SLIMMING WORLD

[Leahcollett3]

Hi Everybody

Does anybody have any success with slimming world with an under active thyroid?

[shaws Administrator]

As you know, if we don't have hypo, and want to lose weight we have to raise our metabolism as well as diet, i.e. exercise etc. As we are hypo our metabolism is low or very low as we don't have the hormones at optimum and exercise reduces our T3 - the active hormone in our cells..

Before you begin any diet, you have to be on an optimum of thyroid hormones. That means you feel well and clinical symptoms have resolved otherwise you may be disappointed and lose heart a bit.

Many members have lost weight and others have found it difficult.

[vixvixvix]

Hi Leah,

I hope your weight gain has at least leveled off at bit now. It's still the early days and by starving yourself of nutrients, you're doing your body a disservice. As I've said before I've been there and it sucks but what is the most important thing is that you feel well and your hypo is well controlled and optimum (and I believe others have mentioned as well) before tackling the dreaded weight issue.

Let's imagine it's not hypo and it's not you. If your child is a bit overweight and is on a diet and they get a cold, would you not make sure they are well nourished? Would you still make them eat a deficit and go for a run even if it means that they will not get well as quickly? The logical thing to do in the child/cold situation is that they have super nutritious meals, take it a little easy and they get better more quickly. This is not a cold and it's for the long run but the principles are the same. You are sadly stuck with a lifelong condition and trying to run before you are walking again is not going to work great. Yes, you probably want to / have to lose weight because you want to feel better about yourself and it's better for your overall health, but you need to get this hypo thing down first before doing that.

Re: Slimming world- I guess it depends on whether you like chatting to people and have support and like having a range of food. I've done weightwatchers for years (I think it's similar) but in the end I hate talking to people, I don't particularly need peer support, their "range" is not tasty and the money I save using myfitnesspal (actually they do have a forum that I don't use) is spent on buying good quality ingredients and making nutritious food (SUCH A PAIN- I've spent the entire morning today baking and cooking). There are many great blogs online with a ton of free recipes, I don't really think you miss out with using free resources (as long as you have time to cook). I live by myself which makes is much easier because no one gets a say in what's served for dinner but there are SO many family friendly recipes online that are tasty and nutritious.

[Leahcollett3 in reply to vixvixvix]

im already a member of my fitness pal, and im just so tired of weighing absolutely everything, does anyone know what the levels of tsh need to be at to be on the right dosage? i keep reading that when people are on "the right" dosage they lose normally? how do i know what the right dosage is for me?

[vixvixvix in reply to Leahcollett3]

You weigh stuff? Oh my god you're so dedicated. I literally just randomly add things in and hope for the best, sometimes it's more sometimes it's less, all works out in the end I think? I mean with the movement/ exercise thing it's just a rough estimate anyways (unless you wear a really good heart rate monitor 24/7 they literally have no idea how much you burnt) so at the end of the day it's all an estimate.

Hopefully you're lucky and levo works perfectly for you and it's only the matter of going back to a great understanding GP who will give you a bit more if you're not doing great, and it'll just take a couple rounds of increase/ tests to feel much better (so that would be 4-5 months based on 2 increases and 6 weeks in between).

I've self diagnosed "subclinical hypothyroidism" 7 years ago and forced them to give me levo and it got a lot worse in the last 18 months. It's only 6 months ago that I had enough (I asked to try NDT or increase levo for at least 1 year with no results), changed medication and self medicate (for 4 months). I "miraculously" got better (no thanks to the GP), and no, unlike what they say to me every time I decide not to listen to a western medical doctor, it's no miracle nor misdiagnosis. During that time I did lose weight but it was a lot of hard work for very little gain and now I kinda feel that it isn't so much of a hard slog.

