Feeling discouraged

lingally
lingally Posts: 10 Member
edited November 18 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. I've had hypothyroidism for 21 years and despite going to the gym, eating sensibly and having moderate alcohol intake (a glass of wine in the evening. Rarely might stretch to 2!) I don't seem to be getting anywhere. It's really disheartening. I am 5'3 and weigh 152. My weight is carried in my belly. I have the arms and legs of someone a lot leaner than me. Please can anyone offer some guidance. Last time levels were checked they were in normal range. Though I'm probably due another test as tested yearly for that- and for any adverse reactions to a drug I'm taking for ulcerative colitis.
I know losing weight would benefit me in so many ways, more energy, less pressure of my knees and general feelings of well being. But I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. I seem to take 2 steps forward and 3 back.
Please can I have support. I've never posted on here. I am hoping someone has been where I am and can help me out of this rut.

Replies

  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    It can be so frustrating!!

    What method have you used for tracking ingoing and outgoing cals? (Weighing in grams, measuring cup, exercise machines, activity tracker, etc)

    ____________________________________________

    Down 140lbs: My story.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    Hi. So in the past I did lose weight on the south beach diet. That was in about 2006 but that was very strict. Recently (last 4 years) I have used a Fitbit and tracked calories on here. (Didn't always stay in track) but managed to get down to 145) but then lost motivation and crept back up to 158. I now have an Apple Watch that tracks exercise and have recently started using this app again. I try and get to the gym 3 times a week and I'm doing C25K and on week 6. (Though have been through it more than once and never quite completed it. Can't run fast 4.5mph because I have bad knees)
    I do circuits once a week and try and lift weights. So as I understand it, apart from the odd slide I'm doing everything by the book. I can lose 2lbs between Monday and Friday then gain it back over the weekend. So I know I haven't lost fat. Just water.
    I have long noticed a pattern of 11 days before my period I get very intense carb cravings.
    But after my period this seems to reset and I settle back down to eating less carbs - carbs hold water etc. My weight progress chart looks like a ecg readout.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    It can be done. I have lost over 75 pounds with hypothyroidism. As long as you are medicated and your levels are in the normal range just having a calorie deficit will work it just takes a little time and diligence. I'm 60 years old so had to go to 1200 calories and lost an average of 1.4 pounds a week at the beginning. I am now on 1350 for my last 15 pounds and am losing really slow (.4/week average). I'm 5'5" tall just in case you were wondering.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    Thank you. I have about a stone and a half I'd like to lose and to those that have more to lose I suppose my problem may seem petty. But it's important to me.
    I always feel so proud when I see someone very large either at the gym or out walking. They may be feeling horrific but I think they look great.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    This may not be a popular suggestion (and I'm not normally one to suggest giving anything up) but have you considered cutting back/out the daily glass of wine to see what happens? A typical 5-ounce glass is 120-125 calorie. Are you measuring carefully? If not, yours may be more. I definitely concur with the advice to buy and use a food scale if you're not already using one, as well!
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    @pinuplove. Hi. Yeah I have considered that. I don't drink to excess, don't binge. I don't smoke or take recreational drugs. (I did smoke. Gave up when I was 18- now 44) hubby likes a little drink at the end of the day when everything is done. And it's nice to join in too. I have maybe 1/2 a bottle left of a nice red. Then maybe I'll give it a miss and see what happens.
    I scan most of my foods in to get the correct brand etc and I have food scales.
    (Fell out with them a little when I measured out a portion of cereal a few years back- barely covered the bottom of the bowl!)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    @pinuplove. Hi. Yeah I have considered that. I don't drink to excess, don't binge. I don't smoke or take recreational drugs. (I did smoke. Gave up when I was 18- now 44) hubby likes a little drink at the end of the day when everything is done. And it's nice to join in too. I have maybe 1/2 a bottle left of a nice red. Then maybe I'll give it a miss and see what happens.
    I scan most of my foods in to get the correct brand etc and I have food scales.
    (Fell out with them a little when I measured out a portion of cereal a few years back- barely covered the bottom of the bowl!)

    This is the whole point. Dust it off and put it to use. ;)
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    Thank you. I have about a stone and a half I'd like to lose and to those that have more to lose I suppose my problem may seem petty. But it's important to me.
    I always feel so proud when I see someone very large either at the gym or out walking. They may be feeling horrific but I think they look great.

    Trying to get the last few off I can sympathize with your frustration. When the gap is this small it really takes a long time to get that weight off. I don't know if my thyroid is the reason it's so slow or if it's just that I don't burn enough but I can promise you that if you keep going at a calorie deficit you will eventually lose it. I agree with those who suggest a food scale and measuring and weighing everything. I used to just eyeball stuff but when things really slowed down I started weighing and have been surprised a few times at how far off I am. Sometimes I overestimate and sometimes I underestimate. Meat is very deceiving. I tend to think it weighs less than it really does. Steak is a killer! I bought tenderloins one week and was astonished at how little steak I could eat.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks @rainbowbow it's good to hear it can be done.
    I've won other battles. But this weight thing seems to be the hardest.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited May 2017
    lingally wrote: »
    pinuplove. Hi. Yeah I have considered that. I don't drink to excess, don't binge. I don't smoke or take recreational drugs. (I did smoke. Gave up when I was 18- now 44) hubby likes a little drink at the end of the day when everything is done. And it's nice to join in too. I have maybe 1/2 a bottle left of a nice red. Then maybe I'll give it a miss and see what happens.
    I scan most of my foods in to get the correct brand etc and I have food scales.
    (Fell out with them a little when I measured out a portion of cereal a few years back- barely covered the bottom of the bowl!)

