Hypothyroid and weight loss
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drockncrisso
Posts: 49 Member
So after a 6 week plateau I got tested and looks like I’m hypothyroid. I’m starting meds asap, but I’m curious to hear from people who have succeeded in weight loss with hypothyroidism. Tips? Tricks? Your experience? I eat 1150-1400 a day depending on exercise (I log EVERYTHING- from stuff used when cooking to the tiny splash of just cranberry in my water or the single goldfish cracker my son feeds me) I have a Fitbit to track cals burned. I do half marathons so I work out 3X a week, one of those times being a 8-12 mile run -and no weight loss for now 7 weeks. I’m really hoping that once I’ve been on Armourthyroid for a while I’ll start seeing some results from all of this dieting/working out. I read that calorie restriction can be bad for hypothyroid- is this your experience? Is it bad that I’m only eating 1100-1200 most days?? Just looking for support and help 
thanks.
thanks. 2
Replies
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Once your numbers are under control, you should have no problems losing provided you’re logging everything as accurately as possible0
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I have hypothyroidism too. Calorie restriction and keeping active is the only way to lose. I've noticed I have to be extra vigilant or the scale goes back up. It's possible, just harder.1
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I have been pretty much maintaining my weight for quite awhile- bouncing up and down 1-2 lbs. Just found out I am hypothyroid and started taking levothyroxine about 2 weeks ago. Kind of too soon to give much experience.
My appetite has decreased a bit which makes it easier to stick to my calorie goal. I don't feel as tired and have not had a migraine since starting and they had been pretty frequent. That helps with activity level. After 1 week my weight was down 1 lb which is not really a difference yet.
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Yup, I'm Hypothyroid and have lost slowly and surely. Take your meds and you should be fine. I find I'm a little lower on calories for my maintenance than MFP says probably because of my thyroid but other than that I am staying in my range. You can do it.0
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I have been hypothyroid since I was 14yr old, 45 now. I have tried Armour and did not have great success with it, it felt like my body was competing with it instead of working with it. Armour is a natural hormone, Synthroid/Levothyryroxine are synthetic. I’ll try Armour again when I’ve reached menopause someday...
Anyway, make sure to take your meds consistently, get your blood work done regularly, make sure your Dr listens to you about symptoms and is willing to adjust and try new doses. Keep active, enjoy the movement. I lost 30lbs 8 yrs ago, gained 20 back, lost it again, gained 10 back, I’m in process of losing it again. Basically, I got lazy. So don’t get lazy and YOU GOT THIS!! hugs 1 -
I was "sub clinical" hypothyroid but I felt so much better right after starting on the medicine. But the weight loss really only got easier after a year of treatment for me - and my doctor told me going under treatment might not help at all. Oddly she also said I probably wouldn't feel warmer but that was almost the first thing that got helped so it apparently varies a lot by individual. Five week plateaus are also kind of common for me. I'd say be patient and stick with it. 0
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It is in my case, at least regarding losing weight and as I found out made my condition worse, I'll try explain why in my situation.drockncrisso wrote: »I read that calorie restriction can be bad for hypothyroid- is this your experience?
I had to have a huge calorie deficit for any weight loss, I was often not even reaching 1200 calories intake and exercise burning about 800-1000. I did this for about 8 weeks and my world crashed, I felt awful. Many of the thyroid symptoms cropped up and I landed up very depressed. I was taking my levo as I've done the past 20 years, it seemed it had stopped working.
What I had done in my restriction was to go lower than I should have in my protein had virtually cut out selenium rich foods (good for T3 conversion) and wasn't taking enough potassium and possibly other things. When I discovered that I added protein and Broccoli to that evening's meal and it was an overnight transformation - still wasn't perfect but so much better, I had gone slightly over my 1500 'allowance' lost heaps of weight (water) over one night. I had been losing a bit of fat but was retaining water hence the plateau on the scale.The following days I was all over the dial mood wise and decided to supplement the selenium and potassium and after a week the swings went away and I'm feeling so much better.
I'm not working out at the moment, am able to eat my allowance and see small improvements on the scale. I live a mile from work and walk it and at lunch time I'll take walk, some days 2 miles. I've found if I don't do that I'm inclined to either not lose or gain a little bit. Walk again and the weight goes.
