Trying to lose weight with hypothyroidism

[chunt]

Hello all, 

I am a newbie here but not so new to losing weight, I have in the past lost 60 pounds so I could become part of the military. 
I love my career and everything as far as that goes is excellent and has been for the past few years. 

However, and this is a big however, in September I had been diagnosed with hypothyroid, and had some uncontrollable weight gain that I was unable to manage even with calorie restriction and exercise, I wasn't really eating because I was sleeping for 14 hours a day. Since then I have gained a total of 30 pounds from this condition while my doctors were in the process of adjusting dosages. 

My doctor said my levels are almost normal and I really really want more than anything for this extra weight to go away, other than the fact it has to go away (weight and fitness standards) I just dont feel like myself in my own skin. I have been seeing a nutritionist for the past 3 months and while seeing that person has helped maybe putting a wrangle on what the weight potentially could have been (worse) I have not lost any weight. 

Before finding out what was wrong with me I did try some of the fad diets and found that they hurt more than helped (not enough nutritional support to do large amounts of PT). I really would like some kind of advice from others on here that might have had hypothyroid issues and see what maybe helped them.

Having all that said, I am trying out the fitbit force and aria scale (gets here on tuesday) and was wondering if this helped others achieve their goals?

[atlgal]

I was diagnosed hypothyroid in my mid thirties.  I am now 62, 5'9 and weigh 140.  As some of the replies have stated you need to be your own advocate and read everything you can on the thyroid and thyroid disease.  I was always on thyroxine until I went to an endocrinologist  who did a test and found that I was not converting the T4 to T3 in the correct amount.  Since then I have always been on cytomel and thryroxine.  None of my Dr.s would prescribe armour so I would order Armour from some overseas websites. My Dr. now prescribes Armour since his PA takes it.  I have had success with both the thyroxine and cytomel combo and also the Armour. 

With my diet I do better with low carbs.  I know that is not the popular viewpoint but it works for me.  When I cut out breads, prepackaged snack foods, and refined sugars I manage my diet better and there is less binge eating.  I have also had success with using the Hcg. diet.

On exercise I have always had dogs which always needed walking,  I also worked at an agency where I walked constantly. I averaged 15000-20000 steps a day.

Most of the researched I have read says that you need to incorporate weight bearing exercises into a fitness routine.  Muscle uses more energy than fat.

I have had my fitbit for a week.  I love it.  I love the motivation I get by seeing I am below the 10000 mark.  It mean I am out the door walking my dogs.  I love the camradie of this forum  Thanks

[Pixelchick22]

Hi Shelley, I recently saw Dr Furhman on PBS channel and went right out and got his book too. I want to try to follow his plan as well. Going into Spring/Summer now is the perfect time to start. I was also tested for Hashimotos and it came back negative which is good I guess. Dr also always checks T3 and T4. We tried adding cytomal (not sure spelled right) but that made be dizzy and have bad vertigo. I too still have symptoms of being tired all the time and cold. If my symptooms persist even at levels under 2 she said we can try something like Armour instead of Synthroid. She is great and goes not only by levels but how you feel which is very important. I just keep fighting the good fight and try to stay on the road to health.

Yes you do have to be your own advocate, for a few years my TSH kept going up and down, above 6.5 down to 4.8 up again and down to 2.0 then back up and finally it kept just slowly going up but still within the "normal" range of under 5.0 and my PCP said it is pooping out but lets test again next year and see how it is. Now mind you I was there to see him because of all the symptoms I had, tired, cold, weight gain, losing hair etc. So I went to endo dr myself (luckily I don't need referrals) and she put me on Meds right away and it has take over a year to get me to below 2 when my PCP doctor was still going by old guidelines.

So take control of your own health and wellbeing and fight for yourself!

[Shelley]

That's great info, Pixelchick!!  PBS is where I first learned of Dr. Fuhrman too.  I am glad you found a doctor who listens to how you feel as well as the tests.  That is so important.   

[chunt]

Thanks for all the great information everyone. I have looked a little into Dr. Furhmans stuff but I am wary because I am just always wary of anyone who is trying to sell diets and supplements. I looked into the Nutritarian concept and discovered that I pretty much follow that along with high proteins that contain a number of healthy omega 3s and amino acids based on what I eat already. 

