looking for recommendations

[SarahReed11]

Hi guys I’m looking for recommended books to help lose weight with hypothyroidism. There are so many books out there on this but want to hear from you who have had personal experience and have succeeded. Thank you!

[Buddy195 Administrator]

Do you have your latest thyroid blood tests to share? Many members find it impossible to lose weight until these are optimal.

[pennyannie]

Hello SarahReed :

Are you still on a T3/T4 combo - maybe your dose needs adjusting ?

' Dieting ' as such is counterintuitive when hypothyroid ?

[SarahReed11 in reply to pennyannie]

Yes I take T3/T4 combo and have my bloods tested every 3 months but still gaining weight! Hence I need to look at food to ensure I’m eating the right foods.

[pennyannie in reply to SarahReed11]

Well no thyroid hormone replacement works well until your core strength vitamins and minerals are up and maintained at optimal levels - and just being in a NHS range is not optimal with some ranges are too wide to even be sensible.

Down regulation of T4 into T3 can also occur because of inflammation, antibodies, any physiological stress ( emotional or physical ) depression, dieting and ageing - so some goal posts are more difficult to manage or impossible to control.

So it may just be your T3 and T4 readings are not optimal or, as well as, your viatmin and minerals not optimal.

We can advise on all these if you care share your blood test results and ranges -

If your doctor can't run the necessary blood tests for you - Thyroid UK - the charity who supports this forum have a dedicated page of Private Blood test companies who can and forum members here can offer considered opinion when we see the results and ranges.

thyroiduk.org

[SarahReed11 in reply to pennyannie]

Well I have lived with hypothyroidism for 37 years and have been through everything you mention and pay about £100 a month on supplements.

Only thing is I’ve not tried is going private as it’s too expensive on what I live on.

[pennyannie in reply to SarahReed11]

I don't doubt your medical history and I too have to supplement vitamins and minerals everyday to stay well and now self medicate Natural Desiccated Thyroid as I was refused both T3 and NDT on the NHS - and I too can't afford to go private.

I'm with Graves Disease and post RAI thyroid ablation in 2005 and presume now, without any thyroid function of my own

[SlowDragon Administrator]

2 years ago your results showed you were not on high enough dose

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

with low Ft3 and Ft4 likely low vitamin levels

You need to get vitamin levels tested at least annually

What vitamin supplements are you taking

Is your hypothyroidism autoimmune?

Are you on strictly gluten free diet and/or dairy free diet

[SarahReed11 in reply to SlowDragon]

please see latest test result posted a bit earlier.

I take Vitamins A, B complex, C, D3. Ashwagandha, probiotics, krill oil, zinc & copper, and magnesium.

My hypothyroidism is hereditary as my mother had it and both my daughters have it.

I am dairy free and have been for a long while. I’ve gone gluten free couple of months ago but weight keeps gaining.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to SarahReed11]

So if you all have hypothyroidism that’s highly likely autoimmune, also called Hashimoto’s usually diagnosed by high thyroid antibodies

Either or both high TPO and/or high TG antibodies

About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease, usually diagnosed by high TPO and/or high TG thyroid antibodies

Autoimmune thyroid disease with goitre is Hashimoto’s

Autoimmune thyroid disease without goitre is Ord’s thyroiditis.

Both are autoimmune and generally called Hashimoto’s.

Significant minority of Hashimoto’s patients only have high TG antibodies (thyroglobulin)

20% of autoimmune thyroid patients never have high thyroid antibodies and ultrasound scan of thyroid can get diagnosis

In U.K. medics hardly ever refer to autoimmune thyroid disease as Hashimoto’s (or Ord’s thyroiditis)

Link about Hashimoto’s

thyroiduk.org/hypothyroid-b...

