Hi everyone! My name is Cheryl. I'm 41 years old and live in Michigan. I was diagnosed with Hashimoto (underactive thyroidism) about 20 years ago. Since the diagnosis my weight has been going up and I'm fed up with it. I know that I can lose the weight if I really try hard. That's my goal for 2016, to be able to feel & look good. I look forward to getting to know everyone and making new friends.

Hey would love to get your diet sheet. I just found out my thyroid is not working last in December. Trying to lose a about 50 pounds .

tyt11202004 wrote: »

Hi everyone! I am 32, mother of 2. I stay at home and homeschool my oldest. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 4 years ago. I switched my medicine from synthroid to Armour last year and have had a much improved symptom set. I have gained weight after each of my children, and need to lose it. In January, I asked my dr for a diet plan that would help me get rid of the extra 50+/- pounds I had. I started that diet Jan 12, and lost 20 pounds in 7 1/2 weeks. I am stoked!! I also recently had a deficiency in potassium that sent me to the ER with heart palpitations. I need all the help I can get to have a nutrient-rich diet that will not mess up my thyroid and still help me lose weight. I average a 10 pound weight loss each month. I would like to at least maintain that if not increase it. I still have about 40 pounds to lose.

Hi everyone. I have hypothyroidism which is genetic. I also have lot of other health issues. Sometimes I wonder off they're all related somehow. Currently take 150 mcg Synthroid.

Hashi patient here. Used to live in Vancouver, B.C. but retired to Campbell River to a house on the ocean.

Happy day for me. Lost 2 lbs (water I am sure) since yesterday. Tuesday is one of my big exercise days - league bowling. Always helps me lose weight. Hope everyone is doing well here. Not too many people seem to be posting but that is the nature of life.

With the new grandson it is very hard to keep track of eating. Will do the best I can but at least again today I have not gained!!

Hi everybody! I just found this group. So excited. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism way back in 1994. In 2008 I finally learned I has Hashimoto's. End of last year we found that I was also dealing with hyperparathyroidism due to a vitamin D deficiency. Oh let us not forget the severe cervical stenosis, herniated lumbar disc, osteoarthritis of the spine and fibromyalgia. Weight is so hard for me now.

The hyperparathyroidism is under control now. Now my last TSH was only 0.2. So doc has ⬇️ the levo to 100mcg and added citomel. The rheumy has added d-ribose 2x/day for the fibro and my psychiatrist has changed all my other meds too. Ugh.

I have Hashimoto's.

I was symptomatic for over 3 decades before finally being diagnosed; during that time I was treated to the "mental illness" model of thyroid treatment, which as many of us know involves antidepressants and lots of counseling revolving around one's alleged lazy, negative attitude towards life.

I was then treated to 20 years of Synthroid, which did little to alleviate my symptoms -- but again, I was told that these must necessarily be in my head because my TSH was"in the normal range."

Finally I went to a licensed N.D. who suggested that I insist that my doctor run a full thyroid panel instead of the TSH-only testing he had been doing. He had to grudgingly acknowledge that I don't convert T4 into T3, and put me on desiccated thyroid.

It still isn't easy street because I have horrible insomnia, but it seems that as time goes by and I play with my dosage, my health is improving slowly -- but I can't lose weight. I suspect a lot of it is water retention because I seem to swell up and down, but I definitely can't lose weight, either.

I have had hypothyroid issues since I was a child. Periods of time where I was on meds and then taken off and lived with lots of symptoms for yrs. Finally had a dr that an took interest in me. In time I was put on Armour with an adjusted prescription. Fine until he retired and now we are regulating the prescription again. What I have learned is that when I was walking about 2 miles a day 5 to 6 days a wk I lost about .25 of a lb a week. I also kept a running diary on MFP coupled with my Fitbit. I ended up losing 15 lbs though I still have another 15 to go. Life is on hold again since I have been told to stay off my feet (plantar fiscitis) thus seeing my wt going back up 3 lbs. I am really having to watch my salt and bread (glutin) intake because that tends to really put my wt on. Also have to watch my sugar intake too because that tends to make a difference. Its all about exercise and eating no processed foods, plus watching the food portions. Good luck with this ladies...

Hi Everyone,

I am Rona, and I am 37 years old, married and living in Ireland. I was diagnosed with Hpothyroidism back in 2006, and am on 75 mcg of Eltroxin.
I am also on Vitamin D, and Iron. Plus I suffer from depression and am on meds for that. I am also attending the hospital and getting tests done to see if I have PCOS.

Anyway, just wanted to say Hi to you all, please feel free to add me. I could do with a buddy or two that is going through the same thing. I am desperate to lose weight, and finding it a struggle at times. I started on Slimming World about a week ago and am going to get weighed in a few days to see if I lost anything, fingers crossed that I have.

Looking forward to getting to know you all!

Rona

I have a nonfunctioning pituitary and hence thyroid. So I'm on hydrocortisone and levothyroxine. Both worked well for me until my insurance would cover generic. Fortunately my endocrinologist connected recent weight gain of 40 labs in 6 mos with the generic brands not working for me. I also had other symptoms, extreme tired and so on. Now that my brands are right for me, I stuck with trying to get off this weight. Like others on this forum, weight went to my stomach which is really abnormal for me. I know I can loose the weight but I'd really appreciate support during this tough journey back. I'm concerned this journey back is going to be rough because I'm now in my modn50s.. I live in Minneapolis area. Thanks

Hi all! I think it is so awesome we are all working at being healthy. Especially with such chronic hurdle to overcome. I haven't read through all the posts so if I am repeating someone else's story my apologies.

