Good Afternoon,
Question: I’ve recently started intermittent fasting 16:8 due to constipation, bloating and gas. I’ve had these issues for the past two months and nothing seems to be changing. My diet remains the same (I eat Paleo) and incorporate 60 mins of cardio 6 days a week. I have actually gained weight. I have changed the creamer in the coffee to heavy cream so I don’t break fasting.
What am I doing wrong? Is fasting the wrong move?
Thank you!
I don't believe in fasting because it makes the body go into starvation mode. Why do you think this will make you feel better? As for Paleo ... I don't actually agree with that either but each to their own ....
I just read your profile and see you had cancer so you really need to eat a healthy diet and fasting will not help imho
Could you please post your recent blood results and any vitamin levels you have? I just read your previous thread and see you have low vitamin D did you use the spray like I recommended?
Hi Lora, getting blood tested Friday. But currently menstruating, should I wait until my cycle is over? I’ve heard it gives different results. As for Paleo what I mean by that is I eat super clean: veggies, meat, chicken. Occasional oats for breakfast and no produces food. Just easier saying paleo. Lol
I started fasting because I was so bloated and the full feeling maybe me believe that fasting would be the only way to make me feel better. But I feel like coffee is now disrupting my thyroid. And I can’t NOT drink coffee, I love coffee.
And YES! Bought the spray. Thank you for the recommendation.
Ok I see ... I also eat as healthy as I can and avoid refined sugar and fast foods but I do like chocolate and the occasional glass of wine. My cholesterol is 3.5 which I think is too low so I now drink full fat milk. I don't know if menstruation affects a blood test because I am post menopausal now at 60. I have never suffered with bloating but my aunt does and she blames wheat no idea if this true or not. I am glad you got the spray.
Fasting allows the body more energy for cellular repair & body maintenance. As long as the person doing so eats correctly during non fasting hours it’s beneficial.
I would immediately suspect that the problem is that you aren’t on sufficient thyroid hormone replacement. 88mcg of Levo and 10mcg lio is not a high dose and for someone without a thyroid seems rather on the low side.
Have you had full thyroid function tests done recently?
Thank god you are saying this because I find it extremely strange that my two girl friends who still have thyroids are on a higher dose age than me. It’s frustrating!! My weight is maintained only because I cut calories to 1200 now and exercise. This lifestyle is very difficult.
It’s likely that your doctor is medicating replacement thyroid hormone by basing it on your TSH result—which is likely to be on the suppressed side because you take liothyronine.
But that’s not in the least bit reliable as an indicator of sufficient medication (although sadly many doctors were taught in medical school that it is!). So you really need an FT3 result to see how high in range it is. I’d speculate that you need a raise in T3 at the very least and it may well help to raise Levo as well.
Unfortunately with thyroid issues many of us have to become experts on this stuff. Your starting point is full testing (or at least getting your mitts on your latest results).
Ok, instead of basing it off of TSH results what should he be looking at? What does the “F” stand for in FT3 ?
Free T3. 
That’s not on my lab request even as an option. Hmm
It very often isn’t. 
We live in a strange world where TSH has become the king of all thyroid tests.
More here about what all the tests are: thyroiduk.org/tuk/testing/t...
And a bit more about treatment: thyroiduk.org/tuk/diagnosis...
Yes, I noticed that - my Endo checks my FT3 every month and writes it on the additional notes section at the bottom of the bloods request form to make sure it is checked. I hope you are able to resolve your issues soonest - does sound like a medication error
Hello mollgcarrigan good afernoon I know a little about meaning and abbreviations on blood tests have had loads done . FT3 means free thyroxine 3 hormone the amount that is free and available in your blood . FT4 means free thyroxine 4 hormone the free and available amount in your blood TT4 means the total amount of throxine in your blood. TT3 means the total amount of thyroxine 3 hormone in your blood . PHT is Parathyroid hormone in your blood from perpituary gland. TPO means thyroid peroxidase test a type of enzyme that is used to produce thyroid hormones. TG means tryglicerides or thyroglobulin. TSH means thyroid stimulating hormone . TFT means thyroid funcion test.
Hope this helps
I'm also without a thyroid (cancer)and been wondering the same thing why someone with a thyroid would take more medication then someone without a thyroid and why would a thyroidless person have to follow the lab ranges that were created by those with a thyroid, I don't have a thyroid wouldn't those ranges be incorrect since most hypothyroid people with a thyroid on meds can't get along in those ranges.....I regret my surgery everyday.
I did asked my Endo this and he gave no real answer " no suprise" except you fall in the TSH range so your good , as his turns around to walk out of the room dragging his knuckles on the ground...idiot.
Could very well be that you're over-exercising/not getting enough calories. What are you taking in the way of thyroid hormone replacement?
