Weightloss with Hashimoto's. Please help.

[Bushbaby83]

I am currently awaiting my first endocrinologist appointment following my test results showing I may have Hashimoto's (Tg Ab 210/ TSH 4.94). I have put on nearly two stone since I first started getting hypothyroid symptoms nearly three years ago. Before that I liked to keep myself slim and in shape as best as possible and was quite fit. However, I was an obese child and have yoyo'd from time to time. This time is different though because I just can't shift the weight. Will this change once I am medicated and give up gluten, grains, dairy, alcohol, sugar and caffeine? I plan to see a functional nutritionist to help with my diet. I also experience joint and muscle pain, breathing difficulties and extreme fatigue which affect exercise. Will this change also once medicated and I have changed my diet? Do I have to do a particular type of exercise? I was thinking running, British military fitness, boxing and weights. My goal is to be fit, toned and slim.

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Hidden]

Make your goal to get well and get optimally medicated and fix any associated illnesses and put nutritional deficiencies right.

Put the weight loss on the back burner. It could take over a year before you get to that.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Hidden]

Absolutely. I'm definitely in no rush as I've been like this for three years now but I want to know if it possible. I guess as well if I don't start making changes to lose weight weight then ultimately I'm just putting it off. I plan to start sorting out my diet as soon as I'm medicated.

[Hidden in reply to Bushbaby83]

It is definitely possible, Bushbaby. I had a friend with a tsh of 60 on diagnosis, it took her a year getting medication right and supplementing for low d etc... then she did the 4/3 or 5/2 or whatever diet, and the weight went. But I don't think that would have worked earlier. Google mucin.

If you have bloating, improving that feels like weight loss. And you should have reduced sugar cravings as the hypoglycaemia assoc with hypothyroidism reduces. A reduced need for coffee should also lead to less sugar intake. (I'm talking about myself here.. you may be a sugar free saint already). Then as fatigue slowly slowly improves you will find you are doing more, moving more.

And the face will begin to thin.

Somewhere on a very old post is a link to an old medical journal article full of very cheering pix of before and after thyroid faces. But you will find some on Google images.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Hidden]

Fab thank you. I definitely don't intend on doing a fad diet. I want to cut out grains, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and sugar and eat lean and natural foods. By default I would expect a healthy body to lose weight but was wondering if a Hashimoto's body would so you have helped answer that thank you.

[greygoose in reply to Bushbaby83]

Forget the 'lean' foods, because that's not healthy. The body needs fat. Good fat : animal fat, butter, olive oil, nuts and nut oils, avocado and avocado oil, coconut oil - just drop the seed oils, because they are processed.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to greygoose]

Thanks. Yeah sorry I couldn't list my exact foods list cause I'd be here all day lol but my plan was to include good fats also.

Didn't know that about seed oils though, thanks.

[greygoose in reply to Bushbaby83]

You're welcome.

[Debsoxford]

I totally and utterly agree with Aspmama you know GF etc will help why aren't you starting it NOW I'm sorry to be so blunt it's hard but I've got hashimotos and went GF (amongst other things) ad soon as I read about it on here

My GP had only spoken to Endo won't refer me yet cause I'm not on my knees but I also don't intend to go there I'm doing (like most people on here) everything to keep myself well and give my body a chance. It's hard and my husband (whos a traditional eater) is even eating pulses and rice to help support me it's hard really hard at times but isn't your health worth it?

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Debsoxford]

Well yes it is hence why I'm asking for advice and plan to see a functional nutritionist . However, because it took me so long to get diagnosed I'm not changing anything about my diet until I see the endocrinologist in case it thwarts my results. I'm not sure whether perhaps you think that my current diet is appalling?!

[Debsoxford]

No I don't think your current diet is appalling I just know from my personal experience that going GF has without a shadow of a doubt eased and almost stopped my Thyroid spikes so not only do I feel much better but also my Thyroid may last a bit longer. GP/Endo's don't do nutrition. You will read that all the time on here.(Have you had b12 ferreting etc tested?) My GP thought I was worried about celiac disease when I told him I'd gone GF it would be laughable if it wasn't so naive. Good luck for better health

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Debsoxford]

I've had tests for deficiencies. I realise that Drs and endos aren't so good for nutrition which is why I am seeing a functional nutritionist.

[Eddie83]

You can't get fit if you are harboring autoimmunity. Recently I have been suggesting that everyone who is autoimmune, look at the Youtube video from Dr. Tom O'Bryan on The Autoimmune Fix. He describes a methodical testing method to evaluate all autoimmunities - thyroid isn't the only one. Eliminating just those foods to which you have a reaction, is easier than mass elimination.

Having a comprehensive supplement program, eliminating food triggers of autoimmunity, and getting your FT3 up, are key to maintaining a healthy weight. If the endo prescribes thyroid hormone as T4-only and your weight does not normalize, you will need to add in T3 and/or go onto NDT.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Eddie83]

Great thank you for the info! It wasn't my plan just to do a fad diet and exercise just to lose weight. I want to make a place for exercise in my life again because I miss it and I want to adapt my diet to help heal my condition. You have more helpfully answered my question by giving me some useful advice and not berating me for your perception of my diet and ideals. I will look up dr Tom O'Bryan and use that as a starting point. In addition I can be mindful of your medication advice when seeing my endo. Thank you.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Eddie83]

Also what is NDT?

[helvella in reply to Bushbaby83]

You might find my abbrevations and acronyms list of use:

healthunlocked.com/api/redi...

NDT = (natural) desiccated thyroid. That is dried and powdered pig thyroid made into tablets. Makes such as Nature-Throid, Erfa and Armour.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to helvella]

Great thank you!

[Eddie83 in reply to Bushbaby83]

NDT (pig thyroid) has a T3:T4 ratio of about 1:4. Depending on how much conversion your body can do, you can end up with more T3 than you need. In that case, some patients do better to lower the NDT dose, and add in some T4.

[Bushbaby83 in reply to Eddie83]

Fantastic thank you.

[Holly333 in reply to Bushbaby83]

Hello Bushbaby83

I'm also Hashimotos and feeling awful, vomiting, no energy, weak etc with symptoms. It's taken a couple of years to start to get well, it's ongoing of course but l've found going gluten free has made a massive difference. It might be worth getting some food allergy tests done, as l did, then you can avoid what triggers a reaction for you. I knew gluten didn't agree with because of bloating, constipation etc but it was a surprise to find l needed to about dairy and egg whites. I ignored this bit at first and just went gluten free but since cutting out the other two it's made a massive difference to my headaches etc. I find my doctor useless. Anyway, ld put on about a stone and it's only started going recently. I had no energy to exercise before but since feeling better lm now able to be more active. I suppose lm saying you won't be able to exercise for weight loss until your health improves. I now eat gluten free and cut right back on sugar, white carbs and artificial foods and it really has made such a difference when l look back at how bad l once felt so good look in finding your right diet and changes as you will get some excellent advice on here. I don't post much but this site has given me hope in desperate times so you're in the right place to get some answers that will work for you. Good luck.