Well I continue putting weight on despite lots of exercise (average burn around 1200 cals per day) and struggle with fatigue, went to doctors and guess what he said?... "You're fat because you eat too much" incidentally I haven't eaten a single morsel all day! I live on diet coke!! What do you have to do to be believed and listened to?!!
Totally fat, fatigued and fed up!!: Well I... - Thyroid UK
Totally fat, fatigued and fed up!!
34 Replies
•
Hi, sorry you're having such a bad time of it. Are you sure your doctor put it that way? its a bit harsh if he did.
How do you burn 1200 cals a day, you must do a heck a lot of exercise? Is that about 2.5 hrs running?
Its not good for your body if you starve yourself, you'll probably give yourself more problems in the long run.
Keep positive and keep pushing for help, there's loads on here.
If you can watch the Joe Cross documentary Fat sickand nearly dead. The diet really helped me, and I lost weight. I did not follow it to the letter but I think the nutrition side of the juice really helped.
My Doctor told me I was fat and it was down to portion control. The consultant told me to go on to 750 calories a day. I told him to take a walk. I was ill did not need to do with out food as well.
Good luck. X
shawsAdministrator
Your doctor's comments just show how ignorant the medical profession are about the consequences of under-treated hypothyroidism.
The know nothing WHATSOEVER about the effect it has on our metabolism, which is so slow that our whole system slows down and they refuse to provide us with a good alternative thyroid gland hormone, or enough levothyroxine to raise it. Also they could add try adding some T3.
Whatever we do, unless we are on optimum meds, wont work. Besides doing exercises whilst undermedicated is not good for us either as it puts an enormous strain on our bodies as does reducing calories too low and you get disappointed when even a 1lb doesn't come off.
web.archive.org/web/2010112....
Get a printout from your surgery of your latest thyroid gland blood test complete with the ranges and post on a new question or ask for a new one to be done. It would be good if your GP did T4, T3 too but the labs will usually only do a TSH and if 'within range' may not do the others. If you haven't already had a Vitamin B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate ask for them too as the first two are usually low in hypo. You could be undermedicated. Your TSH should be 1 or below or even slightly suppressed.
I think the doctor's try to shame us and tell us it's our fault our weight cannot come off. P.S. diet drinks aren't good for us. Also, I have read that low fat products either may not be beneficial as our thyroid glands need 'good fat'. I now wonder if that's been the cause of my hypo.
• in reply toshaws
The diet drink thing is interesting as I live on coke zero!! I am slightly low hb at 11 but nothing major. I showed my GP my sports tracker as he didn't believe how much I exercise. He then said that the calorific burn was wrong on it!! His exact words were yours fat because you eat too much!! All I ate yesterday was some watermelon!!!
suki65• in reply to
have you tried intermittent fasting articles.mercola.com/sites/...
this helps to use fat stored in your body rather than the sugar as if you eat late at night then in the morning eat breakfast your exercise is only using up the sugar stored up in your body over night .If you have your last meal about 7pm at night and have breakfast around 11am the fat then is burned off not sugar i do this and it works in between if you feel hungry just drink either water or sugar free drinks
eat normally in the 8 hours though
I did the Intermittent fasting and kept a log of everything I did and weighed myself regularly. First of all I did the one that told you to fast for 16 hours and then eat normally for the other 8. As I was supposed to be eating normally with this diet I included a few slices of toast (normally don't touch) and the odd potato (normally don't touch) result...put weight on so obviously the chemistry didn't work for me. Not one to give up I did the same thing the next week without the potatoes or bread and back to my normal careful eating...stayed the same weight. Still determined to find out exactly what my body needed to let go of a bit of fat I decided I would do the same thing but also include two days of 500 calories...which meant that I was doing the 8 hours eating and 16 hours fasting with two days of eating only 500 calories (5:2 diet) in the 8 hours I was allowed to eat, with a day in between the 500 calories fast...hope you are all keeping up! On top of which I was eating very few carbs and NOTHING naughty. Result? In two weeks I lost two pounds...and guess what? I was pleased with that! I did walk about 40 mins each day, knees won't allow much more.
