Weight gain

[aliwt]

Purely on the weight subject. I have been on 75 Thyroxine for 30 years and have always carried around an extra stone or more despite eating very little and choosing healthy options.

In the last few months I have suddenly gained another half a stone despite nothing else changing…….I walk a lot, do Zumba Gold and Pilates.

I’m almost 64 so not hormones!

My thyroid problem started after being on Steroids for a couple of years…I was overdosed on them by a professor who was since struck off!

They made me put on a lot of weight and then my thyroid started misbehaving….not sure if there is any connection?

I had always been a slim person until then but am now an overweight person and I hate it.

Can anyone advise me on the best type of diet for under active thyroid?

Keto? Paleo? I have tried most of them even the 500 calorie one from the doctor….I lose a few pounds really slowly and then my body gets used to it and I stop losing!

I don’t ever feel hungry and can easily do 18 hours without eating.

I have read so many completely contrasting reports.

I would be so grateful if anyone has experience with this problem.

Thanks in advance

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Results show you are under medicated

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

On levothyroxine TSH should ALWAYS be under 2

Ft4 is only 46% through range

Ft3 is extremely low at 14% through range

So first step is to get 25mcg dose increase in levothyroxine

Retest bloods 6-8 weeks later

Which brand of levothyroxine are you currently taking

Do you always get same brand levothyroxine at each prescription

Many people find different brands are not interchangeable

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Vitamins

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

What vitamin supplements are you currently taking

Folate is deficient

GP should prescribe folic acid on prescription

B12 looks ok

Vitamin D needs improving to at least around 80nmol and around 100nmol maybe better

Ferritin is high, probably due to inflammation

You need full iron panel test to see if iron is high due to hemochromatosis.

Your antibodies are low, so you don’t appear to have Hashimoto’s

20% of Hashimoto’s patients never have high thyroid antibodies

If not had ultrasound scan of thyroid at all or in last 10 yrs request one

[fuchsia-pink]

I can ONLY lose weight when free T3 /free T4 are nice and high and key nutrients are good so please follow SlowDragon 's excellent advice and get the dose increase you need ... otherwise it's unlikely that anything much will help x

[JAmanda]

I had to get my T3 high before I could lose anything but even then I basically have to starve and avoid any carbs. It’s too depressing!

[aliwt in reply to JAmanda]

Thanks for replying. Yes, it is so hard isn’t it?I watch my other half and family and friends eat everything and stay slim…. Or at least lose weight when they diet but I eat hardly anything. I try to keep fit and healthy although it’s a struggle but the weight is really getting me down!

[JAmanda in reply to aliwt]

I have lost ten pounds since getting my t3 high and I’m keeping it off. With a bit of effort I think I might be able to lose a bit more. But then I read @greygoose I think saying if you have hashis you shouldn’t do low carb… I’ve no idea what to do. Exercise hurts me too much… so I’m back to just trying to accept myself as I am!

[aliwt in reply to JAmanda]

It’s SO confusing! I thought I would start my own investigation and bought several books etc but they all seem to say different things?!! Some say eat little and often others say don’t eat for 18 hours! Some say low carb others say no. High protein etc etc

Some books give a list of food to avoid and others tell you to eat those things!

I’m not a stupid person and want to be healthy and feel better but who do you listen to??

[JAmanda in reply to aliwt]

The only times I’ve ever lost weight I’ve lived in a different country and was living a wholly different lifestyle. I feel like I can’t get into a rhythm of a diet in my usual life as I’m constantly thwarted by friends and family snd a boyfriend who constantly want to eat when I only really want one meal a day. There was a thing a while back when the nhs advice was to just make a small change for the better in your diet and over time that would have a big effect. I think that is rubbish. I need to make a cataclysmic change to get anywhere! That takes a lot of effort. Im trying to ‘be good’ right now but not really diet. I’ve discovered Rowntrees lollies and they’re barely any calories so that’s my sweet treat if late. Sorry no better advice!

[aliwt in reply to JAmanda]

Thanks again. We will struggle on then. 😚 that’s a good tip about the lollies. Like you I could happily manage on one meal a day but everyone tells me that that’s wrong. Who knows?