No Thyroid
nmwhitney12
Posts: 239 Member
Hello Everybody!
Just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully make some friends who are struggling through the same process I am. My name is Nicole and I am a 22 y/old college senior! (GO EAGLES!! ;D) Well, to start off I was born without a thyroid so I have congenital hypothyroidism. For the past year or so my hormone levels have been ALL over the place resulting in weight gain...i've never been small but this took its toll on my emotions. For my entire life I think I have allowed this to be an excuse, or a crutch, to being overweight. However I am not going to let this happen anymore....I just want to be a healthy weight. I have cut out sodas, (one week 2 of this!) and I have started eating healthier and bringing more exercise into my daily routine. This site was recommended to me so I decided I would give it a shot! I hope to get a lot of support as well as give anyone in need plenty in return! Good luck to all of you on your weight loss journey!
-Nicole
Just wanted to introduce myself and hopefully make some friends who are struggling through the same process I am. My name is Nicole and I am a 22 y/old college senior! (GO EAGLES!! ;D) Well, to start off I was born without a thyroid so I have congenital hypothyroidism. For the past year or so my hormone levels have been ALL over the place resulting in weight gain...i've never been small but this took its toll on my emotions. For my entire life I think I have allowed this to be an excuse, or a crutch, to being overweight. However I am not going to let this happen anymore....I just want to be a healthy weight. I have cut out sodas, (one week 2 of this!) and I have started eating healthier and bringing more exercise into my daily routine. This site was recommended to me so I decided I would give it a shot! I hope to get a lot of support as well as give anyone in need plenty in return! Good luck to all of you on your weight loss journey!
-Nicole
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Replies
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Hello! I had my thyroid removed 18 months ago. I had given up all hope of ever losing weight until I read an article concerning my problem. It said that some people with no thyroid can not metabolize bad carbs aka breads like a normal person. These people should eliminate or half their bad carb intake. For example, if you are eating a piece of meat the size of your palm then you can only have a piece of bread that is half that size. However, if you are eating good cards aka vegetables then you can eat twice as much as the slice of meat. I've have been trying this for 10 days and have lost 7.4 punds so far. I hope this helps.0
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skinnynerd, would you be able to tell me where you found that article? I had my thyroid surgically removed 17 months ago and have had an EXTREME amount of difficulty losing and keeping off the weight ever since. Thank you so much!0
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I suffered from Grave's Disease (an auto-immune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism) in my early 20's. I was treated twice with radioactive Iodine. Now, I have no, or very little thyroid left. I've been on synthetic thyroid hormone for about 25 years. My PCP checks my TSH levels twice a year and my dosage hasn't changed.
I've gained an lost weight several times since going on synthetic thyroid hormone. But, those changes are clearly related to lifestyle choices.
That said, no weight loss plan is going to be effective if you thyroid levels are out of whack. I suggest working with your doctor to stabilize the thyroid levels first. Worry about the weight later. Try to eat as healthy as possible in the meantime. Once the you've got your thyroid levels stable, you can then start working on the weight reduction. Just my $.02 worth.
Nichole, I am sending you a friend request.
Tom0 -
Hi everyone, I am so glad I ran across this. I JUST had my thyroid removed last week and have been stressing about losing the 40lbs I gained prior to surgery. My thyroid was benign but so large that it was choking me. I would love some fellow thyroid free people to be friends with on this journey. By the way, I too read that low card is the best so I am doing South Beach. Thanks in advance.0
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I actually have just found out a couple of months ago that my thyroid is one of my issues! I would also love some buddies that are going through this type of issue while on their weight loss journey so please feel free to add me :flowerforyou:0
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I had my entire thyroid removed some years ago. Afterwards, it was a long process to get my medication level adjusted. I gained a lot of weight (and was tired and cranky I might add).
