Thyroid issue - not having great success losing weight

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trish2016
trish2016 Posts: 156 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having trouble at the moment with my weight being up and down ex. last week I lost 4lbs and then put on 5lbs over 3 days my appetite is all over the place I have an over active thyroid which I am being treated for at the moment but as this is Ireland of course everything takes 10 times longer to get sorted. Has anyone any tips to aid my weight loss I was down nearly 3 stone by May and then started putting weight back on with the thyroid issue as it makes you so hungry all the time you would eat constantly. I am feeling really down over the whole thing.
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Replies

  • Cat3141
    Cat3141 Posts: 162 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I'm sorry you are feeling down. The first thing to know is that weight shifts of 4-5 pounds in either direction are pretty normal. They can happen because of hormonal changes, water retention due to exercise or salt intake, constipation, etc.. It's hard, but you have to ignore the blips and focus on the long-term trend. Thyroid issues can complicate weight loss if they are not well treated. If you are still having other symptoms besides weight issues, keep being proactive with your healthcare provider until you are feeling better.

    As mentioned above, I don't see gastric bypass as particularly relevant here. Thyroid issues can be treated effectively through other means, and it's not clear to me how gastric bypass would address thyroid problems.
  • trish2016
    trish2016 Posts: 156 Member
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    deannalfisher wrote: »
    are you medicated for your thyroid issues?

    if your levels are controlled, then losing weight is no more difficult than for the rest of the population - @CSARdiver can talk the more science-y stuff

    normal weight fluctuations - I doubt you ate 14000 calories under maintainence last week (for a loss of 4lbs) or 17500 this week for a gain of 5lbs - log your weight EVERY DAY and use a trending app to actually see what your weight is doing

    log and weigh everything

    Never thought of a trending app most days last week I ate 1500 kals and on the weekend I was away and ate more but not so much that I pile on 5lbs from Friday to Sunday,
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    probably water weight and sodium - can cause fluctuations
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,971 Member
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    As a lifetime thyroid patient, I'm gonna take a guess that the beta blockers and a too-high dose of the thyroid were the cause(s). I hope you find it easier for you now.

    HypERthyroid can cause the heart palpitations (not sure if that's why you were on beta-blockers.) Stay on your doctor to monitor your bloods for at least a year. I know here we can go in for just a blood draw without having to see the doctor. That makes it more streamlined, I would ask for every three months a blood draw/reassess.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Hang in there!

    Being aware of what thyroid does and does not do is important. It has a minimal impact on your metabolism. Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) is modified by ~5% - that is 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day budget.

    What thyroid can do is have a dramatic impact on your appetite and satiation levels, making you constantly hungry even though you have plenty of calories. This makes calorie counting and maintaining a routine critical for weight management.

    What dose of levothyroxine are you on? Do you know your last TSH results? Have you received a full thyroid panel including TSH, fT3, fT4, and rT3?

    As for the weight shifts? I would count that as water weight. Your body reacts to any hormonal imbalance by taking on water to protect the cells. Hydrate and this should return to normal after ~1 week. FYI my water weight fluctuates ~5 lbs throughout the day.

    Unfortunately you're dealing with the NHS, so hopefully you have a physician who will fight against the system for you. This makes weight management even more critical as it is nearly impossible to maintain any sort of hormonal balance while overweight. Just be safe - take any weight loss in a slow, safe manner.

  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    Usually an over active thyroid causes weight loss, not gain. Though, as others have said, the fluctuations you're reporting aren't out of the ordinary.

    Hang in there and be patient! My sister was hyper--there were lots of otc meds she had to stay away from because of the condition. As well as all caffeine.
  • amayla0407
    amayla0407 Posts: 218 Member
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    I also have an overactive thyroid called Graves Disease: the meds keep the weight on along with the beta blockers. But with persistence, the weight will come off. Slowly. But it will. Keep pushing!
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    potatoyeti wrote: »
    When thyroid issues are involved weight loss unfortunately can prove to be very difficult. It doesn't matter how much you cut or count calories it just seems like you never get results. I really don't know what your situation is and it's something you would need to speak to your doctor about at length but if your finding nothing else is working gastric bypass may be an option for you. A close family member has had similar problems losing weight. She has thyroid issues and despite trying everything under the sun nothimg has worked. After lots of consideration she finally decided to go with gastric bypass. With all that said it's not without it's risks and might not be the right solution for you however if all else has failed it is a potential option.

