Greetings!


I'm a 22 yr. old woman struggling with thyroid problems. I was severely hyperthyroid two years ago (my TSH was really low, around 0.01, and my T3 levels were bordering the 800's). I was put on medication by August, 2003 and gained 25 pounds in about a year. My question is .. . how can anyone gain weight with hyperthyroidism? Wouldn't I be expected to actually LOSE weight? I've had my bloodwork done every other month and it reveals nothing out of the ordinary.


Well, I've lost 15 pounds so far since november 2004, when I reached my highest (125 pounds), but sometimes I feel like I have a case of fluid retention because my face, hands and belly are always swollen. I have told my doctor and he won't put me on diuretics (why is that, btw?).

Anyway, I don't look very fat but the swelling around my face and neck is really annoying and I look terrible on pictures and nothing fits me around the belly. I have skinny legs and that makes it show off even more. I know I have a case of abdominal obesity (WHR > 0.9). Besides, I used to weigh 100 lbs, and this is all.. .well, traumatic. I don't know if I'll be able to go back to my normal weight again.

If there are people with thyroid problems, hyper or hypo, anything .. .is there a diet that has brought you good results while being safe? I'd be thankful if you share some info.

Are you still on tapazole or PTU for hyper? Were you diagnosed with Graves? The swelling can be from Graves. You should probably follow up with your endocrinologist to make sure all is well. I have a thyroid problem and put on a great deal of weight during the course of my treatment. If you are only 15 lbs from your goal, you are doing okay....Hope you feel better soon.

Jenaya

Hi there,

Yeah, I'm still on Tapazole: 10 mg.a day, not as much as I was taking before so I guess I'm a bit better .
I was diagnosed with Graves D. but i'm still all confused. Graves is the condition where you get eye swelling, isn't it? well. ..I don't have that, or maybe I do, to a minimum degree where it's not notorious. Does one get hand and belly swelling with Graves' too or is it another entirely different disease? One thing I've noted is the fact that I'm almost normal in the morning when i've just woke up, but as the day passes, my stomach gets bigger and bigger (and I DO get heavier) what's wrong with me? do I have a bowel syndrome or something? Please help.

Thanks in advance, hope you all feel better soon.

I am sorry to hear that you are so uncomfortable. You need to follow up with some medical advice from your Dr. Best wishes...

Jenaya

Everyone weighs less in the morning. I get stomach swelling if I eat too many carbs. I'm hypo, however. How tall are you? 100 pounds might not be a reasonable weight. People who don't eat enough also get swollen bellies.

well, I'm not very tall .. .around 5'7 or something. I know 100 pounds is a rather low weight, but thats what I used to weigh before I got sick, bc. I had always been naturally very lean, my wrists, legs and arms are the proof that i have a very skinny complexion (all my family is very thin) and now all of sudden I have a BIG stomach in proportion to my body. And the swollen face and all that. I look weird. Something like a human spider because of my skinny legs and big belly, and yeah, id like to shed the extra pounds i've got there. My hips are barely 33 in.. . (that's how thin my complexion is) and my waist .. .well my waist is 34. I don't want to get overly concerned over this, but is it a thyroid disorder consequence? will i get back to normal over time? I don't know if i have extra weight or not, because while I'm on my normal range, i have gained pounds compared to the way i always was, and around my waistline, no less. I know this is dangerous and this could put me at risk of heart disease. I dunno if i should diet with a thyroid problem either.
Help!

HI... I'm new at this, so if i'm in the wrong area, please feel free to direct to where i should be asking about this. I also have Thyroid problem. Only mine is underactive. I gained 40 pounds in just over 4 months. That was a couple years ago. I take Synthroid every morning. I've watched what i've eaten since and havent gained but a few pounds since. My question is... is there a diet that will help me get the weight off. Seems like everytime i ask the docs about it, they just talk to me about eating healthy. I may not be perfect, but i am trying. I'm miserable. I can't imagine living like this for the rest of myu life. I have NEVER been over weight in my life. Thanks for any help.