Please be patient with yourself and the process. You will prevail if you just hang in there.0 -
I have a thyroid but have hypothyroidism. I am on synthroid for it. I was diagnosed 10years ago but have not been faithful in my medication taking until recently. I am getting blood test every 2 months right now while they try to find the right dosage for me. I just started actively trying to lose weight 2 weeks ago today and have lost 11.0 even, 6.2 last week and 4.8 this week. I am exercising every day and have had more energy than I ever had even when taking my medication correctly. Any of you are welcome to friend me, since we all share a common problem.0
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That said, no weight loss plan is going to be effective if you thyroid levels are out of whack. I suggest working with your doctor to stabilize the thyroid levels first. Worry about the weight later. Try to eat as healthy as possible in the meantime. Once the you've got your thyroid levels stable, you can then start working on the weight reduction. Just my $.02 worth.
Nichole, I am sending you a friend request.
Tom
I have to agree! My husband had his thyroid removed in 2009 due to thyroid cancer. He has lost weight steadily (albeit, very slowly) since his levels finally stabilized.0 -
I suffered from Grave's Disease (an auto-immune disorder that causes hyperthyroidism) in my early 20's. I was treated twice with radioactive Iodine. Now, I have no, or very little thyroid left. I've been on synthetic thyroid hormone for about 25 years. My PCP checks my TSH levels twice a year and my dosage hasn't changed.
I've gained an lost weight several times since going on synthetic thyroid hormone. But, those changes are clearly related to lifestyle choices.
That said, no weight loss plan is going to be effective if you thyroid levels are out of whack. I suggest working with your doctor to stabilize the thyroid levels first. Worry about the weight later. Try to eat as healthy as possible in the meantime. Once the you've got your thyroid levels stable, you can then start working on the weight reduction. Just my $.02 worth.
Nichole, I am sending you a friend request.
Tom
^^^ This. Once your levels are stabilized, there's no reason why you can't lose weight. The medication supplies you with the hormone your body can't produce, and once the doctor gets that at the proper dose, your body is functioning just as well as someone who doesn't have thyroid issues.0 -
Hey!! I also was born without a thyroid. Crazy, I have never known anyone else who was born like this. I have taken synthroid my whole life but haven't had many problems other than it is sooo hard for me to lose weight!!! I just joined today so hoping that I can get some good support and get going on here! I have 20lbs to go!0
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I have hypothyroidism also. I will say I have lost a good bit of weight. Although mine is under control with the meds losing weight is like pulling hens teeth. LOL. Yes, it can be done but it ain'.t easy. This has taken me 21 months. Feel free to friend me if you would like to0
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I have a thyroid but have hypothyroidism. I am on synthroid for it. I was diagnosed 10years ago but have not been faithful in my medication taking until recently. I am getting blood test every 2 months right now while they try to find the right dosage for me. I just started actively trying to lose weight 2 weeks ago today and have lost 11.0 even, 6.2 last week and 4.8 this week. I am exercising every day and have had more energy than I ever had even when taking my medication correctly. Any of you are welcome to friend me, since we all share a common problem.
Be absolutely faithful about taking your meds. I too skipped a couple when I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism and my PCP told me that the effects of missing one dose are felt (by the body) for six weeks after. So if you miss pills, it makes it even harder to get the correct dosage.
As others have stated, be patient. It took a year for my PCP to get the correct dosage. But be strong in advocating for your health and eat healthy in the meantime. I too was referred to MFP by my PCP as a result of weight gain that was in part attributed to my thyroid issues. But since joining I've lost 8 pounds so the support you find here will definitely help.0 -
Hey. I just had mine removed at the end of Feb. My thyroid, too, had huge lumps that were getting larger pretty rapidly, and were starting to block my windpipe. Kind of cool that we have such incredible resources available to sort these issues out relatively pain-free.
I have gained around 7kgs, which is doing my head in. I am starting to feel like a sausage stuffed into a skin that's too small whenever I put my clothes on. Determined not to let this get away on me. But have a few challenges to overcome. One is that my little girl (3 in September) was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease last September. It's terminal and there's no treatment for it, but all her specialists say she is exceeding expectations and could possibly make it to her teens.
The low-carb thing is something that I was looking into for my daughter - the Atkins Diet is highly recommended for Mito kids, as it helps them to convert their stored fat into energy. These kids have problems generating enough energy to function, and she has just started to show signs of fatiguing more easily, so I have started to change her diet to see if it helps. At the same time, while reading the book (Atkins Diet) I realised that the highly-processed carbs I am using each day due to lack of time and motivation to cook decently for myself, is the reason for my increased weight. Very excited to see how it goes. It makes sense and certainly will not hurt me or my family.
