[HeidiKelly]

Hi all! I am new to this group (3fatchicks) today and I am desperately looking for comrodery (sp?) with Thyroid Disease and Weight Management. I had a baby 9 1/2 mos. ago and weighed 229 lbs. when I gave birth. I have since lost 60 lbs. but was just diagnosed with Grave's disease (hypERthyroid). I had the Radioactive Iodine treatment and once it is done "killing" my thyroid, I will obviously become hypOthyroid. Here is my question...is it a given that one will gain weight with hypOthyroidism? I am so scared, and becoming quite depressed over the matter. I have worked so hard to get to 170 (still need to lose 25-30 lbs. more though).

[Meg]

Hi Heidi and welcome! In answer to your question -- NO, it's not given that you'll gain weight with hypothyroidism! I don't think that there's any reason why you would become hypothyroid and not be treated for it -- and untreated hypothyroidism is what could cause a weight gain. You're undoubtedly under a doctor's care for your condition, right? -- he/she will continue to treat you until your thyroid levels are normalized and into the future.

I imagine that you will need to take a synthetic thyroid hormone replacement (like Synthroid or Levoxyl) for the rest of your life, like most of us do. At first, you'll probably be started on a small dose and your thyroid levels tested every six weeks or so until you are in the normal range. Then you'll probably be checked every six months or so (this is the schedule that I'm on).

My doctor told me that so long as my TSH levels were in the normal range, I should be able to lose weight normally, which is in fact what happened. My Levoxyl dose needed to be changed as the weight came off and continues to be tweaked every six months but I'm still successfully maintaining my loss.

Many people with hypothyroidism find that a lower carb diet, emphasizing whole grains, fruits and veggies as carb sources, works best for weight loss and maintenance.

Congratulations on losing the 60 pounds! My opinion is that if you keep doing what you did to lose those 60 pounds, you won't see a regain. Once you get your thyroid normalized, I'm sure you'll be able to take off those last pounds.

BTW, my daughter just moved to Albuquerque and I LOVE your city!

[HeidiKelly]

Thanks Meg for the advice! I will definitely do a low glycemic diet, cant hurt anyway...diabetes in the genes too! I dont know if I am in fact Hypo yet, although I am feeling rather run down lately. But that may very well be the result of not going to the gym (can't until I am off of the Beta Blockers and get the Doc's permission). I am able to start walking tomorrow, but only at a slow pace, approx. 2 mph. Will that be the least bit effective? I keep calories to about 1400 a day, although I just quit smoking and am not sure yet what the reprocussions will be to that (snacking wise)!

Quick off of food/weight topic....So what is best Synthroid or Levoxyl? I see the Doctor again on Sept. 9th. I guess he will do a blood test then. He said he will also give me a script for thyroid hormone to have have filled whenever I start to feel like a real slug. How long on average does it take to regulate the dosage? I only ask because I really want to conceive again in about a year...

[MichelleRae]

Heidi Meg is right about the lower carb or I call it good carb and good fats diet such as south beach, I have lost 30 lbs in the last 3 months on southbeach and think it is a plan you can stick with. I was hyperthyroid as well and then had part of my thyroid removed and became hypothyroid they opted for the partial removal of my thyroid because I had a very large goiter growing on it that was producing all my thryoid hormones. I take 50 mcg of synthroid daily and have just started taking 50 mcg of cytomel which is synthetic T3 and the synthroid is the T4 and I'm feeling better already with the addition of the cytomel, the synthroid on its own wasn't making me feel better in fact I was just as tired as I was before.

One question though, were you hyperthyroid while you were preg? The only reason I ask is because I was hyperthyroid when I was preg and now they check my daughters thryoid every 6 mos just to make sure she doesnt have a problem because of my elevated levels. In fact my thyroid levels were so high that my doctor was stunned that I didn't have any major heart problems, they waited to do my uptake scan until I had the baby. Just curious

Anyway welcome to 3fc!!

HTH

[HeidiKelly]

Hey Michelle, No I was not hyper when I was pregnant. I know They did a blood test that checked my thyroid (not sure what my gestation was) and the thyroid came back on the high end of normal. I was having another medical problem when Sam was 7 mos. old and my OB had me get blood work because she thought I might be diabetic. She also threw in the thyroid test just to see. Blood Sugar came back good but she said my thyroid came back high, extremely high in fact. So I have probably had this for a few months, but I dont think I did while I was preggers.

[AnastasiaP]

Hi Meg
I've been reading your posts and I just have to say wow, you're my new inspiration. I have hypothyroidism & very low body temp 35.4/95.72 (my doctors don't seen to care about it) and have not heard of anyone with these symptoms lose weight. Great job! Any advice for me?