# Weight Question



## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

So I am going to be totally vain but when and how does this weight that I've gained (stopped counting after 50 lbs) start melting away? My labs have improved since being diagnosed in February. My meds were just increased from 50mcg to 75mcg. I eat VERY healthy and workout but I'm still gaining. I am going on vacation in two weeks and went shopping last night for clothes to wear since nothing fits and I had a meltdown in the fitting room and had to leave the store. I do not recognize myself in the mirror anymore! I am feeling less symptomatic but the weight gain is still not stopping. Does this mean I need more meds? Do I need to test for something else? I am about to lose my mind and am extremely depressed over all of this. I'm only 34 so I am not about to resign to wearing polyester stretch pants to accommodate my expanding waist line.


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

This may sound rude or cruel but the weight is never going to just "melt" away.

Most hypothyroid patients can lose weight with the usual diet restrictions and additional exercise when they have euthyroid labs....or I should say, sometimes after they have been euthyroid for a period. Many people who are hypo find weight to be a constant challenge regardless of their levels.

That said, there are also plenty of people who have good success losing weight and maintaining it.

Do you have lab values with ranges? It could be that your levels aren't quite "there" yet.


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## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

I would be happy if I could just stop gaining and start moving the numbers down. I know it won't happen overnight.

Labs as of a few weeks ago and prior to increasing from 50mcg to 75mcg of levothyroxine:

Free T4 0.97 (0.59-1.61)
TSH 1.54 (0.31-4.82)

Thyroperoxidase 329.9 (<9.0)
Thyroglobulin A 446 ( <116)

Thanks for any input!


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## polly (Oct 29, 2010)

I just discussed with my Endo Monday about me seriously trying to lose weight and how did that relate to my medication dosage. She said that if I lose or gain 12 lbs I would need to have labs done to see if a dosage adjustment is needed. So maybe you need to have labs done.

I know several people that have no thyroid, on meds, and have no problem with their weight. With that said, everyone is different. As for me, I was overweight before my diagnosis. I wish I could say being so was because of my thyroid/or lack of now. But, if I'm truthful, it's my eating habits.....Give me junk food or chocolate and I'm a happy camper! So, I know what I have to do!


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## lainey (Aug 26, 2010)

> Free T4 0.97 (0.59-1.61)
> TSH 1.54 (0.31-4.82)


The dose increase should change those some--TSH down a little, and FT4 up a little. They are getting there.

Hopefully you will find a balance soon. The antibodies sometimes interfere with things.

Sometimes it takes a while. In the beginning I remember all I could manage was a half a pound a week, it seemed like it was forever to get to my goal weight, and I only wanted to lose about 10 pounds. It really took a very consistent effort--and a diet lower in carbs. Several years later, I can move my weight if I need to, and at a better rate, but I have been treated for a while.

Because you are still new at this, there is a bit of waiting to see how your body responds. Sometimes being patient with it, because there is no way to hurry and "fix" thyroid problems, is the hardest part.


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## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

EricaH said:


> I would be happy if I could just stop gaining and start moving the numbers down. I know it won't happen overnight.
> 
> Labs as of a few weeks ago and prior to increasing from 50mcg to 75mcg of levothyroxine:
> 
> ...


According to the above labs, you seriously needed and increase and I hope you respond favorably.

What diet are you on? Are you able to exercise as well? Like walking every day?

Have you had an ultra-sound of your thyroid?


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## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

Andros said:


> According to the above labs, you seriously needed and increase and I hope you respond favorably.
> 
> What diet are you on? Are you able to exercise as well? Like walking every day?
> 
> Have you had an ultra-sound of your thyroid?


I WAS gluten free and then I had a "pity party" after a few deflating doctor visits and went back. I am planning on going GF again when I return from my trip. It's New Orleans...what is NOLA without a Po' Boy?

But in all seriousness, I track my meals in Spark People and ingest between 1,200 and 1,500 calories a day. Some days I don't even make it to the 1,200 mark. I am a devout "clean eater" and on most days I replace two meals a day with a Body By Vi shake made with unsweetened almond milk.

As far as exercise...I am training for the Chicago Marathon and a few distance races before that. So I do a lot of cardio...3-4 days a week of running. I did "The Insanity" for 3 weeks before I was diagnosed and stopped since I was killing myself and still gaining. I think I will try again and see if it helps. I am just scared since that is what prompted me to get retested and discovered this whole mess.

I did have an ultrasound and it showed an enlarged thyroid with multiple (I think 6?) nodules that are too small to biopsy. I am having a repeat in a few months to see if there are any changes.

I appreciate all of your input. I hope the increase in meds help. I am noticing it has greatly helped the fog and I even have a lil more energy. I know it is incredibly vain but I am SO depressed over this weight gain. I try so hard to be healthy and have always been an athletic person but this extra weight has made my running *extremely* difficult. I am hoping I can shed some pounds so I don't have to drop out of my marathon. It is on my bucket list and I really thought this was THE year.