Another challenge is that because we are unable to use any kind of formal care options for Angela, I rarely get time to myself. This means I have become fairly isolated, and lack consistent support or encouragement. I started on this site a couple of weeks ago, and am enjoying it. This past week has seen me step back as Angela has had a hard week which means I have been even more time poor and unable to get online for a few days, let alone doing any exercise for the week. It would be great to chat and keep up with fellow Thyroid mates and cheer each other on. I am pretty lonely, and the week I was exercising and on this site went a long way towards helping the loneliness and lifting some of the down days. This week has been a bit emotional - it can be confronting when she is struggling, and even more so when I feel like I am not getting what I need.
I hope that I don't sound negative. I genuinely want to surround myself with positive and motivated people, and be one for you guys, too. I live in Australia, and get the impression that most of you are over in the USA. Would be great to hear about where you're from, and maybe share a little about this incredible corner of the world where I live.
Wil0 -
Good luck, Nicole. I once was suspected of having an under-active thyroid, at least I think that was the problem, and was given a medication to which I had a strong allergic reaction, every part of my body swelled up. It was terrifying.
It may not be the thyroid, but many people have attributes that make losing or maintaining weight a challenge: age and inability to exercise being two. If you are determined to change your life, you will be able to lose weight.0 -
Hello everyone! I am glad I found this board. I recently started tracking calories on my fitness pal with my mobile. I had my Thyroid removed in 2008 due to Papillary thyroid cancer. Ever since then it has been difficult to lose that last ten pounds. I don't think that your metabolism is the same as someone who has their thyroid. I started on Levothyroxine but didn't feel that great then I switched to Armour but had a difficult time stabilizing my levels. Even though my tsh was 4.5 I was still having palpitations due to the T3 content. I just went back on Synthroid (brand name) 125 mcg and am waiting to have my levels checked. I work out in the mornings and lift weights at night. I am just starting the low carb thing so we'll see. I don't think that you can eat things in moderation and lose weight. You need to cut certain things such as simple carbs and bread out of your diet. Also ask your doctor to have you adrenals checked since being hypothyroid can cause adrenal fatigue. Remember your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and secret hormones such as epinephrine and adrenaline. If your body is under stress of course you won't lose weight. I would be interested to see what type of exercise regimens anyone does that are working for them.0
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Wil I am so sorry about your little girl. I am a pediatric nurse and have cared for kiddos with the same disease. Very rare. I hope the low carb diet works.0
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Hey Tallison78, I had the same problem with levothyroxine- not having a thyroid for my entire life (23 yrs) I have been through the ringer with blood tests and switching brands. In my opinion Levo is not even close to Synthroid as far as keeping a steady TSH level. Although everyone is different- I have had great luck with synthroid so I hope it works better for you!! Low carb and lots of cardio has been the only thing that has worked very well for me and I have tried MANY diets/workouts/etc. I do notice however when I lose or gain weight my levels are off a little - not sure if it is directly related but has happend with me...0
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Hi Whitney and everyone..
I have a thyroid but it's not working so well..which explains alot about my past & current condition...I've recently been diagnosed with hashimoto and so now I'm taking synthroid...I got severe vertigo the same week I started the medication but my doctor said it was just a coincidence. Hmmm. For several months I couldn't exercise at all but now the vertigo is gone and I'm back on track. I just joined last night and just posted "over 50" as an introduction. In the past weight lifting was always the best way for me to lose weight while toning my body..I am going to be walking and/or biking for cardio and doing light weights and yoga or pilates for toning. My diet will be focused on portion control and limiting intake in the evening as most of my bad habits/damage is done after dinner... but NO MORE!!!!0 -
Hey everyone!
I am glad that all of you responded! Sorry about not getting on lately to check this I have been using mobile and my the message boards don't work well on my phone! I hope everyone is okay and reaching their goals! I am planning on making an appt with a new endo because this one is just not willing to help and answer ?'s! I feel like a switch would be good for my consistently inconsistent levels .
