Hypothyroidism - Can't lose weight!!!

They may need to change the dose of the meds. Are you having regular blood work done to check your numbers? I also have this and I am still losing weight.

I was diagnosed a year ago, and I'm in the same boat as you. It is very frustrating and no one can imagine what it is like until they have experienced it. I too eat around 1,200 calories a day. Last week I averaged about 1,050 calories per day and gained almost a pound, so I am confused and discouraged. I keep trying too, but nothing seems to be working. I don't want to cut calories any more, but might try as I am curious how low I will have to go to actually lose something.

Hi there,

I have an underactive thyroid gland too and was on levothyroxine for years which wrecked my body. have recently switched to armour thyroid and feel amazing on it!
I gained a ton of weight on my previous meds and felt so miserable because no matter how much I dieted or exercised the weight would not come off.

You should think about switching to armour....
I could NOT even lose 1lb while on the levothyroxine no matter how hard I tried

Of course everyone is different but I have done a ton of research lately on it all and I believe Armour is the way to go.

Feel free to add me, I can email you the links to all the info I found if you want

I have been on eltroxin for about 7 years now and have just finally started to lose. I am doing 1200/day with at least 150g of protein spread between all meals and snacks and only one carb with breakfast. I also go to a crossfit gym for 6 hours a week with my trainer who has me doing everythingu under the sun you can thing of with cardio and weight and body resistance training. I have lost 18lbs in 2 months so far....agree with all that you have to do regular blood work and get your levels stabilized before anything else will work.

Hi,

I have hypohyroidism since the last 10 years. You can loose weight I assure you but you body indeed does not react like everyone else and any professional that is treating you must be aware of that. I have a trainer for 1 year. I trained 2 a week and lost weigh because my clothes were too big and on the scale, it was showing that much. I am on a shake diet right since 6 weeks and I have manage to lose 15-17 pounds. I am also worried about my thyroid but I am schedule for a blood test every 3 months.

Don't loose faith and give yourself a chance.

If you've just started on the meds, it takes time to rebuild and get your levels to where they should be. I'm so glad you're here and not giving up! There are many of us with hypothyroidism--please feel free to add me!

What are your levels pre-med and on the meds? They should be testing you every couple of months and adjusting hte meds until you get the right dose. It will be slower for you to lose weight, but definitely not impossible. I have PCOS and hypothyroidism and have lost 55 lbs. in about 13.5 months.

Most of the people replying (including the OP) are probably not eating enough during the day. I mean, it sounds like you all are active and if you're only eating 1,200 calories a day, that is WAY too low - even for those of us (me included) who have hypo.

I work out between 45-60 minutes 5-6 days a week, alternating running days with a bootcamp class at the gym. I NEVER eat less than 2,000 calories a day - which would probably be the equivalent of eating back exercise calories. I've been losing around 2 pounds a week, and I'm on levothyroxine.

My suggestion: go to fat2fitradio.com and use the military body fat calculator first to determine your body fat percentage, then do the Calories and Metabolic Rate calculator to determine how many calories you should be eating each day based on your activity level. THIS WORKS!! Prior to following this, I was only eating 1,400 calories a day and NOT eating back exercise calories and wasn't losing weight. Upped my calories to what fat2fit suggested and the weight has been consistently falling off each week.

NOTE: If you eat the calories suggested by fat2fit DO NOT EAT BACK EXERCISE CALORIES.

I have had hypothyroidism for over 30 years. I am 50 now. High dosage of 125mg. I am checked every six months. I have lost weight in the past successfully.
I agree with everyone, you really need to get stable. But don't give up!!

I was diagnosed about 20 years ago. It got worse during pregnancy. I alternate daily between 150 of Eltroxin and 175 of Synthroid since I really need around 165 but neither one is made in that dosage. I am doing pretty good with the weight loss so maybe it isn't just the thyroid causing the issue, it could be a combination of things. Also, there are some foods that make it harder for your body to absorb some of the medications so you might not actually be getting the dosage you need.

Take care,
Datenshi

One thing that I have learned in this 5-month plateau of trying to lose weight (I'm on Eltroxin) is that no one's experience with hypothyroidism is the same. Some lose weight on 1200 cals a day - some on more. Some need to eat less carbs, some do not. Some are gluten sensitive, some are not. So on and so forth, blah blah. You have do find out what works for you, and that's the hard part. But do not give it time. Don't just sit there, waiting for the meds to work. Get your levels checked, and the best thing I could ever do - because now I feel more empowered - is read up on your condition. Check out the group on this site - hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism - go to stop the thyroid madness on the net, and I am currently reading the Thyroid Diet revolution by Mary Shomon, a big eye opener.

