Why am I still putting on weight?

[Julesboz]

Hi all, a long shot here but wondering if anyone has any clues? I’ve put on quite a bit of weight in the last couple of years which has accelerated in the last 6 months. Very active, healthy eating 55 year old currently going through the menopause. Haven’t changed my eating or exercise habits. Had a hemithyroidectomy in November 2019. Haven’t been diagnosed as hypo but am taking Metavive 3 as my thyroid function was getting progressively worse. My last blood tests were very good. I take natural HRT (including testosterone) and last hormone blood tests were good too. I also take vitamin D with K2, B12, low dose iron, thyro complex which has a few things in it, and omega 3 & astaxanthin. I’m dairy, gluten, soya and alcohol intolerant and try to eat mainly whole foods (not processed). I feel good, all my thyroid symptoms have disappeared apart from vertigo which is currently being investigated, but I cannot seem to slow the weight loss down! Very annoying. I’ve put on a stone in the last 10 months or so.

Blood test results (March)

TSH (0.27-4.3 mu/L) - 0.08

FT4 (12-22 pmol/L) 17.2

FT3 (3.2-6.8 pmol/L) 5.8

If anyone has any ideas of things I can look at that would be great!

Thanks in advance.

[Lalatoot]

Dr. Ken Blanchard in his book 'A Functional Approach to Hypothyroidism' states that taking your thyroid hormones with your breakfast or evening meal can be effective for some patients in helping them to lose weight. He adds that for a few patients this led to poorer absorption and meant a slightly higher dose but that this was not the case for all patients who did this. He also stated that this goes against the conventional approach of taking doses on an empty stomach.I have not tried this myself.

[Julesboz in reply to Lalatoot]

Oh that’s interesting, I normally take them about 6am on an empty stomach before food. Maybe I should look into this?

[RedApple]

Julesboz, Probably entirely irrelevant for your particular situation, but there was a programme on Channel 5 yesterday evening:

'Why Do I Put on Weight'. Geneticist Giles Yeo and his team assess five overweight volunteers, before putting them on personalised diets tailored to their bodies and brains.my5.tv/why-do-i-put-on-weight

[Julesboz in reply to RedApple]

Yes I caught the end of it. It’s actually what spurred me on to post. I don’t think any of the cases last night applied to me, but it was interesting.

[greygoose]

thyro complex which has a few things in it

What things does it have in it? If it has iodine, calcium or copper, throw it in the bin, where it belongs. Then, have a look at the form of the rest - for example, if it has magnesium, is it magnesium citrate or oxide?

These multi things are rarely a good idea - in fact I'd say never - for all sorts of resons. They don't actually do anything to help the customer, just make the manufacturer rich!

[Julesboz in reply to greygoose]

It’s got very low amounts of calcium, copper and selenium. It’s also got magnesium citrate. I was recommended it by a holistic private GP who specialises in hormones. I’ve felt better since taking it and I like it because I’ve tried so many B complexes that really upset me because of the B6 being a too high dose (that I get weird symptoms from) and this has many of the B vitamins at lower doses.

[greygoose in reply to Julesboz]

You can get B complexes without B6. But, you really ought to get calcium and copper tested before taking any. Calcium supplements are really bad news, poorly absorbed and tend to build up in the soft tissues and arteries. So, if you really have to take them, you should also be taking vit K2-MK7 to help absorb them. But, unless you have a parathyroid problem, it's very rare to be calcium deficient in the west.

Hypos are usually high in copper and low in zinc. The two should be balanced. Just taking copper will lower your zinc even further.

Doctors know nothing about nutrition or nutrients. They don't learn about them in med school. So, it's really not a good idea to take nutritional advice from a doctor - even if he is holistic.

[Julesboz in reply to greygoose]

Where can you get a b complex without B6? I’ve searched high and low to find one and can’t! The thyro complex also has zinc, so it’s not copper without zinc, and I vitamin D3 with K2 so that should help with the calcium. If I could get a b complex without B6 or with a very low dose, I’d be happy to stop the thyro complex and take that. I’d also add vitamin C.

