HELP... cant lose weight

[RachieRach130]

I had a complete thyroidectomy in July 2008. I am on .175 mcg of synthroid and my numbers are where they need to be. I am having a HUGE problem losing the weight that I gained. I am 161 lbs and 5'4". I have been going to the gym 5 days a week for the past 5 weeks. I watch what I eat as well. I have not been able to lose ANY weight at all. Am I doing something wrong? Is there any thing specific (since I dont have a thyroid) that I should be doing to lose the weight? Please help.

[gimel]

Don't know how long you have been on meds, but doesn't sound like you are feeling full effects yet.  We could respond better if we knew what blood tests have been done and what the actual results were.  The most important tests for you would be free T3  and free T4, along with TSH.  For best results, free T3 should be in the upper third of its range and TSH in the low end of its range.  If you want an indication of your status, while waiting for more testing to be done, check your temperature several times a day for several days and compare to the optimal of 98.6.  Here is a good link on that subject.

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

[hazelhurst]

My best advice is to give it more time--sounds like you are doing everything right.  Have you tried consulting the free websites that help calculate number of calories you need to lose weight and then sustain a healthy weight, and how many calories from carbs, protein, etc. are healthy for you?  I found those sites really helpful.  Although it's difficult to stick to that kind of plan, it seems to work.