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Has anyone successfully lost weight after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism?

Posted , 12 users are following.

Cwhite1
Cwhite1

Hi I would just like to know if anyone has anyone successfully lost weight after being diagnosed with hypothyroidism? I am 5ft 4 and on 175 mg of thyroxine and 11st 3 lbs. when I was first diagnosed I was on 50mg and just over 10st. My lifestyle is no different and if anything I watch what I eat even more so. I'm not a junk food lover, eat wholesomly, very rarely have sugar and have cut right down on my carbs. I'm not a massive exerciser but I'm not sat down all day either and spend a lot of time on my feet. I would be interested to know how and what anyone has done to lose weight as I'm feeling quite large!

1 like, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • debbie03785
    debbie03785 Cwhite1

    Posted

    Hi, I was just about to post the same question. Ive put on 2 stones in a year, diagnosed last year, gone from 50  to 100 mcg levo. Ive been exercising for at least 7 hours a week, and still gaining weight. Im begining to wonder if anyone with hypo loses weight, or do those who are well controlled just not post messages?
    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 debbie03785

      Posted

      Hi Debbie sorry to hear you are having the same problems as me. It seems there is a bit of a repeat pattern occurring amongst us fellow hashimotos! I would ideally like to be about 9st. I'm 5ft 4 and just over 11st and it still feels like it's going up. I really don't feel the medication is working right but on a plus side I'm so grateful to have finally been diagnosed and I'm still alive. Think we just have to stay positive and hopefully we will eventually get there! Forums like this are great to learn from others experiences. I'd be interested to know get on in the future. Take care Catherine 😊
  • LAHs
    LAHs Cwhite1

    Posted

    Well, I can tell you what I did, I'm not sure if it is safe to do this.

    When I first went on Levothyroxine after my thyroidectomy I just couldn't lose any weight. I was just like you, I wasn't a big eater, I had a very active life, etc, etc.

    My GP and I (not my Endo at that point) were actively trying to find my correct dose and he was very generous in letting me self adjust according to my symptoms. We cranked up my T4 (I was on L-T4, i.e. mono therapy) to a point where I felt normal (if not "great"). I wasn't expecting this but my weight suddenly began to drop without  my doing anything. It hit a "respectable"  145 lbs and then plateaud(sp?). I think that I had just crossed the threshold into HypER from HypO, just a little tiny bit - not to the palpitation, jittery phase but just accross that threshold.

    When my doctor retired and that first pill was discontinued then I had to go on a different Levo with an overly cautious Endo who reduced my dose (because my TSH was too low in her (misguided) opinion) and on piled the weight again! 35lbs in three months!

    I am now on a crusade to see if I can repeat my first experiment - and I will report back here. Factors which are very important in this endevour are that you must be at an optimal T3 otherwise your metabolism will be low and you determine that by taking your basal temperature every day (i.e. first thing in the morning before you do anything). If it is below 98.0 then that is the problem, low metabolism. It is my theory, and I could be wrong, if you boost your T3 you will boost your metabolism and therefore be able to lose weight.

    But, like I say, you have to be very careful, do this in small increments, keep an eye on your pulse, if it goes too fast step back a dose.

    My conclusion is that weight gain is a result of undermedication.

    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 LAHs

      Posted

      Fantastic answer thank you. Sorry to hear you are struggling though. It seems unfair if one medication was working for you and now you have been put on another which is not. Just out of interest how much thyroxine are you on now? I know diet and exercise have a big impact on your metabolism which I agree with completely however I also feel that if your metabolism isn't working properly it's not going to respond properly to diet and exercise. I don't think I've heard of L-t4 mono therapy but I take it that's just taking T4 on its own. When I have spoken to the Drs and a pharmacists they have explained that the thyroxine that is T4 when taken is converted by the body into T3 and so if T3 is low then the T4 needs to be increased. So do you think I need more thyroxine to lose the weight? I think that may be the answer 😊
    • LAHs
      LAHs Cwhite1

      Posted

      Hi Cwhite1,

      L-T4 monotherepy is just a short hand way of saying Levothyroxine T4, the mono therepy means that it's only T4 that you are getting (from the pill).

