Losing Weight With Hypothyroid

[radiochick]

Alisa,

When I first started my levo I gained 30lbs in about 5 months.

I completely freaked out. Tthen I went to see another doctor. This doc checked my blood levels on everything from thyroid to bloodsugar to cholesterol.

They called me the next day and told me my Free T3 levels were very low, even though my TSH was still within the "normal range." They added a half grain of dessicated thyroid hormone to my levo pill.

I lost 14lbs in the next 4 weeks, on a low carb diet they told me to follow (75 carbs daily, a minimun of 80 protein, mercury-free fish oil supplements, and enough water to keep my urine clear).

Alisa wrote:

Hello,
I am in my mid twenties and was diagnosed with hypothyroid last December (my birthday none the less). My doctor put me on synthroid and told me that would help with my hair loss (which was pretty bad) my inability to focus, my feeling of exhaustion and need of 16 hours of sleep a day and especially help me drop weight. I was scheduled to return in 3 months to have my labs redone. I didn't change anything I still ate as I normally did and still did the same activities along with taking my medication. When I went to my follow up appointment in March I would have been happy to have lost weight, I would have been even happier to have remained the same weight but I didn't instead I gained 6 lbs. Well that was it I began working out 4 to 6 days a week. 3 days of aerobics, 3 days of cardio - elliptical, stair-stepper, bike, treadmill, jogging, 3 days of upper body weights, 3 days of lower body weights, 3 days of pilates, 3 days of ball toning and I started at 100 crunches a night and now I am up to 250. I am on a low carb diet, 40 grams a day if that much, no flour, no sugar, no white rice, etc. and I drink 3 liters of water a day. In the last two months I have lost 8 lbs., and I guess that is not bad but when you consider everything I am doing you would think I would have lost much more weight then that.
My question is: Is there a weight loss enhancement I can take along with my Synthroid to help lose weight. I am absolutely miserable and frustrated with the lack of progress. I went from being 140 lbs on a 5'7 frame to 215 lbs, I am absolutely miserable. So if there is anyone who has had success with losing weight with a hypothyroiod problem please let me know your secret.

[irma]

im 32yrs old i was born with hyperthyroid. i was taking synthyroid until age of 16 when i had radioactive iodine treatment i had my goiter real big after 1st treatment my thyroid levels became very low so then i was diagnose with hypothyroid so at the age of 18 i had another radioactive iodine treatment. then my thyroid became some what in the normal. ive been taking levothyroid since then but now my thyroid has been hypo for 7 yrs and im always sick and i gain 40 pounds. i workout 5 days a week for about 4 hours a day 2 hours in morning two hours at night. but i cant lose the weight. im always tired, numb my whole right side, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pains, anxiety, pale skin,cold hands & feet, body aches,dry skin doctors fatigue,chest pains. i had two miscariages due to my thyroid. problem has any one with thyroid had problems getting pregnant. my doctors dont know what else to give me because my thyroid is not getting better but worst every month. my thyroid levels this past month was 18.45 and normals levels are 0.4-4.0. does anyone know of any doctors in california that might be able to help me. im so tiered of being sick everyday.
thank you and God Bless

[AZQuitter]

irma wrote:

im 32yrs old i was born with hyperthyroid. i was taking synthyroid until age of 16 when i had radioactive iodine treatment i had my goiter real big after 1st treatment my thyroid levels became very low so then i was diagnose with hypothyroid so at the age of 18 i had another radioactive iodine treatment. then my thyroid became some what in the normal. ive been taking levothyroid since then but now my thyroid has been hypo for 7 yrs and im always sick and i gain 40 pounds. i workout 5 days a week for about 4 hours a day 2 hours in morning two hours at night. but i cant lose the weight. im always tired, numb my whole right side, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pains, anxiety, pale skin,cold hands & feet, body aches,dry skin doctors fatigue,chest pains. i had two miscariages due to my thyroid. problem has any one with thyroid had problems getting pregnant. my doctors dont know what else to give me because my thyroid is not getting better but worst every month. my thyroid levels this past month was 18.45 and normals levels are 0.4-4.0. does anyone know of any doctors in california that might be able to help me. im so tiered of being sick everyday.
thank you and God Bless

It sounds like you need new doctors, and probably Armour or another thyroid med containing T3 hormones. Do some research. http://thyroid.about.com/

[HypoHellraiser1]

what is your dose? I am 5'4" weigh 110 and take 75 mcg synthroid and 10 cytomel after a total thyroidectomy four months ago. I don't feel great, but I feel better than with Synthroid alone at 100 mcg.

good luck
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[Sage]

I'm only 18 and I've been diagnosed with Hashimotos. It's terrible, once a 110 lbs. now I'm 130 and still gaining, I excersise like crazzzyy! I eat way better then most people my age do. My sister who was diagnosed with the same disease when she was barley 10 yrs old is on Levothyroxine just like me. She is yet growing but I'm the one doing all the weight gain for the both of us. I really need help, I've suffered from eating problems in the past, I can't seem to find anything that makes me feel comfortable with my own skin anymore.

[Greg]

I'm 40 years old and have been diagnosed as Hypothyroid. Before I had this problem my weight was 160 now it's 198lbs. During the transition to the synthroid I became a Vegan I have soy here and there not always but I haven't gained one pound. Alls well and good but I want to go back to what I was weighing 160 (lean and...nice), but I have and issue. I would be able to do this if my Med would stop making me so hungry all the time. I'm almost tempted to use appetite suppressants and say darn all the warnings.
Does anyone know alternatives to exercise which I already do.
P.S. Who says you cant get fat eating grass wasn't Hypothyroid.

