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Question of the Month – Mar 2013
This question is going to have multiple parts. Did you have a weight issue in relation to your thyroid condition? Did you lose weight, once you started medication? What things have you tried to help with weight loss? What worked and what didn’t? Do you have other conditions that may exacerbate the problem? Those could include insulin resistance, PCOS, or others.
I'm new to all of this. I would like to thank everyone on here that is sharing there story. So I guess after Tue. i will know more. THANKS ;).
I know I'm a bit late coming to the party...it's almost April...but I have a question for most of you. How many of you ever lost a substantial amount of weight (while TRYING to) BEFORE you were hypo? I'm not talking about the 5 or so pounds that you gained over the holidays and took off by cutting out desserts/alcohol/whatever for a week or two and were back to your usual weight. I'm talking about losing the kind of weight we typically gain while hypo, say 30+ lbs (yeah, Barb, 10-15#...my left hind foot!).
I ask because I've had a weight issue all my life, which I was mostly successful at controlling, but I always said that my body had no vested interest in stasis...if I wasn't losing, I was gaining. This was years before hypo.
After starting thyroid meds, I dropped 25# in a couple of months while doing nothing differently. My lower extremities had been terribly swollen while hypo, so we can probably assume most of that was water. After that, the most amazing thing happened that had never happened to me in my life...I stayed at that weight, even dropped a few (very) lbs now and then. That has continued for years now.
I am so thrilled to not be gaining any longer that I haven't even tried to take off any more weight, so I really have no experience with weight loss after hypo diagnosis (part of the reason I didn't comment on this thread earlier).
So, maintaining is one thing, and losing is another. Now, to me, it stands to reason that if you gained weight while hypo, once you are euthyroid, you can expect to maintain, but in order to lose weight, you might have to be equally hypER for a while (not desirable) or actually make an effort.
My experience in weight loss is that it is INCREDIBLY difficult, and I sometimes wonder if people who never had a weight issue before hypo simply have very little appreciation for how hard it is.
A few observations, some of which fly in the face of what's considered "healthy" (but so does an extra 35-40 lbs) and will never be recommended by your dietician:
1) I always found that if I ate 1000-1200 calories per day, I lost NOTHING, not more slowly, nothing. I had to cut calories to 750-1000. I think there's a "magic" number we all have to find, much like where our thyroid hormone levels have to be where we start dropping weight.
2) Adding exercise alone never did anything for me...I had to combine exercise and diet. I limited exercise to a half hour a day. I think it's important to do it every day because there's a residual increase in metabolism even after the exercise is finished. However, I'm not sure that from a weight loss point a view, more is better. If you do more than you can sustain for the rest of your life, you are going to start gaining when you lower exercise levels.
3) It always took my body a while to get into "weight loss mode", i.e. I had a harder time losing at the beginning of a program that at the end.
4) I had to weigh food and count calories until I got to the point where I could (honestly) weigh it with my eyes. I had to read labels and pay particular attention to serving size.
5) NO cheating. Cheating (and I did VERY little) could set me back with an initial gain due to the cheat and no weight loss for two weeks. "My" definition of cheating: eating out, "rewards" for being good all week, going to parties (yep, this will ruin your social life), alcohol, etc.
Okay, there's my tome...
I ask because I've had a weight issue all my life, which I was mostly successful at controlling, but I always said that my body had no vested interest in stasis...if I wasn't losing, I was gaining. This was years before hypo.
After starting thyroid meds, I dropped 25# in a couple of months while doing nothing differently. My lower extremities had been terribly swollen while hypo, so we can probably assume most of that was water. After that, the most amazing thing happened that had never happened to me in my life...I stayed at that weight, even dropped a few (very) lbs now and then. That has continued for years now.
I am so thrilled to not be gaining any longer that I haven't even tried to take off any more weight, so I really have no experience with weight loss after hypo diagnosis (part of the reason I didn't comment on this thread earlier).
So, maintaining is one thing, and losing is another. Now, to me, it stands to reason that if you gained weight while hypo, once you are euthyroid, you can expect to maintain, but in order to lose weight, you might have to be equally hypER for a while (not desirable) or actually make an effort.
My experience in weight loss is that it is INCREDIBLY difficult, and I sometimes wonder if people who never had a weight issue before hypo simply have very little appreciation for how hard it is.
A few observations, some of which fly in the face of what's considered "healthy" (but so does an extra 35-40 lbs) and will never be recommended by your dietician:
1) I always found that if I ate 1000-1200 calories per day, I lost NOTHING, not more slowly, nothing. I had to cut calories to 750-1000. I think there's a "magic" number we all have to find, much like where our thyroid hormone levels have to be where we start dropping weight.
2) Adding exercise alone never did anything for me...I had to combine exercise and diet. I limited exercise to a half hour a day. I think it's important to do it every day because there's a residual increase in metabolism even after the exercise is finished. However, I'm not sure that from a weight loss point a view, more is better. If you do more than you can sustain for the rest of your life, you are going to start gaining when you lower exercise levels.
3) It always took my body a while to get into "weight loss mode", i.e. I had a harder time losing at the beginning of a program that at the end.
4) I had to weigh food and count calories until I got to the point where I could (honestly) weigh it with my eyes. I had to read labels and pay particular attention to serving size.
5) NO cheating. Cheating (and I did VERY little) could set me back with an initial gain due to the cheat and no weight loss for two weeks. "My" definition of cheating: eating out, "rewards" for being good all week, going to parties (yep, this will ruin your social life), alcohol, etc.
