Weight loss, again

Hello all

I realise that this post got long, so I'll summarise here, and then expand afterward: thyroid treatment now probably optimal; low resting metabolic rate; how to lose 15-20 kg?

So, now, I feel well enough to try to lose weight again. Yes, it is real weight, not retained fluid. I'd like to lose about 30 kilograms to get to my pre-kid weight, but I think that 20 kilograms (or maybe even 15) is a more realistic target.

I have successfully lost weight in the past doing, effectively, one form or the other of daily calorie restriction. Hypothyroidism, a (now low dose) SSRI, three diets and many bouts of health related weight loss mean that my resting metabolic rate is really low. Each time I've lost I've regained, and a bit more - as seems to be the pattern with reduced RMR. I am very concerned that calorie restriction will lower my RMR again and I'll end up in even a worse state. It is now very difficult to lose weight.

I've been reading, and it looks as though intermittent fasting is a way to lose weight without the impact on the RMR. The way it's been explained is this. You take in 2000 calories a day; reduce it to 1500 calories a day to lose weight. The body thinks "Oh no! This is the new normal!" and reduces the RMR to accommodate the new reality. Intermittent fasting (and a normal intake other than that) apparently does not send the same signal to the body to lower RMR and instead just dips into the body's fat stores. It also seems that low carb or even keto to suppress appetite and make fasting possible/not miserable is helpful. Personally I have felt well on keto in the past but for social reasons I have ended up falling off the wagon.

I'm on 3 grains of NDT now and based on my last blood test that *should* be close to optimal from an FT3 perspective (and should have been for the past 7-9 months or so); I'm due a blood test soon and we'll find out then.

So, what to do? I know that both IF and low carb are somewhat controversial, and some people think that both are harmful for the thyroid. I don't think my thyroid does much useful, if anything. I have read a lot of "get your FT3 optimal and the weight will come off" but it doesn't sadly.

Cheers

[Jodypody]

I am of the understanding that IF still ends up as a calorie deficit but in. a different way. You can’t lose weight without a calorie deficit whether that be low carb or otherwise. I’m happy to be proved wrong on this as my life is a diet basically to keep a normal weight

[Hidden in reply to Jodypody]

Yes, that's how I understand it, absolutely. The question is more around the effect on the metabolism.

I think the difference, as I understand it, is that if you're eating 3 meals a day of lower calories, that the metabolism slows down in response - this is the new normal and the body adjusts as it thinks that there is a famine. If you IF and eat a larger (normal) amount when you do eat, that the body doesn't seem to see that in the same way. Or at least that's how it's been presented. It seems that the body goes into IF mode - burning fat (and people seem to feel sharper and well) and the decent meals shows the body that there isn't a famine. So you'd still eat, say 1200 calories a day on average, and therefore make the caloric deficit to lose, but hopefully not get the detrimental effect on the RMR. And it seems to be easier to do.

Or at least that's how it's been presented.

So, my thinking is that I need to reduce my calories to lose weight. The issue is how to do it, to not feel awful and be miserable, and hopefully not to make myself sick and hopefully not reduce my RMR even further.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Jodypody]

I'm pretty sure you can as not all calories are created equal and the whole calorie thing was an arithmetic fudge (worked out according to energy produced when burned in a lab) as different foods are processed differently when eaten.

[Hidden in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Oh and apparently the best thing that can be said about us calorie counting is that we're getting a bit approximate, so yes, fudge!

[shaws]

I found going gluten-free made me lose weight (that wasn't the intention) and my adult children were horrified at the lost weight when they came to visit so I increased carbohydrates to bring weight up to a level that makes them happy as well as myself.

p.s. I had a healthy diet before and after gluten-free.

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Wow, amazing result. I have had periods of no gluten without success unless I also lowered my carbs.

It will be easier to be low carb after I get this celiac blood test. I think I'll do it next week.

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

This is another link i.e. wheat contains carbohydrates:-

healthyeating.sfgate.com/wh...

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Thanks. I was consciously eating plenty of carbs the first time I tried gluten free, and I didn't have any weight changes, but I did probably feel a bit better. Later I did LCHF, which ends up being gluten free (or more or less) and that was a little bit more successful, though only a few kilos. Again, I felt better, this time much better.

Later, though I did some IF and at much the same time I was really feeling hypo. My blood tests at the time showed really high RT3, so something negative was happening. Or was it just that I'd been undermedicated for a while?

[Hidden in reply to shaws]

Oh yes wheat is extremely high carb, I was compensating because I'd read that low carb can be bad for thyroid. Not sure how bad it is or isn't.

[shaws in reply to Hidden]

You can replace wheat with rice which is also filling:-

beyondceliac.org/gluten-fre...

healthline.com/health/food-...

also a variety of vegetables.

[Fruitandnutcase]

I’d try low carb, high fat. Have a look at the DietDoctor.com website for help.they run free videos that cover aspects of LCHF eating. Think IF is good too, I just never manage it because of my other half! My own fault I know but that’s another story.

There’s a Healthunlocked LCHF site too that’s worth looking at.

[Hidden in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

You haven't found it to be detrimental to your thyroid issues?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Hidden]

No, I’ve been in remission from Graves since 2013.

I should have added that I went totally gluten free about five years ago. I found that reduced my thyroid antibodies, it could have been being GF which I think it was but it could just as easily have been time for them to go.

