Anyone with Hashimotos...what had worked for you?
aimos87
Posts: 55 Member
Hi, I’m just wondering for all those who are hypothyroid or have hashimotos what has worked for you in terms of assisting with weight loss? I’m tried keto, calorie counting, 1200cals and either don’t lose weight or gain the kilo or 2 back pretty quickly!
Thanks 😊
Thanks 😊
2
Replies
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So, here's the thing... I actually lose weight pretty easily once I start to lose. It gets really scary and whooshy once it starts - BUT - I have to be working out and eating right for a MONTH OR TWO before anything budges, so the KEY is not to give up too soon and not to get discouraged. Just kind of... set up your diet and workout plan in a healthy way and then follow them for a month or two without looking at a scale.
For the combination of things that work for me, I find that steady state cardio on a low level 5-6 days a week combined with weight lifting 2-3 days a week works perfectly, and sometimes freakishly well.
You may find that your body holds onto fluids with a DEATH GRIP so while your first month of hard work *is working* your body is replacing all fat loss with fluid retention. Then suddenly you'll be dropping like... 3 lbs per week with your calories set to lose one pound a week. It's annoying and confusing, but if you look for the pattern and anticipate it, you should be able to reverse engineer what's happening after the fact.
Don't give up. Just be the turtle not the hare, and remember, it's not actually a race.
There is no finish line. Just your life journey.
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I also have Hashi's. As long as my thyroid meds are at the right level, I lose weight (or gain weight, lol) like anyone else. If things seem to be off (e.g. unexplained weight gain / loss while tracking calories, other Hashi's symptoms), then I have my dr. check my levels to make sure everything is where it should be. If your all your thyroid levels are normal (not just TSH), then you should able to lose weight.9
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calling @CSARdiver2
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Well there's nothing magic about any diet other than sticking to your calorie budget. Are you on levothyroxine? What were the results of your last thyroid panel - TSH, fT3, fT4, rT3?
@ElizabethKalmbach brings up a very good point on water weight fluctuations and how fat loss is hidden behind these. Any hormone shift results in water weight fluctuations - typically going up. With hydration and time this typically lasts 5-7 days.
I've been putting together a post on hypothyroidism and trying to cover all the bases. Hoping to have this up today and will put up a link when I'm done.
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What works for me is being on the right dose of meds to keep my thyroid in range. Otherwise it’s just like weight loss for anyone else.7
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With thyroid hormone levels (aallllll of them, not just TSH) in the normal range, plus compliance with a reasonable (not punitively low) calorie goal, patience, and persistence, I lost weight pretty much like everyone else does, despite being severely hypothyroid, older (59 at the start), of course post-menopausal, and sedentary outside of intentional exercise.
How long did you try? Were there "cheat days" or slips? Was a 1200 calorie goal too extreme for your size/weight/activity level, i.e. (in this case), too difficult for you to stick with for the weeks and months that real weight loss takes, when one wants to avoid health risks and maintain health alongside it?
Truly, I'm not trying to be mean or hard on you here. Weight loss can be difficult for pretty much anyone, and undertreated hypothyroidism adds another possible layer of challenges. Getting properly treated works for the hypothyroidism, then it's pretty much down to what works for others.
And it's slow, with weight going up and down along the way, for days to a small number of weeks, but down as an overall trend over many weeks and months, typically. People have been done a disservice by silly extreme weight loss reality shows, and tabloid headlines, that suggest it's possible, rational and safe for anyone and everyone to lose 20 pounds in a few short weeks. Most of us are not over 500 pounds, and will not lose fast, if we want to carry on with our regular lives happily and healthfully at the same time.4 -
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A very good friend of mine has Hashimoto’s and she swears by the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet. She started it with hopes to manage her illness, and ended up losing 40lbs in the process. She continues to follow the diet, just increased amounts of foods so as not to lose anymore weight, and will for life because of the positive health effects she experiences.1
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Wow thank you so much everyone for the response. I’m 5’9 and 92kg. Here are my latest labs. I’m on Levo 25mg every second day just to help with symptoms. I was gluten/dairy free since June and it hasn’t made a difference beside lowered antibodies but recently I’ve slipped and been eating some gluten/dairy. 1200 cals is way too low for me and I cannot sustain it. If I set it at 1 pound a week I get 1200 cals. I’ve looked into AIP and it’s just far too restrictive. I’m not making excuses just being honest. Would a good number to work at be TDEE minus 500 and go from there?1
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Wow thank you so much everyone for the response. I’m 5’9 and 92kg. Here are my latest labs. I’m on Levo 25mg every second day just to help with symptoms. I was gluten/dairy free since June and it hasn’t made a difference beside lowered antibodies but recently I’ve slipped and been eating some gluten/dairy. 1200 cals is way too low for me and I cannot sustain it. If I set it at 1 pound a week I get 1200 cals. I’ve looked into AIP and it’s just far too restrictive. I’m not making excuses just being honest. Would a good number to work at be TDEE minus 500 and go from there?
Your panel looks solid, but your TSI & TG show signs consistent with Grave's - you have a good doctor
Love to see this number of follow ups and testing. Was this detected early? How long have you had these symptoms?
