Stuggling with Thyroid and Weight Loss

I am hoping others will answer this as well. I still have my Thyroid, but I also can not lose weight! My levels are fine as well--so they say!
I hope to see some answers here!!!

my suggestion is to visit an acupuncturist and/or a chiropractor. i worked with some for years and i have seen people with a broad range of medical issues receive relief and healing.

Hi, Susana,

Sorry to hear that you are struggling. After the birth of my last child, my weight fell significantly (43 pounds from highest to lowest). It has stayed at its lowest for two years. I started taking levothyroxine one year ago when I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I think that following a lacto-vegetarian diet (which includes no animal products other than yogurt and cheese), nursing my younger child several times a day, and being too busy to eat much have burned a lot of calories and prevented me from consuming many calories. You probably have done this, but I'll ask just to make sure: have you measured and recorded your diet for at least a week during a typical week? Have you also recorded the type and duration of exercise you do in a typical week? Have you consulted a dietician and had him/her analyze these records? All these things have helped me. If none of these things work for you and you think that your physician is not providing the information you need, then you may want to consult another physician perhaps one that specializes in endocrinology.

Best wishes,
Lynne

I'm hypo and having the same problem..levels are fine so I should be! Aargggh. You're not alone and I'm curious to see what other posters will say!

Welcome to my world! I was diagnosed hypothyroid at 32. For 11 years I was on Synthroid and my levels were kept at the high end of the normal range, but I still had some symptoms which were annoying me. I read information about hypothyroidism where ever I could find it. It seems 'normal' is a broader range than some doctors think it is, and I'm one of those people who feel better when my medication is adjusted so that my levels suggest I'm very slightly on the hyper end of the scale (lower end). When I'm at my optimum level, my nails and hair grow well and don't break off, the skin on the bottom of my feet don't crack and bleed, I don't feel chilled in a room that's at 70-72 degrees, and I lose weight a little more easily than I otherwise would. Five years ago I spoke with my doctor. I said you've been keeping me on the high end of the normal range and the lower end of the range is just as normal so lets try it. I also said I'd read that some people do not convert T4 to T3 very well and I wanted to try a natural desiccated thyroid medication which has both T4 and T3 in it. That's how I switched to Armour Thyroid and I felt much better on it. This last year has been a problem since there has been an Armour Thyroid scarcity, but it's getting better and I have a regular supply again. The other information I found that has helped me weight loss wise is 'The Leptin Diet - How Fit is Your Fat?'. I read it and it was like they were talking about me when they wrote the book.
Everyone is different, and what works for me doesn't always work for someone else. I hope you find what works best for you.
http://thyroid.about.com/

You don't say what your levels are - and of what. It's possible that your levels are NOT fine, especially if your doc is just going by the TSH. Your TSH is not a reliable indicator of how much thyroid hormone is actually circulating through your body. You need to have free T3 and free T4 tests done.

If you are on Synthroid or another T4 only medication, it is possible that you cannot convert T4 into T3 - which many people cannot. That's me. I was on Synthroid, which didn't do a thing for me. I was then switched to Armour Thyroid, which made a world of difference (until they changed their formulation last year - so now I'm trying Erfa Thryoid (from Canada). These are natural bioidentical thyroid hormones that contain both T4 and T3. Synthroid is a synthetic hormone containing only T4.

The websites http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com and http://thyroid.about.com will give you more details.

Hi Susana,
I had to have half of my thyroid removed several years ago. Synthroid did not work for me although my levels looked normal. I switched to Armor Thyroid and it made a world of difference in how I felt.
I also use Shaklee's Cinch program. I did the full program for two weeks and lost 3.5 inches off my waist. I stay on the maintenance program.
You can check it out at http://www.cinchplan.com/healthforlife.
Good luck and God bless.
Victoria

Talk with your endocrinologist about it! There's a wide range (0.4-5.5) when it comes to TSH levels that are normal for a normal person. (I'm not sure why you had your thyroid out. If it was for cancer, then your normal levels will be different.) You may be on the higher end of that range and your doctor may be willing to adjust meds a little if you discuss your concerns. My endo does not just rely on the numbers when adjusting my meds. She takes into account how I am feeling as well. If your doc is ignoring your concerns, then I might suggest looking into seeing someone else. The first endo that I worked with was NOT a good fit - she made me feel as if I were a little kid with my concerns. So, I switched and things are much better now! Good luck!

My experience is not first hand but one of my friends had her thyroid removed. She worked for 2 years getting full Thyroid panels to make sure her body was in balance for Full Thyroid panel not just TSH, such as T3, T4 and the whole thing. She swears that between that and iodine/vitamin use and a very balanced 25 % carb 25% fat 50% protein 2000 cal and 40 min exercise a day 20 cardio and 20 weights she finally lost post partum 90lbs.

Hypothyroidism runs in my family. The women in my family have a difficult, if not impossible time, loosing weight without our TSH in the lower end of range.

My mom couldn't loose weight (despite various diets & excercise routines) until her TSH was below 3. Personally I feel best with my TSH below 2 and my free thyroid hormone levels above mid-range. My sis prefers her TSH close to 1.

Also we seem to have more success with low bad carb diets (like South Beach, Hawaiin diet, low glycemic index) if that helps. Once our TSH is optimized of course. Good luck!

are your levels on the low or high end? are you taking synthroid? have you discussed with your doctor to change your dosage just to see if it will make a difference. i feel your pain. i am thyroid-free (so to speak), do not have the weight gain but i have everything else. good luck

Hi Susana,

Weight gain is one thing that the doctor should have told you upfront. It is the most common side effect of not having a thyroid. That being said, you have to relearn how to pay more attention to your body now. My first recommendation is to get on an ABSORBABLE multivitamin/mineral complex. You have to make sure you are getting the nutrition your body needs to work right. It's always important. My husband has not had his thyroid out but he did start on a vitamin regimen and lost 110 pounds without changing anything, activity level or diet. If you are dieting and exercising, then it should definitely help.

Also make sure you are eating carbs. Some are essential and you have to know the right ones. I recommend looking into the low glycemic diet and see which are best. Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, Barilla Plus brand pastas, just to name a few, are all low glycemic and will give your body energy. That energy will burn fat.

Hope I helped!

M.

plenty of excercise like swimming and walking to burn off sugar levels

Recommend that you see an endocrinologist who specializes in thyroids. There is one in Hinsdale who is wonderful, Dr. Edward Paloyan. He is very thorough and checks blood levels of several hormones. He relocated my parathyroids when I had my thyroid surgery, which was for a benign cyst. I have hashimotos thyroids disease and have not had a thyroid for 7 years also. Email me privately if you ____@____.com
J. Y.