Okay, there's my tome...
This is my experience as well. I tried Synthroid first, heard that T3 would make me feel better, tried Armour next and then was concerned about the fluctuations in the amount of hormone contained and the ack of consistecy in the natural pig thyroid. Was convinced to go back on Synthroid and have been trying for 8 weeks to lose weight. I weigh 186 lbs. always. At 5' 4" I want to lose 40 lbs, but nomatter ho hard I work at the gym (4x a week on a treadmill with my heartrate consistently at 120 for 40 minutes each day) and eating almost no carbs- I still stay the same. The only time I lost weight at all was when I fasted completely for 3 days. Then I lost 5 lbs. Other than that I don't lose any. I went to the endo today and she changed my med to Tirosint which I am supposed to begin tomorrow. Not really hopeful after all the negative posts I've read. If I ever get my libido back I don't want to be bald at the same time. A month after this trial, I will be trying to *** Cytomel for awhile to see if I feel better.
My severe insulin resistance is causing my fat to stick to me like glue. I am going to try Cinnamon and Green Coffee Bean Extract to help with glucose surges after eating. If you have time to spare, check out the video presentation: The Food Revolution - AHS 2011. Amazing!
I am glad I saw this question of the month. I have mainly been lurking on these boards for almost 4 years now. I have posted a few questions during that time and been given some wonderful information by the most amazing people on here. When I first started having thyroid issues I lost weight, about 32 lbs. but that was because I was really sick with my thyroid. I was ver hyper and I chaulk the weightloss up to that. Since the RAI treatment of my thyroid, I have gained back all but about 10 lbs of that 32 lb weight loss. I am considered obese, and would be completely happy to lose just 30 lbs which would get me just below the 200 mark. Unfortunately for me, weight loss is like pulling teeth. Actually, it's harder than that. I feel like flying fools wife that can limit my carb, sugar, fat intake and lose 10 lbs and that's it. I get discouraged with it because I want to see results from the efforts and the hard work, and it just doesn't happen. Right now, I recently started the "17 day diet" after hearing about it from a friend. Basically, it's a healthier version of Atkins, so we'll see how things turn out after the first 17 days. I know that I am not alone in this battle, this board is proof enough of that. I guess if we just keep on keepin' on maybe eventually something will change with the weight loss. I keep hoping that anyway.
I was diagnosed hypERthyroid, Grave's Disease, 4 1/2 years ago. But don't hate me, I'm one of the small percentage of hyper patients that gains weight. I was 32 years old, 5'2", and had gained about 10lbs, to put me at 135lbs. I had, since my teens, been around 125lbs, give or take a few pounds. Once I started treatment, methimazole, I gained 60lbs in 4 months! Yes, that's alot, at 5'2" that put me as obese. Dr said I would have to wait for my weight to level out, it could take a couple years. Devastating!
Fast forward, a year and a half ago. My thyroid levels were under control, I had stopped medication, and was in remission. Time to try to lose the weight. I was able to lose 40lbs in 5 1/2 months, but it was HARD!! 500-1300 calories a day, had to change it up every few days or I would plateau. Also, at LEAST 3 hours exercise a day, EVERY day. Treadmill, weight lifting, zumba, step aerobics, running, pilates. I was obsessive about trying to get the weight off and had little time for anything else. I was still a little over weight, but could finally breathe while tying my shoes- so I was pretty happy!! I decided to take the summer 'off.' Which means digging and building a fence, group runs, hikes, etc-definately still exercise. I also tried to eat healthier, fresh summer foods, but did not count calories, weigh food, or deny myself the occasional treat.
By October....ALL the weight was back!! Not more, just back to my 60 extra lbs. All that time and effort for nothing. I felt utterly defeated. Sure I could start all over and take all that time and effort, and act like a crazy compulsive person, to lose it again, but then what? Gain every ounce back? I never had a weight problem before, I am now 37 years old and still in remission. My thyroid tests are normal. But once again I cannot breathe and tie my shoes at the same time, more than a little humiliating!
I'm not sure if anyone has any advice, although I hope someone does. If nothing else, maybe someone will stumble across this and realize they are not alone. Weight gain issues can and DO happen to hyperthyroid people too....
Fast forward, a year and a half ago. My thyroid levels were under control, I had stopped medication, and was in remission. Time to try to lose the weight. I was able to lose 40lbs in 5 1/2 months, but it was HARD!! 500-1300 calories a day, had to change it up every few days or I would plateau. Also, at LEAST 3 hours exercise a day, EVERY day. Treadmill, weight lifting, zumba, step aerobics, running, pilates. I was obsessive about trying to get the weight off and had little time for anything else. I was still a little over weight, but could finally breathe while tying my shoes- so I was pretty happy!! I decided to take the summer 'off.' Which means digging and building a fence, group runs, hikes, etc-definately still exercise. I also tried to eat healthier, fresh summer foods, but did not count calories, weigh food, or deny myself the occasional treat.
By October....ALL the weight was back!! Not more, just back to my 60 extra lbs. All that time and effort for nothing. I felt utterly defeated. Sure I could start all over and take all that time and effort, and act like a crazy compulsive person, to lose it again, but then what? Gain every ounce back? I never had a weight problem before, I am now 37 years old and still in remission. My thyroid tests are normal. But once again I cannot breathe and tie my shoes at the same time, more than a little humiliating!
I'm not sure if anyone has any advice, although I hope someone does. If nothing else, maybe someone will stumble across this and realize they are not alone. Weight gain issues can and DO happen to hyperthyroid people too....
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