[Greg]

Charlie wrote:

I'm glad to have found this board. I have not been diagnosed with hypothyroidism as I cannot bear having blood tests and would honestly rather die if it came to it. My mother and cousin are both diagnosed with hypothyroidism though and my symptoms are more severe, which leads me to believe that it is probably the same thing. I don't know what effect medication would have on me, but in the last two years I have put on over two stone.
I have a very strict two-day diet consisting of boiled fish, salad, cooked vegatables and raw fruit. I also eat two table spoons of marmite every day for extra vitamin B, which seems to help my nails. My hair has gone from being very thick, waist-length and shiny to barely growing to my shoulders and breaking very easily. I also have a lot of embarrassing extra hair in random places that I never used to have (I have very pale skin, so this shows up unless I shave it off each day). I also have huge dark circles under my eyes and anaemia from my periods getting very heavy. I am constantly cold, even during the heatwave we are currently having and carry around an extra jumper in my bag at all times. I take seven various supplements each morning (due to my diet being so limited) and stick to 1200 a day. I also exercise for 3 hours six days a week.
Although I am very consistant with the above routine, I can only just stay at my current weight of 11.3 stone (I'm 5'3). I have asked my doctor and dietician if I can try taking medication for hypothyroidism, but they refuse unless I get a blood test - which will never happen unless they knock me out first (I've asked, but they won't do this either)!
I really am at a loss. My ex left me as I completely lost any interest in sex and spent all weekend every weekend sleeping. I also gave up cooking for him (I trained as a chef in college) as not being able to eat properly made me miserable. I work so hard to not put on any weight and have given up a good career and education in order to spend more time in the gym and getting enough sleep to function enough to work part time (I still have bills to pay). I have spent a TON of money on therapy, hypnotism and various courses to get rid of my phobia, but have now run out of savings. I am 25 and do not want to spend another 25 years living this sentence, let alone the rest of my life! I really don't know what to do!
Has anyone here dealt with the same problem?

I understand your problem as I'm currently suffering similar problems my wife is understandably angry at my weight gain from 160 to 198. Lately it has blossomed into a very big issue maybe even divorce. I've tried most of what you mentioned but it seems those wont work, at least not for me. Funny enough though this is after I started taking Levothyroxine but, I would rather take the med then not, because before I was horrible company if I was awake. Honestly I tried herbal remedies before the chemical industries solution but herbs had less then the effect I needed. My proposal to you is try the chemical it does alleviate the depression its the desire to eat you will have to beat and it seems that you have that in down.

[Maria]

yes, it will increase your appetite, but don't starve yourself. That will only slow down your metabolism further.

[Annie]

I am 26 and I was diagnosed with hypothyroid one year back. Thought its hypothyroid, I was losing weight. Once I have started taking synthroid , my weight has become stable, neither losing nor gaining. Is it normal to lose weight in hypothyroid?

[Cindy]

Do any of you suffer from bad bowel pain? What do you do to relieve it? Also how do you get rid of the migrains? I am new at this hypothyroid and lost a 20 pounds on the HCG diet a couple of months ago and now the weight is coming all back on....very frustrated. I ex like crazy!!

Is it true that people with hypothyroidism can actually over ex to the point that they gain weight? My college gym trainer told me this.

Thanks

[Maria]

I had bad bowel pain before i was diagnosed. It's due to chronic constipation.

[Tiffani]

I am 31 and have been dx. with hypothyroid...I can't lose wt. either...n driving me crazy...as if i weren't depressed enough!!!!!!!!! So I'm also on depression meds...which make me gain wt....double wammy!(just my luk)..Anyway I presented to Dr. this fall that i wanted to be checked for diabetes...always hungry, dizzy, always sick...etc gaining weight...even though calorie counting...etc etc...then my toe nails got strange...keeping me from getting pedicures..hard and rigid...now my fingernails are too! My hair use to be soooo thick the hair dresser had to "thin it" now....i want it all back..I get my hair colored and within a few days it looks drab and blah...3 times now...each over $200 a pop!!!!!!!!! I am a trendy/fashionable person but this is all ruining my entire image! I no longer feel attractive enough for my husband...I literally get teased as tho I am a 90 year old woman...i move like one, moan and groan and crabby like one! When will it stop!?> I go for a recheck this month...i have been on the meds for gosh at least 3 months! Nothing has changed!!!! Bummed out completely!!!! My husband doesnt understand...but i have just about every flipping symptom there is! Constantly tired! even if i sleep a lot!, always freezing at night! hot during day...but never run a fever even tho i know i sick!, depressed, extreme loss of hair in/out of shower, my joints are killing me, did i mention i feel like i am developing dementia or alzheimers or something...totally worse than a little "brain fog"!!!!, Constant sore throat...like a permanent lump at the back..,muscle spasms, I am clumsy as a 3yr old...can't hold on to things at times, can't spit the words out right! i know what i want to say...but it doesn't come out that way!, severe headaches at the back of my head...dizzy all the darn time, never seem to "use the right word"...the list goes on and on...there is just something "not right" i keep telling my husband that! What do I do??????????

[Maria]

You shouldn't be on antidepressants, as that can disrupt metabolism. If the depression is a result of hypothyroidism, it should resolve once you get it under control. (Took nearly a year for me, but it did happen.) If you're not having any response, you may not be on a high enough dose.