88mcg Levothyroxine and 10mcg Cytomel
That's not a very high dose for someone without a thyroid. Be interesting to see your blood test results.
Hello MollygCarrigan good evening. The gut and brain immune connection brain immune gut axis is key to understanding what is going on basically you have leaky gut holes in the intestine. Look up on YouTube AskDrKhan and the videos will explain what you need to do to feel better and get better. Gluten bad fats cholesterol and wheat is not going to help and bad sugar will not help either. You need turmeric I drink Turmeric tea with three ginger by pukka teas. Also you need pro biotic yoghurts Omega Pure Pro and D3 Pro 2000 liquid glutathione Synergy and Nitrate Synergy.
Hope this helps
Wow! Thank you for the advice and YouTube suggestion!!
Hello MollygCarrigan your welcome glad to help. I suffered for the past year with out of control hypothyroidism and the many conditions and problems I developed because of it. Including hypertension high blood pressure Raynauds poor circulation and anxiety and depression beyond belief. But we can get better from hypothyroidism we just need to help each other and learn more about the condition to become better and to feel good once again.
No, we can't get better from hypothyroidism, but we can become optimally medicated. Diet might be a part of it, but personally I'm really not convinced, having tried all sorts myself in the past. If your thyroid is failing then the hormone is the only fix. People with perfect thyroids can eat any crap they like and get away with it. Our aim it to replicate the perfect thyroid.
Hello FancyPants54 good afternoon not saying there is a cure from hypothyroidism as I know myself but the condition can be managed better to feel a little better again instead of feeling dead all the time and no energy and fatigue and stomach aches high blood pressure etc. Who knows might be cure one day in the future but not currently . I believe that not much is still known about hypothyroidism and the many separate but linked conditions that it causes. A pill is only one solution in a very big puzzle that has many different pieces to it. Not everyone responds to levothyroxine and instead need NDT therapy or there are others that need Combination T4 T3 therapy and those people that don't respond to any medication therapy at all. Question is why is this happening if there is no underlying cause found like a tumour and research plays a key role in finding a way to either manage it or find a potential cure so there are no conversion of T4 to T3 issues . Some people cannot tolerate levothyroxine because of the ingredients causing side effects myself included and I think medication to treat hypothyroidism needs to be way better so people like myself can tolerate it. For new medication to treat hypothyroidism you have to do research clinical trials and making the medication formula more safe and tolerable than current medication . Then it has to be licensed and approved . There will be new medications but it takes years to make and approve unfortunately . Might not be in our lifetime but there will be advancement in medicine and treatment for hypothyroidism evenually .
Perhaps your gut bacteria need to be addressed. There lot of information available online re pre & probiotic foods. I’m sure some would fit in with your paleo diet. Chris Kresser wrote a short article on Kefir: the not so paleo superfood. Drinking this might help address a toxic gut balance.
Coffee creamer is powdered milk replacement, so highly processed & therefore not a natural foodstuff or paleo. I thought Paleo was supposed to be a natural organic diet. if you have cream outside your 8 hour window you’re not fasting.
Try increasing water consumption. take a stool softener. Increase fiber considerably. For any medications you take, look it up online to see if it causes constipation. I had been having this problem until I decided to stop taking hydroxyzine, and now I feel much better. Of course if you wish to eliminate a prescription, talk to your doctor first.
Hi Molly, I have found gluten to be a massive issue and feel tonnes better without any in my diet, I also have issues with cow’s milk. Sugar doesn’t help, dried fruit, alcohol or caffeine. It so frustrating that you doing so much and not lost weight. I take 3 x erfa thyroid per day and still get energy crashes but I feel this is the best I can get. I also take magnesium at night and a prebiotic.
Jeeze, so many dietary recommendations and yet only a few actually telling you to get a full thyroid panel done and learn about your condition and it's treatment. All the diet tweaks in the world won't fix under-medicated hypothyroidism. Beware snake oil and get to grips with being hypothyroid.
I'd say right now, learning about your condition and getting proper blood testing is the most important thing you can do. You didn't know about free T3 and free T4. You need to know what that means and how to interpret the results. It's all over this forum, plenty here to learn from.
No harm in improving diet, especially as gas & bloating is mentioned in the post which is a sign of gut related issues.
Gut health is essential for the functioning of the immune system & 20% of the conversion of T4 to T3. (The Thyroid-Gut Connection, Chris Kresser, February 2019).
Improve digestion, absorption & micronutrient intake, & it’s possible Mollygcarrigan will feel better with regard to her hormones.
Why are you doing intermitting fasting? I had thyroidectomy 3 yrs ago if I eat too much I gain weight if I eat too little I gain pretty much breathing makes me gain weight.
Are your thyroid levels optimal?
