Hypothyroidism (autoimmune) and Weight Loss

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  • shampton06
    shampton06 Posts: 13 Member
    what are thyroid antibodies? I keep getting regular blood test results but I am sure something is up and the doctors don't seem to listen
    Get a new dr if they won't listen to you. You can look for one here http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/ . The TPO tests checks for anti-thyroid antibodies in your blood. If it's positive, that means your thyroid disease is autoimmune (your body attacking itself). It makes a difference.
  • GG70
    GG70 Posts: 232 Member
    I just finished reading the Perfect Health Diet by Dr. Jaminet - and they specifically address thyroid issues caused by eating cereal grains. It's not enough to just go gluten free, we need to go grain free completely. Something about the grain elements messing with your gut signals to the brain, that mess with the pituitary thyroid connection. It was a lot of scientific stuff that I can't recall verbatim, however, that was the gist. Eliminate all grain except white rice (doesn't have the same toxic elemental level as other grain or brown rice) and thyroid issues get better.

    I just started trying this way of eating - I'm into Day 2. It's way to early to make any sort of recommendation - but you might want to read the book to start.

    could be the soy product in the cereals.. soy screws with your thyroid.. i am a vegetarian and had huge issues w my thyroid till i decreased my soy intake.
  • I have it as well. And it does feel like I have to work twice as hard to get anywhere. I take natural Armor Thyroid and supplements such as adrenal support vitamins, magnesium, K2 Vitamin, Multivitamin, and a couple others. Also 2 liters of water a day. It seems like alot but it has helped dropping about 10lbs when I stay with it. Hope this helps.
  • shampton06
    shampton06 Posts: 13 Member
    I have it as well. And it does feel like I have to work twice as hard to get anywhere. I take natural Armor Thyroid and supplements such as adrenal support vitamins, magnesium, K2 Vitamin, Multivitamin, and a couple others. Also 2 liters of water a day. It seems like alot but it has helped dropping about 10lbs when I stay with it. Hope this helps.
    I take Armour too. :-) I wonder if it's my adrenals. I was thinking possibly cortisol, too. Hmmmm....
  • shampton06
    shampton06 Posts: 13 Member
    I just finished reading the Perfect Health Diet by Dr. Jaminet - and they specifically address thyroid issues caused by eating cereal grains. It's not enough to just go gluten free, we need to go grain free completely. Something about the grain elements messing with your gut signals to the brain, that mess with the pituitary thyroid connection. It was a lot of scientific stuff that I can't recall verbatim, however, that was the gist. Eliminate all grain except white rice (doesn't have the same toxic elemental level as other grain or brown rice) and thyroid issues get better.

    I just started trying this way of eating - I'm into Day 2. It's way to early to make any sort of recommendation - but you might want to read the book to start.

    could be the soy product in the cereals.. soy screws with your thyroid.. i am a vegetarian and had huge issues w my thyroid till i decreased my soy intake.
    Soy is REALLY hard to avoid. My DS is allergic to it and I have to read labels for everything. It's amazing the things it's in. Best bet is to just avoid all the center aisles in the store. LOL I know that when I used to eat sushi with soy sauce, I would feel terrible for 2-3 days after.
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    I never had weight problems despite been hypothyroid since birth until I got mobility problems in early thirties and problems converting T4 to T3. When it was sorted I dropped the weight.

    Roughly about year and half ago my weight started going back up and got to 12 st 7 I was calorie counting again but not losing and exercise was difficult as now full time wheelchair user. I read about wheat and thyroid and dropped wheat and lost 32lb and tummy has shrunk.

    Weight loss is slowing down now as currently having probs with monthly cycle but I am still losing at least 4 lbs a month, but haven't got much further to go to reach first mini goal of getting under 10st.
  • shampton06
    shampton06 Posts: 13 Member
    Thanks everyone for all the feedback!! :-)
  • shampton06
    shampton06 Posts: 13 Member
    Looking at info online about how optimal T3 levels help in weight loss and since mine were barely in the normal range..... maybe I need a T3 supplement on top of the Armour to help get the level more into the higher range of normal? ;-)
  • at 22 i had my hyper active thyroid treated with radio active iodine- the specialist left enough working and i didn't have to take any meds . in 2007 - it stopped working-unknown to me when you have a treated thyroid Avoid soy products - Raw broccoli and cabbage and peaches and there are a few others these foods contain goitren which Slow the thyroid down.
    It would have been great when i had a over active throid but it made my treated thyroid stop working and i was suddenly now Hypothyroid the complete opposite.. when i was eating soy products and raw broccoli cabbage and i found that those foods uncooked tend to put a treated thyroid or a hypothyroid into sleep mode.. basically what little of my over active thyroid that was working had stopped. My Dr put me on synthroid which did nothing but make me more tired, fatigued, aching joints, and fall asleep during sex.. my hubby was not impressed.. my blood pressure went up 190/120 and a lungs that felt like i always had a cold all year long..

    i was working at an equestrian park and worked 12 hr shifts and constant physical labour..and I walked a minimum of 20 thous steps a day and 12 hrs working - walking /cleaning . Imagine my shock I was gaining weight while hubby he lost 25 lbs- I eventually 10 lbs each year.
    I demanded doctors change my meds to natural thyroid hormone - after doing some research on thyroid Mary Shomon. has some books and has a support groups for persons with thyroid problems.

