Hello Meg and Susan - I have been lurking here for some time and have decided to come out of lurking mode to ask a ton of questions for you two! I hope you don' t mind.

I would like to offer CONGRATS!! to both of you for losing as much weight as you did! It must of been an uphill battle with your thyroid (as I am discovering).

Here is a little of my story (probably similar to yours) - I was DX with hypo in early 2003, of course they wouldn't believe me or test me for thyroid problems - they only sent me away with a little box of anti-depressants. I finally was DX when I joined a gym "boot camp" and couldn't make it around the gym on a light jog . Then of course there was the problem of getting the right meds, right doctor etc... My current level of TSH is 0.98!

I have tried everything- atkins, ww, south beach, scwartzbein...with NO LUCK. Now I would like to get into counting calories and watching my portions. I am 5"1' and currently 170 lbs. I am obese on the BMI chart
I have had a personal trainer for about 4 months and haven't lost a thing. I work out 4 times a week and different intervals.

Anyway here are my questions for you two:

Are you both simply counting calories?
Are you watching your carb intake or getting rid of them all together?
What type of workouts are you doing?
How often do you work out?
Do you take any other supplements? Vitamins etc?
Do you drink Protein shakes?
Meg - saw what you eat on your fitday journal - can you give me some feedback on why you eat that way? Is it specifically something you heard in regards to hypo?
What types of things did you do to keep your willpower up? I seem to lose my after about 3 weeks.
When did you start to see results from your efforts? I know everyone is different but I am curious

What other suggestions can you give me as to kick my metabolism in gear?

Sorry this is so long and I will probably have a ton more questions later. I really really thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Hi Yoda and to 3FC! We're glad you came out of lurkdom.

No problem on answering questions ... I'll be interested in reading Susan's answers too, since there really isn't a 'right' way to loss weight and I'm sure she did some things differently.

Yes, I was and am a calorie counter but am also concerned with the ratios of protein/carbs/fats and the quality of the food I eat. To me, all calories are NOT created equal. If you've looked at my Fitday, you'll see that I shoot for 40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat. I avoid sugar and simple carbs as much as possible (but I'm sure not perfect ).

I'm trying to lose ten pounds at the moment, which is why my calories are in the 1200s and 1300s. My maintenance level is more like 1600.

I spread my calories out into five small, equally-sized meals, at 7 am, 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7 pm. This is definitely a key to my success since I don't get as hungry (and end up binging).

I watch my carb intake because otherwise I probably would eat 85% carbs! Protein keeps me full, so I make it the centerpiece of each mini-meal. I would never get rid of carbs entirely because I lift weights and would crash and burn on no carbs. Plus I don't think it's healthy (or necessary) to eliminate all carbs. I try to limit my carbs to whole grains, fruits, and veggies.

As for working out, I'm in the gym every day. I believe that exercise is what made the difference for me finally losing the weight after so many years of failing. I do between 30 and 60 minutes of cardio per day (usually an elliptical) and lift weights five days a week. My usual exercise schedule is messed up at the moment due to recovering from shoulder surgery and I'm struggling to get in enough exercise.

I take a mulitvitamin, extra vitamin C, calcium and fish oil.

I usually drink a protein shake for my first meal at 7 am because it gives me a blast of protein with only 6g carbs. I exercise in the morning and a protein shake won't make me queasy if I start right off the bat. I typically eat my Eggbeaters and oatmeal at 10 am for meal 2. There's nothing magic about protein shakes but they're a fast, easy way to get in a meal if you're in a hurry.

Why do I eat the way that's listed in Fitday? Heck, I better go back and look at what I've been doing! What dreadful slips are in there ?? I stick with the idea of five small meals and focus on protein. It's what worked for me to lose the weight and I've discovered that maintenance is basically the same as losing -- you just keep on doing what you did to lose the weight and it will stay off.

Suggestions to kick your metabolism into gear? Exercise! I don't know how old you are, but I think it becomes even more important the older we get. We naturally lose muscle as we age (30% is lost between the ages of 20 and 70) and that's a BAD thing because muscle is what burns calories in your body. Every pound of muscle burns 20-25 calories per day, awake or asleep. When we lose muscle from dieting without exercise or just aging, we burn fewer calories and the result is a slower metabolism.

You want to do a combination of cardio exercise to burn calories and strength training to maintain and build your muscle mass. Cardio is any exercise that elevates and sustains your heart rate, so that would be walking, running, swimming, bike, elliptical etc. Strength training is working out with weights and machines.

Now tell us more about you! Your TSH is in great shape. Are you counting calories now? Do you track what you eat, like in Fitday? Tell us more about your exercise - what and how much? Hw old are you?

Keep asking questions - we're all here to help each other!

Meg,
Thanks soo much for answering my questions.
I do use fitday but I haven't put any info in there in a while .
I am 33 years old. I have a personal trainer 2 days a week.
We do a 1/2 hour of weight lifting and a 1/2 hour of cardio training. I have been using her for about 4 months. On my own I try to do cardio 2 times a week. I might switch my workout plan and try to go everyday and do what you do. Do you spend about an hour in the gym? In my cardio I usually raise and lower my heartrate. I do that cuz I have heard it helps Hypo people lose weight. Is this what you do during your workout as well? I had my RMR tested and I can eat about 1336 calories a day if I just sat in a chair all day. But they told me if I work out I should eat about 1500 calories a day. I noticed you brought your calories down a little to lose 10 lbs. Are you still working out as much? Maybe I should stick to the 1300's in order to lose weight?

Thanks again! I was helpful to see what someone was doing with so much success! Maybe I can take little ideas and turn them into something that might work for me.

Oh- the reason I asked about your fitday foods - was I wanted to know if they were "magic" foods Maybe ones you heard that are good for people with Hypo. There is no bad stuff on there at all!

Jody

Jody - I think that the foods that are good for hypos to lose weight are the same for anyone wanting to lose weight - lean proteins, good carbs, good fats, minimally processed, no sugar.

I'm in the gym for 60 - 90 minutes, which is right in line with the latest government recommendations for exercising 60 - 90 minutes per day for weight loss. I'd recommend increasing your cardio to five or six days a week, if you can fit it in. A recent study showed that the best long-term weight loss and maintenance success was associated with 280 minutes of cardio per week. Varying your heart rate is good, so is steady cardio - mix it up and keep it fun!

Did you have your RMR tested with the BodyGem? That's what we use at our gym. I've had mine tested twice - the first time I was at a RMR of 1360 and a year later, it had increased to 1600. I attribute the increase to building muscle by lifting weights during that year, which is why I suggested exercise as a way to increase metabolism - it sure increased mine!

You said something wise at the end of your post: Maybe I can take little ideas and turn them into something that might work for me. That's the name of the game - trying a little of this and a little of that and seeing what works for YOU!

Keep posting and let us know how you're doing!

Meg,
You are truely a well of information! Thanks a ton! I will keep you posted. I had my RMR tested at my gym - not sure if it was BodyGem or not. Once I lose some weight I will have it tested again. Spring is right around the corner for us so I want to look good working out in my garden in shorts!

Thanks!