Hypothyroid Club

Hi!

  I'm new here and was diagnosed with Hashimoto's a year ago.   I know it makes it harder to lose weight, but that it's not impossible.    I also know there's a lot of debate (even among physicians) as to how much extra weight can be attributed to a hypothyroid.

  Just want to see if anyone else has faced this challenge and has some tips, encouragement, articles, etc for us.

 Thanks!

Sierra

I'll join.  I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 10 years ago.  I've been taking synthroid ever since.  It took almost three years before the doctors finally got my dosage right.  I do believe weight is harder to lose when you have thyroid problems, but you just have to worker a little harder.  So far I've lost 15 pounds since January 23rd.......:)

Hey count me i was diagnosed in 4th grade. Found it out cause i gained 30lbs that month. I've lost ten pounds since end of january... Maybe it takes a little longer, but we can do it!

Also Ive heard we need to up our calcium intake because of the medicine or something... ill try to find something about that.

Connie and Senoritakel,

   Hey congrats to both of you on your losses!   That is really encouraging.      I'm on Synthroid too and at the right dose now (I think).    Hoping things will happen now.

    I did lose 75 lbs 10 years ago but gained it all back and then some.  That was really discouraging.    I didn't want to count calories again, but I think that's the only thing that's really gonna work.  

   The About.com  site (where I found out about this site) has a good article in the Thyroid section on losing weight with hypo- It also has a calculator to compensate for our slower metabolism and a warning not to go too low in calories (1200).    I'm going to try to stay around 1400 - 1500 calories.

  How about you?   What is working for you?

Thanks for posting!

Sierra

I'm at 1200 calories and still can't lose anymore weight. Sooo FRUSTRATING!  Grrr! I've had my thyroid removed and I'm taking Armor Thyroid. It's the natural medication that treats the T3 and T4 levels of the thyroid. I really think I need it increased because I can't lose any weight no matter how hard I try. Synthroid didn't work after 22 years of taking it. I guess you could call me  GRANDMA Hypothyroid! Hee-heee!

I keep trying though, no matter how hard it is. You have to. Nobody can do it for us....I need to lose about 80 more pounds and I'll be happy!

I added you all to my friend list. I hope you don't mind!

Coffeelover,

Hooray for you!  93 lbs is a great accomplishment!   You are probably just hitting a plateau.    Before you know it, it will take off again.

Sierra

Sierra,

I personally think what's working for me (so far) is exercising a lot.  I do both cardio and weight training.  I really think the weight training especially helps.  I also try to keep my calories at 500 deficit (whether I exercise or not).  I've heard so much about this starvation mode and pleateuing out and I really don't want that to happen. 

Added you as a friend as well.......:)

hey... i try to keep it around 1300... can u put that site on here? id like to read it.. ive talked to a nutritionist and she said if we are at the right dose it shouldnt affect weight loss.... but i disagree.

senoritakel,

  The website is  http://thyroid.about.com/.   Yeah, it just seems that our metabolism is slower even with meds.

Connie,

    I wish I had the energy to to exercise like that.   Maybe I need to up my Synthroid.    I've probably been hypo all my life - thus tired all my life too.

  I added you both to my friends list too! :)

PS- I thin kthis is the best club ever!

I'm in too.  I'd love to hear new info and science as it comes to light.  I was diagnosed when I was 24, now I'm 42.  This past year I changed from synthroid to Armour thyroid.  I'd been complaining for years that I just didn't feel right.

I've really had to make a lot of changes and testing to see what kind of nutritional mix I need for weight loss and energy. 

I've been perpetually tired and cold throughout most of my life until recently.  I'm hoping I've finally stumbled on a formula of nutrition that my body likes. 

Anything you all have to share would be great, I'd love to learn more about this malady.

