Dear community. I'm hoping for some hope and encouragement. I've been a fitness professional all my life, worked so hard to stay lean and athletic. (I was a fat kid so had to work extra hard from age 17 to keep weight down) I managed
But since last 2 years went from 82kg to 92kg and last few months gone up to 96kg. It's like my worst nightmare.
I'm not at optimum level yet with levothyroxine, been increasing dose slowly over last few months..
Can anyone reassure me that my weight will come down once at the right level for TSH?
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Salkas
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How are you feeling ? Have you got any blood tests results to help the team ? could not see anything much on your bio ?
I am hashi about 2 years in - I lost a lot as soon as on Levo (100 too 95 kg then slowly to 87kg) but I had been gluten free for a year as well. I think a lot was water from inflammation. Makes we wonder if gluten an issue for your ? Or could be you are not getting T3 into cells.
I was just reading this - my take is if your are not getting T3 into body it adds weight.
Could be you're exercising too hard. With a TSH of 3.8 you are still hypo, and hard exercise is not recommended for hypos. Just gentle walking and swimming.
By over-exercising you are compromising your conversion of T4 to T3 and making yourself more hypo and thereby reducing the possibility of losing weight. Ease up on the exercise and you might do better.
Also, it's not about the TSH. Yes, a TSH of 3.8 is too high, but it's that high because your thyroid hormone levels are too low. The TSH itself doesn't cause symptoms or make you put on weight. That's down to the FT3. And once the TSH gets below 1, it is a very poor indicator of thyroid status. You could have a TSH below range and still have low FT3. So, don't get hung up on the TSH, it's the least important of the three numbers.
This is the problem.. I already reduced my exercise massively. I no longer run. I exercise every other day. My t4 and t3 were in range last time so as far as I'm aware that wouldn't be contributing to weight gain. So if it's not tsh or t3 t4. Then what else could it be
Just being 'in-range' is not the same as optimal. Depends where within the range the results fall. And if your TSH is over 3 then your FT4 and/or FT3 are going to be too low. Can you give us the exact numbers? Results and ranges. Then we'll be able to explain better.
These levels aren't too bad, but would be better higher. Your TSH is even higher there so your pituitary isn't happy with those levels and wants more hormone.
Assuming the ranges on your latest results are the same - please, always give ranges because they vary from lab to lab - your FT4 has dropped since then and is now only 49% through the range. so, your FT3 will also have dropped and will now be much too low for your good health. Both should be more like 75% through the range. You need an increase in dose.
Handy converter for percentages which makes it easier to compare results with different ranges:
Thanks for doing the maths. It's confusing to me as my cognition won't take on the preassure. I'll update with results. I will pay for private blood tests as well as nhs as the nhs are not testing T3.
They don't even know what T3 is! They certainly don't appreciate its importance. So, yes, getting a private test is the best thing to do.
It is confusing in the beginning - especially if you have hypo brain-fog - but you'll soon get used to it. Do as much reading as you can on here, you'll learn a lot.
With your private test, do get antibodies tested. It's really important to know if you have autoimmune thyroid disease. And that's another thing doctors don't understand the importance of!
Yes, it damages thyroid cells and eventually kills off the whole thyroid.
And those thyroid cells contain stocks of thyroid hormone. And when they're damaged they release that thyroid hormone into the blood, causing FT4 and/or FT3 to rise sharply, and TSH therefore drops to suppressed. And that's where doctors freak out because they don't know/understand how Hashi's works and they think you're over-medicated and want to reduce your dose. But, of course, that false 'hyper' phase is only temporary, and the levels will eventually go down by themselves, and then you'll need your full dose back. And that's where it gets a bit difficult. So, it's best you, at least, know what's going on - because your doctor won't!
Yes. Well I feel it. My tsh was 4.8 on private test. Went to gp for test doing again one week later. On the way to GP I felt the change, I was more hyperactive and energised and knew it woukd change. Then results came back with GP tsh 3.8. So I was right. So I guess best time to get bloods tested is not when I feel that energised change..
Presuming also best not to get tsh down to below 1.0 because then if it dropped symptoms would be more severe?
Ummm... no. With a TSH of over 3 you weren't having a Hashi's 'hyper' swing. If you had had one, your TSH would have been zero. You may have had a little extra hormone in your blood due to the Hashi's, but I'm talking about something a lot more extreme.
And symptoms have nothing to do with TSH. Forget TSH, it's irrelevant. If you have a 'hyper' swing, your TSH will be suppressed no matter what it was before. This is something you cannot control in any way.
Yes it will. TSH follows the thyroid hormone levels. If they go high, the TSH drops low. That's the way it works. You cannot manipulate the TSH.
Anyway, it doesn't matter how low the TSH goes, because it doesn't make you feel anything. It does not cause any sort of symptom whether it's high or low. As I said before, the TSH is irrelevant once it gets below 1. If it is high, it means your thyroid hormone levels are too low and you need an increase in dose. But when it gets below 1 it is a very inaccurate indicator of thyroid status and becomes irrelevant. What is most important is the FT3 level because T3 is the active hormone and if it's too high or too low, it causes symptoms.
