Thyroid issue - not having great success losing weight
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Hi, sweetie. Before I was DXd with Hashi's, although I did lose weight when I cut my calories (that was always consistent even when I was so sick I couldn't get out of bed) I found myself really, really hungry. My doctor said (somebody verify/refute this at will) that hypo-T people may be severely hungry due to the body screaming for more energy, and from a bio perspective that "should" mean more food since food = energy (under normal circumstances). So that undid me over and over again. I'd be shoving the food in like a monster, at least when I could stay standing.
Things DID straighten out. Get and stay medicated to optimal levels. Seriously, you can lose weight as a hypo-T. I have lost 60 lbs. Good luck and don't lose hope.3 -
Hi, sweetie. Before I was DXd with Hashi's, although I did lose weight when I cut my calories (that was always consistent even when I was so sick I couldn't get out of bed) I found myself really, really hungry. My doctor said (somebody verify/refute this at will) that hypo-T people may be severely hungry due to the body screaming for more energy, and from a bio perspective that "should" mean more food since food = energy (under normal circumstances). So that undid me over and over again. I'd be shoving the food in like a monster, at least when I could stay standing.
Things DID straighten out. Get and stay medicated to optimal levels. Seriously, you can lose weight as a hypo-T. I have lost 60 lbs. Good luck and don't lose hope.
Your physician isn't incorrect, but not specific. Hypothyroidism can cause increased appetite signals - those immediate onset feelings that you need a specific food. Note a key difference between appetite and hunger. Hunger is slow building and takes hours for the signal processes to engage.
The weight gain comes from the increased caloric intake. Your body doesn't need the additional energy or food, but now has more food incoming than it needs due to the increased appetite signals (not hunger signals).
Much of this is a mental game and you need to retrain your brain to learn the difference between hunger and appetite. This is key to success in everyone's weight management success, but critical with hypothyroid patients.3 -
Started my new eating plan yesterday I made all my home made soups and smoothies and cleared the presses of any processed or rubbish foods, I did plan on going gluten free and dairy free but after tasting some of the options for food that are free from both of those I realised I wont be able to give up all gluten and diary as alot of the food is really disgusting but I have given up salt and sugar and most of my lunch today is gluten free so I am just going to try fill myself up on healthy foods like fruit and drink loads of water and basically try retrain my brain to think it doesnt need more food like it tells me most of the day. I am back to boxfit this evening too so that will help I hope.0
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Jancandoit7 wrote: »I am hypothyroid (on med for it)- but still find it really tough to lose weight- I've lost about 4 pounds but it's taken 6 weeks eating 1400 cal a day. (I cannot eat less and feel well) My partner has lost 15 lbs in this time frame- (yeah he has a lot more weight to lose, but it's discouraging nonetheless) So I guess patience is essential when you have thyroid issues.
I know you feel it wasn't much but that truly gives me hope that I can least hopefully keep my weight steady as I've read stories that involves uoyo 5 stones. Hope all is ok or better now x0 -
cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight1 -
Colorscheme wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight
I don't think beta blockers directly cause weight gain, but they do slow your heart down. I tried them once, very small dose, and I was astounded how low my heart rate was (upper 40s). For sure, that has to have some impact on your metabolic burn rate.0 -
Hang on in there! The hunger from an overactive thyroid can be horrible, I went through this over 20 years ago. I found that starting the anti-thyroid medication gave me the double-whammy of bringing my thyroid back to "normal" levels, but I still had the intense hunger so I gained weight. (Made even worse by being told not do do any strenuous exercise until the levels were sorted due to the increased strain it puts on your heart (but you should be ok now if you've been taken off the beta blockers - enjoy your boxfit class!
)
Hopefully your thyroid levels will be under control soon. You might feel you go up and down a bit while still remaining in a clinically "normal" range, but the good news is that the hunger starts to go, and you will be able to lose weight. Just keep on weighing, measuring and logging your food and stay active.
If it helps, I came off all the thyroid blocking meds after 18 months and my thyroid has remained at normal levels ever since. You'll get there.
(I'm only in here losing weight now as my lifestyle became more sedentary over the past couple of years and I gained weight because I ate too much!)0 -
Colorscheme wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight
I don't think beta blockers directly cause weight gain, but they do slow your heart down. I tried them once, very small dose, and I was astounded how low my heart rate was (upper 40s). For sure, that has to have some impact on your metabolic burn rate.
Yes but I'd rather have a controlled hr than arrythmias. no one should be taking them if they don't have tachycardia1 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight
I don't think beta blockers directly cause weight gain, but they do slow your heart down. I tried them once, very small dose, and I was astounded how low my heart rate was (upper 40s). For sure, that has to have some impact on your metabolic burn rate.
Yes but I'd rather have a controlled hr than arrythmias. no one should be taking them if they don't have tachycardia
Agreed. I was just answering the question about possible weight gain and not advocating for or against them either way. I took them because of a high heart rate (around 120) when I had undiagnosed anemia. They worked TOO well on me, even at the lowest dose.
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Colorscheme wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight
I don't think beta blockers directly cause weight gain, but they do slow your heart down. I tried them once, very small dose, and I was astounded how low my heart rate was (upper 40s). For sure, that has to have some impact on your metabolic burn rate.
Yes but I'd rather have a controlled hr than arrythmias. no one should be taking them if they don't have tachycardia
I took beta blockers for 15 years due to severe migraines. It had nothing to do with tachycardia.
Beta blockers slowed me down so much, made me feel sluggish and depressed, so I sat in front of the TV and ate myself right up to 220 pounds. I wasn't able to motivate myself into exercising or to stop the carbs until I was off the beta blockers. It was worth it to me to prevent the crippling fifteen-times-a-month migraines, but it did affect my moods and energy.0 -
Colorscheme wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »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.
how do beta blockers cause weight gain?
I take 1200 mg sectral [acebutolol], i have no issues losing weight
I don't think beta blockers directly cause weight gain, but they do slow your heart down. I tried them once, very small dose, and I was astounded how low my heart rate was (upper 40s). For sure, that has to have some impact on your metabolic burn rate.
Yes but I'd rather have a controlled hr than arrythmias. no one should be taking them if they don't have tachycardia
Agreed. I was just answering the question about possible weight gain and not advocating for or against them either way. I took them because of a high heart rate (around 120) when I had undiagnosed anemia. They worked TOO well on me, even at the lowest dose.
they dont keep your hr low all the time. i can get mine up during exercise, it just helps me not go over 200. but thanks for the possible explanation0 -
Hi All, just seeing all of these replies now I went off MFP for a few months because the weight was flying on and I just wasn't feeling great. The thyroid has now gone under active well it had in June anyway I am back on here tracking food and being good, I took up spinning 2 months ago and I love that and just started a 6 week boot-camp challenge plus I feel like its gone over active again but we will see what the docs say Thurs.1
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