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?

[chunt]

Welcome Rachel! I too am still in teh tweaking stages with hypo, they recently upped me to 150mcg 6 weeks ago (new bloodwork monday) As far as the sugar goes, have you tried eliminating it? I eliminated all nonnatural sources of sugar when this started and although the weight has been an uphill battle I feel better without it, its an added source of carbohydrates that doesnt do much for me.

That mentality helps, its easier and kind of empowering to not do something than to feel like its something you can't have or like it's a "bad" food (if that makes any sense).  I am about 4 months in with having the fitbit and have lost 10 pounds so far, about 6 of which were spurred my my most recent dosage, and a major amp to activity. This week has been lackluster for me I have been -5900 calories and lost less than a half a pound.  

Good luck on your journey and I check in here regularly and so do many other members so feel free to keep us posted 🙂

[RachelR1113]

Thank you--I've toyed with the idea of giving up both sugar as well as grains--But as mine's mostly a baking blog, there'd go half my entries and I wouldn't have much to blog about! Which is just an excuse, I know. That being said, unless I make something like cookies, I'm usually pretty good about limiting myself when it comes to the desserts and sweets. Most of what I bake ends up in the break room either at my workplace or my husband's. I do see my endocrinologist in a few weeks, so I'm going to talk to him about a few things, depending on how my thyroid looks (last year when he examined me, he said mine looks basically like Swiss cheese--He could see holes where the antibodies have been eating away at it).

I think my biggest problem is lack of sleep. I've suffered insomnia since I was a kid, and in using the Fitbit to track that, I don't really average more that 6 1/2 hours each night (I've had mine for about 3 weeks now). When I've been on vacations where I don't have to be anywhere and can sleep normally, I feel most rested when I can get 8-9 hours. And then I'm more likely to get my workouts in and keep moving throughout the day.

[patzwz]

Guh... I'm getting a little nervous here.
Got the results from my bloodtests. Won't see the specialist until next Friday so I'll know then what it all means and what his plan of action is.
But here's the thing; Anti-TPO is off the charts. Machine doesn't count past 1000 but it is 1000+. However, my TSH and FT4 levels have improved slightly and are now just within normal range (at least what's considered normal here in Europe) so honestly, I'm a little scared I won't be getting meds and I'll be back in the waiting game.
Also have an iron deficiency currently and apparently my alkaline phosphatase levels are too high, whatever that may mean.
Wish it was Friday already so I knew what the hell I'm up against.

[Shelley]

Recently discovered the Facebook group called Hashimoto's 411.  I learned about a book called The Paleo Approach:  Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body by Sarah Ballantyne.  I also found a good cookbook called The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott.  I also found out about a bunch of talks being given that were available on-line through a "Thyroid Summit."  The talks were all by doctors, pharmacists, and nutritionists.  I learned so much from those talks!  They are available for a fee but I was able to listen to them free during the summit.  I am finding that people are doing these things and making the talks free for a certain time period such as when they are "live" and then if you want the recorded versions they are for sale.  I bet more free ones will come along.  But if you want to pay for them, they were very good.  Check out http://thethyroidsummit.com.  

So I got the books above, started an "Elimination Diet" to discover my food sensitivities, and in one week lost 4 pounds.  One thing you just have to get off of if you have Hashimoto's is gluten.  If you do not do anything else, do that and see if your TPO's come down.  Mine were in the 300's last time I tested and that was with me not eating gluten ever (as far as I know, it can be sneaky and in things you don't know about) for the past two years but I will get tested again at the end of June and see if it is better being off some of the other cross-allergenic foods such as corn, dairy, soy, and nightshades.  I heard several people say that they succeeded in reducing their antibodies to zero.  Try to learn about "Leaky Gut Syndrome" and focus on healing and building a healthy "gut biome" which is balanced healthy and bad bacteria in the guts.  With stress and taking antibiotics many of us have an imbalance of the good bacteria and an overgrowth of the bad.  I have read some blogs with numerous people posting that their health improved and they lost weight finally after doing this.

[Batherbelle]

I also have hypothyroidism (Hashimotos Disease). Been really hard to lose weight. I am 53 and would like to lose 40 pounds. I like the Blood Sugar Solution diet. Little gluten, no added sugar, dairy substitute. Lots of veggies and lean protein. I feel better that way. Even with that though, and a trainer, losing is still a struggle. I need to do more activity consistently and hoping Fitbit will help.