[greygoose in reply to Julesboz]

I'm afraid I can't help you with finding a B complex without B6, but I know they do exist. Why not ask just that in a new question?

It may contain zinc, but the point is, if you are high in copper, then taking more is a really bad idea. Which is why you should get both copper and zinc tested.

Seems it's not a good idea to take vit C with B12. The vit C stops your body using b12.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Essential to test vitamin D, folate, ferritin and and B12 at least annually

[Julesboz in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes did those in December and they were all very good (in the upper half of range), except ferritin which is always lower. I can’t cope with ferritin being any higher than about 35 because I get high iron saturation, with symptoms. It’s best mid 20s for me.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Julesboz]

Increasing iron rich foods in diet should improve ferritin without raising iron levels

Important to get ferritin roughly half way through range

[Anthea55]

My weight was under control until Metavive changed their recipe and added ribonucleotides. I put on nearly a stone in less than 6 months after they changed it, which was last spring.

I suggest that you find something other than Metavive.

[Julesboz in reply to Anthea55]

Have you got any suggestions? Are there any alternatives?

[Anthea55 in reply to Julesboz]

You say you have a holistic private GP. You should be able to get a private prescription from him/her. Then you can get Erfa or Armour. If you haven't been diagnosed as hypo why are you taking Metavive?

[Julesboz in reply to Anthea55]

Because I had a hemithyroidectomy in November 2019 and my thyroid function was getting worse and worse. I had many symptoms and my TSH (which had never been brilliant before the op) kept going up. My GP kept telling me my thyroid was fine despite my TSH getting up to 4.1. I decided I was fed up and rather that wait till I was really ill, I’d take Metavive, which has made a huge difference! I’m also really bad at taking synthetic meds (got a long list I have adverse reactions to, including synthetic hormones) so even if I’d waited GPS would have prescribed me thyroxine, which, with my history, I’m sure would have disagreed with me. As I’ve never been officially diagnosed, the holistic GP can’t prescribe me NDT because she’s still a registered GP.

[Anthea55 in reply to Julesboz]

Maybe you need to change your GP. TSH 4.1 should have given you a diagnosis. That GP didn't know enough about thyroids (like many other GPs). Most don't realise that primary hypothyroidism is not the only type of hypo and that 'in range' doesn't mean optimal. They used to consider symptoms. Weight gain is one of the many symptoms of hypothyroidism.

I'm not the only person who's had problems with Metavive. See these 2 links to previous posts

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

[Hidden]

You said you eat a lot of whole foods, what’s your daily intake of things like nuts, avocado, oily fish etc like? I’m not saying it is, but it could be you are perhaps eating more than you need - easy to do with things such as nuts where a simple handful can have a lot of calories in it; even if you are active you may be eating more than you need. This is just a suggestion - I don’t know the ins and outs of metavive.

[Julesboz in reply to Hidden]

I must admit I’m partial to peanut butter (the good stuff) but I really don’t eat a lot of avocados or oily fish. The weird thing is that my eating habits haven’t changed. I’ve eaten like this for years.

[Hidden in reply to Julesboz]

Also very partial to PB

[TRbo in reply to Julesboz]

Hi, I started putting weight on with the menopause. I have also stopped eating peanuts because I was told with hypo we can’t break down the proteins in them. Might help x

[MariaZetta]

Hello . I just wanted to add that my friend advice me to try to lose my extra weight now that i am in my 40's because when i will go through menopause i will put lots of weight like she did. She put 15 kilos during /after menopause and she didn't have any thyroid problems like i do. I am not looking forward to this....🙄

[Au10 in reply to MariaZetta]

Not everyone who goes through the menopause gains weight. I’m in my late 50’s and stayed the same weight, apart from this time last year when I became was diagnosed with Graves, I lost 4kg, but now back to usual weight.