I so hear you renekane. I don't believe the nutritionist who said if the dose is right you should be able to lose! THAT'S Bull! According to my Doctor, my dose is perfect and I can't lose any more despite all my efforts! So we keep trying..beating ourselves over the head...while the doctors think we are cheating and everyone else thinks we are anorexic! Why am I still fat! I ask myself? Maybe I'm not doing this right or maybe I was wrong about that. This last month I gave up. I ate McDonald's if I wanted it. I figured it into my calories and ate it. Granted...I couldn't have much of anything else the rest of the day but I ATE IT! I am so sick of this struggle. People sympathize with you and they say it's hard for everyone to lose but they have NO IDEA HOW MUCH HARDER IT IS FOR US! EVEN THE DOCTORS DON'T KNOW!

So much for my rant and rave...Thanks for letting me vent! I really need to get my level checked again because I haven't been able to lose weight since Christmas! THAT'S  FRUSTRATING!!!

i am 33 and i was diagnosed in my mid 20's. i'm sure i had it longer than that. i was a very active child and teenager. It's when i graduated and became more sedintary that i think it kicked in. But I just started a diet 2 weeks ago and i have lost 11 lbs. I just started eating lower calories (1500) a day. I became aware that i needed to move more. My knees were hurting, they no longer hurt. I suggest you do not do it alone. My boyfriend and i have a chart where we can visually see the calories eaten and the weight lost. We motivate each other. we are accountable. We have a small notebook where we track what we ate. I use this sight a lot. It feels good to see it work.

Sierra73,

Where specifically was this calculator?

 It also has a calculator to compensate for our slower metabolism   and a warning not to go too low in calories (1200).

I looked on the website you attached, but I couldn't find it.

Thanks....:)

Connie 

Coffeelover2000, I know exactly how you feel.  I googled hypothyroidism and most of the sites were basically saying that losing weight with hypothyroidism is really, really difficult and it made me feel really depressed. 

But then I said to myself, I am just going to try and eat healthy and exercise and if I lose weight great but if I dont, I am not going to beat myself up for it.  If I approach it any other way, I dont think I will be able to handle.

And by the way,  my doctor also says that there is no reason why I should not lose weight.

I had a thyroidectomy 7 years ago because of a multi-nodular goiter.  I have horrible joint problems also.  No insurance so I haven't ventured into the rheumatoid world just yet.  I had a complete blood workup for everything imaginable this month and thyroid # are okay.  Doc assures me I can loose weight even if I can't make my joints exercise.  But I also had high blood pressure.  I have taken meds for a week and I feel soooo gooood.  It is unbelieveable.  I have exercised 3 days in a row. 

There is hope.  I had gained 35 lbs in 2 years again!!!  Time to kiss it goodbye.

Newbie here.  I've battled weight loss ever since I had kids. I wasn't overweight before that.  According to the tools on this site, I supposedly need 2000-2300 calories to maintain my weight of 211 lbs. (I'm 5'7").  But I was only eating around 1800. I cut back to between 1200 to 1500, but can't lose weight. I've had my TSH level checked last fall. It was 2.4.  Two years before it wa 1.7. I used two different doctors. Neither would check my T4 or T3 levels. They said I'm fine as long as my TSH is in the "normal" range. I exercise, eat healthy, but can't lose weight. I'm trying a new doctor next week. But it's frustrating trying to get a doctor to take the correct tests. How have the rest of you dealt with this issue?

Shortly after undergoing full hysterectomy surgey about 7 years ago I was diagnosed as being hypothyroid.  It took about 2 years to get the med. dosage right and I have been taking 0.2 levothyroxine ever since.  I was naturally thin and weight loss was never a problem for me until this happened.  Now it is a challenge.  But I think slow and steady can overcome it. 

One of my worst pet peeves is when people imply that it's OK for me to be overweight because of the hypothyroidism and they wish they had it so they could have a good excuse for their own weight problem! 

Connie,

   The link to that article is

http://thyroid.about.com/cs/dietweighloss/a/e atingenough.htm

It's a big website and it took me awhile to find it again.

Sierra

lorna- someone actually said that? Crazy!

I think its important for us to understand the afects of the thyroud problem, but we cant let it hold us back. yeah its twice as hard but we can do it!! little by little :)