As you are on Armour you are taking T3 and T4, I'd seek advice if you are tempted to look at selenium. We are not tested for T3 in the UK as we are unable to get the medication so I don't know what my numbers are and if I should be taking it. I mentioned it to my Dr, he nodded and didn't suggest I stop.
You may find it'll take some time for your medication to work, patience I'm afraid.1 -
I too have hypothyroidism. I’m only 5”2’ and my weight crept up to 170 Lbs. since going on medication and taking it properly, I made my way down to 150 and kept the same eating habits and gym routine. I stayed there for over a year and realized I still was unhappy and unhealthy. Now I eat 1,100-1200 calories a day but it depends on what I burn at the gym. I’ve made my way to 136! I haven’t hit my final goal yet, but it’s totally possible to reach your goals. I take leyvothyroxine and it works perfectly for me. I have no side effects and saw an improvement in my high blood pressure as well. I have noticed However, that I lose weight a lot slower than most people. Who knows maybe it’s just my genetics? Maybe I’m not being strict enough? Who knows. Even if it’s slow it makes it easier for me to maintain. For me It’s about life changes not quick diets, so I don’t mind how long it takes since I know I will reach my goal! Positivity and patience is key2
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What dose of Levo are you on?mcfaddenc935 wrote: »I too have hypothyroidism. I’m only 5”2’ and my weight crept up to 170 Lbs. since going on medication and taking it properly, I made my way down to 150 and kept the same eating habits and gym routine. I stayed there for over a year and realized I still was unhappy and unhealthy. Now I eat 1,100-1200 calories a day but it depends on what I burn at the gym. I’ve made my way to 136! I haven’t hit my final goal yet, but it’s totally possible to reach your goals. I take leyvothyroxine and it works perfectly for me. I have no side effects and saw an improvement in my high blood pressure as well. I have noticed However, that I lose weight a lot slower than most people. Who knows maybe it’s just my genetics? Maybe I’m not being strict enough? Who knows. Even if it’s slow it makes it easier for me to maintain. For me It’s about life changes not quick diets, so I don’t mind how long it takes since I know I will reach my goal! Positivity and patience is key
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Another endurance athlete with hypothyroidism - check out the work of Dr. Jeffrey Brown, endocrinologist.
I had a total thyroidectomy in 2000 and put on ~70 lbs over 14 years. This had nothing to do with my thyroid. I stopped running 6mi/day and swimming 2mi/day, but ate as if I still did. I was introduced to MFP in 2014 and lost 60 lbs the first year. What works is establishing a routine. You have a gland that isn't fully functioning and you need to minimize external influences.
It is important to understand what impact this has on you. Regarding metabolism this almost no impact. Even in the most extreme cases this has ~5% impact from clinical observation.
What this may impact is your appetite triggers, energy and sleep - making you feel as if you need to eat and constantly tired. Once medicated this should be minimized. It takes about 6 weeks to fully feel the effect of medication or change in dosage.
Insist on a full thyroid panel including TSH (0.2-2.0 is the new optimal range), fT3, fT4, and rT3.
So what are your goals? Current weight? Goal weight?1 -
I'm hypo & was diagnosed over 5 years ago. For a few years I was actually able to lose weight (with a very watchful diet and lots of exercise) my lowest weight was about 163lbs. I then got switched to a generic brand of medication (thanks insurance! ) and everything kinda went down hill from there. My last appointment was April 20th & I was sitting at 201lbs with crazy *kitten* levels. Doc realized that generic was just not cutting it and it was destroying all the work we had put towards getting me to steady levels so he switch me to a higher dose of name brand for 7 days a week. I gotta say, I'm not even a month into this medication and I already feel so much better. I won't know what my levels are at until July but I have lost 7lbs so far and I'm not suffering through fatigue and depression like I was a month ago. The right medication can definitely make a world of difference! Just be sure to log any thing you're feeling body wise so if you do have to make changes to the meds you know what to look for.
Keep up your great work!! I hope things turn out better for you.1 -
It is important to understand what impact this has on you. Regarding metabolism this almost no impact. Even in the most extreme cases this has ~5% impact from clinical observation.
What this may impact is your appetite triggers, energy and sleep - making you feel as if you need to eat and constantly tired. Once medicated this should be minimized. It takes about 6 weeks to fully feel the effect of medication or change in dosage.