      At 125mcg (L-T4) I was not getting enough T4 for my "feeble" T4 to T3 conversion (in my liver since I have no thyroid) to produce enough T3 for me to feel normal. I bumped this up to 130mcg, my T4 was high but it enabled me to make sufficient T3 to feel normal.

      Last August I was finally able to get a doctor to prescribe me Armour Thyroid. This has all of the T's in it, T4,T3,T2 and T1 plus other things that I don't know much about. I have been taking 1 1/4 grains (75mg) but I have had no movement in weight loss so I am bumping it up to 1 1/2 grains (90mg) to see if I can repeat my previous success. I should also add that, yes, you have to excercise as well, I have added one hour to my exercise "routine". I spend one hour on my bike, walking or heavy duty gardening. But ease into it slowly, I put my back out my first week which set me back four days!

      Just FYI sometimes (if you are reading about all this)  conversion in the liver is refered to as conversion in the periferal organs.

    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 LAHs

      Posted

      Wow LAH thanks for your great reply that was really informative. It would seem then that I am on levothyroxine mono treatment. My thyroid has completely packed up. I have read so many great things about armour from patients who all seem to rate it however the uk medics seem to all say it's an inconsistent medication however I prefer to make up my own mind and I like to do my own research and listen to other people's opinions. Whereabouts is the dr who prescribes you armour. I have mentioned armour to my dr but they just dismiss it. Thanks again for the info it's really appreciated.
  • shellyC19
    shellyC19 Cwhite1

    Posted

    Hello Cwhite:

    Great Question!  My name is Shelly and I am a nurse in the USA. I have had thyroid problems since 1987.

    The answer is a yes and a no for me. Having Hashimoto's disease has caused a Hypothyroid condition. 

    I do watch what I eat also.  I try and walk as my exercise.  I did lose 30 pounds doing it.  It is very hard to fight against the body holding onto weight. I get weighed and one month I am down 5lbs....and the next month it can come back.

    I am also a Diabetic so it makes another whammy for me.  The thyroid meds only replace what we do not have, and you would have to have a high level of them to lose weight in big amounts. So the medication will not make you lose weight but will help keep the metabolism working better.

    It would be wise to make sure you do not have any Diabetes going on as that can cause problems with weight. Also as we age our metabolism does slow, so make sure you have your thyroid level checked every 4-6 months.  Sometimes we need to have the hormone level adjusted.

    Keep at it, eat low carbs and do exercise.  Let us know how you do.

    Stay well, Shelly

     

    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 shellyC19

      Posted

      Thanks Shelly for your reply. Wow that's fantastic that you lost 30lb. I would love to lose that much. How long did it take you? I am determined to lose weight. I think I need to up the amount of exercise I do although sometime I get quite tired doing so! Low carbs are definitely the way forward. Thank you. 😀
    • shellyC19
      shellyC19 Cwhite1

      Posted

      Hello Cwhite:

      It took about 3 months.  Just walking.  I started slow at first. Then increased the time, until I got to 30 mins.  My doctor said it was the best exercise and just do walking.  Don't try any hills but just walk as much as you can.

      So start in your neighborhood walking around and then increase it slowly.  I did walking around the neighborhood so in case you feel you can't go too far you can get back. 

      I also got a pedometer, it tells you how many steps you take and that is helpful. Move the dinner to your lunch. Do not eat a big meal and then go to bed. So make your breakfast and lunch your bigger meals and dinner very lite.  It is a new way to think, but it helps the body burn the calories off more in the day when you are active vs. night.

      Also no soda or junk foods and watch for hidden carbs in Alcohol like beer. 

      Shelly

    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 shellyC19

      Posted

      Great advice Shelly thank you. I'm going to take your advice and start walking. I can walk 30 mins very easily and it's surprising how quickly 30 mins go but I'm going to make sure I fit it in at least once a day. I am a mum to two boys and we walk on the school runs, but I'm going make sure that I add some walking in on top of everything else I do. Thank you so much again you have inspired me 😙👋...

