Thyroid disorders!

Anyone with hypothyroidism? Any tips or advice on this frustrating weight loss journey

Replies

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  • sjd421
    sjd421 Posts: 54 Member
    Make sure you see an endocrinologist and that your levels/meds are where they should be. It took me a little while to get the momentum going but finally I am seeing good .5-1lb a week results. Keep with it, log everything, and exercise even if it's just walking. Also I do not restrict certain food groups, CICO.
  • helena99716
    helena99716 Posts: 62 Member
    @debraormond could you tell me a little more about this supplement? I've been struggling with brain fog for years now and every doctor i speak to just brushes it off, I'd very much like it gone!
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  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    thecharon wrote: »
    @helena99716 Careful with supplements. Some contain iodine which can be harmful in high amounts. Brain fog could be 100 different things. Do you take a multivitmain that contains Vitamin D? Even low B-12 levels can cause problems? Are you a vegetarian? Do you eat foods that contain magnesium such as beans or milk?

    Supplements are also not regulated or tested so ypu have no idea really what's in them.
  • helena99716
    helena99716 Posts: 62 Member
    thecharon wrote: »
    @helena99716 Careful with supplements. Some contain iodine which can be harmful in high amounts. Brain fog could be 100 different things. Do you take a multivitmain that contains Vitamin D? Even low B-12 levels can cause problems? Are you a vegetarian? Do you eat foods that contain magnesium such as beans or milk?

    I don't take any vitamins, only meds and a "supplement" (not sure what else to call it) for my heart as it tends to skip often. And I am not vegeterian, but I do have about 2 dl of milk every day. I have had depression through my teens and I honestly think that's what's causing my brain fog, so I was hoping to try this supplement or something similar in hopes of it helping. :)
  • Mysche
    Mysche Posts: 10 Member
    Great advice thankyou so much! Have had heaps of tests done reverse t3 was extremely high! Had low Vit D, iron, take vit B, magnesium and turmeric. Have improved heaps over the last year. I am on natural dessicated thyroid extract. Has helped me so much. It's a daily struggle as I bloat from day to day! And any weight loss is incredible slow. Thanks so much for your awesome advice x
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  • Fitnessmom82
    Fitnessmom82 Posts: 376 Member
    I'm on synthroid. Had my thyroid removed many years ago. The only way I lose weight is by meticulously watching what I eat and working out frequently. One or the other has never worked for me. I've eliminated most gluten from my diet and I am considering gluten free. I have had the best results of my life this way. I know nothing about any evidence that backs this up but it's working for me right now. I've never felt better. I see my endo next week and I'm anxious to see what my labs are.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
    thecharon wrote: »
    Bloat from day to day? Ask a new question to get help on this. Many people here have IBS, crohn's, lactose intolerance, or even an allergy to soy. Some people even say pro-biotic foods help. Get help with this! Open your diary. I get bad bloating just by eating high fiber foods. @Mysche

    Bloating is quite common with hypothyroid patients. Low thyroid function can contribute to low digestive enzymes in the stomach. This makes some or all foods harder/slower to digest and contributes to bloating on top of the slow bowel movement and constipation many patients suffer. These issues were my first symptoms 14 years ago and thankfully have resolved now that my numbers are in a good range for me while on dessicated thyroid.
  • suzjmac
    suzjmac Posts: 14 Member
    Mysche wrote: »
    Anyone with hypothyroidism? Any tips or advice on this frustrating weight loss journey
    I have hypothyroidism. Get on your bike.
    I started Jan 2017 riding to the end of a level 15km trail. Now 10 months later i have lost 3 stone and did a 40km endurance hill ride
    (Check out my cycling activity on Garmin Connect. #beatyesterday
    https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/2326317819?share_unique_id=3 )
    The last 3 to 4 pounds to reach my target is tough and slow.
    I am over 50 and feel like 30. I'M NOT TIRED. My blood tests are the same level. I now play tennis, swim KM at my holiday home , and have more energy to enjoy life.
    Cycling is great for hypothyroidism because you work getting up the hill and rest going down.
    Keep at it and you will get there.
    Suz

  • dramaqueen45
    dramaqueen45 Posts: 1,009 Member
    I was diagnosed years ago and now I'm on 100 mcg of levothyroxine. I think it's very important to get your TSH levels that is right for you, despite what the "normal" range is. I lost 55 watching my calories and keeping under my range - over the course of a year and a half. For me gaining weight over the years had much more to do with bad eating habits and inactivity, but I'm sure my thyroid had a bit to do with it as well (I didn't really starting putting on a lot of weight until I was on my meds). Sometimes I would hit a plateau and I had to try different things to break it- such as changing up exercise, adding intervals and really tightening up my logging by avoiding a bite of this and a taste of that (as that can really add on calories). Being a small frame I like to keep my TSH closer to a 1-2 range and I have more energy in that range. Keep talking to your doctor if you don't feel like you have the energy you need (or switch doctors). But really, being accurate with your calories is most important, especially the closer you get to your goal. My most difficult thing is probably getting an accurate reading of my exercise calories. I try to eat back only half when I was losing (and when I was on my last 5 pounds I stopped eating any back to lose that). I've tried the HRM with little luck of them working correctly, so I do the best I can with what the machines give and what MFP estimates. Right now I'm trying to lose a few again as it's easy to gain back 5-10 pounds. I try to maintain in a range of 5 pounds, but the holidays tend to bring a lot of temptations. But again, it was more about bad eating habits creeping back and having more unhealthy eating days than healthy eating days. Maintaining is much harder than losing, because you have to find that "sweet spot" where you are not eating too little and keep losing, and not eating too much and start gaining.
  • corsig
    corsig Posts: 3 Member
    Hashimotos fella here. My endo told me to try IF and so far I love it. With having an autoimmune disease losing weight is almost impossible without 1000% willpower, diet and exercise (for me at least). I hate that I can gain 5 pounds just by looking at a piece of cake
  • ttreit
    ttreit Posts: 59 Member
    Hashimotos here too. If I eat at a deficit I lose weight, though perhaps more slowly than my peers.