I had been given a massive course of steroids for inflammatory arthritis, that tipped me into being T2 diabetic which was when I discovered Dr David Cavan’s wonderful book Reverse your T2 Diabetes, basically you reversed it by cutting out carbs. It involved measuring my blood sugar levels before and after eating, I recorded what I ate and eliminated the carbs that increased my bs levels. Once that was sorted the weight just fell off.

[fibrolinda]

I recommend the Harcombe diet, it is especially for those who have shut their metabolism down due to years of calorie counting. Look it up. First five days are tough but I found it easy after that and was eating more than I have since childhood... And losing weight.

[Hidden in reply to fibrolinda]

I have seen a bunch of things she's done - talks on youtube etc. She seems to be in favour of meat, generally low carb but allowing a few good quality carbs?

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Ah she was the one who was a vegetarian for a long time and now isn't?

[fibrolinda in reply to Hidden]

Didn't know that, or if I did I forgot..sigh… I am vegetarian which makes losing slower, notso many 'fat' meals which are as much meat as you want, or fish, or eggs, or cheese but only with veg and or salad. So you can have a huge chilli but no rice with it unless its a veg chilli. It took some adjustment in thinking being a calorie counter since 17, 63 now. My hubbie loved his bacon and eggs every morning and steak with huge mixed salad and dressing followed by strawberries and thick cream.

😁

[Hidden in reply to fibrolinda]

Yes, it was about nutrition, the reason for the switch. She'd been a vegetarian for a long time. She's now very pro meat/animal foods based on nutrition (though sunflower seeds and kale also make her top five) zoeharcombe.com/2014/04/the...

I'm with your hubbie - though I eat eggs for breakfast and usually skip the bacon, but that's laziness and not anything against bacon!

[san_ray70 in reply to Hidden]

On the S.W. diet you can eat eggs bacon every day as long as you cook it with cooking spray no fat. I eat a lot of chicken steak and ham and I have lost weight.

[suebob59]

Hi SewinMin,

I decided to go gluten free about 1yr ago. I have lost about a stone since starting, I think it's because by going GF you are forced into eating more healthily. The weight loss has now slowed down, although weight luckily was never a problem.

Definitely feel better for it.

[Hibs1 in reply to suebob59]

I found that quite odd to lose weight when going gf. All my Coeliac friends have put on weight since going gf due to the the replacement foods having more fat and sugar in them

[suebob59 in reply to Hibs1]

I buy very little premade gf food, apart from the odd bread loaf and box of savoury crackers. I've found they are too expensive and mostly taste horrible. I just use gf flour when cooking, I've not had any major fails.

[Hibs1 in reply to suebob59]

It's maybe different when you HAVE to eat gf due to causing internal damage if you don't. You therefore want to eat the same foods you are used to specially when it happens in late life or in children

[Hidden in reply to Hibs1]

I wonder if it just depends how you do it. If you go gluten free by going paleo/low carb, I can imagine it would be easier to lose weight than by replacing regular products with gluten free products.

[jjf255]

Everyone is talking about low carb and why or why not weight loss is involved. For those who want to lose weight on LOW CARB...you must read and understand what fuels are needed for our bodies to function. There is so much understanding of science needed to find good results. It's not just cutting carbs. You must understand what is needed to cause the body to switch from using glucose for fuel to using the bodies stored fat for fuel (ketosis) Do not confuse this with ketoacidosis!! If weight loss is desired...PLEASE read up on the keto diet...Not just a book of recipes, but a book that educates you on what ketosis is...how to get there and the benefits.

[Ivorheadache]

Low carb, high fat worked for me!

[Hidden in reply to Ivorheadache]

Snap

[Hidden in reply to Ivorheadache]

It hasn't been overly successful for me, but I did feel well on it, at least until I did some IF and became unwell. But I'm not sure we can blame the diet for that - I got a higher NDT dose and started to feel well again. I also found 5:2 totally ineffective and most people find that really good, so I suspect for me, with my particular set of circumstances, I'm going to have to bring out the big guns.

[Ivorheadache]

As has been mentioned there is a science behind it. I used the recipe book that is part the 8 week blood sugar diet. (I only used the weight maintenance recipes part. I would not ever contemplate an 800 calorie diet) The book taught me how to change the way we eat. Olive oil, butter, full fat Greek yoghurt. Using ground almonds instead of flour for occasional treats. Seeds and nuts. We have eaten much more healthier. No potatoes, pasta or bread since end April. Courgettes spiralised for pasta replacements and alternative veg roasted.

The lipid clinic was impressed how my cholesterol levels had dropped. It seems so weird eating in this way works better for me than all the low or no fat ways of eating.

[BlueSoul1]

Hey SewinMin

Sounds like a big fight for you. For sure you should try to cut the carbs down to 20% and the rest should be proteins for your daily calories. I use an app called "Lifesum" to keep track of what i eat and how much calories i am aloud to eat over the day. It helps me a lot.

You could also have a look at this Website, their product is all about boosting the metabolism of women. bit.ly/10cinderellasolution

I hope you find something that helps you. Keep fighting you will get it all together

[san_ray70]

I have an under active thyroid and told my doctor I could not lose weight, he told me I could. I joined S.W. last March it has not been easy but I have lost 2st. So the doctor was right, my medication would help my weight loss not stop it. I hope you succeed to lose weight, but take it easy do not rush, if you lose weight gradually it will stay off. Good luck.