What works for you?
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Chelleey
Posts: 8 Member
My husband insisted that yesterday was a holiday so I couldn't start travelling down this path until today. Starting today I will count every calorie and incorporate more activity into my life. What have you found that works for you? I am considering trying keto (to the best of my ability, I do like carbs and am an extremely picky eater).
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Just eating less than before and adding exercise through the winter (I'm already very active when it's nice outside) worked for me. I did not use any specified "diet" I just eat balanced meals and don't overeat on average. My daily calories vary. I've been in maintenance for about 2 years.2
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Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, I have an autoimmune thyroid disease and just reducing calories alone doesn't work for me. I have tried that multiple times.
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Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, I have an autoimmune thyroid disease and just reducing calories alone doesn't work for me. I have tried that multiple times.
How do you mean reducing calories doesn't work? Is your appetite under control? How much of a deficit were you attempting previously?
Hypothyroidism impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5%. That's 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day calorie budget.2 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
I have not been able to find an endocrinologist in the area who wants to do more than put me on levothyroxine and keep me in an acceptable range. I now see a PA who is willing to prescribe an NDT, which at least allows me to have enough energy to function but still does not put my numbers in the optimal range. I have talked to her about weight loss options but she really hasn't advised anything, unfortunately.0 -
Thanks for the input. Unfortunately, I have an autoimmune thyroid disease and just reducing calories alone doesn't work for me. I have tried that multiple times.
How do you mean reducing calories doesn't work? Is your appetite under control? How much of a deficit were you attempting previously?
Hypothyroidism impacts your Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) by ~5%. That's 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day calorie budget.
I have been on diets where I reduced calories to 1200 a day or less and incorporated exercise and still not lost weight, or lost about 10 pounds and then stopped completely. I have tried Herbalife and Keto-OS with little to no benefit (although the Keto did increase energy and get rid of joint pain). I don't really have an appetite issue, I don't do a lot of snacking. I would say that my one vice is Pepsi, which I have given up for months at a time with no weight loss benefit. It just seems as if the more I try to manage it the slower my metabolism becomes.0 -
I'll ask the obvious question, in the past how did you determine how many calories you were eating?0
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ladyhusker39 wrote: »I'll ask the obvious question, in the past how did you determine how many calories you were eating?
I used MFP to track all my food intake. Weighed foods when necessary. I have lost a significant amount weight before I had the autoimmune disease. That was done by tracking food intake and exercise. I understand how it should work but it just doesn't seem to work with my current health challenges.0 -
Just wondering - why are you so adamant about not taking Synthroid (levothyroxine)? If you don't get your endocrine profile into the "normal" range, you're probably gonna be spinning your wheels when it comes to weight loss. My wife has been on it for years, and has noted no problems........0
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Just wondering - why are you so adamant about not taking Synthroid (levothyroxine)? If you don't get your endocrine profile into the "normal" range, you're probably gonna be spinning your wheels when it comes to weight loss. My wife has been on it for years, and has noted no problems........
Synthroid didn't work for me at all. I took it for 18 months, in one form or another (generic and name brand). It just doesn't work for everyone. I have done a lot of research on my specific autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, and generally, it is recommended that one takes an NDT, natural desiccated thyroid, because it provides both T3 and T4, which Synthroid does not. My numbers are better than they were on Synthroid but they are not in optimal range. My numbers are in "normal" range but with Hashimoto's it is necessary to get numbers into an optimal range. Which I am still attempting to do. Going back to Synthroid definitely would make things worse for me. I am glad it is working for your wife. I know others who it works for as well, but everyone's body is different. Hashimoto's is a bit different than just hypothyroidism. It affects the way the body absorbs meds, vitamins, minerals, etc... With no good doctors in the area that insurance will cover I am doing my best to heal myself with the tools and knowledge that I have.1 -
Four days after my 2nd child was born, I experienced a large thyroid hemorrhage - a rare event, according to my Endocrinologist. He told me that 3 things could happen, I could become hypothyroid (I did), it could hemorrhage again (it did six years later) and the goiter could continue to grow until I needed surgery (has not yet happened). I started Synthroid 17 years ago and my numbers are good. My energy levels are okay. However, like you, ever since I became hypothyroid, it has been extremely difficult to lose weight and keep it off. In the past, I have weighed, measured, and tracked every morsel, consumed1200 calories per day for weeks on end, with exercise daily and little to no weight loss. And my weight goes up as soon as I stop "dieting". I feel your frustration.2
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kellyw4444 wrote: »Four days after my 2nd child was born, I experienced a large thyroid hemorrhage - a rare event, according to my Endocrinologist. He told me that 3 things could happen, I could become hypothyroid (I did), it could hemorrhage again (it did six years later) and the goiter could continue to grow until I needed surgery (has not yet happened). I started Synthroid 17 years ago and my numbers are good. My energy levels are okay. However, like you, ever since I became hypothyroid, it has been extremely difficult to lose weight and keep it off. In the past, I have weighed, measured, and tracked every morsel, consumed1200 calories per day for weeks on end, with exercise daily and little to no weight loss. And my weight goes up as soon as I stop "dieting". I feel your frustration.