    It's no different than anyone else you have to burn more than you consume. Yeah we don't burn as efficiently as others but we still burn calories. I used to use it as an excuse but honestly just because it takes me longer to hit my goal shouldn't stop me from moving toward my goal.
  • g_poleman
    g_poleman Posts: 36 Member
    I have hashimotos. Thyroid meds are very sensitive. I would urge great caution using "thyroid supplements". Doctors are pretty easy going about using a generic med. Atorvastatin vs Lipitor. However, thyroid medication is really important to be consistent. Take it as directed the same time every day. Don't ever think "thyroid meds are crap, I can't tell a difference" and stop taking your medication. Thyroid medication, according to leading Endocronologists, should be brand only as the +/-15% of brand equivalent required of generics can make a really big difference. Pharmacists love for you to fill generic meds, they make a lot more money on generics than brand medication. Levothroid, Synthroid, Armour Thyroid (that one doesn't come in generic and won't ever so it's a no brainer).

    Coumadin is a blood thinner that also needs to be carefully monitored, but many folks don't. Warfarin is generic and super cheap. but... that + or - thing is critical with blood thinning agents. Also... because it's my two cents and you don't have to read this... Supplements are not FDA regulated and if there are "clinical studies" that's a big SO WHAT. Observational data isn't the same as double blind placebo controlled. Drug companies are big business... Do they suck? sometimes. However, big bad Pharma is always looking for more money. They jump through huge hurdles which is very expensive and time consuming. Most of the time they get it right. Most of the time. The FDA is always watching over them. Supplements? Nope. Supplements are drugs. They are substances you take to achieve a result. Nobody watching over them... or you. I would exercise caution and always talk with a well trained certified medical health practitioner. It's your life. Your one and only life. Make it the best.

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    g_poleman wrote: »
    I have hashimotos. Thyroid meds are very sensitive. I would urge great caution using "thyroid supplements". Doctors are pretty easy going about using a generic med. Atorvastatin vs Lipitor. However, thyroid medication is really important to be consistent. Take it as directed the same time every day. Don't ever think "thyroid meds are crap, I can't tell a difference" and stop taking your medication. Thyroid medication, according to leading Endocronologists, should be brand only as the +/-15% of brand equivalent required of generics can make a really big difference. Pharmacists love for you to fill generic meds, they make a lot more money on generics than brand medication. Levothroid, Synthroid, Armour Thyroid (that one doesn't come in generic and won't ever so it's a no brainer).

    Coumadin is a blood thinner that also needs to be carefully monitored, but many folks don't. Warfarin is generic and super cheap. but... that + or - thing is critical with blood thinning agents. Also... because it's my two cents and you don't have to read this... Supplements are not FDA regulated and if there are "clinical studies" that's a big SO WHAT. Observational data isn't the same as double blind placebo controlled. Drug companies are big business... Do they suck? sometimes. However, big bad Pharma is always looking for more money. They jump through huge hurdles which is very expensive and time consuming. Most of the time they get it right. Most of the time. The FDA is always watching over them. Supplements? Nope. Supplements are drugs. They are substances you take to achieve a result. Nobody watching over them... or you. I would exercise caution and always talk with a well trained certified medical health practitioner. It's your life. Your one and only life. Make it the best.

    unless you are me, then its generic all the way - i had a horrible experience with synthroid and my levels got all jacked up - I had been stabled on generic (had been on it for 2yrs), my insurance/doctor changed, they would only prescribe synthroid and horrible horrible experience; back on levo now and its like night/day difference
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Your thyroid impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5% - that's going from a fully treated patient to no hormone supplementation. What hypothyroid can impact is your appetite triggers so you may eat and never feel full, so that you end up eating volumes more that you believe you are. The other great impact is water weight. Anytime your hormones are imbalanced you cells take on additional water as a defense mechanism which results in a quick weight gain and "bloated" feeling.

    I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and believed much of the weight gaining BS common in the medical community. I put on ~70 lbs over the next 14 years. About this time my wife was using MFP to lose the baby weight from our third child and I tried it out. I lost 60 lbs the first year. I researched the work of Jeffrey S. Brown, who revolutionized the treatment of hypothyroid athletes.

    As for branded vs. generic go with generic if you can simply due to price. There is no functional difference between products as generic must meet the same testing that the brand established. With the increased regulatory demand most of the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) are the same. There may be differences in the inactive ingredients, so keep accurate logs and contact the respective pharmacovigilance department if you experience an adverse event.