I need to lose a stone and am determined to do it but if a doctor told me I was fat because I am eating too much I would deck him!
when is your last meal ellarose1234?
I eat last meal at about 6pm so still have 2 of my 8 hours left...nothing to eat though 
it's been a 500 cal day and hasn't been too bad at all. Will expect great things on the scales tomorrow! Not a very sociable way to live I suppose but husband hasn't seemed to notice...that's because he watches cricket all day and is plugged in!
why do you have a sad face ,do you not feel good in yourself ?i feel so much better when i dont eat as much .
that is good your meal 6pm as then when you are sleeping there is no sugar in your body . what drinks do you have ? good luck with your weight today and do you eat normally in the 8 hours of eating
My drinks are 1 coffee couple of tea and the rest water. I eat as "normally" as I can but that for me means no bad carbs at all. I eat fruit and veg. I have been studying food for many years (I'm 72) and by now know what I can and can't eat. What I am doing at the moment is proving just what it takes for me to lose weight at the age of 72 with a thyroid (hypo) problem. I am documenting exactly what it takes for my own information and to prove to myself (and any doctor who just says "you eat too much cut down on crisps and sweets!!!!!!!!!! "ARGGGGGGH! what is a crisp? what is a sweet?) just how difficult it is for a person with hypothyroidism to lose weight. We are ignored so easily at a doctor's surgery and often almost get called liars. It's about time someone really took notice.
Hopefully this will work but can I live like it forever??? Perhaps if it does and the stone comes off then that will really encourage me. What a struggle though.
Granitecitygirl• in reply to
coke has all sorts of nasty chemicals in it, even the zero. I don't touch fizzy drinks at all! you might want to try cutting it out. every little helps.
If your coke contains any aspartamane or substitute sweeteners it can cause problems. Even too much fructose (in fruit or products) can be a problem .
Our livers can process sugar quickly but with fructose it copes with more difficulty so the excess is passed into the bloodstream and causes fat cells.
This is probably the better article as it includes both soft drinks and fruit drinks and we think it 'healthier to drink fruit juice':-
missinghumanmanual.com/?tag...
articles.mercola.com/sites/...
PinkNinja• in reply to
Your doctor is very rude and ignorant if he's saying things like that to his patients!
If your hb is low then you have iron deficiency. It may be 'nothing major' in your doctors eyes but anaemia is a late-stage symptoms of iron deficiency. It doesn't help that the reference ranges for the serum iron and ferritin tests go very low. There is recent evidence that shows that women with a ferritin (stored iron) level or less than 50 benefit from iron supplements. The lower end of the NHS range is often around 20 which is far too low. Generally it is recommended that ferritin is 70-90 for optimum health. If you have slightly low haemoglobin it is very likely you also have low-normal (or even low) iron and ferritin.
If you don't have enough iron your body doesn't convert thyroxine into it's active form as well as it should. Also the thyroid hormones need iron to get into your cells in order to make energy from your food. If you have low iron this won't happen so well. It would be just like not having enough thyroid hormones in your system. Low iron may well be part of the reason why you are not able to lose weight and you may find you lose weight easier once you get your iron levels up.
If you are low in iron, you are likely low in other things such as folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Folate and vitamin B12 are not only important for making healthy red blood cells, they are also important for releasing energy from your food. If you are low in these, it could be hampering your weight loss.
There have been studies that people with low vitamin D levels tend to weigh more than those with healthy levels. Those with healthy vitamin D levels also lose weight more easily than those with deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency (and vitamin deficiency in general) is very common in people with thyroid problems so it is worth getting it tested. The best way to increase your vitamin D is sun exposure. Going in the sun for 10 minutes or so a couple of times a day between 11 and 3 with no sun protection should be enough, but make sure this won't make you burn. If it will, go out for less or wait until a little later in the day. The good thing about sun exposure is that your body stops producing vitamin D when it has enough so you won't overdose on sunshine. If your vitamin D is very low you may have to supplement with vitamin D3. The good thing about vitamin D is that it helps protect the skin against melanoma, or so they believe, IF you are sensible about exposure.