    2 days after changing my meds oct 5th 2011 i noticed the difference in my joints and my energy level -
    I have changed what i eat, i eat sprouted grain bread made with out flour - i eat more protein as i crave it and i try to limit my processed sugar and use stevia instead..

    now 3 mths later i sleep better and have more energy - whereas before i could barely get out of bed n take care of my house n family..

    i try to avoid eating large amts of processed foods- have started to exercise- walking - couldnt do it before because of
    aching joints.. listen to what makes you feel better take care

    you may add me as a friend
    ina
  • sufikitkat
    sufikitkat Posts: 583 Member
    I also have Hashimoto's thyroid, I am on Levoxyl (T4) and Liothyronine (T3) daily. What has worked for me was becoming a distance runner, doing strength training in a boot camp style, and hitting a range of 50 % carbs/ 25 % fats/25 % proteins per day. Also, discovering I am allergic to dairy helped a lot too. Perhaps the gluten sensitivity will help you out...I lost a lot of bloat and water weight from cutting out the food that I was reacting to. Good luck!
  • gg24
    gg24 Posts: 58
    bump
  • DeBiKin
    DeBiKin Posts: 107 Member
    I found out I was hypothyroid about 1 1/2 years ago. That's when my numbers became abnormal but upon learning the symptoms, it seems that it had been going on for much, much longer. In researching the subject I learned that people often have thyroid problems when their numbers are completely within the "normal" range.

    I learned how crucial iodine is to a healthy thyroid. I hadn't been eating iodized salt or taking supplements so it made sense that I needed iodine.
    I did an iodine patch test: Paint a 2" x 2" patch of 2% iodine tincture (anticeptic-not 10%) on the inner thigh or inner bicep area; if the patch is still there 24 hours later then you have plenty of iodine... mine was gone in about an hour.

    I didn't want to take medicine for the rest of my life so I tried regular iodine supplements but finally got some improvement in my numbers after adding "Potasium Iodide". This is the mineral that got a lot of press for treating/preventing radiation poisoning when Japan's nuclear plant melted down (but that wasn't why I used it).

    My numbers were still not "normal" so I caved and started taking levothyroxine (happy that it's only 75 micro grams). The first thing I noticed was sleep; oh my gosh, to sleep, per chance to dream!!! It cured my insomnia! I saw other signs of improvement too.
    I occasionally take coconut oil and don't know if I had taken some prior to my one improved test but it isn't impossible so I just took some and I will continue to do that. My next test (hopefully the second "nomal" test) is next month.
  • ARDuBaie
    ARDuBaie Posts: 378 Member
    Soy is no longer as good for you as it used to be. It was one of the first things that was genetically modified. About 90% of soy products are genetically modified. Corn is the same way. Now they are finding that GM soy and corn are not equal to non-GM soy and corn. Russian research shows that GM potatoes increase the risk for cancer. So I wonder what GM corn and soy does.

    Additionally, in the genetic modification process, the gene that is introduced to soy came from peanuts. British research has shown that infants fed soy-based formula have a higher incidence of peanut allergy than those not fed soy-based formula. I wonder if there is a connection between peanut allergies and soy ingestion at older ages. And what about corn? Was DNA from peanuts used for it? And what about other GM products?

    Continuing with the GM products, foods that have been GM modified are shown to be less nutritious. This may be why we have people overeating. If you aren't meeting your nutritional needs, you brain will tell you to eat in order to hopefully meet those needs. It has been proven that you would need to eat two of today's apples to meet the nutritional value of an apple grown in the 1940s. This is not just because many apples have been genetically modified, but also has to do with the fact that rotation of crops is not necessarily occurring since we are spraying plants with herbicides and fertilizer and the grounds are totally deplete of nutrients for plants without rotation of crops.

    I have read that coconut oil is good for many things, including thyroid and arthritic joints. Another thing that can help your thyroid is Kelp. I take two capsules of Kelp daily. I never feel tired, even after my exercise sessions. Be aware that if you take anything that will affect the thyroid, you will want to let you physician know so that they can check your thyroid levels for any changes.

    The last thing is that research has shown that a person could be at the high-end of normal in TSH levels and still show the signs of hypothyroidism. For such people, having their thyroid medication increased to where they are on the lower end of normal TSH levels is often the ticket to making them feel better.

    Hope this helps the discussion along.
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