I am almost 43 5'2" and 125 lbs and have in the last 3 years kinda figured out what has helped me drop and keep my weight off (15-20lbs). I know it sounds small but looked big on me and also those last buggers are the hardest to lose.

Anyways quick history: Hypothyroid diagnosis = levothyroxine but very marginal improvement in symptoms. 6 months later I asked and was test for celiac disease. Results positive. In case you don't know there is strong connection between the two diseases - they are also both autoimmune.

Long story short, I went on a gluten free diet THEN I went on a paleo type diet. I am not as strict as those nuts , but I primarily eat lots of vegetables, healthy fat and meat protein. I avoid starches sugars etc as much as possible. I use them as a treat. IE I never eat potatoes/rice/corn(flour) foods with my meals. Occasionally I will have potato chips or rice crackers. Furthermore I feel way better too. There are lots of books out there for this kind of diet.

Finally I am pretty active and was struggling for years with exercise intolerance and with a last kick at the can I asked my endo if I could PUH-LEASE try dessicated thyroid and if it failed I would embrace my chronic fatigue like symptoms. I would say that I am 75% better. The reason I came on here actually was to see if ANY active people have had full recovery of normal energy etc with pharmaceutical treatment. Anyways hope this helps.

Good luck!!

Hi, I am back on the wagon! I have done MFP before. I am really excited because I started on August 5th and have been on track, I have a note I keep on my PC so every time I open it I see it and it's the first thing I do!!! I have see sawed on my weight loss all month. I have discovered my ideal calories for the day. I have lost 8lbs. I have hypo/hyper thyroid every 3-6 months my dr. has to change my dosage!!! It's either up or down it just won't stay stable. I refuse to see an endocrinologist, the one time I went she diagnosed diabetes 2 and wanted me to check blood sugars a few times a day. well I was making myself crazy, my mom and sister are diabetic, neuropathy, blindness, amputation of a toe, my brother was also diagnosed and they wanted to put him on insulin, through diet and exercise he reversed it. I am going to do the same. I am on a med that increased blood sugar so I take metformin for it. my A1C is 5.5 yeah. I want my thyroid stable. is anyone really going to read all this?

thanks bametels, I have a hard copy of my weight and calorie charts, I lost 8lbs in August and I will keep it off thanks to MFP. any ideas of why my thyroid levels change so often?

Hi kacahill, I agree with Bametels, this group is rather on the tired side yet its pages hold so very much good information.

Hashimoto's initially presents with periods of hyper and hypothyroid periods these are caused by increases and decreases in antibody levels. Its my opinion the international medical professions are all to keen to slot each and everyone of us into their predefined boxes and if we dare to have a body which fails to comply its us and not the system which is wrong. Levothyroxine does not suit everyone. I'm just someone else who has been through the mill before regaining my health.

If at all possible ask for an antibody test. This will tell you if you have Hashimoto' s which presents with fluctuating thyroid numbers as a result of antibodies. Graves is hyper which is also antibody driven. I've no experience of this. Also expect to have your tsh, t4, total t3 - reverse t3, taking the reverse from the total gives you the active portion for your body to use, there are also vitamin and mineral levels which could be tested and could be most helpful in regaining your health. You may find changing your doctor really helpful. There are a couple of sites which come to mind, Stop the Thyroid Madness, STTM, along with information relating to the cause of symptoms it also has a list of doctors who have helped people with thyroid issues in the past. There is also Hypothyroid mom, I think she too has a list of helpful doctors, some international ones. Most countries have thyroid support sites which have similar information on them, its well worth giving them a look.

I wish our information which give the date we first registered also gave the country we come from. I'm in the UK. I have needed to go outside of our health service in order to get my health back but its not without costs, from being untreated for so very long and now using a BANT Registered Nutritionist, UK only. They follow a more functional approach using the same blood tests as the medical profession have access to but defining why the body does what it is doing. The endocrine system is like a series of interlocking cogs and things, you could almost say it functions like a solar system - as long as each gland is working properly there are no issues, something then intervenes and things start to go wrong.

One site, I can't remember which gives a list of 300 possible symptoms related to thyroid issues. There is a relationship between the thyroid and insulin issues - its all in how the glands are working together. I'm sceptical that each and every endocrinologist really understands their subject. One I had the misfortune to meet considered he knew more than a Professor in Immunology, specialising in autoimmunity, at the Regional Centre! At this point I was dinghied the opportunity to go back to Region, so had to save my life, go private. I was fortunate to have had the Professors input laying all my health issues as being cumulative from Hashimoto's. Discovering what was driving my antibodies and eliminating them from my diet helped, being able to access alternative preparations has given me my life back.

I wish you the very best of fortune, that you can get on top of this with the best treatment out there because there is a world of difference between being hypo because your diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals and having an autoimmune condition. It is possible to have more than one autoimmune condition co existing, if you can find the drivers of the antibodies and rectify that, its more complicated and has individual representations, it can be done with the right help.