I will def have to look into the lo carb thing because right now a major part of my diet is bread! I just love it Going to have to learn how to eat less of that and still feel full because my biggest problem is I really like snacks...lol
Well hope to hear from all of you soon!
good luck all0 -
I had my thyroid removed in March, and I put on quite a bit of weight after that. I had been struggling with it for almost 2 years before they removed it after finding a tumor.
I am finally, very slowly, losing a small amoutn of weight at a time. Its so hard, I feel for you! good luck, and keep at it!0 -
Hello everyone, I had a partial thyroidectomy in June (papillary cancer). I have been overweight for the past 16 years and after symptoms, medications and ultimately surgery I decided that I really needed to live a healthier life. In the past when I've lost weight, it melted off fairly easily but not this time. I'm 3 weeks into watching my calories and working out 6 days a week (6 days of cardio - Zumba and 3 days of strength training) and have not lost one single pound. As I started scouring the internet for advice, I stumbled upon this thread. It gives me hope.
I have an appointment this week with a new endo, haven't seen the last one since before my surgery. I feel like I have more questions than ever. I still suffer from fatigue even though I'm on 125 mcg of levothyroxine. The last endo spent 5 minutes with me, not an exageration, to tell me he would order an FNA. I never saw him after that, he called me to tell me about the cancer and referred me to an ENT so I really don't know how the endo is supposed to help me or even what he will do besides order labs. Any suggestions about what to ask or waht to expect? I should say prior to seeing him after a suspicious ultrasound, I had never seen an endo. My pcp had been treating me with meds only.0 -
Hi Nichole and all. I too have essentially no thyroid, it's there but has never worked. My mom used to crush my synthroid between 2 spoons and mix it with water to give me as a baby b/c it only came in pill form. Hopefully that has changed.
Nichole, recently I went almost vegan. I say almost b/c I still eat greek yogurt once per day and I eat boneless skinless chicken breasts. I just couldn't give it all up and wanted to do something I could sustain. I try to eat plant-based foods (Lots of green stuff!) as much as possible, with the exceptions noted. It has been a bit challenging sometimes, and I do succumb to the occasional bread or cheese temptation, but only once per week or so. I absolutely LOVE to eat cheese but funny enough I have had pizza 3 times (only one slice each time) since then and every time I ended up with horrible stomach cramps afterwards.
Some may say they could never do this, but having lost nine pounds in the last month (since July 11 without changing my exercise routine) has convinced me that this is the lifestyle that works for my body. I have always struggled with my weight, from being a grossly obese baby and child onward. Since April I have lost over 30 lbs, and I have about 10 lbs. to goal. I am excited to think I can sustain this loss.
And Nichole, great job cutting out sodas!!! That can be hard. I think once you get used to not drinking them, you will find the taste not so exciting. If you do still like it, maybe one per week or so would be a nice treat...0 -
Hello everyone, I had a partial thyroidectomy in June (papillary cancer). I have been overweight for the past 16 years and after symptoms, medications and ultimately surgery I decided that I really needed to live a healthier life. In the past when I've lost weight, it melted off fairly easily but not this time. I'm 3 weeks into watching my calories and working out 6 days a week (6 days of cardio - Zumba and 3 days of strength training) and have not lost one single pound. As I started scouring the internet for advice, I stumbled upon this thread. It gives me hope.
I have an appointment this week with a new endo, haven't seen the last one since before my surgery. I feel like I have more questions than ever. I still suffer from fatigue even though I'm on 125 mcg of levothyroxine. The last endo spent 5 minutes with me, not an exageration, to tell me he would order an FNA. I never saw him after that, he called me to tell me about the cancer and referred me to an ENT so I really don't know how the endo is supposed to help me or even what he will do besides order labs. Any suggestions about what to ask or waht to expect? I should say prior to seeing him after a suspicious ultrasound, I had never seen an endo. My pcp had been treating me with meds only.