Try not to cut your calories too drastically or go overboard on the exercise as this can reduce the rate at which your body converts thyroxine to it's active form. Exercise is good, just make sure you are not overdoing it and that you are fuelling your body enough for this exercise.
Above all, make sure you are on enough thyroid hormone replacement. It is very difficult to lose weight if you are not adequately replaced. If you have your latest blood test results please post them so we can see. It may be a simple need of more thyroxine 
I'm sorry to bombard you with so much information. I just want you to be able to achieve your goals and all these things are related to weight and weight loss.
I really hope you have some success soon. I know how frustrating it is! I have more than 5 stone to lose thanks to this thyroid thing!
Carolyn x
• in reply toPinkNinja
Carolyn, wow!! Thank you for taking so much time to reply!! I really don't know anything about this thyroid lark!!! I'm currently taking 225mcg Levo but still feel really drained!! Doctor just said I'm tired because I'm fat!! I'm still only a size 12 but used to being an 8-10 so you can imagine my disappointment with him!!
Thanks also to everyone else!! I've just read the link on skipping breakfast!! I don't eat until lunch time anyway, but guess what... Doctor said this was a bad thing!! Yawn...
PinkNinja• in reply to
You're a size 12 and your doctor says you're fat! Wow! Time to get another doctor!
Please get your iron checked. I'm fairly sure that this is part of the problem. Actually you could probably start supplementing now given that your hb is only 11. Take it with vitamin C though. You might also want to consider a B vitamin complex and a separate B12 supplement (the methylcobalamin form is the most easily absorbed form of B12). Iron and the B vitamins work together and the vitamin C helps absorption.
I hope you start to feel better soon. Dont' forget to rest after your exercise though. Rest is just as important as the exercise. It helps your adrenals recover, which is a whole other complicated story!
Take care
Carolyn x
PinkNinja• in reply to
You might want to have a look around the main Thyroid UK website. There is lots of information on hypothyroidism, diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, supplements etc if you use the menu bar on the left of the page
• in reply to
Hi - you say yu take 225mcg Levo and feel really drained - I thought total replacement is around 150mcg... so this suggests to me you possibly have a conversion problem so as Shaws says, you need your T4 and T3 testing. A conversion problem means your condition is not being managed well and you're still undertreated and perhaps need some T3. You also really really need a better GP! Good luck
i feel awful asking for blood tests like that, why aren't doctors educated more over thyroid its so obvious that they need re educating
Hi
I'm thinking that if you eat so poorly your body will go into starvation mode and then whatever you eat will turn straight to fat in order that you have a store for harder times - it's the way the body works! What about eating MORE but in healthy balanced portions at the right time of day. I know it's easy to say and hard to do - I have exactly the same pattern as you, eat poorly and live on Diet Pepsi sometimes, but I do know what I should be doing is what I've suggested you do!
Also make sure you drink plenty of water as your body needs that to speed up your metabolism.
Now I'll go and put what I've preached into practice and have some breakfast!
Suexx
• in reply to
Tis too true Sue!! I tell people all the time how to do it then starve myself and guzzle diet drinks so I feel like I've had sugar when I start feeling hypoglycaemic!!
Ruby1• in reply to
I completely agree with Sue. I know that in a person without a thyroid problem, the body goes into starvation mode and slows down the metabolism to aid survival. It can't be doing any good to starve. And as Sue said below, a bowl of a healthy cereal would be a much better option - small one of course
Yes I do exactly the same, but have just had a bowl of cornflakes and feel better for it! Suexx
rachsmith1, slightly off topic but not completely. Am just taking a break from watching 'The Secret' a 2006 documentary style film. It may be ridiculous to some but I am enjoying it and can relate to it as I remember the successes of the last few years and am dealing with some issues now that need a change of focus.