Take this for what it's worth though. I'm only able to go off lab data.
If setting caloric intake to low isn't an option are you able to do some walking or light aerobic exercise and help pad that number?1 -
Wow thank you so much everyone for the response. I’m 5’9 and 92kg. Here are my latest labs. I’m on Levo 25mg every second day just to help with symptoms. I was gluten/dairy free since June and it hasn’t made a difference beside lowered antibodies but recently I’ve slipped and been eating some gluten/dairy. 1200 cals is way too low for me and I cannot sustain it. If I set it at 1 pound a week I get 1200 cals. I’ve looked into AIP and it’s just far too restrictive. I’m not making excuses just being honest. Would a good number to work at be TDEE minus 500 and go from there?
1200 calories seems way too low for 1 lb a week loss off of what translates to 202 lbs and 5'9. Check your units? On my calculations your BMR should be 1700 or so and with a sedentary lifestyle you should still be at 1500 calories/day for one pound per week weight loss.
I'm 5'4, 164 lbs and with MFP set to 1.5 lbs/week weight loss, I'm still told to eat 1236 calories before my exercise calories are applied.3 -
Your panel looks solid, but your TSI & TG show signs consistent with Grave's - you have a good doctor Love to see this number of follow ups and testing. Was this detected early? How long have you had these symptoms?
Take this for what it's worth though. I'm only able to go off lab data.
If setting caloric intake to low isn't an option are you able to do some walking or light aerobic exercise and help pad that number?
Yes my GP is very thorough. She has referred me back to my Endocrinologist as she picked up in my last test the Grave's Disease. I go back early Nov to see Specialist. I went back to GP originally as i thought i was having a flair up so wanted to have more bloods done to see. That's when she picked up the possible Grave's as well. I have been having symptoms solidly since start of September.
Yes walking is very achievable for me. I had to stop my gym (weights primarily) because i was just too fatigued all the time.ElizabethKalmbach wrote: »
1200 calories seems way too low for 1 lb a week loss off of what translates to 202 lbs and 5'9. Check your units? On my calculations your BMR should be 1700 or so and with a sedentary lifestyle you should still be at 1500 calories/day for one pound per week weight loss.
I'm 5'4, 164 lbs and with MFP set to 1.5 lbs/week weight loss, I'm still told to eat 1236 calories before my exercise calories are applied.
Apologies i was thinking 1 pound was 1kg but it's 500g! Yes it comes up with 1560 cals a day which i think i could do! Thanks again for all your assistance.2 -
Wow thank you so much everyone for the response. I’m 5’9 and 92kg. Here are my latest labs. I’m on Levo 25mg every second day just to help with symptoms. I was gluten/dairy free since June and it hasn’t made a difference beside lowered antibodies but recently I’ve slipped and been eating some gluten/dairy. 1200 cals is way too low for me and I cannot sustain it. If I set it at 1 pound a week I get 1200 cals. I’ve looked into AIP and it’s just far too restrictive. I’m not making excuses just being honest. Would a good number to work at be TDEE minus 500 and go from there?
Hello! I have Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism. I take 50 mg Levothyroxine and a second hormone for premature ovarian failure daily. I follow a vegan diet without processed food and refined sugar. My endocrinologist said there's no medical proof the AIP works but he's very insistent that I avoid refined carbs and sugar. It has helped me a lot. I take my Levothyroxine at 7am on an empty stomach and then don't eat until around 11am - I just have water and herbal tea - to make sure it's completely absorbed. I also try and exercise every day. I'm 170cm and my weight is usually around 58kg to 59kg although when my hypothyroidism became worse it moved up to 64kg. I'm currently trying to get it below 60kg. It can be hard to be motivated and stick with it but eventually it will be worth it. Good luck!1 -
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Hello! I have Hashimoto's disease and hypothyroidism. I take 50 mg Levothyroxine and a second hormone for premature ovarian failure daily. I follow a vegan diet without processed food and refined sugar. My endocrinologist said there's no medical proof the AIP works but he's very insistent that I avoid refined carbs and sugar. It has helped me a lot. I take my Levothyroxine at 7am on an empty stomach and then don't eat until around 11am - I just have water and herbal tea - to make sure it's completely absorbed. I also try and exercise every day. I'm 170cm and my weight is usually around 58kg to 59kg although when my hypothyroidism became worse it moved up to 64kg. I'm currently trying to get it below 60kg. It can be hard to be motivated and stick with it but eventually it will be worth it. Good luck!
Hey! Wow we are pretty much the same height and I’m 92kg 😫 do you count calories at all or just vegan and intuitive eating?0 -
I thought hashimotos was something completely different...0
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allother94 wrote: »I thought hashimotos was something completely different...
Hashimotos is an autoimmune disorder that eventually results in hypothyroidism. Basically, your immune system goes after your thyroid and after a long struggle with fluctuating thyroid numbers, you eventually end up with no functional thyroid gland and hypo(not enough)thyroidism.2 -
What's worked for me is only eating one meal a day. I have coffee with sugar free cream in the morning and mostly drink water and hot tea during the day. Then I eat a really good dinner. Keeps my calories down and the water retention down.0
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