Hypothyroidism

[Terryldactyl]

Hi, I have been on 125mg of thyroxine for about 8 years or more now. I take a good multivitimin and mineral tablet from Holland and Barratts. I am pleased you are slowly getting better.

As you well know the only way to lose weight especially if you are Hypothyroid is to cut your food intake and to exercise a little more. I have lost 7Ibs (half a stone) but it took me a year to do it slowly and I hope to lose another half a stone in the coming year. No one said life had to be easy and it isn't. Just eat a little less but make sure you have plenty of fruit and veg (at least five different types a day, from every colour range) and exclude sugar and fat and you can do it SLOWLY. The better you eat and the more you exercise the better you will feel.

[fraserbooks]

Thanks for the encouragement. I managed to loose about a stone when I first started levothyroxine. I found getting a pedometer app for my phone really helped. I try to do at least 3,000 steps a day plus an exercise class and a swim a week. I can't seem to shift any more weight though.

[greygoose in reply to fraserbooks]

Fraserbooks, please see my reply to Terryldactyl below.

Take care.

[greygoose]

Oh, Terryldactyl, I'm afraid that's not quite right.

Firstly, a multi vit isn't going to do anything to address a nutritional deficiency. There just isn't enough of anything in it. Plus, it usually includes things you Don't want, like iodine and calcium. I would avoid multi-vits, personally, and get tested for nutritional deficiencies such as vit D, vit B12, folate, iron and ferritin.

Secondly, eating less and exercising more is definately not the way to lose weight if you're hypo, because the weight gain has nothing to do with calories in vs calories out. It's to do with a low metabolism due to low T3.

Eating less calories will have an effect on your conversion rate, leaving you more hypo, and apt to put on more weight. Exercsing will use up your T3, and if you can't convert/take any more, then you're going to make yourself more hypo and likely to put on more weight.

It's doubtful that it is even fat, anyway. Hypos tend to retain water. and no amount of dieting and exercising will do anything about that.

And giving up fat is about the worst thing you can do because you need fat to make hormones. Eating fat doesn't make you fat. And excluding fat from your diet will probably make you fatter! Sorry, but that's the way it is. To lose hypo weight you need to optimise your T3.