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

My humble opinion is that from February to the present isn't really much time for your body to get caught up. It sure sounds like you are doing nearly all you can to help. It could be there is some other issue in the background, too. Other hormones like estrogen, testosterone, etc. could be at play here. Can you bend your doc's ear and get him/her to test some of those as well? Might give you a better picture of what's going on.

hugs3


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## sjmjuly (Mar 23, 2012)

I have hashi's and went GF, taking a small dose of Nature Throid and Selenium. My antibodies are down already and so is my weight. I have lost 15 pounds and still losing. I never cheat on the gluten - ever. It's just not worth how crappy it makes me feel when I eat it. But it's a slooooooow process.


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## midgetmaid (Jul 22, 2010)

If I eat lean meat, eggs and veggies I can maintain or lose weight, but if I eat fruit and starches regularly, I gain. Even if it's the same amount of calories daily.

Renee


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

bigfoot said:


> My humble opinion is that from February to the present isn't really much time for your body to get caught up.


This x 1000.

I could get really babble-y about this, but I'll try to be concise. I think, in general, we as runners are really, really hard on ourselves. Before the cancer dx, I ran, but over the past 8-10 years it became increasingly difficult and, frankly, flat out painful. I would listen intently to that voice in my head that said I was lazy, unmotivated, undisciplined..."you are a typical fat, lazy American" I would say.

The post-surgical medication regulation thing got screwed up and has been more challenging than anticipated. Everyone talked about giving myself 18 or so months to heal. I smiled and nodded, but thought I would blow that time frame out of the water. I was an athlete, dang it!

I've since let go of the expectation. I've stopped listening to the voice in my head. I've given myself permission to scale back workouts if I'm having an off day. I've given myself permission to be ok with only jogging three miles, knowing that one day the distance and the pace would come back.

It's been amazing how different I feel and how much quicker I've healed (although "healed" feels like the wrong word). In the past couple weeks, the distance, the pace, and even the muscle mass is coming back. It's been totally freeing to run without feeling like I have 20 pounds weights on my feet. There are times when I am totally amazed to have no pain. The weight, now, is coming off all of the sudden, too. It's like my body flipped a switch and I'm on track to being normal again for the first time in over a decade.

This autoimmune stuff, for me, went way beyond weight gain. It attacked my body. My feet would swell significantly after runs, my knees ached so I was unable to sleep, my hips flat out hurt and I had a difficult time regulating my breathing. What I mean by "healing" is allowing my joints and muscles to kind of recover...let the inflammation go down and the fluid drain (you could see the pockets of fluid in my knees after a run).

I'm not saying stop running for a while (I never stopped, just scaled way back). I'm not saying don't do the marathon. What I am saying is that you need to acknowledge that you have an autoimmune issue that has systemic implications, so until that's all simmered down, go easy on yourself.


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## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

Joplin1975- I write this with tears streaming down my face because I know how right you are. I hear that same voice and I feel those same pains. I try and write off my aches and pains as aging when I know I have a much bigger issue. I hurt...A LOT. Almost to the point where I dread running now and that has never happened. I am now battling the "air hunger" and my pace is pathetic but I'm just not programmed to quit. I know I need to scale back and run for fun again, not to train. I just feel like I have given so much of myself to this disease and I don't want to give up one more thing. I lost my spontaneity to my fatigue. I lost my figure and ability to wear my clothes and dress how I want. I lost the notion that I am a healthy person. I traded in my happy-go-lucky attitude for one that is pretty depressing. I do not want to lose my identity as a runner since it is something I have been doing since jr. High.

But you are right, I need to let my body heal itself. I hate all of this. I have some hard decisions to make.


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## joplin1975 (Jul 21, 2011)

If we "ran into" each other a year ago, I would have said the same thing...exactly the same thing. The air hunger too, yup. The aches and pains...the dread of workouts...the clothes not fitting. Everything.

I've never run a marathon so I don't want to give you the impression that I'm an elite runner, but I try to log 25-30 miles a week and liked to fool around with 10 or 15ks. I have a favorite six mile loop and during my worst, I just told myself to jog as long as I could and then walk the rest. WALK. ACK! The idea made me want to vomit. But really, it wasn't until I started doing that that my body "gave" back to me and said THANK YOU.

About a month and a half ago, I finally was able to run the whole loop. Two weeks ago I did the whole loop at my race pace, which isn't ultra-fast, but you know that feeling when you find your groove and you just go. I had it and it was the first time in years when I could finish and think "Wow, that felt excellent."

I signed up to do a 5k on May 4th. I'm telling that voice in my head that's saying 5ks are for weenies to shut up. I'm going to go and run it as best I can. It's one of the first steps in my re-building process and I have to start some where.

You'll get there too, I'm confident of that...it just takes time and patience. Hang in there, ok?


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## bigfoot (May 13, 2011)

joplin1975 said:


> I've given myself permission to scale back workouts if I'm having an off day. I've given myself permission to be ok with only jogging three miles, knowing that one day the distance and the pace would come back.


Jogging "only" three miles sounds pretty darn good! You runners... :tongue0013:


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## EricaH (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks again Joplin1975! I am by no means an elite runner, nor am I even that fast. Like you, 10 and 15k's are my favorites to train for. I *used* to have that ability to increase distance without killing myself in training. I guess I will just try and muddle through a 10 miler I have coming up on Memorial Day weekend with my sisters and then run for fun until I decide on the marathon. Hopefully everything else will fall into place when I am not stressing so much about it.


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