[Hopethisworks]

I am also hypothyroid.  It's been 2 years and a constant struggle.  I have atempted to go gluten free and found it to be difficult to stay on track - but I am still trying.  I just got a fitbit a week ago and I have noticed that it keeps me motived to reach my goal. However I noticed I gained 2 pounds from walking and eating what I normally eat.  What happed??  I'm hoping it will pass but getting discouraged. 

[Batherbelle]

I can certainly empathized with the discouraging part. First week I gained as well. This week though I lost 4! Happy as heck. This is a constant roller coaster! And hard to stick to, I know. Been doing this for far too long. Good luck!

[RachelR1113]

So I saw my endocrinologist earlier this week. He seems to think my thyroid is fine, based on my last round of labs about a month ago. What he was more concerned with was the fact that my BP is high (it's been on the higher side of normal since I had my son 6 1/2 years ago, but until now, no one's bothered addressing it). I was told to go and buy a home BP monitor, start taking BP meds, and he ordered more testing--He wants to check my adrenals and I'm supposed to do a cortisol swab as well. It's a lot to take in, so I haven't started anything as yet....But I will. My older sister was diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes, and was told that if she changed her diet and lost weight (she's probably 200 lbs. overweight), she might be able to reverse it. She did not, and within 6 months was put on an insulin pump (she also has MS, which didn't help matters). I'm not going down that road. My husband's on board (I joked that if I have to be miserable with dieting & exercising, so does he), so now I have more support at home than I did before. I am a little worried that these latest rounds of tests are going to come back and show I'm pre-diabetic, but hopefully it's early enough that maybe I can either reverse some damage or at least stop any more from occurring.

[Kpercyman]

I have had hypothyroidism for the past 12 years.  I was diagonised at 19 after being discharged from the Army and gaining 40 lbs in 3 months. Now I had to starve myself to be in the Army and basically just worked out to get down to what they said was my weight for 5.3 (125lbs). I am normally comfortable between 140-160. So at 19 I was 125 lbs and now just shy of 30, weigh 208 lbs and have a two year old son.  I was able to lose all the baby weight and get down to 180 lbs with the help of phentermine last year prescribed by my endocrine.  However, that caused anxiety and further research I stopped taking it and gained 28 lbs in 10 months.  

Now I have the fitbit and hope to reach my goal of 160 lbs.  I just got it this week and am working my way up to   I am supposed to take 112 mg of Synthroid 6 days a week and 5 mg of Cytomel 7 days a week, but the Cytomel makes me sick so I am just taking the Synthroid every day.  I am hoping that I see a difference on the scale.  I already feel better and since all my blood tests show I am healthy I don't think I am going to obsess about the scale as much but on how many active minutes I get a day and steps.  

Oh and on a side note if any of you are taking  birth control pills in general be careful.  I read extensive research that birth control pills actually reduce the effectivness of the thyroid medication.  Mainly for those on Ortho-TriCylin Lo.  I switched to an IUD and it seems have stopped some of my lingering symptoms of dry patches.  Also, with Levothyorixine (generic) they do not regulate the actual mg as much as they do with Synthroid so one 30 day supply could be right on the dosage and the next month could be a little more or less.  

[heatherf311]

My husband and I joined new gym that opened in our town on 3/31/14. We go 5-6 days a week. I do cadiro for 30-60 mniutes. We are watching what we eat and I have noticed some weight loss. I have been getting discouraged because my husband has lost 27lbs since 3/31 and I've only lost 14. Two weeks ago I  went to my family doctor and had yearly blood work done. I was excited to see what my results would be compared to last year since I"ve been eating better and working out.(although my numbers weren't bad last year) Well a week ago I get a call from my doctor  and was told my thyroid was really low and I needed to start taking Synthroid. I"ve been on Synthroid for 9 days. After reading all of your posts are really scared that I'm not going to lose the weight I want to and get discouraged. My husband and I both have fitbit and are looking to get the scale, but only being 39 and wanting to be healthy I feel like it's going to be a struggle.

[chunt]

Kpercy I am so sorry reading what you went through. I know how hard it is first hand with the cg and thyroid so I feel ya. It will get better once you level out. I found that I need at least 300-500 active minutes on here to lose.

And Heather please do not be discouraged it is usually easier for men to lose than the ladies. And 14 pounds since 3/31 is just awesome ! That's about 5 pounds a month and also about the rate I'm losing now.