The superb "A team" are replying with specialist info. Put ranges on bloods as not all labs the same for T3 and T4.
At your sore of weight I ended up on 150 mg (50/100/125 steps)
With me gluten is an absolute no no, wipes me out for a week - I assume pizza is gf, I could not get away with a cheat ?
While you are repairing (over next few months) LESS exercise might help you.
We are all different but your "battery" has been low for sometime and things take time to recover even when you are at full "volts".
If autoimmune you can still have thyroid swings when it is being attacked it dumps out some T3 and T4 .
The forum teaches you to get folate/ferritin/vit D and B12 tested and get them high in range. You need blood tests first to know where your are starting from.
Yeah I'm gonna have to pay private for updated lab tests as my endocrinologist on nhs will only test t4 and tsh. I purposely asked for t3 testing, they said I don't need it.
Exercise is very important for me as I am adhd. Exercise regulates my brain for a period after plus critical for my mental health. Walking doesn't do that as I need to get my heart rate up
T3 helps control metabolism and if it is low metabolism is slow, which means fewer calories burned and therefore weight gain.
Though I expect your training taught you this!
For reasons beyond me medics do not give T3 the importance it deserves.
For good health every cell in the body needs to be flooded with T3 by way of an adequate and constant supply.
Low cellular T3 = poor health.
It's important to ensure T4 to T3 conversion is robust....this can be checked by comparing FT4 and FT3 labs which have been measured under correct protocol....at 9am, 24 hrs after last dose of levo and on an empty stomach.
High FT4 with low FT3 = poor conversion
Vital to optimise vit D, vit B12, folate and ferritin to support thyroid function.
Have you tested thyroid antibodies TPO and Tg to check for Thyroid Autoimmune Disease a common cause of hypothyroidism
Here are ft3 ft4 these may have changed now. My endo is only testing for free t4 and tsh next time I have bloods in 2 week. They won't test t3. I don't know why but they said all I need is ft4 and tsh
You need current labs and the NHS rarely test FT3 so you'd need to do another private....it's madness to sideline one of the most important hormones in the body but that's the NHS on thyroid disease!!
Not knowing FT3 leaves gaps in the picture and hides problems ...as we often see here
With Hashi's your levels will fluctuate from time to time and you may notice a rise in symptoms as hormone levels rise in a hyper swing ( that doesn't mean you become hyperthyroid) ....but it is transitionary and levels eventually settle back down
Are you gluten free? Helps many.
50mcg is only a starter dose and should have been raised 6 weeks after initiation....when was that?
It is not wise to ask too much of your body until your dose is correct
The brain needs a huge amount of T3 so if that is low cognitive function can suffer and anxiety can kick in
Ah! Just noticed that greygoose has given you excellent advice suggest you take heed!!
Things will get better once you are on your therapeutic dose....meantime ease up a lot on exercise. That may sound counterintuitive but it is important.
I’ve always considered a “therapeutic dose” to be one where you don’t have any symptoms of either over- or u dear-medication. And that dose could change based on season, illness, diet, excercise.
Most doctors consider a therapeutic dose one that makes you “euthyroid” - TSH in range. A good doctor considers that you have adequate free T3 to function normally and alleviate symptoms.
What’s your diet like? I mean, are you trying to eat in any kind of calorie deficit to counteract the weight gain? If so, this may be working against you as it puts stress on the body at a time when it’s not resourced to cope with stress. I found counterintuitively that eating more at maintenance calories helped with weight loss.
Hi I need to re evaluate my calorie intake. I eat healthy and have been in a deficit before as I calculated calorie expenditure and intake. But still wasn't losing weight.
It's hard to track isnt it. As on my rest days I can only guess what I'm burning off even with use of my garmin sports watch. Plus the studies that say a male should eat 2000 calories per day is quite a lot. How do you accurately measure yours?
It’s very tricky. Plus from everything I’ve read on the subject, when you have hypothyroidism, I don’t know that the calories in/calories out philosophy works in the same way. It certainly doesn’t for me.
For the last year or so, I’ve been doing ZOE (healthy eating with a focus on gut health) and am tracking food on their App. Previously, I have used My Fitness Pal. I also get a sense of what I’m burning off via AppleWatch. I am not currently trying to hit a calorie target though. I have lost 10kg on daily calorie intakes of 1800 to 2200. I am female, currently 65kg. I should add that I am not that accurate in tracking.
Interestingly, thinking weight loss had stalled a few months ago, I went back to the gym and my trainer gave me calorie and macro targets. For a while, I abandoned ZOE and did this. Calories were +/- 1700 a day. I actually regained 1.5kg on this!! I’ve since gone back to ZOE and lost that weight and more.
Having said all of that, I’m on near optimal T4/T3 dosages now and without a doubt that is a factor in the very complex equation of weight and hypothyroidism.
