...I just found out that I have thyroid (the one that you gain weight etc...) and my metbolism is really really low 1226.. I am working out 4-5 times per week and try to eat about 1.200 to lose weight... but most of the times I feel so tired and my body fat % doesn't get lower.. Any help?? Do you know anything about thyroid and loosing fat?? Thank you!!! :)
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Replies

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    edited April 2017
    I don't know what that 1226 refers to. Is it your TPOab? If so, that doesn't have to do with your metabolism. It's the count of the antibodies (attacking your thyroid - if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis).

    If not, what is that number for? ETA: Wait, sorry, I think you're saying that's your BMR? Or maybe your calories to lose X amount/week? Get a food scale...weigh EVERYTHING...be HONEST about what you're putting into your mouth...even with Hashi's you shouldn't be unable to lose weight if you are honestly and consistently eating 1200 calories a day. Is your diary open?

    Anyway, even before I was medicated for my Hashi's, when I ate too much, I gained weight, and when I ate less, I lost weight...and I'm old. :D (50 this August. I was in my mid-40s when I was finally diagnosed.) I am sure I can eat a smidge more now that I'm properly medicated, but it was never a case of undereating so severely that it would make a person gasp in order to lose weight before I was diagnosed and began taking medication. And there were many times where I lay crying silently in the bed at morning time wishing I could die so I wouldn't have to stand up and start moving around.

    So I'd say, particularly once you're medicated, your weight loss should be like anyone else's - your basic CICO - and if you're not yet medicated, unless you're literally laid up to the point of hospitalization, you can probably lose weight by figuring your energy expenditure, and eating under that.

    Good luck - hypothyroid patients can live a long and healthy life! :) Hang in there!
  • Golbat
    Golbat Posts: 276 Member
    I have Hashimoto's and I'm losing as MFP says I should. I take synthroid and my TSH levels are now where they should be. You can do it! But do keep up with your doctor and get medication for it.
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    I was diagnosed that I have hyperthyroidism (hashinotos thyroid) with ultrasounds..Now I have to do blood-hormonal test to find out exactly the amount of medicine that I should take. The doctor told me that as soon as I start taking the pills, my metabolism will work better.


    Also, the 1226 is my BMR. My doctor had put me in that special machine that counts the amount of body fat, muscle etc.

    Although my kilos are ok...my fat percentage was 30,4% so I want to lose a lot of that. So..you say I should eat less...more???
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    Golbat wrote: »
    I have Hashimoto's and I'm losing as MFP says I should. I take synthroid and my TSH levels are now where they should be. You can do it! But do keep up with your doctor and get medication for it.

    Do you take any medication??? Because MFP says That my BMR should be more than 1.600 but in reality it is 1226..
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    edited April 2017
    I was diagnosed that I have hyperthyroidism (hashinotos thyroid) with ultrasounds..Now I have to do blood-hormonal test to find out exactly the amount of medicine that I should take. The doctor told me that as soon as I start taking the pills, my metabolism will work better.


    Also, the 1226 is my BMR. My doctor had put me in that special machine that counts the amount of body fat, muscle etc.

    Although my kilos are ok...my fat percentage was 30,4% so I want to lose a lot of that. So..you say I should eat less...more???

    Are you in the UK?

    Request a full thyroid panel including TSH, fT3, fT4, rT3. The new normal for TSH is 0.2-2.0, but this is largely dependent on how you feel. For example I was likely hyperthyroid most of my life so this "feels" normal to me. Others feel normal with a TSH of 10 - this is an extremely variable number and dependent upon the other critical diagnostics tests.

    Regarding your BMR of 1226. This is what your body burns if you were at rest all day - no physical activity. The caloric intake number MFP generates is based on population average and is dependent upon what level of activity you input - this is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and incorporates your exercise.