    Careful with just scanning foods and trusting the entry to be correct. I've had that be very hit and miss. And definitely dust off those scales if you haven't already!
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    I have been on thyroid meds for 28 years, and in the last 18 months I have lost 115 lbs.

    If you are on the right meds and doseage, you will lose weight like anyone else.

    Dont fall into the trap of using your thyroid as a crutch to avoid being successful.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    I've found the bar codes to be mostly accurate. I'm in the uk and seems to be ok. Except I scanned in something this week and it came up as raspberries.
    I will indeed dust off the scales
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    @cross2bear I don't use my thyroid as an excuse but I do believe it's making it harder for me. Up until I was early 20s I was very small. Size 8 or 10. Within a year of being diagnosed shot to 16. I'm at 14 now but sometimes they feel tighter than normal. Only time I've been smaller these last 19 years is after my pregnancies. Get really bad morning sickness and lose weight as consequence. But my youngest is 16 later this year. So can't use baby weight as excuse.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Read everything that @rainbowbow posted - read this again and implement this one at a time until these points become habit and part of your daily routine. Note that nutritional labeling holds a 20% margin of error, so if you are not losing, you are likely eating more than you think you are.

    Hypothyroidism impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5%, so if your goal is to hit 1600 calories/day, you would adjust this to 1520.

    I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and put on ~70 lbs over 14 years. This had nothing to do with hypothyroidism, but me shifting from a high active military career to a cushy civilian position in academia. I was introduced to MFP in 2014 and implemented changes slowly and stuck to the MFP guidelines and lost 60 lbs in a year.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    May I ask then. If I earn calories through exercise is it ok to eat these extras as exercising can make me hungry (as does concentrating.)
    Or should I just eat the 1200 and that's that.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat back calories earned through exercise. Since it's a bit hard to nail the number burned exactly, even with tools designed for it, most people settle on a percentage after a bit of trial an error. Some eat them all, some eat 75%, or 50%, etc.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    May I ask then. If I earn calories through exercise is it ok to eat these extras as exercising can make me hungry (as does concentrating.)
    Or should I just eat the 1200 and that's that.

    I personally didn't lose when I ate back exercise calories. If I really really needed to (say, over an hour long high intensity run) I'd eat back only half.

    As far as I'm concerned as someone with hypothyroidism and a history of weight regain eating back exercise calories simply adds in another potential factor for miscalculation. This will only lead to more frustration.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    May I ask then. If I earn calories through exercise is it ok to eat these extras as exercising can make me hungry (as does concentrating.)
    Or should I just eat the 1200 and that's that.

    What does MFP give you as your calorie allotment? What setting did you put for your rate of loss/week?

    I'm always leary about eating back exercise calories considering the margin of error in nutritional labeling and in exercise calories as we tend to underestimate intake and overestimate output. Honestly this is something you need to experiment with. Try eating back 50% of your exercise calories and see how that works, monitoring yourself over 4-6 weeks if you see gains, then keep it up. If you get stuck, review your logs and tighten up, eat a bit less, move a bit more and check your progress over the next 4-6 weeks.
  • lingally
    lingally Posts: 10 Member
    @CSARdiver so I put in goals to lose 1lb a week. Sedentary lifestyle. And it gave me 1350 cals
    My watch activity app I have set to try and burn 500 cals a day. Easier on gym days than the weekend though. Only done 127 cals today. Mowing lawn. But it hasn't added anything to calories on mfp.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    @CSARdiver so I put in goals to lose 1lb a week. Sedentary lifestyle. And it gave me 1350 cals
    My watch activity app I have set to try and burn 500 cals a day. Easier on gym days than the weekend though. Only done 127 cals today. Mowing lawn. But it hasn't added anything to calories on mfp.

    Don't eat back NEAT calories, that's a sure fire way to stall.
  • ljdengler
    ljdengler Posts: 1 Member
    Glad to see I'm not alone :) I was feeling discouraged after losing nothing the past 2 weeks until I read this post. Thanks everyone for they hypothyroid support!
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    lingally wrote: »
    @CSARdiver so I put in goals to lose 1lb a week. Sedentary lifestyle. And it gave me 1350 cals
    My watch activity app I have set to try and burn 500 cals a day. Easier on gym days than the weekend though. Only done 127 cals today. Mowing lawn. But it hasn't added anything to calories on mfp.

    With 1350 and the margin of error I'm going to point you back to the advice @rainbowbow provided. Logging as accurately as possible, try hitting 1200 calories and see how that works.

    With thyroid and nearly all hormonal issues, false hunger signals abound. This was key to my success and one of the things I incorporated is to drink water 30 mins prior to every meal. Hydration is also a key element as hormonal shifts will cause weight gain (just water weight) through increased cellular absorption. This is only temporary and should go away in 5-7 days.

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