Hypothyroidism and difficulty in losing weight.

Hi Guys ..I am new to this group/Website . ...Love the enthusiasm here in the forums. I  have hypothyroidism and I wanna lose those 25 pounds I gained. My mon and dad both are diabetic and my doctor has asked me to lose the weight no matter what..I exercised regularly for 4 months and lost only 2 pounds.. When I did that before I was hypo..I lost 23 pounds in 5 months.. So This time I lost all motivation and finding ways to lose those extra pounds ...

Can anyone help?

Thanks and Good luck!

Hi there.  I'm hypothyroid as well.  I strongly suggest you get some of the books by Mary Shomon.  If you go to the "Advice" tag here on cc and type in hypothyroid you will get good information and a link to Shomon's site.

There are foods that, although healthy, aggravate your hypothyroidism.  One that comes to mind is soy products - I do not eat any whatsoever.  Also, many of the foods in the cabbage family can cause difficulties for hypothyroid people. I can't stress how important it is for you to experiment with your foods and find which foods are your "triggers" - I am OK with a bit of sugar but any fats seem to stall any weight loss whatsoever.  I currently try to stick to high protein, low carb but I am able to have a few jelly beans or chocolate now and again.

Take your pills each and every day - don't skip even one - and have your blood checked at least every 3 months.  Although you won't feel like it, exercise - make an exercise schedule and stick to it - every day.  Some days, it will be terribly hard to commit to your exercise goals but you must do it.  Muscle burns more calories than fat and hypothyroids need all the help they can get.   Oh yes, don't forget to drink tons of water. 

I've been struggling with hypothyroidism for about 10 years now.  I won't lie to you - it is a constant struggle and you will need to consider your hypothyroid needs for the rest of your life.  It will be difficult - especially when you see others just breezing through life and weight issues.

Good Luck!  lornajean

Thank you so much for your reply. I have been researching a lot and sometimes knowing that it is what it is frustrates me. I will try and be as disciplined as possible. By the way have you gained any weight and if so,have you lost any? Just trying to find other good examples to get me motivated.

Thanks again..!

Hey I just wanted to let you know that I've lost 70lbs and have hypothyroid. It is extremely possible to lose weight and honestly, it wasn't too hard. Just keep the mindset that this isn't going to doom you from losing your weight!

I have hypo and have lost 35 lbs...ONLY after switching to a T3/T4 combo. Before that zilch.

What's at T3/T4 combo????

4 years ago, I lost 40 pounds but gained it back mostly due to other health issues where I was injured and could not exercise for months at a time.  Since September, 2008, I have lost 17 pounds.  It can be done - hypothyroid or not.  Do not allow yourself to use hypo as an excuse - and don't allow people you know to let you off easy because of it either.  I find that I have to really focus on what I'm doing but, I think now that all my injuries are healed up and I can exercise and be active again I will do better at losing and then maintaining at a good healthy weight.  tresamies:  I've added you to my list of friends here on CC and hope you'll do the same.

I have hypothyroidism too. I have been dealing with it for 11 years now. You can lose the weight. Just stick to eatting healthy and work out as much as you can. I was overweight in college (5'11'', 225lbs) and was able to get down to 160. At the time, my doctor did a blood workup and my hormone levels were too low. He was really surprised I got the weight off. So I know it can be done.

I have since gained all of the weight back. So, back to work. But I know I did it before.

Good luck and just know that you can do it and get your levels checked regularly.

Original Post by ofeliajones:

I have hypo and have lost 35 lbs...ONLY after switching to a T3/T4 combo. Before that zilch.

 What is  T3/T4 combo? I'm hypo and am finding it impossible to shift the weight. My TSH  & T4 levels are normal (taking 75 levothyroxine- the standard med in the UK) but my T3 never appears to have been tested (at least it doesn't appear on the results?) Could my T3 levels make a difference?

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid in December and am waiting for another set of results before starting on any medication... I know exactly how hard it is, before this I could lose weight easily if I stuck to healthy food and a good routine. Since about november I have gained nearly a stone and a half, trying to get it all off again has been a nightmare, weeks of busting my butt with good food and exercise has earned only 2 pounds of weight loss... It's rubbish but keep trying hard, you will get there :)

Reallly simplifying things, T3 turns into T4. And most doctors think, wow, it's gonna turn into T4 anyway, lets just prescribe that. But normal thyroids produce BOTH, so even if you have a "normal" T4 range, you might not have enough T3. T3 is also a fat burner, and body builders and really stupid people take it for a weight loss supplement, even though it's VERY dangerous to people that don't have Hypo. You can die.