I used to be in over eaters anonymous which is a organisation full of people who have lost weight for good. Their advice is this 'If an anerexic person starts eating normally they will gain unitll they become a normal weight. It is the same as an over weight person, you dont need to under eat you just need to eat normal amount to lose weight, anything less messes up you metabolism and leads to binging'. Roughly a normal calorie intake is 2000 calories per women or 2,500 for men. Most people in over eaters anonymous cut out refined sugar and eat three moderate meals a day. No gimics but it works.
If i ate 2500 cal a day I'd put weight on im sure. I'm going to do a thorough calorie count amd expenditure to see where im at. Before thyroid issues I had a poor metabolism
YOu may have had undiagnosed thyroid issues for a long time. The range of normality in the blood results in the uk very wide. I gain weight if I under eat
I forgot to say that I have never been on any diet or counted any calories. I weigh 10 stone am 78 years old and have always eaten a healthy diet. I included nuts in my diet and have for years these are good for cholesterol.
I am 5ft 8 inches tall so have put on about 6 lbs in the last twenty years due only to the age thing and not running.
Awe bless you. I'm 5ft 8 too. I have an athletic figure so always been heavier due to muscle mass but now a lot of body fat amd water retention took me to 96kg. It's crazy how much fat I've put on. When you say you changed thyroid meds what do you mean? How did it help?
Well before my thyroid removal I never had any problems with thyroid and only joined this site 7/8 months after. I found our about NDT Pigs thyroid and ordered some Thyroid s.
I have been taking it for around 7/8 years now and felt very well. Some people take Levo plus T3 to feel well. It helped me get back to some sort of fitness I only joined the site because after 7/8 months I couldn't even get off the floor by myself.
I am not like most people on the site no Gut problems . I probably only needed an increase of Levo at the time but the NDT seemed good so I went for it. Good Luck
All I can say is my dr. told me I could lose weight and I did. If you are as fit as you say do some walking. I lost 2stone with S.W. it took 9 months but I lost it. Now I have a bad knee and use a stick I can not walk all that well, but I still do keep fit. It might be for older people, but I also do short mat bowling. I hope this gives you some encouragement.
Read all the post, very informative. I would like to know if stationary bike cycling is good if you are hypothyroid. Also I have a bad back, sciatic, and knee problems. I also use a stick and am extremely overweight. 5 ft 6in about 250lbs now. I will post my results when I find them. Lol
As far as I'm aware exercise is good if hypothyroid as long as you listen to your body. If it's tired. Give it rest. Stationary bike should be OK for knee as low impact but depending on what is wrong with your back it may aggravate it. Bike needs to be set up properly for your high and body position to minimise bagk ache and stress through other joints.
Hi Salkas, you have quite a few replies, but I thought this might resonate with you. I was listening to a podcast on nutrition for neurodivergent brains.
Do you take any nutritional supplements?
They said: 70% of general population is deficient in magnesium these days. If you exercise, you are 10-20% more likely to be deficient. Magnesium has a calming effect and is also important in thyroid functioning.
Many of us, with thyroid problems, have to supplement various vitamins and minerals, as even with healthy diets are bodies are not able to absorb the nutrients from our food. An underactive thyroid slows our metabolism. As an example: For me, in the year I was out every day looking after my veg garden en walking my dog, I was still tested as very low in vitamin D. So I'm taking quite high supplements at the moment.
The other thing which might be interesting to look into. From a slightly different angle. Is breathing exercises etc. As mentioned before, an underactive thyroid slows down your metabolism. It sounds like this causes a lot of anxiety for you about gaining weight. When your body is in this higher stress mode, it will focus its activity even more on heart and oxygen etc, all the systems in the body which need to be ready for a fight. An anxious state will therefore take away more energy from your digestion and divert it towards pumping blood to your heart and cortisol. Your gut biome will come to a halt. via signals from your vagus nerve. Focusing on reducing your anxiety and creating rest will tell your body, you're safe and can focus again on increasing your metabolism.
As you are already eating really healthily and an expert on exercise, this might be something to look further into.
Ps. keep coming back here to post your blood results to make sure your meds are the right dosage.
Yes, I totally get that. It sounds like you're already doing a lot, and your next step is to get your thyroid meds to the right level. Which.. frustratingly.. takes a while. But you're on the right path. It's also good news that you've been prescribed them, because that's my hurdle. And it's a frustrating one!
I've actually seen a psychologist. (A health psychologist focused on body and mind connection). It helped a lot. But as with all these things, it's expensive. But I would recommend this if you can afford it.
I am posting my results as promised. TSH 5.610 ulU/ml, FT3 2.58 pg/ml, FT4 12.4 pg/ml taken on 13th May 2024, Medication was increased from 75 mcg to 100 mcg.T4 45.24 ng/ml, TSH 6.841 ulU/ML, T3 1.12 ng/ml taken on 7th October, 2024.
Medication increased from 100 to 125 mcg on 21st October 2024.
Hi blackcake it would be better to start a new post of your own asking for advice with your results etc. otherwise we all get confused , and many people will not see your question in the middle of this post.
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