    Body fat is nothing more than an energy reserve. To lose body fat you need to maintain a caloric deficit. If your maintenance calories are at 1600, then you need to eat less than 1600 calories/day.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    edited April 2017
    i also suffer from hypothyroidism and im on 100mcg a day of levo. my last levels were under at 0.02 so i lowered my dosage from 150..
    when i asked for a full panel the nhs didn't do it, surprised the drs ast ignoring their request and just gave us a tsh level.
    i have found that i did struggle to lose weight on TDEE minus 25%.. so i switched back to net method mfp and added calories in from exercise.
    what i found is that my maintenance level is slightly lower than those that dont suffer and therefore i do have to eat slightly lower than normal calories to lose weight.. for instance. i was eating 1600 a day not eating exercise,
    now im at 1460 and only eating a quarter or half those exercise cals back and my weight has started to go down again.
    what ive also noticed is that i can gain so easily if i steer off the path of righteousness. for easter i gained a whooping 5lbs over 3 days!!! 5lbs!!! im weighing in tomorrow in hopes that has come off..

    what also helped me is my choice of foods, so instead of reaching for chocolate ( wihin cals) id reach for just something a bit healthier to snack on, some ham or melon. this keeps cals down
    ivbe just listed a few things that ive found that works for me, you have to find your own journey, i have realized that i have to work harder to lose the weight too, my friend can eat chocolate all week within her calories and still lose weight, i cannot. whether thats because of my thyroid or just because of who i am. its my journey, yours will be your own too.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,257 Member
    @leahcollett1

    I feel for those subjected to NHS. The only thing I can recommend is medical tourism or if you can purchase access to a concierge physician and get the treatment you need.

    Hypothyroidism has a relatively small impact on metabolism - from clinical studies the average is ~5% to BMR/REE. So in general if MFP is saying 1600, then you would adjust this to 1520. Also keep in mind that food labeling carries a margin of error of 20%.

    Key point to remember though is that you physically cannot gain 5 lbs of fat this quickly. That would take 3500 x5 for a total of 17,500 surplus calories. This is water weight and very common with hormonal imbalances. My weight fluctuates ~ 5 lbs throughout the day.
  • leahcollett1
    leahcollett1 Posts: 807 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    @leahcollett1

    I feel for those subjected to NHS. The only thing I can recommend is medical tourism or if you can purchase access to a concierge physician and get the treatment you need.

    Hypothyroidism has a relatively small impact on metabolism - from clinical studies the average is ~5% to BMR/REE. So in general if MFP is saying 1600, then you would adjust this to 1520. Also keep in mind that food labeling carries a margin of error of 20%.

    Key point to remember though is that you physically cannot gain 5 lbs of fat this quickly. That would take 3500 x5 for a total of 17,500 surplus calories. This is water weight and very common with hormonal imbalances. My weight fluctuates ~ 5 lbs throughout the day.

    yea its why i didnt have a meltdown on the scales, ive been doing this years and have got to know my body and it bloody loves a good water gain the moment my lips touch unhealthy stuffs ;)
  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    I was diagnosed that I have hyperthyroidism (hashinotos thyroid) with ultrasounds..Now I have to do blood-hormonal test to find out exactly the amount of medicine that I should take. The doctor told me that as soon as I start taking the pills, my metabolism will work better.


    Also, the 1226 is my BMR. My doctor had put me in that special machine that counts the amount of body fat, muscle etc.

    Although my kilos are ok...my fat percentage was 30,4% so I want to lose a lot of that. So..you say I should eat less...more???

    Who gave you that 1226 number? Also, you're not supposed to eat at your BMR in order to lose weight. That's just what you utilize to literally live, just lying there...your respiration, digestion, your cells doing their thing, liver functioning...etc.

    Also, if you have Hashi's then you're hypo-T, not hyper-T. Hyper-T is an overactive thyroid. Hashi's is an underactive thyroid with anti-thyroid activity on the part of antibodies in your body.

