I am a 58 year old 5’5” tall female who has weighed between 8.5 - 9.5 stone for the majority of my adult life
About 2 years ago I started to put weight on and eventually weighing 11 stone was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and hereditary high cholesterol
Since then despite running just under 5k 2-4 times a week, going dry 4days a week and being really careful about food intake I have slowly put on half a stone and an despairing because no matter what I do I can’t seem to lose this weight
Any ideas would be gratefully received
Written by
maddox0592
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Unexplained weight gain can be due to being hypothyroid because the condition causes our metabolism to slow down. A very common question on the forum.
Despite exercising/dieting it might not improve and also exercising excessively if you are hypothyroid, you'd reduce the essential thyroid hormones too which are needed for your metabolism to be optimal.
T4 (levothyroxine) is an inactive hormone. It has to convert to T3 (liothyronine) the Active thyroid hormone which is needed in our millions of T3 receptor cells which enables our body to function normally.
A higher cholesterol level also points to hypo (and I realise yours is familial).
Most doctors only look at the TSH and T4 when we have a lood test and are satisfied and don't increase the dose. Many seem to think that if TSH is somewhere in the range we're on a sufficient dose of levo. It isn't. The aim is a TSH of 1 or lower and a Free T4 and Free T3 in the upper part of the ranges.
When you get a blood test it should always be at the very earliest, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between your dose of levo and the test and take it afterwards. This helps keep your TSH at its highest as it drops throughout the day, i.e. higher early a.m. and drops throughout the day. It can mean that you may not get an increase you need.
Always get a print-out of your results, with the ranges for your own records, and post if you have a query.
Most doctors only test TSH and T4, when we need TSH, T4, T3, free T4, free T3 and thyroid antibodies. If GP wont test, there are private labs which will do them and they are home pin-prick tests. If ou decide to do this, make sure you are well-hydrated a couple of days before and arms/hands warm for blood draw.
He may be negative as I believe a number of the professionals blame those who become overweight through no fault of their own. You may be interested in the following:-
I feel so much for you - even after 12 years of finally 'beating it', I got ill [severe vertigo] and it came back again... nothing much changed either. It is infuriating. My very best to you in your endeavour. xox
I would also like to know as I am slowly putting on weight. Re the high cholesterol, I have high above range in the HDL cholesterol - is it only a worry if the LDL is high. Was yours the LDL?
Dr Malcolm Kendrick ( who wrote - The Great Cholesterol Con ) also doubted the existence of familial cholesterol - he didn't expand - just an umm ! - at one of the Conferences where I heard him talk. I think it is possibly the Thyroid situation that is linked more within families ... We need to peel back the layers to get to the root of the matter
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