I have been through a hemi-thyroidectomy. That's how I finally got my diagnosis. Life has not been the same since. I struggled to lose weight after having my kids but was always able to get back down to an acceptable weight with some effort and proper habits. Now it just doesn't seem to matter what I do. I really want to be successful this time, I just want to feel better. I'm not asking for a magic pill. I'm willing to put in the work, count the calories, etc... if only it would work.
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My heart goes out to you. It sounds like you are legitimately one of those people who's medical condition really does make it difficult to lose weight. I am so sorry. It irritates me when there are so many people who use this and that as an excuse when they can't lose. So when someone like you comes along, people (including me) jump to the wrong conclusion.
I wish I had answers for you but I don't. Just my heartfelt sympathy that it's so challenging for you when you so clearly want to be successful.
I hope you'll keep at it and not give up. All the best.1 -
Well, I don't think you can ask, "What works for you?" and then say none of that works. If that's true, there is no sense in us suggesting anything, and you need to work only with a doctor.
At some level of food, you will lose weight. Extremely low calories makes everything harder, though. You just can't get enough nutrition on less than 1200 calories and other parts of your body are going to suffer. I think for you it's necessary to get involved in regular exercise. That way you can eat enough for nutrition and still lose weight.
I also am hypo - have been for 25 years. I have to exercise, even when my thyroid is under control - otherwise I don't get enough calories to ward off fatigue, irritability, depression, lack of focus, etc.
What does your exercise plan look like?3 -
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No restriction on what I eat, just on the quality works for me. Using a scale to learn about portion control and slow slow slow weightloss worked for me. Too me 3,5 years but hey took me longer to get it up where I wanted to loose it.
Personally I am not inclined to any fad diet as I want to be able to maintain easily and not have nay shock to the system0 -
When you say your Thyroid Numbers were normal are you refering to TSH? The new normal is .02-2.0 (0.3-3.0 is UK). You also need to know your fT3, fT4, and rT3.
Your metabolism is remarkably efficient and stable. Even in cases where patients without a thyroid gland went off supplementation the observed change in Resting Energy Expenditure was ~5%. That's 80 kcals/day out of a 1600 kcal/day calorie budget.
What hypothyroidism may do is increase appetite so people eat far more than they believe. This is why the MFP model is so helpful is that it makes you aware of how many calories you are actually ingesting and how to manage your calorie budget to achieve your weight management goals.
Just don't take on too much at one time. Move slowly and patiently. Only implement small changes that you can sustain over your lifetime. Keto and other similar diets are simply unsustainable in the long term.3 -
I almost called you in here, @csardriver. Glad you found it.0
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kellyw4444 wrote: »Four days after my 2nd child was born, I experienced a large thyroid hemorrhage - a rare event, according to my Endocrinologist. He told me that 3 things could happen, I could become hypothyroid (I did), it could hemorrhage again (it did six years later) and the goiter could continue to grow until I needed surgery (has not yet happened). I started Synthroid 17 years ago and my numbers are good. My energy levels are okay. However, like you, ever since I became hypothyroid, it has been extremely difficult to lose weight and keep it off. In the past, I have weighed, measured, and tracked every morsel, consumed1200 calories per day for weeks on end, with exercise daily and little to no weight loss. And my weight goes up as soon as I stop "dieting". I feel your frustration.
I have been through a hemi-thyroidectomy. That's how I finally got my diagnosis. Life has not been the same since. I struggled to lose weight after having my kids but was always able to get back down to an acceptable weight with some effort and proper habits. Now it just doesn't seem to matter what I do. I really want to be successful this time, I just want to feel better. I'm not asking for a magic pill. I'm willing to put in the work, count the calories, etc... if only it would work.
If there are no good doctors in your area that insurance will cover, can you ask for a referral outside your area?0 -
What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa! I just tried to eat less and move my body more. It's a work in progress and I'm still trying to get the mental aspect of it down (i.e. I ate like 2 big cookies, 5 mini cookies, and 6 mini candy bars yesterday... LMAO).1
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