      Catherine

  • tris132
    tris132 Cwhite1

    Posted

    Thanks everyone for the useful information above.  I am in despair about my weight - I was diagnosed hypothyroid a couple of years ago and the pounds have just piled on since then despite eating healthily and getting a reasonable (by my standards!) amount of exercise.  I have gained over a stone in the past year and it seems to be creeping up and up.  I have regular blood tests and my GP says my levels are fine but just shrugs when I mention the weight gain and says I just have to accept it. My wardrobe is full of clothes which don't fit, my self-esteem is at an all-time low and I hate looking at myself in the mirror.  I have just spent some time trawling the internet for info on how to lose weight with hypohyroidism and came across an article suggesting that  a Conjugated Linoleic Acid supplement might help.  Has anyone here tried this?  I'd be interested to hear different opinions.

    PS I'm also posting this on a new thread.  

    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 tris132

      Posted

      Thanks Tris...Goodness it's so frustrating isn't it. All of us seem to be suffering from the same unnecessary symptoms and our voices are falling on deaf ears. I really feel that it shouldn't be that hard to lose the extra pounds but I guess that is just the way things are. I am going to focus on more exercise as my diet is pretty good all round but I am going to decrease my carbs even more so too and increase my protein and veg up a notch. My self esteem too is very low and I hate looking in the mirror but then I think it's a health problem and I'm hoping a bit more exercise will help. I did look at this CLA supplement that you suggested but it looks like not much research on this and could potentially do some harm. I feel if you are eating the right foods you should really get the right nutrients anyway. However on top of this I feel the meds are a mess.
  • tris132
    tris132 Cwhite1

    Posted

    It certainly is Cwhite.  Everything I read seems to imply "eat less, exercise more but don't expect  to lose much weight".  It's worse than running to stand still.  I too am going to cut down on carbs, drink more water and try to increase my exercise (which is hard when you don't have any energy) and see if it makes any difference, but I've a horrible feeling I will just maintain the weight I'm at now and still now lose any of the two stone (at least) that I need to lose.  I think you're probably right about the CLA supplement or everyone would be taking it - I think I was just clutching at straws by considering it.  Sorry - this post is just a whinge and does nothing to answer your original question.  I hope others can be more positive!   
    • Cwhite1
      Cwhite1 tris132

      Posted

      Hi tris again. I'm going to do the same and wait to see if there is a difference. It is hard and different things work for different people I guess. Good luck with your journey and keep us posted on this post if you can. Let's check in a months time to see how we've both got on. :-)
  • LAHs
    LAHs Cwhite1

    Posted

    I just came accross the following info on this subject, first is an intervew between Mary Shoman and a Dr John Dommisse.

    An Interview with John Dommisse, MD

    Unique Theories About Hypothyroidism Treatment

     

    MS: Have you found any kind of treatment program that helps thyroid patients effectively lose weight?

    JD: In addition to optimizing both the FT4 and FT3 serum levels, I find that correcting blood-deficiencies of chromium and manganese optimally; correcting a high free-insulin level (Syndrome-X) with a hi-protein, lo-carbohydrate diet; correcting many nutritional deficiencies optimally; and encouraging plenty of exercise, even walking, will usually achieve total or partial excess weight loss that can be sustained indefinitely.

                    ..........................................................................

     I then looked up sources of Chromium and Magnesium in food:

    Foods with Chromium:

    The recommended daily allowance of chromium is 50 to 100 micrograms. Some foods rich in chromium, besides broccoli, are whole grain cereals, nuts, mushrooms, rhubarb, Bengal gram, kidney beans, Soya beans, black gram, betel leaves, bottle gourd, corn oil, brewer's yeast, pomegranate and pineapple.Oct 7, 2014

    Foods with Magnesium:

    High magnesium foods include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, whole grains, avocados, yogurt, bananas, dried fruit, dark chocolate, and more. The current daily value (DV) for magnesium is 400mg.

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