On another note I am ecstatic about this week. I was able to hit 10k every day and got a deficit of 6000 and lost a pound. Why only a pound? I think because it is possible that I dont sleep enough because I wake up at about 5 on weekdays.  I was also able to successfuly change my provider and get a copy of my recent labs so I definitley have some googling to do. 

[Shelley]

Check out these talks that are free and full of interesting health information related to having thyroid problems.

http://thethyroidsessions.com/day-1-2/

[JeanneG]

Yeah! Keep with it!

[Ebebi27]

I am totally disgusted! I have been exercising daily, sticking to the suggested caloric intake on myfitnesspal.com, but still have only managed to lose .5 lbs in 6 weeks. I also started eating gluten free and it will be a week today. The doctor tells me my thyroid is off, and that is why I have not lost any weight. He has upped my dosage, and now we will wait and see. It is really frustrating when you are doing everything right and there is no end in sight. I will continue on and hope I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

[chunt]

Ebebi27 I am right there with you. One thing that has held true that this problem has taught me is that this is definitley unfair. I have done everything right too gained about 20-25 pounds since diagnosis and  was ecstatic when I stopped gaining. Since trying to lose I have only lost 5 pounds since the beginning of february. 

I started doing zumba classes and picked out a weight training from fitnessrx for women's website that looked like I could do it and stick to it. I changed my plan for calories to the -2 pounds a week on MFP and hopefully that will help me do something. I hope the gluten works for you, when I tried wheat and gluten free for 6 months, nothing happened but many on here have had a difference.

[chunt]

For everyone else that is working very hard too. The logging of the food on my fitness pal and the exercise on the fitbit has worked! I am sure it is the conjunction with the increase of thyroid medication as well but I was able to lose 3 pounds this week. 3 freaking pounds! I am elated. If you are trying hard and still having great difficulty that may help you as well 🙂

[patzwz]

Hello all!

I am Patricia, just turned 30 and I'm totally new to this site, community and fitbit.

Back when I was 18 I found out I had issues with hyperthyroidism and I was diagnosed with Graves. No fun, but since my mom has Hashimoto I knew I was at a higher risk to develop thyroid issues. Been on meds for about 2 years and then after stopping the meds the TSH and T4 stayed normal. A couple of years ago I started struggling with depression and extreme exhaustion and sleeping problems. Levels were checked but each time I was told they were within the normal range. I started therapy and antidepressants a year ago and just 6 weeks ago my TSH levels were checked again. This time the levels indicated subclinical hypothyroidism, on the border of going over to clinical. My doc showed me a graph and it was clearly visible that TSH had been on the rise steadily since 2008. 

Now, in this past year I have gained a shocking 40 pounds, despite being a very small eater and being reasonably active. I saw a specialist last Friday and he told me the weight gain may be a result of the antidepressants, but considering my and my family's history with thyroid issues and the last levels he's checking the levels again, as well as anti-bodies. My regular doc is fairly certain I'll be put on medication soon, my specialist is running his tests first.

Just today I found out about the Fitbit and I figured it would be a great motivational and measurable tool to help me start losing weight, regardless of the outcome of the tests. I have placed a pre-order for the Force (which is supposedly being released here around June 27th) and I look forward to receiving it and starting to use it. When I noticed this topic I knew I had to share my story here. I feel very encouraged and inspired by the posts here and I admire all of you who have been struggling with hypo and/or weight issues for long periods of time without giving up!

If anyone has tips for me, regarding the thyroid issues and tests or regarding the Fitbit devices and site, I would love to read them 🙂

[chunt]

a new version of the force? I cant wait!! 

In all seriousness though I was recently diagnosed with the hypo in september, it will be very frustrating for a long time. I asked to see a nutritionist to find out from a medical professional what I should really eat. If your insurance covers this I highly reccomend doing that. I gained quite a bit from the medication too. 

The best things I have done to help myself are: join myfitnesspal and link it to fitbit, track exercises on fitbit and all my food on mfp. Weigh everything I eat to ensure proper serving sizes, track everything I eat, everything. If I guestimate something because I was out I overestimate what it was. 

Exercise! for the first few months I felt like poop. But as I have started to feel better I double time it and try to get in a good hour every day. I also bought a heart rate monitor to get closer to the exact number of calories I am burning.  I found that before, fitbit and my fitness pal were giving me more credit for exercise than I was really burning. 