Sunny - I work with a dietician my doctor referred me to. I basically eat WW core plan and eat no more than 3 servings of starches (potatoes, rice, bread, cereal, grains, corn) per day and 8 serving of protein with 3 servings of dairy (over 50 here). I've done very well. As soon as I up the carbs or eat sweets, the weight begins to climb and I feel terrible. You can PM me if you like.

I am hypothyroid. The only diet that has worked for me at all is Sugarbusters. It is the diet my doctor recommends.

FEEVERTE: Its hard to say what your experience will be with the thyroid problems. Dieting is perfectly safe, as long as you pick a good healthy balanced diet. (like Sugarbusters, or even Weight Watchers, as long as you want the starch, and eat mostly whole grains) Do you exercise? That is the only thing that really helps me. It helps to get the sluggish metabolism going. 100 pounds sounds horrendously low for some one of your height, but if you exercise, you can move it around so it looks better! I would say don't obsess about the scale, but do what you can to be healthy, active and the weight will take care of itself.

SUNNY: Dieting with a thyroid problem takes perseverance- it may be slow going, and at times you may feel like it isn't working. Just be prepared to be a slow loser, and don't get discouraged. It CAN be done. Pick a healthy balanced diet, and stick with it, along with as much exercise as you can fit in. The exercise helps revv up the metabolism and will help you feel better as well as burn calories.

Well I know how you feel I was size 4 when I got prego with my son and I did not gain a substantial amt of weight until after I had my son Now I am a whopping 230 lbs and miserable! I have taken Synthroid, Levothroid and a few others and still I am livin unhappily large.....what do I do ? ! Good luck to you .

No matter what meds you are on, the weight will not come off without exercise and a good diet. Many who are hypo are also insulin resistent. Following a diet such as WW Core, Sugar Busters, South Beach has helped many of us. Limiting processed foods seems to be a must.

My thyroid was extremely hyper and I had the radioactive iodine treatment in May of 04. My weight was about 132. Since having the treatment I am now at 145.5 which really sucks. My t3's are way out of whack now but the doctor wants to wait until December to retest me. I find it odd that I am hyper in my t3's but am still gaining weight. My hair has started to fall out again and just this week I went from being up almost all day and night to wanting to sleep around the clock.
I want to lose weight but just have no idea as to where to start .
Love WanttoLose2

http://www.coconutdiet.com/weight_loss.htm
Fats for Animal Feeds

One interesting way to study the role of fats and their affect on weight loss or weight gain is to study the animal feed industry. If ever there was a group of people with economic interest in weight gain, it is the livestock industry.

Back in the days when fat was “in,” the fatter the pig you could raise the better. Lard was a basic staple for cooking in the days of our forefathers. It was found that feeding pigs polyunsaturated fats (primarily soybean and corn oil) would put more fat on them. This is the reaction of the longer chain fatty acids found in vegetable oils, and is well documented in the scientific literature.

Today however, we’ve come full circle with our new low-fat mantra, and the consumer demand is now for low-fat meats. So how does one produce a leaner pork? Well according the Department of Animal Science of North Carolina State University, during the “finishing time” before slaughter, you stop feeding them polyunsaturated oils and start feeding them saturated fats.3 They used beef tallow in their experiment, which they found was a bit hard for the pigs to digest. So some farmers are now actually starting to use coconut oil, a plant-based saturated fat, instead.

So what are the fats found on the shelves of grocery stores today, that make up the majority of the US diet? Polyunsaturated fats: mostly soybean oil, which commonly is referred to as vegetable oil. These are the same fats that have been known to fatten livestock in the animal feed business. The saturated fats, which made up most of the fats in the diet of our forefathers, have been almost banned by modern nutrition advice. The result: lean pigs and obese people!!

Hi.I don,t know if I,m doing this right but I would like some help with my diet.I have the same problems as Sonny.Can you help? mrs.e333