I'm very new to all this and in relation to my previous post, I am now starting to think that all the standard diets i have been doing are not going to work because I am under active. I am still undergoing tests and not at my optimal range yet BUT I have absolutely struggled to budge any weight. Since being diagnosed I have put on around 3 stone and I feel so bloated and blown up. I can wake up in the morning and not look that bad but around tea time I am huge again! I have tried the standard 'Joe Wicks' 'Charlotte Crosby' and even spent a small fortune on MY PROTIEN, and with regular exercise nothing has budged. Currently just on T4 but I was just wondering what diets and tips have worked for you guys? I have seen paleo and slimming world, both I haven't tried but I am ready to get this weight off!
And also, what vitamins and minerals should I purchase?
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Smasonx
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I shall be posting my tests for my thyroid levels next week when I receive them, as I know currently they are not right! I'm currently just taking T4
My doctor has never mentioned anything about T4 and T3 to me, I am starting to learn about all this tonight from the forum! The last time I had a test they told me it was in normal range but was 'high' this made me feel let down because my symptoms are so bad!
Will my GP give me these results? Only since I started I have never been told or shown them, infact I have no proper information at all and tonight thanks to finding this forum I have learnt so much! I feel I am not responding to levo at all and will be bringing this up with my GP on my next visit. I am looking through the boards and T3 can't be prescribed?
You are legally entitled to your test results under the Data Protection Act 1998. Just ask at your surgery for a print out. Some surgeries will give them with no charge, others make a small charge for paper and printing. If your surgery is awkward, just remind them they will be breaking the law if they refuse. Also, if they want to charge silly money then ask to see the results on screen and write them down yourself, don't trust the receptionist to write them down unless you see the figures yourself and you know she has copied them accurately. You must also get the reference ranges, these are important because ranges vary from lab to lab.
Some surgeries have online access to test results so you may want to check that out. I believe you have to register to do that. I don't know much about it be side I am in Wales and we don't have online access. I think NHS England does have the facility.
I will look into all of this when I am next in for my results, thank you! I would of never known about any of this until I found this forum and I am so thankful!
My GPs have flatly refused to do blood tests except for the standard ones at all and insist it is all in my head and that there is nothing wrong with me.
Despite a three page letter explaining the tests required for Hashimoto's!!! I am now seeking help from an alternative practitioner.
This is particularly frustrating for me as I work in health care and I know that I should not have gained 20lbs in three months without changing my diet etc. I have suffered from night sweats, panic attacks and insomnia for years. My mother, father and daughter have all been diagnosed with thyroid issues....
I know I have Hashimoto's as I swing from hyper to hypo, as does my weight from under to over! I have been on an autoimmune protocol for years as I have Ceoliac, IBS and Endometriosis so no grains, dairy, soy, nuts, seeds, red meat, seafood, nightshades, legumes or pulses. So plant based 80% vegan still doesn't budge it!
I am praying that the new therapy I am going for will help.
Will post if I get positive results I know how frustrating it is and I'm with you all!
I know what you mean, I feel so ignored by my GP and pushed aside but we all know our own bodies don't we and I know something isn't right and it's frustrating they can't help me. I've got meetings next week with a wellness worker hopefully can shed some light!! I hope it works out for you!!
My GP told me that if TSH is within range the lab won't test T4 T3 or antibodies even if she requests them but is happy to work off my medicheck results
That's great, my doctors are the same they have done nothing to even suggest it could be to do with T3 etc, I have only found out about this yesterday on this forum and I am freaking out!! I am 100% going to be getting tests privately and hope my GP can work with them and help get me on the right medication. I don't know how my GP can ignore me when my symptoms are so bad, after ive woken up I'm ready for sleep again after a few hours I can't cope!
It's everything to do with T3. T3 is the active thyroid hormone, needed by every single cell in the body, so if it's low, that's what causes symptoms. I sometimes wonder if doctors even know that! But, as the labs will rarely test the FT3, and the doctors are too scared to prescribe T3 itself, the patient is left to find all this out for him/herself.
But, surely you know that fat cannot come and go during the day, as you describe. It takes a long time to put on fat. So, if it's not fat, how are diets like Slimming Life going to help you lose it? Hypo weight is usually water weight, and no diet is going to get rid of that. Only optimising your FT3 is going to help. In fact, SW is very bad, because it's based on low/no fat, and the body needs fat, you shouldn't be cutting it out.
The only thing you really shouldn't eat is unfermented soy. Some people find that a gluten-free diet helps them. Apart from that, it's just about eating what you feel comfortable eating, but avoiding processed foods, because of all the nasties they contain - including unfermented soy!
Smasonx You need to have those vitamins and minerals I mentioned in your other thread tested to know if your levels are low or deficient before you do anything about supplementing.
There are some general supplements that are useful for us Hypos, Vit C being one as it supports adrenals, 2000mg daily in divided doses is recommended. Selenium L-selenomethionine is helpful for T4 to T3 conversion, no more than 200mcg daily. Anything else, wait and see your levels.