[Josephineinamachine]

Hi have you considered adrenal function? I think going through the menopause can stress the body. I’ve been through it (same age as you) and was on Tridestra (and testosterone for a while). My weight fluctuated a bit but settled (until my thyroid started playing up). I’ve read that yoga (energetic yoga) can help with thyroid weight loss because you’re not stressing your body.

[Julesboz in reply to Josephineinamachine]

I do take DHEA for adrenal function and my DHEAS levels are now good. I think that’s a good sign but it’s something I’m not very knowledgeable about I’m afraid. It was prescribed by my hormone doctor as it was very low a couple of years ago. I’ve been through major stresses in the last 20 years (nasty divorce, child with cancer, child with eating disorder and many more) so it wouldn’t surprise me. I’m fairly relaxed now (apart from stress about the lockdowns) and am the healthiest I’ve been for ages. I don’t do any mad cardio exercise but I do a lot of vigorous walking (have 2 energetic dogs), at least an hour a day and I swim twice a week. I used to do Pilates but had to give it up because of the cost.

[Josephineinamachine]

You’ve had some really major stresses I’m so sorry. I don’t know how long stress affects us for...but it sounds like you’re doing everything right! Have you tried YouTube Pilates? Some good workouts there and also free.I am figuring out that eating late doesn’t work for me (I’m an evening snacker). So also maybe it’s about the timing of eating? Also read somewhere on here about the diet where you have a ‘window’ of eating and then nothing in between. Not sure I have the self control for that but seems to work for some? So frustrating isn’t it?

[Julesboz in reply to Josephineinamachine]

Hi there, it’s frustrating isn’t it. I try not to eat after 6.30pm, I try and avoid too many carbs and I eat healthily. Genuinely don’t know what I’m doing wrong! I haven’t tried YouTube Pilates. Maybe it’s something i should do?

[Icicles]

I notice that you are taking HRT and testosterone...I lost a lot of weight on the LCHF in combination with my thyroid meds stabilising over a year or so until I started HRT and testosterone in October 2020. To my dismay I have since regained 4 kilos following the LCHF method more strictly than ever (because I love it as much as anything) and cannot find any confirmation about whether the two things are linked.

My legs feet and hands are swollen so I think that I am retaining a lot of fluid, which HRT can cause. Did your HRT coincide with your weight gain at all? I have considered stopping my HRT but I find that I like sleeping and feeling cold sometimes 😆😆

I am trying to take a big dose of B12 sublingually too!

[Julesboz in reply to Icicles]

I started putting on a bit of weight when my thyroid function for worse, so just before my op and then after it, but it wasn’t much. Ive been taking progesterone and testosterone for a couple of years with no ill effects, but in September I started the menopause and oestrogen was added, and yes, that’s when the weight gain accelerated. It’s bizarre because about the same time is when I got my thyroid under control and my thyroid function has been excellent since then.

[Icicles in reply to Julesboz]

Maybe it’s the oestrogen then. Dilemma...

[Julesboz in reply to Icicles]

Could be... I’m loathe to stop it because of the hot flushes! It’s tough being a woman isn’t it?? 😂

[Icicles in reply to Julesboz]

Yes, it’s annoying. I never thought that I would choose weight gain over hot flushes and a good night’s sleep, but there you go. I did put up with them for 10 years so it’s not out of the question that I’d stop the oestrogen and see how I got on. I’ll give it another kilo and see. Good luck to you ♥️

[Kevz3016]

Can I ask why you take metavive, your thyroid looks very healthy, do you have level pre metavive? Also how active are you, I have to exercise hard 4 times a week to loose wait and avoid carbs.

[Julesboz in reply to Kevz3016]

Yes my thyroid is healthy now because of metavive. I had half my thyroid removed and my thyroid function was getting worse and worse. Doctors kept telling me it was fine but my TSH did hit 4.1 and I had plenty of symptoms. Metavive has sorted me out. I have 2 very active dogs and am out vigorous walking for at least an hour a day, 7 days a week. I also swim twice a week, so I’m very active. My diet and exercise regime hasn’t changed in the past 5-6 years and previously I maintained my weight.