    Why on earth would you jump to bariatric surgery without knowing anything about the OPs situation except that she's losing and gaining about 5 lbs.??? Good grief!

    OP, I agree the weight fluctuations are probably water. I suggest you set your calorie goal to no more than .5 lbs. a week (to give you enough calories to address the hunger issue) and be patient. Wish I had some more insight, but it sounds like you'll need to work through this part slowly. Given that you've already succeeded in losing a good amount of weight, I would have a lot of confidence you'll find your groove again :)

  • trish2016
    trish2016 Posts: 156 Member
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Hang in there!

    Being aware of what thyroid does and does not do is important. It has a minimal impact on your metabolism. Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) is modified by ~5% - that is 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day budget.

    What thyroid can do is have a dramatic impact on your appetite and satiation levels, making you constantly hungry even though you have plenty of calories. This makes calorie counting and maintaining a routine critical for weight management.

    What dose of levothyroxine are you on? Do you know your last TSH results? Have you received a full thyroid panel including TSH, fT3, fT4, and rT3?

    As for the weight shifts? I would count that as water weight. Your body reacts to any hormonal imbalance by taking on water to protect the cells. Hydrate and this should return to normal after ~1 week. FYI my water weight fluctuates ~5 lbs throughout the day.

    Unfortunately you're dealing with the NHS, so hopefully you have a physician who will fight against the system for you. This makes weight management even more critical as it is nearly impossible to maintain any sort of hormonal balance while overweight. Just be safe - take any weight loss in a slow, safe manner.

    I was on 1 x 20mg of Neomercazole per day and 4 tabs of beta blockers per day, two in the morning and two in the evening for heart palpitations. My appetite did go up and nothing could fill me but then I was really controlling my food intake and still the weight was going on I do boxfit twice a week and was out running with a dog 3 times a week and still it went on but I hope now that I am off the beta blockers and only on 10mg of the thyroid tablet it can ease up and I can work on getting it off. Some side effects of the tablets are weight gain the doctors here in Ireland tell you nothing they just talk about your results but I am in the hospital Nov 2nd so will ask for a print out of all the blood results.
  • trish2016
    trish2016 Posts: 156 Member
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    So another update I was called back to the hospital and I have graves disease which is what brings on the over active thyroid, he put me on 10Mg of Neomercazole and said I will be called back in Feb 2018 for another blood test. I still feel really hungry all the time but know that I must be very conscious of this and calorie count everything, I also have not drank alcohol much really which always puts weight on for me. I am just aiming to get down to 13stone by May 2016 I currently weight 16st 2lbs so I think that is a realistic goal for me now knowing what I have wrong with me. The doctor said that the medication as such doesn't make you put weight on but more so its your appetite goes up.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    trish2016 wrote: »
    So another update I was called back to the hospital and I have graves disease which is what brings on the over active thyroid, he put me on 10Mg of Neomercazole and said I will be called back in Feb 2018 for another blood test. I still feel really hungry all the time but know that I must be very conscious of this and calorie count everything, I also have not drank alcohol much really which always puts weight on for me. I am just aiming to get down to 13stone by May 2016 I currently weight 16st 2lbs so I think that is a realistic goal for me now knowing what I have wrong with me. The doctor said that the medication as such doesn't make you put weight on but more so its your appetite goes up.

    Thanks for the update. Sounds like you have a good physician. Keep logging and really learn the difference between appetite and hunger. Keep up communication with your doctor and even show them your MFP diary, just know that most doctors know little to nothing about weight management.
  • trish2016
    trish2016 Posts: 156 Member
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    I'm actually up 20Lbs in total now its really gotten me down so in the new year I am going to try very hard and try lose 2lbs a week my first goal is 14stone and then I will work from there its upsetting because I am very active and it seems like nothing I do will stop the weight going on. I will enjoy xmas anyway and work on it after that.
  • jjtweb
    jjtweb Posts: 37 Member
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    This by far is not a fix but for me if I drink something like chicken broth it helps. The salt and savory satisfies me and the liquids for a period of time makes my stomach feel like it's had something. To say the least I drink at LOT of chicken broth. In fact I drink a LOT period. Sure I need to get 64oz in a day but most the time I drink to deter myself from wanting to eat. Maybe it will help, won't be a cure but at least help you not be so miserable as they try to get you medically balanced.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Holidays are horrible times to try and lose weight, but do what you can. Just don't beat yourself up for missing goals when there are so many parties and social events around food & drinks. Ride that momentum wave after New Years and get back on track. You got this!

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