Insist on a full thyroid panel including TSH (0.2-2.0 is the new optimal range), fT3, fT4, and rT3.
So what are your goals? Current weight? Goal weight? [/quote]
I’ve been weighing in between 150 and 153 since March 30. My goal weight is 125. I log EVERYTHING, I weigh my food. my end of day results from MFD always estimates that I’ll lose 1lb a week- except for days like last sat- when I ran my half marathon, burned 3700 cals for the day according to the Fitbit, and ate 2100. I’m 100% sure I’m logging correctly. I’ve lost weight before on MFD- for my wedding in 2005 and after each of my two kids. for example: after my second child I used MFD to go from 170 to 124- so I know how weight loss works and what works for my body. ..and then, on “Maintance” my weight crept up to 156 over 3 years. So I jumped back on track, working out, running half marathon training and strength training- only this time it’s not working. My frustration came when my tried and true system of “burn calories and eat less- keeping obsessive track of numbers” stopped working.
I’m tired of people telling me that I’m probably not logging correctly or I’m secretly over eating. I know I’m not, because I’ve done this weight loss thing 3 times successfully- doing the same things I’m doing now. So I’m praying that once I’m on thyroid meds, my usual obsessive tracking of cals in vs cals out starts to actually show results, like it did 3 years ago.
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[quote="SusanKing1981;c-41986535"
[/quote]
What dose of Levo are you on?
[/quote]
50 MCG. I’m very low dose and my levels have not changed in over a year. Obviously doses vary from person to person. All depends on how out of range you are. This dose suits myself well and I don’t feel any symptoms or feel as if the medication is holding me back0 -
What dose of Levo are you on?mcfaddenc935 wrote: »[quote="SusanKing1981;c-41986535"
[/quote]
50 MCG. I’m very low dose and my levels have not changed in over a year. Obviously doses vary from person to person. All depends on how out of range you are. This dose suits myself well and I don’t feel any symptoms or feel as if the medication is holding me back [/quote]
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 3 weeks ago and am taking 25mcg, I had a blood test after I'd been on them for 10 days and have been told to carry on with 25mcg and will have another blood test in 4 weeks. I'm glad to see you're able to succesfully lose weight even on a low dose.1 -
SusanKing1981 wrote: »
What dose of Levo are you on?mcfaddenc935 wrote: »[quote="SusanKing1981;c-41986535"
50 MCG. I’m very low dose and my levels have not changed in over a year. Obviously doses vary from person to person. All depends on how out of range you are. This dose suits myself well and I don’t feel any symptoms or feel as if the medication is holding me back [/quote]
I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's 3 weeks ago and am taking 25mcg, I had a blood test after I'd been on them for 10 days and have been told to carry on with 25mcg and will have another blood test in 4 weeks. I'm glad to see you're able to succesfully lose weight even on a low dose. [/quote]
It’s always possible! As long as you are patient. Let’s hope your dose stays the same and I hope you’re feelin good!0 -
My thyroid was removed when I was 39. I have slowly, very slowly lost about 40 pounds over the years. The last year or two I have been more serious about it and tried to follow MFP, with some slip ups. I have lost another 27 lbs over the last 6 months but have started a program with a functional physician with a very restricted diet. I am slowly adding foods back and am still losing, but a little slower. My PCP has reduced my thyroid meds from .150 to .112 and said that they will continue to reduce as I continue to lose weight. I have also been able to reduce my insulin from 30 units a day to 10 and looking to reduce it or eliminate it completely before too long. It is possible to lose weight just be diligent.
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drockncrisso wrote: »It is important to understand what impact this has on you. Regarding metabolism this almost no impact. Even in the most extreme cases this has ~5% impact from clinical observation.
What this may impact is your appetite triggers, energy and sleep - making you feel as if you need to eat and constantly tired. Once medicated this should be minimized. It takes about 6 weeks to fully feel the effect of medication or change in dosage.
Insist on a full thyroid panel including TSH (0.2-2.0 is the new optimal range), fT3, fT4, and rT3.
So what are your goals? Current weight? Goal weight?
