Hyper Super Slim to Hypo Fat Ooompah Loompah

[RavingMad]

To all of you out there who have been hyper slim & (like me) who are now hypo & have 'weight issues' - how do you cope mentally/psychologically with the weight gain?

I know this sounds vain & superficial - but I've lost so much confidence since gaining 15 - 20kgs in the last 2 years. None of my old clothes fit, my body shapes out of proportion, I've got NO energy & I don't even recognise myself in recent photos. I don't socialise much anymore & dread bumping into old friends as the look on their face says it all. My family & close friends try to be supportive & remind me how unhealthy I looked when I was undiagnosed hyper, but at the end of the day I'm still crying on the inside & feel disgusted.

I've been on a strict diet (low fat/no fat/no sugar/low GI/low carb) since my TT in Jan '07. I drink atleast 2 litres of water a day & up until I injured my back last Oct, was a permanent fixture at the gym 4 - 5 days a week after work. Even with a back injury now, I still run around every day at work (I'm an aged care nurse), look after my 4 year old, cope with all the housework, shopping & gardening as I'm a sole parent - so I'm pretty active. I've even changed Drs recently, switched over to Natural Thyroid Extract & just had a heap of bloodwork done to rule out other underlying causes of weight gain & fatigue/tiredness.

I really do feel like an Oompah Loompah!  : (

Rach

[4michellesv]

My nickname is Mitch but I am actually Michelle. I totally understand where you are coming from. I too have put on weight but that was after removal of my thyroid. My Dr. says my thyroid levels are fine but I understand the new thyroid level standards are different. If you are Hypo it doesn't matter what you do for exercise. Hopefully the new natural medication will work for you. Tell me - what is your TSH level?

It use to be that around a 4. TSH was ok but now it is said that it should be closer to between 3 and 1.  Some of the older Dr.s go by the past standards which are not appropriate for feeling good I understand. Some Dr's don't even go by the TSH level but rather by how the patient feels.

[Super_sally888]

TSH should be around 1.0 if you are on replacement.
They should also test your FT3 and FT4.  If these are low, even if TSH is "ok" and you are symptomatic, further meds adjustment may be required.

Maintaining or losing weight even with treated hypothyroid can be a challenge!

I'm also a Oompah Loompah, and pregnant to boot!!

[redheadaussie]

Well, there you go! To think I was moaning and groaning about me and my dumb things. I used to be an Ooompah Loompah too...was always dead skinny then went up to about 85 kilos went down to 54 then back up to 75 then up and up and up and up and up to 102 kilos...waaaaaaaaah! Did my best too to lose that darned flab. Then I lost a whole 5 kilos..only took a year! LOL! Had my TT in Dec 07 and still that darned weight wouldn't budge! Now.. it is falling off...probably too fast...I'll go back to being that 54 kilos underweight again if I am not careful.
Anyways, I look back at those pics of me as OOmpah Loompah girl and I know where you are coming from... how many of my family were so rude and said, 'Oh my god! You've put on weight!..' Now they say, "Oh are you sure you should be losing so much weight, it can't be good for you" Aaaaaaargh! You just can't win hey!
   Apparently when I went fatty and skinny minny all my tests were normal. BUT only when I insisted on getting the anti-bodies done did it show Hashimoto's! Now wonder I was all over the place!...Don't know if you have Hashi's or not, but it can be a big factor in not losing weight.
  Anyways, I say bring on the Tim Tams for my Aussie Mate... I'll have to have the Gluten free version..(which surprisingly enough taste like a cross between a Tim Tam and Mint Slice! Yummo!)

