[healthymom01]

I was recently diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease. After extensive testing, they determined that my thyroid levels are within a "normal" range even though they are on the low end and that I do not need medication at this time. They recommended really trying to control things through diet and exercise which is fine with me. The problem is that I am finding it VERY difficult to lose weight. Has anyone else gone through this and do you have any recommendations? Thanks!

[QuilterInVA]

What are you eating? You need to eat more protein, complex carbs and grains, fruits and vegetables. Cut out sugar, flour (white), junk and fast foods. Thyroid patients do well on WW Simply Filling, South Beach, or the Biggest Loser plans.

What exactly is your T3 and T4?

Hashimotos is caused by the immune system. It can also affect other organs. My lungs are now under attack.

A good place for info is www.thyroid.about.com.

[VdubbauVW]

I haven't been diagnosed with Hashimoto's Disease, but am hypo. my TSH levels were at 145 when I found out...losing was impossible. Since I have been eating really well, not losing. I finally got a Dr who got my TSH levels with in proper range, so I am trying again. I suggest what the about poster did, thyroid on About.com. I read Mary Sholom(sp?) article, and bought her book The thyroid diet. Did my homework. So now I am trying again. I am gonna begin doing Jillian Micheals 30 day shred, but instead of 20 min level one, i am gonna up it to doing 40 minutes, level 1 and 2 consecutively. I'll try to remember to come back and let you know how that goes

Get the book, and read it, I highly suggest it!!

Dhana

[sws19]

i just got diagnosed a couple months ago, but like you do not need medication yet. so at this time i'm doing nothing as it's taken a back seat to my pcos issues. however, i'd be interested in learning more as this thread unfolds.

[VdubbauVW]

Also...if you dont get the book, fine. But in the book Mary talks about how she was fustrated about doctors telling her she wasn't doing enough to lose the weight. She has personal testimony from individuals who had doctors who absolutely would not work with them on the meds, insisting that they were within normal TSH level range. They worked out all the time, barely ate anything and didnt lose...because their TSH level was not nec too high...but it wasn't tweaked with meds to be at the optimal level for weight loss. weight loss that the average person doing the same diet and exercise would drop pounds like crazy.

"they determined that my thyroid levels are within a "normal" range even though they are on the low end and that I do not need medication at this time. "

Again I'd get the book. The levels in the book say optimal levels are like .4-4 I talked to my Dr S when he got me from 6.something, (when the first doctor, Dr L called me a liar and said I truely must not be doing what I said I was doing, or I would have been losing weight.) so Dr S told me that if after 3 mnths on the meds if I wasn't down to acceptable levels that Dr L should have known at the dose I was on the level wouldnt go down any further. Dr S put me on a higher dose and got me down to 3.something...at which point I was OK. He said he was putting me on an even higher dose because my levels should be between .1 and 1.5. They are down that low now...so now I just have to get off my lazy arse and see if working out will produce results. But I sliced a tendon in my thumb and now I'm frustrated that I can't hold a weight in my hand, and further I can't do yoga(which really did help tone my body before vacation...while I didn't lose any weight I could still wear my bikini cause yoga toned up what I had to work with)

Oh, another thing...on About.com topic thyroid, they say that weight training might be better for people with hypo because the weight training will build muscle which helps increase your "normal" metabolism levels

[VdubbauVW]

oh...and it is 6:15 and I suck...cause I talked myself out of doing Jillian Michael 30 day shred today.

I SUCK!!!!

[VdubbauVW]

Wow, was Jillian reading our minds, monitoring this message board. This just came form my daily Jillian Michael email newsletter

"Is Your Thyroid Gland Making You Fat?
Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, has become a bit of a hot topic since Oprah's revelation of having "blown out" her thyroid gland. I can relate — the same thing happened to me. The truth is, thyroid problems are very common. It's estimated that 27 million Americans have some kind of thyroid imbalance, but less than half of them know it. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's thyroiditis, a hereditary condition in which the immune system attacks the thyroid. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is seven times more common in women than in men.
Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located in your neck, just below your Adam's apple. This gland produces thyroid hormone, which helps control the rate at which your body burns calories (as well as your heart rate, body temperature, digestion, fertility, mood, and a host of other functions). When thyroid hormones become imbalanced — either too high or too low — chemical reactions all over the body are thrown off. An underactive thyroid can lower your energy and make you feel sluggish, and you can pile on extra pounds that you can't blame on a poor diet or lack of exercise.

The good news is that my eating plan can help support your thyroid so it can get to work burning some fat for you. And for people with hypothyroidism, treatment can work wonders — since I started my thyroid medication, I'm back down to my fighting weight, which I maintain with moderate effort. I still exercise and follow my own diet advice, but I'm not killing myself in the gym or starving my body.

If you feel your energy is always low or the pounds just don't seem to come off no matter what you do, talk to your doctor about whether you might have hypothyroidism — identifying and treating a thyroid imbalance could be just what you need to get back on track.

Tomorrow's Tip: The Biggest Loser Recap

Too Much of a Good Thing?
Given that hypothyroidism can make everything slow down, you might think that hyperthyroidism would be a good thing, right? Not so much. Graves' disease, the most common form of hyperthyroidism, can cause your heart to race, and you can become intolerant of warmer temperatures, lose weight, or get very tired. People with overactive thyroid glands are sometimes treated with radioactive iodine, which can produce an underactive thyroid. So you can see that thyroid balance is tricky, with unpleasant side effects at both ends of the spectrum. If you have a thyroid problem, it's important to work with a good endocrinologist to keep your hormone levels well balanced."

