Thyroid

The scale can still budge. It just *may* be that estimates of calorie needs may be a bit off for you, until you're fully medicated . . . which you should expect will take some time, realistically, as dosages are normally increased gradually, with repeat testing a few weeks apart, so that you aren't overmedicated (which could be dangerous).

Fatigue and water retention can be further complicating factors, while still untreated. As Rhedd says, it doesn't make loss impossible. It just means you may need to be a little more wily in navigating your personal challenges. (Most everyone has *some* personal challenges, but they vary. Still gotta be wily, whatever the challenges.)

This would be a good thing for you to read:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10767046/hypothyroidism-and-weight-management

It was written by a (former?) MFP-er who's a scientist in the hypothyroidism field, himself hypothyroid, who lost weight by calorie counting. It solid, no-nonsense, science-based information.

Those of us who've been on MFP for a while, lost successfully, will commonly recommend that you go with MFP's estimate for 4-6 weeks, then adjust base calorie goal using your average weekly weight loss data, and the assumption that 3500 calories of cumulative deficit (such as 500 calories for each of 7 days) will result in about a pound of fat loss.

That will work fine, even if it *does* turn out that your calorie needs are lower than the population average, until you get your meds all dialed in. (Note that adult women not yet in menopause should compare body weights at the same relative point in two or more different menstrual cycles, to calculate average weekly weight loss.)

P.S. I'm severely hypothyroid, properly medicated, though I've needed some dosage adjustments over the roughly 21 years since my diagnosis. I lost weight *faster* than MFP predicted at X calories, and maintain hundreds of calories above its maintenance estimate (even when I set up my profile accurately, eat all exercise calories) . . . for reasons that I believe have little or nothing to do with my thyroid condition or thyroid medications. Will that be true for you? Probably not, but no way to be sure.

The point is that each of us is much more than one single worrisome diagnosis. You can do this. Challenges are a thing to focus on getting around, through, over, or otherwise past, not a thing to let derail you before you even get out of the gate. It's true that some challenges are objectively insurmountable - but hypothyroidism is not an insurmountable challenge to weight loss, just a regular ol' surmountable one.

Having thyroid issues doesn’t mean the scale won’t move. It just makes it tougher as we have to work harder. I’m not on meds for mine but I have half of mine. I had a nodule that went hot a few years ago and opted to have half removed instead of taking medication. I struggle every day with diet and exercise to help make sure the remaining stays working properly.

I have a couple of modules on the good half also so I have to have blood work every six months to monitor it.