GIIIINNNNNNNNOOOOOUUUUURRRRMMMMOUUUUSSS HUG for you!
...and a kiss too, coz you helped cheer me up! X

[melpol]

I am SO there with you.  I was super hyper-slim two years ago when I was diagnosed.  Not so much anymore.  I have to keep reminding myself that it takes lots of time for things to even out and to be able to maintain weight normally.  I am someone who was blessed to be thin all through my childhood and early adulthood, so this is a totally new experience for me.  People don't realize who hard it is to put yourself out there when you don't feel like yourself anymore.  As for how I handle it, I force myself.  Because I think years from now I would look back and regret missing out on things because of my weight.  Anyone who would judge you (especially those who know what you've been through) are not people you want in your life anyway.  Hang in there.  It sounds like you are doing everything you can to keep yourself healthy and active.  Eventually things will come around!  And in the meantime- everyone on this board is here to support you and they understand!

[Barb135]

Another Oompah Loompah here to join you guys!!  I was always very small also - I'm 5' tall and always maintained weight between 105-115 and if I gained a few, all I had to do was cut out the junk food, and get off my duff and exercise and the weight would fall right off!!  About 2 yrs ago, I started putting on pounds like there was no tomorrow and finally in June 08, I was diagnosed hypo and by then I had gained approx 30 pounds.  No matter what I've done, I can't get rid of the weight.  

I see people whom I haven't seen in a while and I get the same "Wow, have you ever gained weight!" and they look at me like I'm some kind of lazy pig that don't push away from the table soon enough.  Even people who know that I have thyroid problem - they all just think that once you start the med, you should lose weight.  To make matters worse, I have a sister who is also hypo and that's how it went for her - she started on the med and she was right back to normal weight - why can't it be that easy for me????  

[maddiem]

So now everyone is freaking me out. I have had weight issues my whole life, meaning I always was self-conscious about it and exercised alot, ran marathons, ate healthy and now i was just diagnosed with hyperthyroid and today Graves Disease. I also understand this is incredibly vain but I am freaking out about gaining weight. I don't think I can deal with gaining 30 lbs. I am only 5'2, that would be an enormous amount of weight, even 10 lbs is.

Are you saying that if you eat healthy and exercise alot, you still gain weight?

My sister is hypo and she probably gained 50-80 lbs. She also has a back injury, fracture in her back. I see what has happened to her and it really worries me.

When I look at the posts above, I find I have a lot of similarities so now  I am freaking out even more about the medication.

What happens if you just stop taking it to lose weight again? How dangerous is that? I am starting tomorrow on 20 mg of tapazole and am really nervous about it.

[RavingMad]

4michellesv, Super_sally888, redheadaussie, melpol & Barb135 - thankyou all so much for your replies & sharing your stories. I'm definately not alone with my weight struggle!I'm all choked up! Sniff, snort. Yesterday was a bummer of a day, I felt very fragile & needed to have a big cry. Big sooky la la. I feel a bit better today - I read all your replies (it meant alot!), my sister rang last night & so did my best friend, so that perked me up a bit.  

Maybe this is going to be a long battle for me. I'm just getting really impatient & it *****. I know I just have to 'pull my head in' & keep plodding along! The thing that makes this so hard for me is that I'm almost obsessive about my weight. I've got a cupboard full of really nice clothes that are (aussie) size 6, 7 & 8s - worth a small fortune & alot of my clothes now are too tight. I can't afford a whole new wardrobe & I just can't bring myself to give it all away.

When I was hyper, I could eat whatever I wanted & if I missed dinner for a few nights - I would literally drop 2-3kgs in a few days. Full term pregnant - I was only 60kgs (I had a small baby) & after a traumatic c section, then haemorrhaging internally & another trip to the operating theatre, then breastfeeding - I lost 9kgs in 9 days. I was back down to 50kgs on day 9 when I left hospital!!! Sad thing is, at my skinniest - I was 47kgs (162cm/5ft 4in tall) & even though I was probably a bit too slim, I liked the way I looked. I know deep down that I'm comparing my weight now to my old weight which was borderline underweight - I'm my harshest critic.

Since my hyperT dx (MNG - small hot nodule & a huge cold nodule - no hashi's) & TT nearly 2 years ago my TSH has jumped around a fair bit, I've gone hyper/hypo & have seen 2 GPs, an endo, a gynae/obs for my period problems & a really expensive 'thyroid expert' GP. I've had regular TFTs & have been on varying doses of synthetic thyroxine (50mcg-200mcg). I just continued to pile on the weight, no matter what the dose & had bad hypo symptoms.