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

thyroiduk.org/signs-and-sym...

poor conversion of Ft4 to Ft3 common with Hashimoto’s

Essential to test TSH, Ft4 and Ft3 plus vitamin levels at least once a year

Test thyroid antibodies at least once and/or ultrasound scan of thyroid

[DippyDame]

Hypo weight gain is unlike other types of weight gain it requires optimal key nutrients and optimal T3 hormone level to be effective.

If T3 is low metabolism is slow and someone with a slow metabolism just won't use up the same amount of energy to do the same task as does someone with a fast metabolism. As a result weight increases.

Undermedication needs to be treated with replacement thyroid hormone ( usually T4) to raise metabolic rate.

Reducing food intake will not achieve this.

Do you have any recent lab results you can share.....including both FT4 and FT3

I lost nearly two stone once correctly medicated....I have a form of thyroid hormone resistance and my cellular T3 was too low despite the fact my serum level appeared to be good. I need high dose T3-only to get enough T3 into the cells.

That is my personal experience.

[HealthStarDust in reply to DippyDame]

“I have a form of thyroid hormone resistance and my cellular T3 was too low despite the fact my serum level appeared to be good.”

Hi Dippy, I am curious how you was able to reach this conclusion if the tests showed that you serum level was good. Was the FT3 low? And, how does someone going about assessing if they have a form of thyroid hormone resistance?

[DippyDame in reply to HealthStarDust]

FT3 is the serum level.

It's all in my bio...it was a long process involving a huge amount of reading.

Sorry it's brief....just off to bed!

[HealthStarDust in reply to DippyDame]

Thank you. Will try and have a read.

[LucyYoga]

Unless you are overeating and eating lots of processed rubbish, then inability to lose weight with hypothyroidism points more to not being on an adequate amount of thyroid hormone

[SarahReed11 in reply to LucyYoga]

I eat healthily. I do not like processed foods. I’m dairy and gluten free. I feel I’ve done all I should! Smile

[LucyYoga in reply to SarahReed11]

Sounds therefore that you may not be on enough thyroid meds- TSH and FT4 not adequate. Get your FT3 tested - most ppl need it to be at least 75% through ref range to feel well. Are you on T4 only? If you are then your FT4 looks too low

[SarahReed11 in reply to LucyYoga]

Thank you. I’m actually on Levothyroxine AND Liothyronine so the results are confusing.

I’ve ordered and received a home blood test kit from a private company so will post the results when I have them back. Let’s hope this is the right way forward.

[LucyYoga in reply to SarahReed11]

Ahhh… ok well if you are on combo of t4 and T3 then your T4 is likely to be lower … but yes def do private test kit. Ideally you want to be at least 75% through range … Im well now and I’m about 100-110% through range. Good luck

[SarahReed11]

Thank you all. Any idea of how much is a private test with private blood test companies?

[SarahReed11]

recent blood test result unsatisfactory but as told it’s stable!

Printout of blood test result

[HealthStarDust in reply to SarahReed11]

I am surprised your GP didn’t want to reduce your treatment based on that TSH.

[TiggerMe in reply to SarahReed11]

Only 60% through range every chance you need a little more levo, with no fT3 result it's impossible to know how much is being converted to the active form

[SarahReed11 in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you. I’ll ask for that to be tested. What else should I ask them to check?

[TiggerMe in reply to SarahReed11]

You'll be lucky if they actually test fT3 it is getting much harder to request and is often turned down by the lab depending on area... I'm guessing you test the things you already supplement?

If they won't do it a basic thyroid test will show us how well you are converting.... monitormyhealth.org.uk/thyr...

discount code.... THYROIDUK10 gives you 10% off 🤗

It's an NHS Lab

[SarahReed11 in reply to TiggerMe]

Thank you. I have now received home blood test kit! Appreciate your help here.

[Foxylady1066]

I cut carbs, bought the carbs and calories counting book. It’s tough reducing carbs but it’s worked for me.

No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, lost over 2 stone.

[SarahReed11 in reply to Foxylady1066]

Thank you. I’ve started doing it this way so it will be interesting to see how it goes.