[MsIrishLV]

Hi!  I know this is a pretty old post but I'm new to FitBit and also have hypothyroidism.  I've had it so long I can't remember what age I was when I was diagnosed!  All the women in my family have it.  On the subject of the Amour thyroid medication - my mother swore by Armour.  Her doctor changed her at one point to Synthroid and she felt terrible so what works for one person, doesn't work for the next.  Since I retired, I have gained probably 15 lbs.  I'm hoping the FitBit will motivate me to move more and July 1, I'll be eligible for a free health club membership when my Medicare Advantage plan goes into effect (yes, I'm old!).  Don't give up....I have lost weight before...a lot...so it can by done with hypo.  Good luck!

[Hopethisworks]

Batherbelle, thanks for the reply... You give me hope. Are you doing anything else besides walking?

[KathleenLeigh]

I have been hypothyroid for about 36 years...(seems to be a theme here: diagnosed right after the birth of my first child).  About 8 years ago, I noticed that I still had most of the symptoms related to HT.  I found a switch to natural (also prescribed) meds made a HUGE difference.  Mary Shomon is a HT advocate and author; she also has a free on-line newsletter for information.

I take Nature-throid (same as Armour) and I saw most of my typical symptoms resolve.  (I took Synthroid for years!) As for weight, since I am older, it seems to be harder, but I have found that I need to cut out those typical bad carbs, drink more than 8 glasses of water per day and stay on my vitamins.  My fitbit is a great motivator!  I have had it for about 2 months now and really like it!!  

[eupepsia]

 So nice to be able to connect with others who are facing the same struggle as I am.  I gained over 60 lbs in under 3 months, and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.  With the medication, I lost 20 of those pounds easily.  Now, I really want to lose the rest.  I've been improving my diet and working out up to 2 hours a day.  I've lost 3.4 lbs in almost 2 weeks.

It can be frustrating, but I do think I will be successful. 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

Hi!

I have been battling hypothyroidism for 12 years now.  Keeping the weight off has been challenging but it can be done.  I did find that changing my diet worked and exercising at least three times a week worked for me. Nothing major, I was just doing cardio for about 30 minutes on those days.  I was able to lose 30 pounds, but fell off after that and now I am back at it again.  I just purchased my fitbit in June and I love everything about it.  I find it to be very motivational and it pushes me to reach my goals!  Good luck to you!  Feel free to add me as a friend!

[Rubes]

I

I have to take Cytomel because I don't convert T4 (Synthroid) to T3 (Cytomel - active form of the thyroid hormone. TSH showed normal, also T4 and T3, but body temperature was between 93.7 and 95.1 for about 6 years. After getting on Cytomel temperature went back up to 97's and felt much better. Also able to lose weight again. I'm diabetic too, so diabetic diet is good for both conditions for me.

[Flylow21-Judy]

Twidler1967, Thanks for the info.  I too have a thyroid condition, and like others here have been labeled by the doctors as being in the "normal" category.  However I also had additional problems with synthroid, very dry skin, hair loss, and a general feeling of not being "myself".  I recently changed meds from synthroid to Armour .  It has helped tremendously with the dry skin issue although I still find it very difficult to lose weight-I exercise regularly and eat much healthier than in the past.  I would like to learn more about Cytomel.

[thestarryskyx]

hey guys, i hope i'm posting this right. I just got a fitbit last nite and loving it. I always loved tracking my steps and always track my food intake. I've just been diagnosed with subclinical hypothyrodism in June, and taking synthroid. My numbers are better, and I have another blood test coming up in a month.

I'm pretty petite 5'1-5'2ish and always been around 120lbs. With this condition I have gained 12-14 lbs which is a lot for my little frame. Everything goes to my stomach too, i hate that spot. I hated being so tired all the time and also have had (and still have) anxiety attacks. It took a lot of different doctors and different misdiagnoses during this road since November 2013. I am happy that I finally atleast know what I have.

Synthroid has def. helped me by not being as tired as I was. I go to the gym regularly (about twice a week) for as long as I can remember and I love it...however it is not enough to get this weight off. I am planning on starting a very intense workout plan for a month or 2 to get these 12lbs off!

[Scooby_Tucker]

I have had Hypothyrodism for many years. Gain 18 pounds out of nowhere, which is what prompted me to go to the doctor. Since I have been on the medication, I seem to be able to lose weight. Takes a long time. My problem is it will take 10 months to lose 20 pounds and I gain it back in 3 weeks. But I am trying again. Never give up, and keep on moving. Thats all we can do.