As you are taking some T3 TSH is almost inevitably suppressed
Essential to test Ft3 and FT4
Plus vitamin D, folate, ferritin and B12
Recommended on here that all thyroid blood tests should ideally be done as early as possible in morning and before eating or drinking anything other than water .
Last dose of Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test. (taking delayed dose immediately after blood draw).
This gives highest TSH, lowest FT4 and most consistent results. (Patient to patient tip, best not mentioned to GP or phlebotomist)
If/when also on T3, make sure to take last dose 8-12 hours prior to test, even if this means adjusting time or splitting of dose day before test
Is this how you do your tests?
Fasting is great for the body it gives everything a rest so it can function properly. Have you given up gluten? Also I've been looking into gut health there are a ton of YouTube videos on how important it is (the gut rules everything) and those were some of the symptoms they talked about.
First off thank you for the recommendations.
I’m about to chump all of you. If someone can answer this and tell me what’s going on, I’ll give you $1k! None of the above symptoms occur when I’m menstruating. For seven days out of the month I look phenomenal!!! I poop regularly and my weight is under control, I have no bloating and no water retention!! But for 21 days prior to my period I look and feel awful. Sometimes two weeks without pooping.
Riddle me that Batman! So frustrating!
Have you had oestrogen and progesterone levels tested?
levels are lowest during period
helloclue.com/articles/cycl...
Oestrogen dominance ?
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
hypothyroidmom.com/progeste...
I’ll be getting all this testing (full thyroid, minerals and vitamins and hormone levels) on Wednesday. Hopefully you all can provide feedback.
Make sure to get blood test as early as possible in morning before eating or drinking anything other than water and last dose Levothyroxine 24 hours prior to blood test
(If taking T3 last 5mcg dose should be 8-12 hours prior to blood test)
If on any supplements that contain biotin stop these 5-7 days before any blood tests
If on iron stop this a week before any iron or ferritin test
Fantastic advice. Thank you, as always!!
There are a couple things that you mentioned that may be hindering you and causing weight gain and may contribute to bloating. Exercise uses up our T3 much quicker then just normal activity. Since you are on a low dose of T3 you need to raise it and cut back on the exercise.
Another area is that you are adding cream to your coffee. You are breaking your fast when doing this. The only liquids allowed during your fast period are black coffee, plain tea and water.
Research a keto diet to see if it would possibly work better for you.
Hi jjf255 I agreed with your until I talked to a nutritionist who explained that heavy cream (which contains zero proteins and carbs) does not break fasting. I don’t know, haha I don’t have a degree in this. But I will be cutting back, and looking at a Keto diet to see what is causing my bloating.
Thank you for the response, I had zero idea T3 affected my body like this.
I see heavy cream (which I think we in the UK call double cream) contains around 2.1% protein. And 2.8% carbohydrate. Is this the product you meant?
nutritiondata.self.com/fact...
Hi! The heavy cream I purchased here in the U.S. contains no carbs or protein. Only fat. I asked the same question if I’m breaking fasting but my nutritionist said no. 🤷♀️
That information was from the USA!
How do you find a heavy cream with no carbohydrate and no protein? (Perhaps more worryingly, how do they achieve zero carbohydrate and zero protein?) Do some brands offer that option?
nutritionix.com/i/trader-jo...
I think there is something wrong with that page. It says:
Calories 50 Calories from Fat 54
Which is a self-contradiction to start with!
Other cream products on the site make more sense. For example:
nutritionix.com/food/heavy-...
Which also has some carbohydrate and some protein (albeit small percentages) shown.
Plenty of reasons for confusion with food labelling around the world. Heavy whipping cream in the US has a different macro make up to UK double cream:
whatscookingamerica.net/Sau...
"Double cream is the British term for heavy or whipping cream in the United States, but it is a little thicker than our whipping cream. It contains about 48% butterfat."
It also doesn’t help that in the US the food labelling rules are different. In the US a “serving size” containing under 0.5g can be shown as ZERO. Obviously manufacturers can choose what they think is a serving size, which is often different to real life portions.
In the case of cream, I use just 5mls/1tsp of double cream in a coffee, somone else might use 30mls/2tbsp. So different nutrient websites can show different stats.
menucalc.com/2018/09/17/und...
“If your menu item has:
•Less than 0.5 grams per serving, round down to 0.
•Less than 1 gram per serving, state “less than 1 gram.”
•1 gram or more, round to the nearest whole gram (i.e. 2.25 becomes 2).”
The US also display total carbohydrates on labels, in the UK and Europe we show net carbs figures (total minus fibre). Opinions around the world vary as to whether we should be thinking in terms of total or net carbs.
Exercise can substantially increase need for Ft3
Cream is apparently fine on low carb/keto
Struggling after total thyroidectomy 3 years ago and not feeling great since
Post thyroidectomy, 3 years
constipation after thyroidectomy
muscle pain after thyroidectomy 