    Could you start by letting us know how you arrived at 1226 and at 1600?

  • LAWoman72
    LAWoman72 Posts: 2,846 Member
    BTW, you'd be surprised by how one has to jump through hoops, beg, plead and often get turned down anyway in the U.S. Or give up and pay out of pocket to a doctor not on our HMO for hundreds of dollars just for the testing (no follow-up) with no guarantee that our PCP will go along with those results and medicate us. Just sayin'...

    I haven't had a "full panel" since I was first DXd but I'm getting by. I don't expect to be 100% healthy every minute with my Hashi's since the nature of the disease appears to be that it will fluctuate anyway (heavier or lighter "attack days," as I call them, etc.). So I am just medicated to the most basic number possible, my TSH, and I am indeed getting healthier since my diagnosis. I'm even on the crap generic stuff that many Hashi's forums scream doesn't work and so on and so forth. (I begged but was never able to get my doctor to agree to trying me on Armour.)

    It is what it is. But know you're not alone with the struggle to get "really" healthy. IMO (this is JUST my opinion), since you have an autoimmune disease, which can be unpredictable and which, after all, is doing damage day by day, you may not achieve that "Mrs. Universe" 100% glowing, sparkling always-healthy state. You may still have your bad days. I'm not saying to just accept that and not push your doctor, I'm saying, yes, even with an ongoing condition you can get up, you can live your life, work, lose weight, EVEN when you're not having a string of 100% great days. I may be fatalistic but...really, who's in optimum health constantly? We all have struggles. Non-hypo-T people have struggles too. Know you're not alone, and know that others with your issues or other issues HAVE made this work. You can too!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Hello there...I just found out that I have thyroid (the one that you gain weight etc...) and my metbolism is really really low 1226.. I am working out 4-5 times per week and try to eat about 1.200 to lose weight... but most of the times I feel so tired and my body fat % doesn't get lower.. Any help?? Do you know anything about thyroid and loosing fat?? Thank you!!! :)

    You have "thyroid"? You mean hypothyroid? Do you have Hashimoto's? Are you on Synthroid?

    Bottom line is it affects everyone differently, the symptoms never really go away and you just have to do the best you can. I have trouble losing weight. I can't lose if I eat more than 500 calories a day, regardless of exercise. Some people who have it don't have that problem, but they have something else. It sucks. Just make sure you're on the meds, getting your levels checked, seeing an endocrinologist and not just your regular doctor and push yourself as much as you can.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
    How long have you been trying to lose weight and what are your stats - height weight etc ?
    I'm also guessing you could eat more than 1200 cals, and it will probably make you feel better/have more energy if you did.
    (I'm eating about 2200 to lose a pound per week right now. 5'1'' 180 lbs, I've never considered my metabolism to be slow because of hypothyroid - if it is it isn't much - , if I'm gaining weight it's always been because I've been eating too much.)
    Once medicated most people find they can lose weight just as anyone without thyroid problems can. It's hard for most people, but weighing your food, logging as accurately as possible, and trying to stay active helps a lot!
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    I was diagnosed that I have hyperthyroidism (hashinotos thyroid) with ultrasounds..Now I have to do blood-hormonal test to find out exactly the amount of medicine that I should take. The doctor told me that as soon as I start taking the pills, my metabolism will work better.


    Also, the 1226 is my BMR. My doctor had put me in that special machine that counts the amount of body fat, muscle etc.

    Although my kilos are ok...my fat percentage was 30,4% so I want to lose a lot of that. So..you say I should eat less...more???

    Sorry!!! I meant hypothiroidism!!!
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »

    Are you in the UK?

    Request a full thyroid panel including TSH, fT3, fT4, rT3. The new normal for TSH is 0.2-2.0, but this is largely dependent on how you feel. For example I was likely hyperthyroid most of my life so this "feels" normal to me. Others feel normal with a TSH of 10 - this is an extremely variable number and dependent upon the other critical diagnostics tests.