Essentially you need to see someone who will spend more than 5 minutes with you. If you are fatigued, then your level is not right. Your levels are more than just the tsh level. You need to tell your doc about your concerns, fatigued etc. If you are always on the hot side/cold side mention that too. I know what it is like to always be tired. NOT FUN once they get your levels normalized you will be back to your old self and your weight will come off!0 -
Hi Nichole and all. I too have essentially no thyroid, it's there but has never worked. My mom used to crush my synthroid between 2 spoons and mix it with water to give me as a baby b/c it only came in pill form. Hopefully that has changed.
Nichole, recently I went almost vegan. I say almost b/c I still eat greek yogurt once per day and I eat boneless skinless chicken breasts. I just couldn't give it all up and wanted to do something I could sustain. I try to eat plant-based foods (Lots of green stuff!) as much as possible, with the exceptions noted. It has been a bit challenging sometimes, and I do succumb to the occasional bread or cheese temptation, but only once per week or so. I absolutely LOVE to eat cheese but funny enough I have had pizza 3 times (only one slice each time) since then and every time I ended up with horrible stomach cramps afterwards.
Some may say they could never do this, but having lost nine pounds in the last month (since July 11 without changing my exercise routine) has convinced me that this is the lifestyle that works for my body. I have always struggled with my weight, from being a grossly obese baby and child onward. Since April I have lost over 30 lbs, and I have about 10 lbs. to goal. I am excited to think I can sustain this loss.
And Nichole, great job cutting out sodas!!! That can be hard. I think once you get used to not drinking them, you will find the taste not so exciting. If you do still like it, maybe one per week or so would be a nice treat...
Nope I think synthroid is still on in pill form poor little babies!
I have read a lot about how we as hypothyroid patients digest carbs differently and need to cut out the "bad" kinds...like bread and pasta! I think the best thing to do is just find the diet that helps your body out the best...i'm testing certain things out right now...but I am sooooo glad you found what works for you! ( Even though you are right, I could NEVER go vegan...cheese is one of my FAV snacks! lol)0 -
....But have a few challenges to overcome. One is that my little girl (3 in September) was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease last September. It's terminal and there's no treatment for it, but all her specialists say she is exceeding expectations and could possibly make it to her teens......Another challenge is that because we are unable to use any kind of formal care options for Angela, I rarely get time to myself. This means I have become fairly isolated, and lack consistent support or encouragement. I started on this site a couple of weeks ago, and am enjoying it. This past week has seen me step back as Angela has had a hard week which means I have been even more time poor and unable to get online for a few days, let alone doing any exercise for the week. It would be great to chat and keep up with fellow Thyroid mates and cheer each other on. I am pretty lonely, and the week I was exercising and on this site went a long way towards helping the loneliness and lifting some of the down days. This week has been a bit emotional - it can be confronting when she is struggling, and even more so when I feel like I am not getting what I need.
.......I hope that I don't sound negative.
Sorry, I know I'm going off topic but I'm so sorry to read this Wil. Please feel free to PM if you ever need to chat. And no, you definitely do not sound negative. I just hear an amazingly strong person come through your post. x0 -
Hi, I think this is a common condition. I have low thyroid levels and I have only just realised I don't have to believe all the people who told me I was lazy throughout my life! After starting the levothyroxine I have been going to the gym and two martial arts clubs so the mind was willing but the flesh was (and still is) weak.
Oh, I am new by the way, just started using the food diary this week.0 -
No you are not LAZY! Trust me low/not accurate levels means NO energy...I can sleep all day if my meds are not right and it is miserable!!0
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Hello my name is Lisa and i read your report, I was wanting to know if you can give me so more advise, I also have had my thyroid removed and i feel like i have given up hope on ever losing weight. But anything you can think of would help out. Thank You0
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Hello my name is Lisa and i read your report, I was wanting to know if you can give me so more advise, I also have had my thyroid removed and i feel like i have given up hope on ever losing weight. But anything you can think of would help out. Thank You
Nothing will be effective until your levels are right...I would advise you to work very closely with an ENDO not an MD....MDs know a little about a lot while an endocrinologist specializes in the body system that the thyroid belongs too! Also, cut the carbs since our bodies tend to store them diff like someone else posted earlier in this thread!
Good Luck to you!0
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