FT3   (2.5 - 6.0)
FT4   (8 - 22)
TSH  (0.30 - 4.00)

Dx hyperT  15/11/06                month after TT   21/02/07           21/03/07          
FT3  5.34                                FT3   ?                                    FT3  3.82
FT4  13                                   FT4  12                                   FT4  19
TSH  0.060                             TSH  3.83                                TSH  0.059

30/04/07               19/06/07              27/08/07            24/10/07           11/12/07
FT3  3.55              FT3  ?                 FT3  3.40           FT3  3.34           FT3  2.0
FT4  15                 FT4  14               FT4  13              FT4  16              FT4  17
TSH  0.39             TSH  3.24            TSH  4.25          TSH  2.88           TSH  0.68

31/01/08               30/04/08              11/09/08
FT3  2.6               FT3  2.8               FT3  ?
FT4  17                FT4  16                FT4  16
TSH  0.14            TSH  0.39             TSH  2.74

I'm now seeing a great new GP who's 'alternative/complimentary/holistic' & have been on NTE (similar to Armour) for about 2 months, no more synthetic thyroxine. He highly suspects a zinc/copper imbalance & an eostrogen dominance, maybe gluten intolerance & adrenal issues. All of these issues, untreated could be impairing the thyroid medications I've taken so far, therefore causing further weight gain. I had a heap of tests done last saturday (DHEAs, RT3, insulin, iron studies, Vit B12, Vit D, plasma zinc, serum ceroloplasmin, serum copper, transglutamase IgA, IgA, antigliaden IgG and A, fasting homocysteine, TFT & a 24hr urinary cortisol level test) -  see the GP on 18 Dec, so am eagerly waiting for the results. Fingers crossed I finally get some answers! Tomorrow I've got my 2nd appointment with the GPs RN - I've joined her 'weight loss' support group & she bulk bills (yay!). So, things are looking up.


Rach  : )

[redheadaussie]

I've sent you a private message, but want others to see this post.
  Don't stop taking your medication just coz you want to keep slim!!!!! Not a good thing for your body to go without the very thing that is going to make you better.
  
Not everyone gains weight being hypo, you just hear about the ones that did. Bit like bad news travels fast. You never hear on the television news. A plane landed safely, a man walked into the bank and actually did not rob them, child crosses the street without being  kidnapped...see my point?

Your sister no doubt gained weight due to her back injury, not because she was hypo, just a coincidence it happened at the time she took her medication. Back injury really does slow you down at the best of times!

I gained weight at the same time as becoming hypo when I had an injured knee...used to walk up to 5 miles a day...well, that sure didn't happen and of course the weight came piling back on, being hypo sure didn't help, but it was not the total reason.  Being hypo slows the metabolism sure, but being hopalong on one leg ADDED to the problem.

Keep the diet good, keep active, even if you park your car at the far end of the lot and walk to the store...yes, even in the cold weather!!! You will be surprised how you can possibly stay at an even weight, and not gain it. Not ideal for some people but until the hypo stage passes, sadly it is sometimes the only way to be. Believe me... I lived it!

[RavingMad]

I hear ya! We're all in the same boat, good thing is - there's plenty of support, reassurance & encouragement here.  

I've been exercising as much as my back injury will allow me & eat super healthy - I continued to gain weight & my old Drs told me to cut down on my food & exercise more, put me on Zoloft & the pill. Any wonder I was gaining weight. Now my new Dr thinks theres' other reasons why I've gained weight & maybe my thyroid meds haven't been working like they're supposed to.

I've never been on Tapazole, so don't know much about it - just to be on the safe side, follow your Drs instructions & take your meds, have regular TFTs & if not happy with your Dr - hunt around till you find a good one. Eat super healthy, drink loads of water & exercise regularly if you can.


