# can't lose weight



## rsdrisco (Jun 10, 2010)

5 years ago, I had my son (only child) three weeks shy of my 39th birthday. Although I have always struggled with my weight (5-10 lbs over weight), it seemed easy to take the baby weight off. I was on Weight Watchers after he was born and I lost about 1 lb a week. It wasn't a huge or particularly fast weight loss, but since I was close to my goal weight, things didn't get tougher to lose the weight like they usually do when you don;t have much weight to lose.

Anyway, since my sister was diagnosed with Graves Disease about 10 years earlier, she suggested I get some blood work done. I was diagnosed hyperthyroid and probably had Graves Disease as well. I had radioactive iodine which killed my thyroid and, since then, I take synthroid (between 112 and 125 mcg, depending on my thyroid levels).

I have also been trying to have another baby and have been pregnant 5 times since my son was born, but lost them all (I have issues with a chromosomal abnormality and that, along wiht my age, might be contributing to the miscarriages). The pregnancies have really messed with my thyroid levels, so they never really even out.

Levels as of Friday, June 4th:
TSH - 0.49 uIU/ml
Free T4 - 1.8 ng/dl

I am 43 years old and, until recently, have been able to lose weight if I just try. I have always been active and continue to run 4-5 times a week and do some strength training.

But lately, I cannot take weight off no matter how hard I try. I am only about 10-15 lbs above my ideal weight, but it's killing me why I can't lose weight. Is it my age finally catching up with me? According to my recent thyroid levels, they are actually on the hyper side, right? So it should be EASY to lose weight, not difficult. So what gives? Should I maybe see a nutritionist to see if I have to change my way of eating now that I am well into my 40s?

Note: Other than the relatively easy weight loss after my son was born and now the difficulty to lose weight, I have NEVER had one symptom of being either hyper or hypo. I guess I am one of the lucky ones.


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## CA-Lynn (Apr 29, 2010)

When you hit the forties and are heading towards menopause, the endocrine system seems to slow down a bit more each year. So it could be that this is one factor that attributes to weight gain.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

rsdrisco said:


> 5 years ago, I had my son (only child) three weeks shy of my 39th birthday. Although I have always struggled with my weight (5-10 lbs over weight), it seemed easy to take the baby weight off. I was on Weight Watchers after he was born and I lost about 1 lb a week. It wasn't a huge or particularly fast weight loss, but since I was close to my goal weight, things didn't get tougher to lose the weight like they usually do when you don;t have much weight to lose.
> 
> Anyway, since my sister was diagnosed with Graves Disease about 10 years earlier, she suggested I get some blood work done. I was diagnosed hyperthyroid and probably had Graves Disease as well. I had radioactive iodine which killed my thyroid and, since then, I take synthroid (between 112 and 125 mcg, depending on my thyroid levels).
> 
> ...


Hi there!! I do think it is a shame the doc did not run Free T3 for this is your active hormone and if in just the right place for you, you will be able to lose weight.

Also, different labs do use different ranges so posting the ranges with the results are ultra-helpful to some of us which would include me. LOL!!

Have you ever had any antibodies' tests run for thyroid?


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## Lovlkn (Dec 20, 2009)

Andros said:


> Hi there!! I do think it is a shame the doc did not run Free T3 for this is your active hormone and if in just the right place for you, you will be able to lose weight.
> 
> Also, different labs do use different ranges so posting the ranges with the results are ultra-helpful to some of us which would include me. LOL!!
> 
> Have you ever had any antibodies' tests run for thyroid?


I want to first acknowledge your pregnancy losses - I am so sorry. I think my 2 miscarriages were the precursor to my developing thyroid issues so I totally believe that pregnancy and miscarriages can create havoc with hormones.

I totally agree with Andros. When my Free T-3 is not right I cannot lose an ounce and tend to gain.

BTW- I am 46 and weigh 4lbs less now (5 years later) than the day I had my thyroid removed which was within a week of me turning 40. Everybody told me I would gain weight without a thyroid and on top of it I had just turned 40 but I wasn't going to accept that.


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## rsdrisco (Jun 10, 2010)

Thanks for the replies! I will call my endocrinologist tomorrow to see if I can get a repeat blood work with a Free T3. Not sure why they don't include that as well.

As for the gaining weight, I was pretty stable before the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays last year, but then I got pregnant and went totally crazy and ate everything in sight. So not only did my thyroid levels go a bit hypo because of the pregnancy (and pregnancy loss), I was eating like a hog. So I gained about 5-10 lbs and now, I can't take it off no matter how hard I try!

I think my lab uses the following ranges:

TSH: .3-3.5
Free T4: .7-1.7

I don't think I am going through menopause yet. I have 3 older sisters who are still like clockwork with their cycles...and my mom didn't go through early menopause until her early 50s. And since I am still trying to get pregnant (naturally, IUI and IVF), I have been monitored pretty closely by reproductive endocrinologists. They haven't mentioned menopause.


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