I was on just the T4 for the last 7 years, and just in August my doctor was like, "oh, maybe we should try you on a little bit of T3 as well" because I was crying in his office how my knees hurt, and I couldn't lose weight.

OMG. After a month all my depression cleared up (it was better after the T4, but man, what a difference!) and I became so motivated and energetic.

I really recomend "The Thyroid Solution" a book I bought, and never read until he started talking about a T3 supplement. That book would have told me years ago that that's what my body needed. Stupid me! Just don't go overboard, take the prescribed amount, and when you begin losing weight, go back for blood tests, because lower body weight means less meds. I put myself into hyper accidently, but it's easy to straighten out your levels again.

OF COURSE THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE NOT TO WATCH YOUR DIET OR EXCERCISE!!!

Just had to say that, it's something our bodies don't naturally produce, and we should be getting the full advantages, shouldn't we?

Okay, I'm on levothyroxine (75) and my test results (that I have copies of) don't show any T3 results- just my T4 & TSH- should I ask for the T3 levels to be tested the next time I get my bloods checked?

I would ask your doctor to give you a small dosage of T3 along with the T4 and then get your blood tested to see if everything is within the normal range. That's what I did, just went on the T3 and tested everything a month later. I was in the normal range. That's why I'm saying these tests SAY you are getting enough T4, but just T4 is NOT enough. I am currently on a 10:1 combo med called Prothyrid. 1 tablette contains .100mg Levothroxin and .010 mg of Liothyronin. You should have a 10:1 ratio, and your doctor can alter it to fit in your .75 mg of Levothyroxine.

I really don't understand everything, but I do know that afer years of just T4, this changed my life. Some doctors are stubborn, so just change doctors or show him "The Thyroid Solution" or printouts from reputable websites.

I'm just saying, after I found out about T3, I was SOOO angry I hadn't done this years ago. The problem is, most doctors know SOMETHING about the thyroid, but not a whole lot.

My doc has never told me anything about my thyroid problem. When my initial results came back (ths levels were 10.9 but T4 levels were normal) he didn't know what that meant. He said it was 'very strange' to have such a high TSH level but normal T4? He prescribs the meds and the practice nurse tests my levels every 6-7wks- if my TSH and T4 levels are in the normal range then I get a repeat prescription for my levothyroxine. I think I'll request my T3 levels be tested next time? Could they really be the cause of my lack of weight loss?

You need to do some research and march into the doctor with it next time. Think of your thyroid as a car engine, and yours doesn't have any oil. Get it? I don't know anything about the numbers, and what's "normal" all I know is how I felt when I was just on the t4 and how amazing the combo pill is, and now I know that when I get to my goal weight, I can mantain better since my metabolism kicked in again!

I would seriously recomend asking for a specialist, you do get an ultrasound to check for growth, right?

I too have hypothyroidism and you can lose the weight, I've done it before!!  Only reason I gained it back was because I went back to my old eating habits and non-exercising!!

Like a previous poster said, you have to watch what you eat because some stuff does aggravate your thyroid.  When I lost weight, I too did a high protein low carb diet.  Baked potatoes became my favorite and I cut out alcohol as well.

Just keep researching and you'll find the right thing for you!!

Can you please tell me what specifically you did to lose that much weight? Thankyou. appreciate your help!

For exercise; I started walking at least twice a week, jump roping, and lifting weights (a 5 pound dumbell)

As far as food is concerned, I cut out all sodas and drank diet, incorporated green tea every morning, sweets were eaten sparingly; I ate baked potatoes for dinner with salad, nothing fried; cut my portions.

It wasn't easy at first, and I'm having trouble getting back to the same regimen, but it worked.

Thanks. How much did you lose then and how long did it take. I have been dieting for 3 months and haven't lost much. I am not exercising though.I will try to start exercising..

Thanks. How much did you lose then and how long did it take. I have been dieting for 3 months and haven't lost much. I am not exercising though.I will try to start exercising..

tresamies- you should excercise because it raises your metabolism, and people with hypo have lower metabolism rates than normal people. So cardio will raise it, and weight training will build muscle which will also raise it. As soon as I started excercising, the weight started dropping. Did you do your research on T3? I personally was still depressed on the T4 and couldn't get moving.