All the best see what you think. wyn
So empathise, been battling my weight for about 40 years - up and down like a yo yo - but sadly now, its just up!! And also cant lose it. So what do I know? but if one food programme works and is healthy, if you stick to it, Weight Watchers can be successful. I dont think you're doing any good starving yourself and drinking fizzy drinks. What I was told was the body is like a steam engine that needs coal (food in our case!) put in it, to work properly.However the last time I went to a Weight Watchers meeting, it has really put me off, when I told the leader I had trouble losing weight because I had an underactive thyroid, she said very rudely as though I was just making excuses "Well that doesnt make any difference!" Grrrrrrrrr, not going to her any more. Anyway, totally understand how you feel, Sheila x
Rach, you've discovered the bias doctors have toward us, but my doctor outweighs me by 75 pounds so if you can find one of those, they might not be so blunt. Anyway, years ago it was explained that your body is very adaptive and if it thinks you are starving it will find ways to conserve energy. Finding ways to raise metabolism are better. Eating breakfast and some say a teaspoon of coconut oil first thing will help. Athletes can buy T3 over the counter in some places to cut body fat. So look for ways to raise metabolism which a "small" amount of exercise will do.
• in reply toHeloise
I heard about coconut oil yesterday but was told to rub in my skin!!
Heloise• in reply to
Ha, it's good for that as well but I know you've been given a lot to read but this one won't take long: authoritynutrition.com/top-...
I totally sympathise with you too! I have been struggling with losing weight, last year I was on 1,200 calories a day and exercising on average 45 mins 6 days a week. My consultant told me that my body was obviously very efficient and needed fewer calories! He also said I should aim for less than 100gms of carbs a day. I tried cutting all carbs, except fruit and veg, stayed under the 100gms, lost weight the first 3 weeks, nothing for the next 6, I've now lost heart again! I've just had my t3 checked and I feel as I'm just under the normal level this could be my problem, have an appointment to see GP in 3 weeks to discuss but am sure she won't prescribe the t3 I feel I need! It annoys me that I can put my heart and soul into healthy eating and exercise and see no results yet people around me can play around with diet don't exercise and still lose 3-4lb a week! Aarrrrggghhhh one day they might find a miracle cure for us all!!!
Lincs-lass. I sooo know!! I work my ass off (evidently not literally!) for nothing!! I get fed up people saying I'm building muscle!! I'm not!! Just at my wits end! I tried the dukan diet ( no carbs) and lasted 4 days as I was rattling too much for sugar!! My gp won't test for t3 as he says there's no need. I'm already at the top end of what he can give me levothyroxine wise. My results come back 'normal' yet I still feel very slow!! People have started noticing my brain slowing and just think I'm thick!! I just laugh it off but it is upsetting when I used to be so wick!!
Thyroxine, Eltroxine, Vit 12, Kelp, exercise - many things to choose. I am going with Vit B Co, exercise, some sleep 5 hrs vs. 3-4 hrs. In unexpected ways such things may work. Always consult GP, or when appropriate, neurologist consultant.
Did anyone see the documentary of the bloke who did a 40 day fast? Only consuming water? I'd like to say I'd have a go but I know I won't stick to it! So... I'm going to try a 7 day fast instead!! Starting tomorrow (only because I'm just going to bed!)
Did anyone see the documentary of the bloke who did a 40 day fast? Only consuming water? I'd like to say I'd have a go but I know I won't stick to it! So... I'm going to try a 7 day fast instead!! Starting tomorrow (only because I'm just going to bed!)
suki65• in reply to
that sounds a bit too much ,i fast but i eat breakfast at 11am and my last meal is 7pm all i do is drink water in between ,this helps top get your insulin up and working eg burning off fat rather than sugar you have stored up
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