Rach  : )  
  

[Barb135]

redheadaussie is right - we all need to get things into perspective again!!  Remember, I did mention in my previous post that my sister is also hypo and as soon as she started on med, she had no problems losing the weight she gained, so not everyone has a problem.  

I talked to my doctor's nurse late yesterday afternoon and after I relayed some of the things that happened (or not happened) with the nurse practitioner and how she wouldn't listen to me, etc. I will be seeing my doctor on Monday morning.  I am also scheduled to see an ENT this afternoon and hoping that he might be able to shed some light also.  I keep hearing people say that we have to  be proactive in our treatment and I completely agree with that, even more so now because if I hadn't called about blood test results, I would never have been able to talk to my doctor's nurse to let her know what was happening and I would not now have an appt to see my doctor so soon, since I wasn't scheduled to see him until Feb.  

I am trying not let myself get depressed about my weight problem, but it's really hard, because I was always used to being small and this is so frustrating.  I, too, have a closet full of size 4 and 6 and of course, all I can do now is look at them cuz I can't even get one leg into the pants any more.  I have to keep telling myself that something is going to come out that's going to help me get to the bottom of things.  Maybe my doctor will go ahead and order some of the additional tests that might help shed some light on things.  

So - ok - everyone, hang in there and lets all stick together.  I so appreciate all the support here, and know we can all beat this, we just have to work on what's right for us.  

[stella5349]

I am rushed this morning and didn't entirely read all the posts here - but I really wanted to comment.

When I was DX as Graves - right before the Dx- I felt terrific. Lost some pounds or so which put me at a weight of about 125 pounds. I was elated!! Felt so good and everyone commented on how "wonderful" I looked.

WOW was I a skank before?  Then meds and RAI came and - "Taa Daa" HUGE !!!

It took years to blow up and I am the absolute heaviest ever in my life now. I talk to Kipland alot on this

Mentally it stinks!! I was in my teens and early twenties and anorexic / bulimiec -  so I had a "cracker" loose in my head then.

My life revolved around my outward appearance 100%

Am I ticked now?? sure.......... you bet.... I am thankful I am losing a pound here or there now - but something happened when I almost died twice over this disease. I never worked on the Inside "Stella" all my life.

Now I am working on both - there is an acceptance to a degree that I will never be who I was - Do I want to be??? ( I don't think so) I was too obsessive about my body and truely I was unhealthly for a long time.  

I remember looking at myself one day twenty years ago and saying in the mirror " What will I be when I am 40?" I will never be fat!

Well guess what - I wouldn't call me "really" fat - but my a** hits the counter at times when I bend over........

and I sometimes laugh about that !! -- sometimes I swear!!

I want to be healthy more than worry about a fat roll here or there.

I can lose this weight - IF I WORK AT IT!'

It won't just fly off my butt like it use to.

I need to concentrate on ME and what I need out of life.

Happiness can burn hundreds of calories and being at peace helps too.

Well enough sitt'n on my butt-- off to work!

[RavingMad]

Just wondering are any of you currently dieting or have in the past? What diets have you all tried? Any success? I've heard the Zone Diet & South Beach Diet work well for hypoTs?

I'm trying hard to follow my own diet plan - no fat/low fat/no sugar/low GI/low carb - (& now watching my gluten intake as I've just been dxed 'gluten sensitive', numbers were low normal range, so not clinically gluten intolerant/Coeliac Disease) - I'm getting there, but xmas will be a challenge for sure!

Just in the past few weeks since I've cut out almost all bread & pasta, my stomachs' shrunk & I can't eat as bigger meals as before. I also think that the NTE (aussie 'Armour') is finally starting to kick in too. Maybe I've found my correct dose (120mg - last 2 weeks) - I'm feeling 'awake'. I'm also waiting by the mail box for my special delivery of compounded vitamins (Rx by my new GP) for my low Vit D, low zinc, very high copper levels - so once I start on these - I should feel a bit better!

Rach  : )  

[gimel]

You might enjoy reading this link.

http://www.drrind.com/tempgraph.asp