Thyroid testing: ask to see your results. All of your results. If you dont know what something is, ask the doctor and make them go oer everything with you. By month 4 of this terribleness I found out you have to be your best advocate. There are so many great members that have contributed to this thread on here since I showed up all freaked out and I have learned so much

[juliehop]

I've had hypothyroidism for 11 years now.  Losing weight is definitely hard.  Once you gain, you have to work at loosing it quickly or it becomes the new threshold.  But that being said, it CAN be done.  I love alternative health stuff.  I have been researching alternatives for about 4 years.  But the biggest help to me has been to eat clean.  Try it for 1 month (30 days).  Take out gluten, dairy, soy.  I have been doing 2 protein shakes a day (they are dairy free and yet they have a complete amino acid profile) and have one meal (usually lunch) of lean meat and veges.  I did this last year and lost ~7 pounds in about 2 months.  I have started again.  After 7 days I am down 2 pounds.  having the fitbit helps because I can push myself for activity more.  I use some supplements that help with energy.  But also seek out a multivitamin to put nutrients back in your body.  Most likely there is an adrenal issue to some degree (adrenals, estrogen dominance and thyroid often go together) and you have used up some nutrients.  Don't go to walmart to get your vitamin.  The usual vitamins have a lot of fillers and do so little for you.  There really is a lot to cover here.  But this should be a good start to lose some weight and start to regain the quality of life.  Sleeping 16 hours a day or taking 2-3 hour naps while trying to raise littles sucks! 

[patzwz]

Thanks so much for the response, I'm already learning so much.

Back when I finally got my Graves diagnosis when I was 18 I had already been suffering for a long period of time. I had a 192 BPM at rest and even had to take heart medication for a little while. Scary stuff at such a young age.

Now that I got my lab results from the past few years I was a little shocked that the doc didn't intervene sooner. I know the results were still within normal range, but the trend was visible and coming from a thyroid history I know what it was/is leading up to. Had to wait another 5 weeks to get an appointment with the specialist (in all fairness, that's not too bad compared to previous waiting lists) and to then hear he wants more tests and to wait another 3 weeks... I may not be medically trained, but I am so very sure the problem is the thyroid and I feel like I'm wasting time. I realize it will take time to adjust and finetune the medication and it will be something I'll be dealing with for the rest of my life and honestly, that's something I'm still trying to wrap my head around too. 

I've been at home for over a year now, unable to work, and I just want to get back to something that resembles a normal life.

I think and hope Fitbit will help me with that. I can't wait to receive the Force. I will go check with my health insurance to see if it covers a nutritionist and I just signed up for MyFitnessPal. Sidenote; why aren't any of these companies making apps for BlackBerry? 😞

I know myself and it will be quite the challenge to start changing those patterns when it comes to food. I live by myself with a dog and two cats; they receive proper food and care while I eat too many microwave meals 😉  But I know it's something that has to be done if I want to make my life with hypo as physically easy as possible.

Quick question about the heart rate monitor; how do you exactly use it in addition to Fitbit and MyFitnessPal? If calories burned are calculated automatically, can you edit them based on what you've learned from the heart rate monitor?

Even though I'm still in my slightly stressed out phase and sounding a bit hopeless and negative here, I am actually positive about starting to change my life for the better. It really helps to read the experience from others who have gone before.

Edit to add levels:

10/20/2008 TSH 0.8

04/28/2009 TSH 1.7
12/08/2010 TSH 1.9

06/24/2013 TSH 3.5

04/08/2014 TSH 5.3 FT4 11.3

[chunt]

When I go to the gym and do some strength training, aerobics, or running I use the calories from my heart rate monitor when I log the activity on fitbit. I do this because fitbit wasn't saying enough calories for things like speedwalking and saying too much calories for things like jogging. I don't log my exercise on myfitnesspal anymore because they would give me 300 more calories than I actually burned according to my hrm for stuff like zumba. In short for me the automatic calories burned was too far off for my liking. I'm a bit of a data nerd.

I still miss my blackberry but I moved to android a while back. I think whatever programming syntax that has to be used for them takes more time than Google's because of increased security and not being open source. That could be why there's less applications.

Keep your head up. I'm having a week where I feel like my body is possessed. Scale up 4 pounds since Monday for reasons far beyond my comprehension. Just know that if you're doing everything right it takes more time than if everything worked the way it should.