[CyndiM]

I was diagnosed in 2001. My antibodies are still off the charts and my hormones are still well within normal levels. I had trouble losing until I tried South Beach and pushed myself to exercise. It worked so well I actually reset my goal 20 lbs lower than planned and lost another 10 below that. Everyone is different so no guarantees, but I couldn't be happier about my health right now.

[Bette k]

I was told I had Hashimotos about 2 1/2 years ago by the surgeon who getting ready to remove my thyroid because of cancer. It is not hereditary, no one in my family has ever had thyroid problems before I had it, and it can lead to an increased risk for cancer so be sure to get your neck checked every year. The Dr should feel they area around the thyroid for swelling and lumps.
For the people who think their thyroid levels should be very low, .1 is suppression rate for people who have had thyroid cancer to keep it from coming back. being that low can cause heart problems, and bone loss, it's not for everyday thyroid level. I have been kept that low for over 2 years, now I need to see a cardiologist for an irregular heart rate, and I still have to work very hard on watching what I eat to lose weight, don't think just because you have a low THS the weight will drop off with out work on your part.

I wish you luck, and my best advise would be to ignore what people and books say and find a dr you trust and do what they say. Mary Sholomon is not a dr and has had no medical training, she just found a problem people had and exploited it with a book, she makes tons of money from her book and web sites.

[Dria]

My personal opinion of Mary Sholomon is that she is a quack.... I stay away from her info and articles at all times!!!

[sfj]

I was diagnosed with it this year. I had all the classic signs of low thyroid. I was tired all the time, had no energy, had gained about 20 pounds in only a few months despite the fact that I was hardly eating due to no appetite. I even had some hair loss.

When they did some test of course my levels came back "normal". Although I did have a positive ANA. He was thinking Lupus. I insisted in was thyroid. I told him I wanted another more in depth thyroid test. So he did it. And this was came back with a confirmation for Hashimoto's. I don't have my numbers in front of me right now though so I can not tell you what it was.

I have been on meds for a few months now. I am just starting to feel like my old self. Not quite there yet though.

[Niecy]

Healthymom:

I have Hashimoto's. I have been battling with the meds for about 5 years now. It is hereditary from my dad's side of the family. I think I have actually had it since I was about 16.

I didn't have problems with my weight until my very late 20's/early 30's.

The truth is without optimal levels, you may not be able to get your weight where you want it/where it needs to be. This is not to say you can't do it, but without those thyroid hormones, your metabolism slows to a crawl. Everything begins to slow down.

I am on a combination of Synthroid and Armour. Synthroid is synthetic T4 and Armour is dessicated T4/T3 coming from the pigs gland. My SW in 2006 which was my highest weight was in the 190's. I lost about 45 lbs after getting on Armour without doing much of anything. Of course, I was more active because the T3 helped with energy levels, but I wasn't technically exercising or dieting. I was only about 25 lbs away from GW.

Things got a little messed up with my dose again and before I knew it, I had gained back 10-15 lbs. I have since lost 6 in two weeks and have been on a pretty good dose for about 4 weeks. It sort of all just falls into place once the meds are optimized. Your digestion and metabolism speeds up, your temps raise and you have more energy to put forth the effort to lose weight.

I hope your doctor will reconsider meds if you are not seeing results.

[drstamas]

Hashimoto's itself is not hereditary, but autoimmune diseases are. If you have someone in your family that has lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, you may have the risk of having a thyroid autoimmune disease.
My question that I have been searching for is, what kind of diet that I can go on to continue feeling better? Loosing weight is not as important to me as feeling better.
I feel that when i feel better, the weight falls off naturally.
I was diagnosed with hashimotos when i was 16 (17 years ago) but it did not destroy my thyroid until i had my children 7 years ago.
I felt great once my levels got back on track. But up until a year ago, I have gained lots of weight and i have never felt so sluggish and exhausted.
I was told that i need my thyroid removed due the goiter, but unfortunately i dont have insurance to do so.
I feel like being on a diet my also help me with my energy but i would just like to know the kinds of food i should be eating specific to my condition.

ugh, this disease sucks!!! But i feel so grateful to know that i am not alone!

[lillyw]

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's well over a decade ago. I've been on meds the whole time (Armour, then Synthroid). Never really solved the fatigue/extra weight problems, although I was faithful at getting tests done and meds were adjusted. The only time I could lose weight was if I exercised for hours a day and ate very little, and of course when I stopped, the weight came back and then some. I've been on South Beach for a month and it's the first time since I was a teen that I feel normal. I'm never hungry, have lots of energy (so much I even want to exercise because it feels good). Oh--and I've lost 12 lbs. That feels like a bonus, because I just feel so much better!

[AbbySinthe]

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's about 6 years ago. I won't say it's easy to lose weight when you are hypo but I can say it's definitely possible. I'm just much more strict with my calories counted as well as the amount of exercise I do.

Also, TSH level is such a funny thing. While I feel great when I'm between .8-1.5, others might feel better at a higher number, like 2 or even 3. It's very subjective which is why my doctor treats more on the symptoms (tired, hair loss, constipation, gaining weight, etc) than on the actual number.

The best advice I can give is to find a program that you know you can stick to long term. I know it helps me if I think of this as a change of my lifestyle because if I start thinking "diet" I start feeling restricted and usually that just screws everything up for me. I'm a calorie counter and I average about 1700/day. To date, I've lost 16lbs in about 8 weeks (although I'm up right now do to TOM).

So can you lose weight w/a thyroid condition? Yes, absolutely. But it does take some hard work & discipline. Best of luck.