Possibly. If not we can give you details of where to get them done with a fingerprick blood test, the cheapest way is part of a thyroid bundle which also gives FT3 and both types of antibodies which your GP probably can't get done.
Their Thyroid Plus Eleven is a very good one, good value too, has everything you need at this stage. Wait until the bank holiday to see if they have any discount offers. The last two bank holidays there has been 20% off. If I see any offers I put a post up.
Their Thyroid Check Ultravit is the same as Blue Horizon's Plus Eleven. Medichecks has discounts every Thursday, the offers change every week, usually two or three tests are discounted.
You may well have food sensitivities which are contributing to your symptoms, wheat seems to be the most problematic. Lots of info about diet in this book:
Hi smasonx, the real problem is the standard high carb diet brings on insulin resistance. You could look into a ketogenic diet. The idea is that you want to use fats for fuel rather than carbs to break the insulin resistance. Carbs turn into glucose and then stored as fat. There are many articles on this. Once you begin using more fats like avocado, coconut, olive oil, butter, etc. and avoid vegetable oils entirely while cutting back on carbs it may help reverse the process. Dr. Mercola has a book Fat For Fuel:
"There’s an answer to all of these terrible health trends, and it all starts with the nutritional composition of your diet. Most people simply eat far too many processed foods, net carbs and too few healthy fats, and too many unhealthy fats, which results in gaining and retaining extra body fat and becoming increasingly insulin resistant.
When your body burns primarily carbs for fuel, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and secondary free radicals are created, which damage cellular mitochondrial membranes and DNA, leading to the degenerative diseases that are so prevalent today. Healthy dietary fats, which are a cleaner-burning fuel, create far fewer ROS and free radicals. This lays the groundwork for many of the metabolic benefits of this program. Fats are also critical for the health of cellular membranes and many other biological functions."
I follow a plant based diet with no grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, pulses, dairy, nightshades, seafood, red meat etc. Sadly it doesn't seem to make any difference; I have eaten well for 20 years +. I have told by the practitioner that I am going to see later next month that it is probably heavy metal toxicity, probably mercury, and this needs to be treated in order for anything else to help.
Isabella refers to this in "The Thyroid Secret". I can't remember which episode.
Hi healthseeker, are you talking about weight or hypothyroidism? I do believe mercury could be the basis for immune problems and since we don't detox well, it is a probable cause. It is disheartening when you have been so careful and not had the results you should. Have you watched John Bergman's videos on You Tube? He seems to have an optimistic view while understanding the issues.
Izabella also brought out that Epstein-Barre virus has been found in thyroid tissue and if anyone has had mononucleosis that could be a root cause. That was a wonderful series put on by Izabella and, of course, her youth was an advantage toward her healing in my opinion.
I do have weight problems and I am hypothyroid. Should I be looking into mercury? I have seen a few posts about this already and would really like to cover all possibilities. I shall be giving them a watch tonight, thank you!!
There are two thoughts about mercury: the vapors from amalgams in your mouth are dangerous but to remove them can be worse. It takes special maneuvers but if you don't have too many, it might be a great idea. Secondly, using spirulina, etc.to remove mercury could draw more of it out into your system.
Yes, unfortunately, I would also suggest gluten free diet as horrible as it sounds lol - made a massive difference to me and lost all the bloating plus everything else lol.
If you are still undergoing tests and dose increases for your thyroid, you might not begin to shift any weight til finished and optimally medicated.
Definitely worth while getting the tests mentioned above as will give you a much clearer pic. If you don't fancy finger pricking a whole vial or two from yourself, we have just ordered the medichecks one with a discount on thyroid thursday (always giggle at that) and paid an extra £25 to get it done at walk in phlebotomy place at local hospital - I couldn't bear the thought of trying to get that much blood out of my chronically dehydrated mother lol
It's something I am looking in to the gluten free diet as many people are saying it has helped them, I really just feel at my wits end and I don't know what to do so I am willing to try anything! I will be getting the tests done asap as I do want to get proper results that are going to give me answers and solutions, thank you
Just take it one step at a time and start with the more obvious such as deficiencies and then work from there, even ruling things out is helpful. Remember if you try, must be 100% gluten free and no cross contamination and for at least three months to properly see if it is your issue or not as inflammation etc can take a while to go down. Read up on cross contamination on coeliacuk if you need more info. If nothing changes, you can always try an elimination diet after to see if any other food groups such as dairy bother your system.
It does take a while but I'm sure you'll figure it all out and start to feel better and keep posting your results on here for advice
Good advice. I thought I was the only person eating a grapefruit every day - especially including the pith! I also drink a lot of kefir when it's in our supermarket.
It's incredibly easy to make, & considerably cheaper than shop bought kefir. It also likes a bit of grapefruit for a second fermentation, so extra nutrients.
I'm following the Amy Myers autoimmune solution protocol I think it's very similar to the auto immune paleo. And I have lost a stone without exercise, before this I exercised a lot and ate what I thought was a very healthy diet and just kept piling on the pounds izabella Wentz is another great resource
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