Members with Hypothyroid

I had a partial thyroidectomy in March and my doctor had my blood tested for TSH. My TSH level was high and I was told fell under the Hypothyroid category. Are there members here who are dealing with this? What is it like and how has it affected your weight loss? Did it get better once you started receiving medicine to even your levels? Symptoms of dealing with this? I don't really know what to expect and I'm quite surprised my levels came back the way they did. Once I get on medicine will it be even harder to lose weight?

Replies

  • elynnuh
    elynnuh Posts: 50 Member
    bump!
  • bethc370
    bethc370 Posts: 41 Member
    I have been living with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism for 18 years. Hypothyroid can cause weight gain, or at the very least make it harder to lose. The good news is once your medication is leveled out and your TSH is in the normal range, the weight loss comes as easy as if you've never had it.
    Symptoms of hypothyroid include: fatigue, feeling cold all the time, hair loss, dry/flaky skin, weight gain. There are others, do an Internet search for Hypothyroidism and you can find some great info.

    If you have any other questions feel free to message me, and if I don't know, I'll ask my endocrinologist. :)
  • KetchikanLadyDi
    KetchikanLadyDi Posts: 23 Member
    To be honest, Hypothyroidism is the pits! I was diagnosed in 2008. It took a long time getting the medication levels where they should be. I currently take Synthroid and Cytomel together. It seems to work with all of the side effects of hypothyroidism. No the weight once your meds are stable does not fall off, dang it anyways. I have to work like a dog and be ultra diligent with calories and exercise. Someone once said that sufferers of Hypothyroidism have to work twice as hard to lose the same pound as someone without it. I believe that.

    It can be done. I started in July 2100 at 189. Today I am at 159 and still plugging away, a pound at a time.

    Good luck!!
  • Anniel88
    Anniel88 Posts: 150 Member
    Unfortunately, I don't have any super uplifting news either. I have Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and take synthroid for the hypothyroidism. When my levels get out of whack my weight can sky rocket 20 lbs in a month, but it takes foooorever to lose it. I'm currently fighting with the weight I gained last time. Weight loss progress is a little slower with hypothyroidism, but it is possible!! You just have to be diligent! Eat right and exercise and it'll be a lot easier. My biggest weaknesses are the days of lower energy, fatigue, and motivation when I just want to say "Not today."

    It definitely helps to be on here and see other people fighting the same issues. If you need a friend to help motivate you and keep you on track, feel free to add me!

    I just joined and finally decided that I needed to stop having my thyroid be my excuse. So we have to work harder, but we can still do it!
  • Jennicia
    Jennicia Posts: 409 Member
    I have hypothyroid and along with it being a little harder to lose weight, it has other side effects too! Not sleeping well, the hot flashes etc....I took awhile to get to the correct dosing but its a slow process. I was on the same dose for almost a year and now it just got increased. All I can say is that its possible to lose weight with hypothyroid, but u have to be patient with yourself and realize its probably not going to come off as fast as u want it to. Eat healthy, workout and ur body will adjust. GOOD LUCK!
  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
    I've been hypothyroid all my life as was born with it underdeveloped so I've never known anything else.

    I was a chubby baby but they didnt find it until I was nearly two once I was more active child I soon lost the weight and didn't have any weight issues until I hit my early thirties when I had problems with mine making Reverse T3 and then developed mobility problems and went from been my usual 9 and half stone up to 16st. (2002)

    It took me til 2009 to get down to 11st 7 but I had been in wheelchair since 2005 with crippling fatigue and unable to exercise. I re-gained a stone by last summer and had gone back up to 12st 7 last June.

    This year I have been able to do more with help of special exercise bike and really strict diet to lose 3 stone, so it is possible, but it is a struggle and frustrating when see other people losing 4stone or more in a few months and its taken me a year to lose just 3.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    It sucks. It's sort of like a learning disability for your metabolism. You can overcome it, but you're always going to have to work a little harder and see results a little slower than everyone else. :grumble:

    But, knowing that you have it is a huge part of the battle! I'm right now debating spending the money for a metabolic rate test to figure out where exactly my metabolism is.
  • I have hypothyroidism. I am taking synthroid to help with this. As long as I take my medicine like I am suppose to then I can loose the weight. I lost over 60 pounds three years ago. But I have put it all back on. I have started taking my medicine faithfully and the weight is starting to come off again.
  • The symptoms that were toughest for me were the depression and the hot flashes. The meds definitely helped with that. But as far as weight loss.. it hasn't done much more than give me a little more energy to lose the weight.. but in my case.. the weight did not just fall off after I was on the meds.. I wish I could say it did.. but it didn't. But you might be one of the lucky ones.. :) But at the same time.. you still have to eat right to lose.. I was hoping when I was diagnosed that my weight would just fall off. But sadly it didn't. :( best of luck to you!!
  • It sucks. It's sort of like a learning disability for your metabolism. You can overcome it, but you're always going to have to work a little harder and see results a little slower than everyone else. :grumble:

    But, knowing that you have it is a huge part of the battle! I'm right now debating spending the money for a metabolic rate test to figure out where exactly my metabolism is.

    learning disability for you weight loss.. I like that way of explaining it.. its SO true..
  • patty43ck
    patty43ck Posts: 248 Member
    I too was born with an underdeveloped thyroid that eventually stopped working completely. I was diagnosed when I was 3 years old and was on synthroid for most of my life. I am now on Armour but am thinking of switching back to Synthroid. I never had any weight problems until I got pregnant and then my metabolism went completely out of whack. I have 3 children and they are each 6 years apart. After the 3rd child it has been extremely hard to lose weight. My body has been stuck at 180 forever and I can't seem to get below 176. I keep gaining and losing those same 4 lbs. Very frustrating. I have been doing the exercising thing since January and started this calorie restriction program in April. I'm glad to know that this isn't just in my head and others are experiencing the same issues. Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • coraann23
    coraann23 Posts: 6
    I have hypothyroidism and graves disease i have gained about 40 lbs in a year and need to get it off plus more for a total of about 80 lbs i take 125mg of armour thyroid its an all natural pill and it seems to be working if you would like to add me please do i could use the support from other people who suffer from this thanks!!
  • jroseonline
    jroseonline Posts: 45 Member
    I have hypo also, diagnosed in 2009 after having my youngest son and I had my meds switched up three times before I saw any weight come off. I went from the 130s to 167lbs after being diagnosed. Finally my doc, gave me armour thyroid and upped the dosage and I finally saw results. But it took a LOT of hard work and dedication to lose the 25lbs I have lost in the last 7 months. I'm still working hard to lose a bit more, but definitely diet will help. There are some foods that hypo patients need to stay away from. I don't know them all as I'm still researching myself.

    I was also taking Blood Sugar Support supplements daily and that seemed to help. I am not on it anymore and I still see inches coming off. I believe that's also due to the fact that I've incorporated strength training as the first 5 months I did mainly cardio, hit a plateau, took a 2 week break and now I'm back doing cardio, along with strength training and surprisingly still losing inches all around.
  • robynb7d
    robynb7d Posts: 8
    i had a fulll thyroidectomy last june..i went up close to 80lbs before, and right after surgery....but since...it has taken until now to get me on a therapeutic range of levothyroxine..but i will say with careful dieting i am finally seeing some hope in weight loss....but still has been a slow process .....good luck!