I’ve been weighing in between 150 and 153 since March 30. My goal weight is 125. I log EVERYTHING, I weigh my food. my end of day results from MFD always estimates that I’ll lose 1lb a week- except for days like last sat- when I ran my half marathon, burned 3700 cals for the day according to the Fitbit, and ate 2100. I’m 100% sure I’m logging correctly. I’ve lost weight before on MFD- for my wedding in 2005 and after each of my two kids. for example: after my second child I used MFD to go from 170 to 124- so I know how weight loss works and what works for my body. ..and then, on “Maintance” my weight crept up to 156 over 3 years. So I jumped back on track, working out, running half marathon training and strength training- only this time it’s not working. My frustration came when my tried and true system of “burn calories and eat less- keeping obsessive track of numbers” stopped working.
I’m tired of people telling me that I’m probably not logging correctly or I’m secretly over eating. I know I’m not, because I’ve done this weight loss thing 3 times successfully- doing the same things I’m doing now. So I’m praying that once I’m on thyroid meds, my usual obsessive tracking of cals in vs cals out starts to actually show results, like it did 3 years ago.
[/quote]
What were the results of your TSH? Did the physician order more than one test? Are you seeing an endocrinologist?
If you are 100% sure then what was the point of this post? If you are burning more than you ingest where is the weight coming from?
Here are the possible root causes:
1. Underestimating caloric intake (food)
2. Overestimating caloric output (exercise)0 -
My TSH is normal. My T4 is normal and my T3 is low. But I’m trying to understand how to cope.
I’m using the method to lose weight that I KNOW works (and has worked in the past) and now it’s not working. I’m here for help because I am confused and frustrated. You point out that it makes no sense and I agree. By all accounts- if I eat 1200 all week- exercise 3x that week followed by a half marathon - on that day I burned 3700 and ate 2200 and still I’m not even an oz under 150. It’s making me feel insane.
I know it’s calories in calories out- but should I just keep reducing cals until it starts working?
I guess I’m trying to understand if I’m over estimating caloric burn. For example: If my Fitbit says I burn around 1600 on a regular work day when I can’t work out and I’m eating 1200 - creating only a 400 calorie deficit- BUT since my metabolism is a mess- maybe the estimated 1600 burn for the day is wrong- and I’m not even getting a 400 cal deficit? What if I’m really only burning 1300 a day or something and if that’s the case and I eat 1200- I could be at only a 100 calorie a day deficit - at that rate it would take a month to lose one pound- and that’s basically where I’m at. That would explain the apparent plateau- does that make sense?
I’m confused because I don’t know if I’m eating too much by eating 1100-1200 because my thyroid is throwing off my metabolism and my Fitbit is overestimating cals burned for 24 hours-
Or if I’m supposed to be eating more.
I’m at a point where I feel like - okay 1200 does not work- so my metabolism is for sure slower than mfd and my Fitbit think- so I should try 1100 for a week on days I don’t work out?- then 1000 and just keep dropping it until the pounds start coming off. - but that sounds nuts too.
Instead- I’m stuck waiting until my prescription comes in the mail (my sucky insurance company JUST mailed it after two weeks of “processing” the new prescription) I just have to keep holding tight. Eating plain chicken breast and spinach watching my family eat pizza and ice cream and not losing weight while I wait. Yay. Just keep sticking to it and hoping it will change when I’m on meds, because you’re not supposed to eat less than 1200 blah blah blah.
I don’t want to run another half marathon carrying an extra 25 lbs, it sucks.0 -
drockncrisso wrote: »My TSH is normal. My T4 is normal and my T3 is low. But I’m trying to understand how to cope.
I’m using the method to lose weight that I KNOW works (and has worked in the past) and now it’s not working. I’m here for help because I am confused and frustrated. You point out that it makes no sense and I agree. By all accounts- if I eat 1200 all week- exercise 3x that week followed by a half marathon - on that day I burned 3700 and ate 2200 and still I’m not even an oz under 150. It’s making me feel insane.
I know it’s calories in calories out- but should I just keep reducing cals until it starts working?
I guess I’m trying to understand if I’m over estimating caloric burn. For example: If my Fitbit says I burn around 1600 on a regular work day when I can’t work out and I’m eating 1200 - creating only a 400 calorie deficit- BUT since my metabolism is a mess- maybe the estimated 1600 burn for the day is wrong- and I’m not even getting a 400 cal deficit? What if I’m really only burning 1300 a day or something and if that’s the case and I eat 1200- I could be at only a 100 calorie a day deficit - at that rate it would take a month to lose one pound- and that’s basically where I’m at. That would explain the apparent plateau- does that make sense?