I just went to my Dr. this week and while my levels are 'normal' I had her put me on Cytomel, a T3 med. There are TONS of people who are just on synthroid, eltroxin, levothyroxine, etc., that are NOT losing weight, because their T3 levels are not being addressed, amongst other potential issues such as adrenal fatigue.

This sucks. This is hard, I know! I did everything you did - and in the past, when I was not low-thyroid, i would lose weight. Now, I stay the same or gain. 6 months into my recent journey of trying to lose weight, I have lost 8-10 pounds. That was all in the 1st 6 weeks. Yes, you are getting healthy, still exercising and eating right, but, I know you want to lose weight! You can do this - but you have to be an advocate for yourself, Doctors generally don't.

Take your measurements! I don't have hypothyroidism but I take medication that causes weight gain. I have to take it there is not an alternative med to take. My scale has been stuck for a year but I am exercising like a mad woman and I'm losing inches. I was so discouraged but took my measurements and I'd lost 2 inches off my bust, 4 inches off my waist, 2 inches off my hips and 1.5 inches off my neck! Don't give up just keep exercising and eating right. You'll have better cholesterol numbers and be smaller in clothes sizes! Don't worry about the scale. Just keep trying and know that you are not alone! There are a lot of people with similar situations! Cathy

I just signed onto MFP yesterday, per a friend's recommendation. She lost 40 lbs. I have looked over all of the posts re hypothyroidism that are posted here. I was diagnosed almost a yr ago. My dose was changed 3 times, levels are checked periodically. There is also another part of the equation where meds are concerned; an antidepressant. I have been tried on quite a few and it seemed as tough Zoloft was the answer for the longest time. I don't know if it is possible for a person's body to hit a plateau and have that drug not do the job. It just didn't seem to be making any difference. I was tried on Abilify at one time w/the Zoloft but that didin't help & cost me too much. I really get scared about the feelings I was having, returned to the doctor as much.
She suggested a new drug called Viibryd. I have been on this now for almost 1 month, it seems to have made a difference. I am so paranoid about taking any drugs because of weight gain as a side effect. According to the literature that is not indicated. I sit all day @ my job. I have really bad knees; arthritis, no cartilage in rt knee and just started getting gel injections. I had bunionectomy in Jan. and was all set to start walking again, but w/the knee situation was told that I cannot do the walking for exercise like I used to. I am going through a brief period of PT. I will continue to do the isometrics at home. I would like suggestions that don't cost a lot of money, need to have a gym membership (money or the lack of it is an issue for me) , that takes into account my limitations due to my knees that will help me to stay focused/motivated and help to loose the weight. I know if isn't just about the eating/calorie counting, etc. So sorry for the lengthy post. I am 56 and have hypertension and family history of heart disease, which is why this is important for me. My mom passed away @ 66. Thanks!

I have an underactive thyroid too and i'm on 200mg Thyroxine a day. I was only diagnosed with it years ago by accident when i had a blood test for something else. Suddenly it made sense why i had gained so much weight.

I started the tablets and thought all my excess weight would then disappear over night! That was so not the case!! I once moaned to my doctor that i was still really overweight even tho i was on my tablets. She just kinda looked at me as if i was mad lol and told me that the tabs were not a cure and basically i needed to get my back side in gear and diet.

For a few more years i lumbered through until i figured that i'm not going to let this condition win. I read up about it and decided to completely change my lifestyle.

I stopped drinking so much alcohol, started slimming world (and then once i'd lost quite a bit of weight i started on MFP). I also quit smoking so i could exersize without keeling over haha and very, VERY slowly i began to lose weight. It has taken ages because of the Thyroid problem but i really do believe the slower it is the more likely i'll be able to keep the weight off in the long run.

Anyway sorry for rambling. I guess what i'm trying to say is that i thought for about 8 years that i'd never be able to be slimmer because of this. But eventually i did manage to beat it. I just know unfortunately i can't eat or drink like my other friends as i only have to look at a cream cake to gain 7Ibs!! So this is now my lifestyle forever. I guess that's the biggest hurdle i've had to overcome is knowing that it's for life