So... been sick at least 7 years, been well for 4 months- well actually if you count my pcos and depression diagnosis (which could actually be stemmed from the hypo, more like 18 years?). I gained nearly 30kg when I was 24, lost about 15, picked up an eating disorder on the way. I'm now 34. Patience is really not my thing, but it's just something you got to learn to live with. And having lost that 15kg means that yes, you can lose weight on levo, it just takes A LONG TIME- it was like 1/4-1/2 pound a week at best for me. Last month I lost 2.5kg which is nearly 6 pounds and I do way less exercise nowadays and eat more. Sadly, nothing this week but it has been a carb and alcohol filled week, just happy not to have gained, and it's ok, I had a lot of fun.

P.S Everyone is different so "the best" tsh, t3 and t4 level for everyone is different. Heck, it differs every day for every single person, so there is no "best level". Your GP should listen to your symptoms and you're well when the symptoms are gone/ almost gone, the tests should just be a guideline.

IT SUCKS, it really does and I'm really sorry. But that's why we're here.

[Leahcollett3 in reply to vixvixvix]

yea i even weighed apples and fruit.. and salad!!! it was madness, i really cant be bothered anymore with it, its why i want to go back to slimming world.

[vixvixvix in reply to Leahcollett3]

I really don't think you need to be that strict- as I said we start with a rough estimate of your daily intake so as long as you are "almost" there it's fine and it's so much better to eat food made from scratch where you know what's in it and avoid things that you shouldn't eat (sugar, gluten, soy, uncooked broccoli etc).

[greygoose in reply to vixvixvix]

There's no reason not to eat uncooked broccoli unless it disagrees with you. That is a myth.

[greygoose in reply to Leahcollett3]

You get your FT3 tested! Symptoms have nothing to do with TSH.

[greygoose]

Slimming World is not a healthy way to eat. It's Low/No Fat. You need to eat fat - which is why counting calories is just rubbish! Eating fat does not make you fat.

They also sell their own processed foods - they're quite big on processed foods! - and it's difficult to find the ingredients. But, I suspect they contain soy (because soy is low calorie) and artificial sweeteners - both of which are a huge no-no for... anyone really - especially people trying to lose weight.

Yes, you might lose weight - although far more difficult if you're hypo because the extra weight is highly unlikely to be fat - but, how long can you keep it off? These people make their money out of return customers. If it were possible to keep the weight off indefinitely, no-one would be going back, would they. It's money out of the window - unless you just go for the company, but I'd rather go to the pub for that!

[vixvixvix in reply to greygoose]

Oh don't talk to me about sweeteners. I know they are really bad for you but sukrin gold is literally the only thing getting me through not eating carbs and low sugar. Erythritol is not the worst since it's naturally derived but hyper processed. I guess before I was eating lots of processed sugary food so it's an improvement or some sort...

[greygoose in reply to vixvixvix]

But they don't even taste like sugar!

[vixvixvix in reply to greygoose]

I tried lots of brand and sukrin gold is "da bomb"! It actually tastes nice and when I bake with it the cakes are awesome. Shame it's so blimmin' expensive.

[greygoose in reply to vixvixvix]

I've never heard of it, actually.

[eghjm100]

Hi I have had great success with slimming world this last two years HOWEVER it is only because I have had all my medication for hypo spot on. once the medication is accurate it is possible to loose weight just like anyone else with exercise and diet I lost 31/2 st first year and maintaining this year. I find there way of eating is the most natural and without constant weighing and measuring. yes they restrict some fats and carbs but also include measured amounts of these things, they advocate natural foods eating all veg fruit lean meat fish pasta potatoes and rice cooked without using large quantities of fat no food is banned and it is simply choices that make the difference they include two portions of healthy options and limited amounts of treats so you don't feel deprived its not a diet it's a way of eating everything and anything making optimum choices, they group meetings are a great support and with the right consultant enormously helpful. I would recommend it once you ha.ve got your medication spot on

[Leahcollett3 in reply to eghjm100]

Hi hun what levels were your correct levels ?

[eghjm100 in reply to Leahcollett3]

Hi My T3 is between 4 & 5 T4 is 14 to 16 and TSh totally suppressed and I really feel quite good on this but my endo is not happy always trying to reduce my meds I take 250 mcg thyroxine and 60 mcg liothyronine but my GP is now refusing to supply T3 and the CCG is banning gps from prescribing so that's me done for which is why I joined this site