    Regarding your BMR of 1226. This is what your body burns if you were at rest all day - no physical activity. The caloric intake number MFP generates is based on population average and is dependent upon what level of activity you input - this is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and incorporates your exercise.

    Body fat is nothing more than an energy reserve. To lose body fat you need to maintain a caloric deficit. If your maintenance calories are at 1600, then you need to eat less than 1600 calories/day.

    I am not in the U.K., I live in Greece)

    I have to take these hormonal tests in order to start my medication.. The doctor has prescribed them.

    The number 1600 in according to MFP..which doesn't know that my BMR is really really low.. And most of the time when I overeat I gain some fat..
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    i also suffer from hypothyroidism and im on 100mcg a day of levo. my last levels were under at 0.02 so i lowered my dosage from 150..
    when i asked for a full panel the nhs didn't do it, surprised the drs ast ignoring their request and just gave us a tsh level.
    i have found that i did struggle to lose weight on TDEE minus 25%.. so i switched back to net method mfp and added calories in from exercise.
    what i found is that my maintenance level is slightly lower than those that dont suffer and therefore i do have to eat slightly lower than normal calories to lose weight.. for instance. i was eating 1600 a day not eating exercise,
    now im at 1460 and only eating a quarter or half those exercise cals back and my weight has started to go down again.
    what ive also noticed is that i can gain so easily if i steer off the path of righteousness. for easter i gained a whooping 5lbs over 3 days!!! 5lbs!!! im weighing in tomorrow in hopes that has come off..

    what also helped me is my choice of foods, so instead of reaching for chocolate ( wihin cals) id reach for just something a bit healthier to snack on, some ham or melon. this keeps cals down
    ivbe just listed a few things that ive found that works for me, you have to find your own journey, i have realized that i have to work harder to lose the weight too, my friend can eat chocolate all week within her calories and still lose weight, i cannot. whether thats because of my thyroid or just because of who i am. its my journey, yours will be your own too.

    Haaah unfortunately the choco problems is the same with me... I can easy gain 4-5 kilos(!!!) in one week if I stop the gym and I eat unhealthy things.
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    @leahcollett1

    I feel for those subjected to NHS. The only thing I can recommend is medical tourism or if you can purchase access to a concierge physician and get the treatment you need.

    Hypothyroidism has a relatively small impact on metabolism - from clinical studies the average is ~5% to BMR/REE. So in general if MFP is saying 1600, then you would adjust this to 1520. Also keep in mind that food labeling carries a margin of error of 20%.

    Key point to remember though is that you physically cannot gain 5 lbs of fat this quickly. That would take 3500 x5 for a total of 17,500 surplus calories. This is water weight and very common with hormonal imbalances. My weight fluctuates ~ 5 lbs throughout the day.

    I am really afraid to eat more, as can gain 4-5 kilos if I stop working out for one week ...(some of that may be water..) and when I start again I lose some of them
    Although I don't know what percentage of protein, carbs and fat would work for me...
  • AnastasiaGrs1
    AnastasiaGrs1 Posts: 34 Member
    LAWoman72 wrote: »
    Who gave you that 1226 number? Also, you're not supposed to eat at your BMR in order to lose weight. That's just what you utilize to literally live, just lying there...your respiration, digestion, your cells doing their thing, liver functioning...etc.

    Also, if you have Hashi's then you're hypo-T, not hyper-T. Hyper-T is an overactive thyroid. Hashi's is an underactive thyroid with anti-thyroid activity on the part of antibodies in your body.

    Could you start by letting us know how you arrived at 1226 and at 1600?

    I am sorry, I meant hypothyroidism, not hyper

    The 1226 is according to my doctor who calculated it with a machine..( I don't know it's name, but you step in two metal things and it shows you body fat% , BMR etc...
    And the 1600 is according to MFP (which doesn't know that I have hypo and my BMR is really low..