How to lose weight under active thyroid now und... - Thyroid UK

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How to lose weight under active thyroid now under control

Chilly profile image
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My underacttive thyroid is finally at the correct levels now any tips on losing weight ? I just can't lose the 3 stone weight I have gained!!! Thanku

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Chilly
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shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator

You say you are finally at the correct levels, but are you feeling well?

This is a link re Weight Gain

web.archive.org/web/2010122...

These are several excerpts from a Critique to an Endocrinologis but since they were made in 2002 we are still not further forward:

Dr. Guttler again expressed his belief about weight gain and T4-replacement when he tried to convince a female patient with a hot thyroid gland nodule to undergo radioiodine therapy. "She claimed fear of radiation," he wrote, "and even more important to weight gain without a thyroid gland. Even after reassurance about the safety of RAI [radioactive iodine] and the weight neutral aspects of post radiation therapy of thyroid hormone replacement, she refused."[9] (Italics mine.)

These quotations from Dr. Guttler make clear that he believes: (1) if a hypothyroid patient’s thyroid "testing is stable and normal,"[5] any weight gain can’t be caused by too little thyroid hormone regulation; and (2) a patient will not gain weight on thyroid hormone replacement after she undergoes radioactive iodine treatment of her thyroid gland.

It’s noteworthy that Dr. Guttler expressed these beliefs about weight gain in 2004. He implies that his beliefs are based on 50 years of science.[3] Why then would he hold these two beliefs when a high-quality study by some of his own colleagues—published in 2000—shows exactly the opposite to be true.

I’m referring to a study coauthored by Drs. Geoffrey Beckett and Anthony Toft—a biochemist and an endocrinologist who promote T4-replacement as tenaciously (albeit far more civilly) as Guttler does. Beckett and Toft commented on hyperthyroid patients made hypothyroid by treatment that destroys thyroid gland tissue. "Despite restoration of serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations to normal, many [hypothyroid] patients complain of weight gain."[11]

Beckett and Toft compared the outcome of the treatment of thyroid cancer patients with that of Graves’ disease patients. Thyroid cancer patients used TSH-suppressive doses of T4 to suppress further thyroid tumor growth. On the TSH-suppressive doses of T4, the now hypothyroid cancer patients didn’t gain weight. Graves’ disease patients used T4-replacement doses—doses that kept the TSH within the current reference range. They were matched with the cancer patients for age, sex, and severity of hyperthyroidism before antithyroid therapy. The patients on T4-replacement after becoming hypothyroid gained a significantly greater amount of weight.[11]

and

Beckett and Toft’s following comment suggests that Guttler’s patient knew more than he: "Our results have affirmed [patients’] fears, namely, that treatment of Graves’ disease by surgery or 131I, resulting in hypothyroidism, is associated with excessive weight gain if the thyroid failure is treated with T4 in a dose that restores the serum TSH concentration to the reference range."[11] (Italics mine.)

Beckett and Toft also wrote, ". . . our findings are supportive of growing evidence that the current policy for treatment of hypothyroidism with T4 alone and in a dose that restores serum TSH concentrations to the reference range may be flawed, at least in some patients."[11]

kanelos profile image
kanelos

I am hypo and I manage to keep my weight in normal levels. What I do is:

1) Reduce salt

2) Have breakfast every day (sth with proteins, and low in fat and sugar eg. egg scramble with some turkey or chicken fillet in) and some whole grain bread

3) Have a snack before lunch (fruit, or vegs -eg. carrots, celery, cherry tomatos- or yogurt -sugar free- and almonds or walnuts-

4) Have for lunch sth not that fattening and that contain proteins

5) Snack again

6) The best dinner is boiled eggs with vegs or fruit - trust me- or alternatively you could have some lean meat with veggies

extras

-have at least 1.5 lit of water daily

-if you want sth sweet have some dried fruits (but not with added sugar-check the ingredients-) or some hot milk with honey and cinnamon or a banana

-dont add sugar to coffe or tea

-dont have large amount of food in one meal

-try to exersize at least 2 times per week (some running will do the job)

YOU WILL BE LEAN IN NO TIME GUARANTEED

contact me if you have any questions

facebook username: Konstantina Bardamascou or Julia Hernadez

e-mail: konstadinasworld@yahoo.gr

kanelos profile image
kanelos

I am sorry I submitted my answer so many times my internet connection is so bad today

greygoose profile image
greygoose in reply tokanelos

Well at least you got your message across! lol Mine failed to appear at all!!! Never mind, shaws said very much what I wanted to say.

But kanelos, I just wanted to say, you're not doing your adrenals any favours with reduced salt and low fat. And, honestly, there is no guarantee that Chilly will lose weight with your diet, given that we are all so different, and that her hormone levels are more than likely not optimised...

Sam75 profile image
Sam75

Hi there, its never easy to lose wieght, nomatter what illness you have, I have found that the "little & often" works for me......try not having a large meal for a week, instead "graze on good things in small handfulls like nuts, dried or ffresh fruit cut up...and try to limit any fats.

My mantra is dont get hungry....wont stuff ! good luck x

meki profile image
meki

I joined Rosemary Connelly Classes and that helped. Very light exercise and good balanced nutricious meals. The weight loss was slower than others in the group but worth sticking with. Swimming is also good for you

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