weight gain

[paintballbabe63]

I have been trying to lose weight now for over two years and continue to gain no matter how much I exercise, I do mostly cardio  very little weights.  I have modified my diet and what I eat cut out soda  and coffee and my main thing I do drink is water w/lemon...I have asked my dr several times why can't i lose weight and her response is to exercise more..I have had blood work done for my thyroid and it comes back "normal" . Something is wrong if I can't lose the weight,  MY average caloric intake is between 1000 and 1200 calories per day...I donot eat red meats, but do eat chicken, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables.. I just don't know what else to do I have tried everything and my last resource that I am considering is the lap band...Is there anyone that can give me some other insight or suggestions.
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[gimel]

I wish I had a dollar for every time a patient with a weight concern that may well be due to low metabolism is told by some clueless doctor to just eat less and move more.   Frequently these doctors also have the "Immaculate TSH Belief", so that if they do deign to test you, they only want to test for TSH and then compare results to the old reference range.   ARRRGHH   It is maddening.  

Anyway, my fingers are exhausted tonight, so I have posted below essentially the same post I made for another member with similar concerns.
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by gimel
, Dec 31, 2010 12:03PM
To: Netha1960
Based on what I have learned from friends who have had the surgery, I would recommend it only as a last resort.  One friend in particular went through the surgery and has had many resulting problems, requiring additional surgery.  She has to be very careful to take all the vitamins and supplements required daily, because of the lower absorption problems.  She is now back to being close to pre-surgery weight, which I really suspect was thyroid related in the first place.  

When I suggested recently that she should get tested for thyroid levels, FT3 and FT4 and TSH, she went to her doctor.  The doctor only tested for TSH and proclaimed she was normal, since it was 1.05.    Upon my insistence she went back and this time they did test for TT3 and TT4, not FT3 and FT4, as requested.   According to them, the Totals are adequate.  Even the totals showed levels at the very low end of the range, along with the low TSH.  Again they said she was "normal", nothing further required.  

Finally I intervened and have searched for a good thyroid doctor and hopefully have found one for her.  Maybe at last they will test for the biologically active thyroid hormones, and also test to determine why her pituitary output is so low that it results in low FT3 and FT4.  I firmly believe that when she gets all this sorted out and is properly diagnosed and treated, that her weight problem and other hypo symptoms will go away.  I also believe that if she had a good thyroid doctor years ago, she probably would not have had to go through all of this.
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By the way, to me a good thyroid doctor is one that will treat you clinically by testing and adjusting levels of the biologically active thyroid hormones, free T3 and free T4, with meds adequate to relieve symptoms, without being constrained by resultant TSH levels.    Symptom relief should be all important, not test results only.  So the first order of business for you is to locate such a doctor.  The best way is to post that you are looking for a good thyroid doctor in the Phoenix area and this will get more attention and hopefully some member will have personal knowledge of a doctor to recommend for you.  Lacking any response to that, there are other possibilities we can explore.  

I know it is very frustrating for you, but please explore all this first.  Lap band last.

[stranazingarella]

Has your Endo checked thyroid antibodies?  To check for Hashimoto's?