The best way my Dr explained that to me in the beginning with hypo was to take what my body did normally and cut it in half until my medication is right that's what I was dealing with. But at the same time to eat normally nor to damage my metabolism.

[patzwz]

Thanks, that clears things up for me.

OT: the sad thing about  the BB situation is that the BB10 actually has an Android runtime... Meaning it can run Android apps and they have a very simple solution for developers to bring their app over. It couldn't be easier to port/convert the app and to bring it into the BB App World. This way users get pretty much the Android app, running in the Android runtime without any hassle. Of course if they want to rewrite their apps for the BB native system it would take a lot more work, but with this solution they don't have to. Oh well.

I'm sorry to hear you're having a rough week yourself. Hope you'll feel better soon.

[patzwz]

Not directly related to fitbit, but I figured it would still be of interest in here. I just stumbled upon "Walk Talk Dance Sing". I've not fully watched it but I plan to do so soon. This docu can be wachted for free, but people are welcome to donate to the creators. An inside-look into Hashimoto which will probably be recognized by many here, but which may also give more insight to loved ones and friends of people who suffer from it.

http://vimeo.com/96326279

Edit: I've watched it by now and it focuses a lot on alternative explanations and ways of dealing, so it might not be for everyone. Personally I'm a little more sciene-minded but I think it's always interesting to learn more about different point of views.

[Pixelchick22]

So went to my endo on Tuesday and my TSH is up yet again even though she raised my Synthroid. So she is adding Armour which has T3 as well. She thinks my body might react better to that so we will see. She wants to slowly up the armour and lower the synthroid rather than just cut right over as a while back she added Cytomel (T3 only) and I had vertigo and dizziness. So this way I should be able to slowly adjust without crazy side effects. Hopefully this will help with symptoms, mainly fatigue which can be quite extreme at times. Though I have been losing weight but I have to be VERY strick with my calories for that to happen as well as cut out Gluten and that has helped. I have to get this weight off as I am one test away from being diabetic and I don't want that to happen as I can't take the metformin more than once a day!

One day at a time and one step at a time.

Also I have noticed my free T4 and T3 are at the very low end of normal and from what I am reading many don't feel well until they are in the upper levels of normal. Makes sense to me. So hopfully the Armour will be the answer for me!

[chunt]

Patzwz, I watched the documentary too. I am a very science based, quantatative and qualatative data nerd. I love me some numbers. Although I think it would be good for maybe some friends or family members to watch to help understand why we are all bonkers at times. My husband read up on the disease and was able to have an aha moment about dish cleaning weeping, laundry weeping, and sweeping rage lol. 

Pixelchick I think that is awesome! Not that the tsh went up, thats not awesome, but that your doctor is willing to try different things. I hope the change in medication helps you feel better, please let me know if it works for you. 

[Shelley]

Discovered something that is going on right now on-line called "The Thyroid Summit" with interviews with all kinds of thyroid experts from M.D.s to Nutritionists to pharmacists.  I have listened to three of the talks so far and am learning a lot.  The talks are free for 24 hours but can be purchased after that.  Check it out!

http://thethyroidsummit.com/day-2/

Also if you have Hashimoto's consider joining Facebook Group called Hashimoto's 411 for information about autoimmune diet.

Best to everyone!

Shelley

[RachelR1113]

I found this thread this morning--I too have Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's Disease) and I've struggled for the past few years with losing/gaining weight. I only got diagnosed last year, so things are still in the tweaking stages, although I've been on 125 mcg of levothyroxine for about 9 months now. I have problems with my Vitamin D levels too, so I've been on 2000 iu of that as well. My biggest problem is my sweet tooth. Compound that with the fact that I'm also a food blogger, and you have a recipe for disaster! Still, I'm 40 lbs. overweight and have been basically since I had my son 6 1/2 years ago. I hit 35 (I'll be 39 come November) and thought that's just what happened when you got older. The bank I work for has a really great wellness culture, and recently, they purchased a bunch of Fitbits for employees who wanted one--We had to pay part of the cost and will also have to complete a certain number of exercise challenges (otherwise we have to pay the rest of the cost), but I've been feeling somewhat hopeful about at least starting to get this weight off. I lost 4 lbs. about 2 weeks ago, but I suspect that was just water weight. Still, it's the first time in about 3 years that I've been under 170 lbs., so I'm happy about that! Looking forward to connecting with others who share my struggles! Cheers!