I’m confused because I don’t know if I’m eating too much by eating 1100-1200 because my thyroid is throwing off my metabolism and my Fitbit is overestimating cals burned for 24 hours-
Or if I’m supposed to be eating more.
I’m at a point where I feel like - okay 1200 does not work- so my metabolism is for sure slower than mfd and my Fitbit think- so I should try 1100 for a week on days I don’t work out?- then 1000 and just keep dropping it until the pounds start coming off. - but that sounds nuts too.
Instead- I’m stuck waiting until my prescription comes in the mail (my sucky insurance company JUST mailed it after two weeks of “processing” the new prescription) I just have to keep holding tight. Eating plain chicken breast and spinach watching my family eat pizza and ice cream and not losing weight while I wait. Yay. Just keep sticking to it and hoping it will change when I’m on meds, because you’re not supposed to eat less than 1200 blah blah blah.
I don’t want to run another half marathon carrying an extra 25 lbs, it sucks.
Good - sounds like you got the full panel ordered? Mind posting your numbers? Note that the new "normal" range for TSH is 0.2-2.0, but many physicians observe the older 0.5-5.0 range.
Attempting to restrict to 1200 kcals with your activity is insanity and dangerous. Even though you may have the potential for a short term gain, the risk to performance does not equal the potential reward. A second set of eyes is invaluable. We are all guilty of confirmation bias. I'm a professional scientist with access to a full metabolics lab and when I hit a stall I turn to a colleague to review my data.
1600 - is this your TDEE estimate?
Your metabolism is quite normal - I assure you. Basal metabolic rate is a series of biochemical pathways which are quite fixed. If there's an issue this results in death - very quickly. Even with thyroid disorder the impact is minimal - to the point that the difference does not exceed the degree of instrumentation error.
This process moves slowly. It takes at least 5-7 days for your body to burn fat and the rate will diminish the closer you get to your goal.
What medication did your physician prescribe? Insist on an in store fill in the future. Triiodothyronine is common and should be in every pharmacy. Success in this relies on a great relationship and communication with your endocrinologist. If you don't have that either try to develop it or find a new doctor. Note that it will take ~ 6 weeks for you to feel the effects of the medication, so starting soon and being consistent with the medication is critical.
...and life of chicken breast and spinach is no life worth living. I'm 47, 6'4" 215 lbs and currently finishing a cut. Making room for ice cream is a must.0 -
I’m 39, 5’3” 150lbs with a goal of 125. My TSH is 1.25 and T4 is 1.3 - so in the normal range- but T3 is 2.5 - so not even OFF the scale low, but low for my age and considering my other symptoms (always cold, dry skin etc..)
I’m going to be starting on armourthyroid 30mg, my MD wants to test me after 2.5 mos.
I’m not sure my MD has a great knowledge of diet/nutrition either.. when I told her I was not losing weight eating 1200 a day, she flipped and was shocked “WHO told you to eat that little?? That is insane!” ..um...only every diet pretty much anywhere says 1200 cals for women with over 15lbs to lose is fine, right?? But she seemed horrified as if I was following a fringe crash diet.
My TDEE estimate, from a website, on a work day with no exercise is 1600 and my Fitbit more or less confirms that. On a non-workout day, the Fitbit says 1650-1700 a day, but I assume it’s overestimated. When I workout it says 1800-2000, unless it’s a long run day.
A lot of the foods I eat and log are pre-made- like Trader Joe’s salads, or a protein bar. I wonder if these things all tend to have more cals than they say- if maybe I should log 110% of what I’m eating to be safe? If I have a salad, I log the whole thing- but then I don’t eat all the cheese or dressing- so I’m trying to make sure it’s overestimated if anything. Like I wonder if I should shoot for 1200 cals- but say I’m eating 1 1/8 protein bar when I’m only eating 1? To control for labeled foods underestimating calories?
I’ve had a measured 1/4 cup of ice cream once in a while over the last few weeks - but even with that, I wonder if I should try overestimating the serving size. 0
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