[Patchouligroove]

I have a question is being overweight come from having thyroid problems or does the thyroid problem come from being overweight. I guess I've just read where if you have a thyroid problem that it is impossible to lose weight. But i was wondering about say people from the biggest loser and just people in general who have been heavily overweight that some how by good diet and exercise that they were able to lose the weight. I'm just really confused I guess i wondering if its the chicken or the egg. Because I know on BL when they begin to lose weight, the contestants aren't diabetics anymore and lower the blood pressure etc... so i was wondering if the thyroid problem goes away. Basically if I have a thyroid problem can I still lose weight with out getting put on meds and whatnot.

[mandalinn82]

In a word, no. Hypo and hyperthyroid aren't affected BY weight, though they can affect weight. If you have too much or two little thyroid hormone, you will need medication to resolve that issue.

Now, people with the wrong levels of thyroid hormone CAN lose weight - it doesn't make it impossible, it just can make it harder.

[goal4agirl]

Hi, I found out I had Hypotyroidism in June 2010. For years I would try to lose weight and no matter how hard I would try it just would not move. I had to have a hysterectomy years ago and thought that was the reason I could not lose weight.
My doctor was questioning me about my diet and ordered the bloodwork to test my thyroid function. So it was discovered I needed the replacement meds. I lost 8 lbs. immediately. I figured it was fluid. So I decided to try counting calories a few weeks and see what happens. I lost weight. And kept on loosing weight. So I started eating lots of fruits, veggies, fish, chicken, etc. I was a huge mountain dew drinker. I started drinking filtered water, coffee, juice and skim milk. I gave up all the sodas.
I have almost lost 50 lbs. I still have a long way to go yet...but I am encouraged that I will reach my goal. I have never had the first negative side effect from the thyroid meds.
If you are wondering if your thyroid levels are off I would have it checked. then you will know. Before the meds my skin was dry and itchy, my hair was falling out, I felt fatigue, I was gaining weight. After I began the replacement all those went away.

[kaplods]

I've heard that being overweight can damage the thyroid, but not from reputable sources. I chalked it up to urban legend, but then I read this article and thought "maybe."

http://howtoloseweightreallyfast.com...thyroid-damage

It wouldn't surprise me, but without more evidence, I'd consider it a "maybe" at most.

Quite a few of the obesity-related disorders are both chicken AND egg. The condition puts you at risk for obesity, and the obesity worsens or puts you at risk for the condition. Some people may gain weight after acquring the condition, and some people acquire the condition after becoming obese - and the obesity worsens the condition and the worsening of the condition worsens the obesity in an endless downward spiral.

Osteoarthritis is just one of these type of conditions. If a thin person has osteoarthritis, they may move less (because of the pain and stiffness) and if they don't reduce their calorie intake, they may gain weight. The weight gain puts more stress on the joints and damages the joints further. The person moves even less and gains even more weight.

Or a person may develop arthritis as a result of obesity. Either way, it's not so much a chicken and egg question as a snowball question. One feeds the other, and together they snowball. The progression of one, feeds the progression of the other

Diabetes, insulin resistance, hormonal and metabolic function, high blood pressure, heart disease, inflammatory disorders, some digestive disorders, sleep apnea, and possibly even autoimmune disorders may all fall into the snowballing category with obesity. It becomes a matter of trying to break or at least slow the snowballing cycle.

I have a borderline low thyroid condition, insulin resistance, autoimmun and inflammatory issues, osteoarthritis... I had sleep apnea. Addressing the sleep apnea (by means of a cpap) resulted in weight loss (without trying) and losing the weight (and more by my own effort) resulted in the sleep apnea disappearing.

In the scheme of things, I'm not sure that it really matters how you get into the snowball. Getting out of it, or slowing its speed is all any of us are left with (at least until we're better at recognizing, avoiding, and treating/preventing the snowballs in the first place).

[SeaWave]

I think people have to be careful of 'blaming' weight gain on thyroid problems. Yes, it can be due to thyroid problems, as can rapid weight loss. Your metabolism as a whole depends on the thyroid, and if you suspect thyroid problems it is important to have that confirmed. It's a simple blood test. I personally nearly doubled my weight gain with a combination of bad food choices and thyroid problems (which turned out to be cancer), but I know many people whose weight gain was attributed solely to lifestyle, others to diabetes, etc. A good medical check-up is essential when starting on weight loss / lifestyle change.

[Patchouligroove]

Thank you all for your info its very helpful. I'm just needing to start a diet and all and I hadn't been to the doc in forever (no insurance) and went to the local health dept for a lady check and the gyno had said my thyroid felt swollen. So I'm worried because I heard it was hard to lose weight when you have a thyroid problem and I was just wondering if I do if I would be able to lose weight without the medicine, cause I don't have insurance nor do I really like taking medication. I just want to know if i can do it on my own or really if you can't make the scale budge if you have the problem. So I'm going to just change up my diet and hope I can lose weight without getting tested and having to be put on the medicine.

[Ursula745]

If you do have a thyroid problem and you don't get it treated, it can cause more problems than weight. It can affect your heart, bones, metabolism, skin, all sorts of issues. Liking to take medicine or not, if you do have a thyroid problem, you'll either need to treat it now, or taker a ton of meds later most likely. Get tested if you can and see what they say.

[den29]

Have you tried going to a free clinic? When I didn't have insurance and low income they charged me by a sliding scale (just needed to provide proof of last two checks or tax info). They charged me $60 (included exam and lab). Without insurance, levoxyl costs $15.99/month, I think synthroid is $20-30/month. And once you get leveled off, you can ask them to give you a years worth of refills.
But I agree with ursula745, it can definitely cause other major problems in not corrected, including eventually myxedema coma (not sure how bad it needs to be though and how long--I know it's rare).
My experience is that I was always very skinny my entire life (88-97 lbs, hypothyroid since 11 yrs old), then got off my meds (didn't know about the free clinic) for 3 months, then boom gained 10lbs each month for the next 4 months.

[SeaWave]

Also to clarify that thyroid 'medication' shouldn't be considered in the same category as, say, painkillers. If your thyroid is low (this is where you can gain weight), it replaces the thyroid hormones. If your thyroid is high (this can cause unhealthy weight loss), meds will regularlize it. Both are to allow your body to function properly (which it won't if there is a thyroid problem).

[QuilterInVA]

My endrocronologist is from the school that says no more than 30 pounds of gained weight can be attributed to thyroid disease - any more is due to lack of exercise and eating poorly.