hypothyroidism

[pat63]

i have hypothyroidism; can i lose weight doing atkins and improve my health? its the metabolism part im concerned about.
meds are to improve metabolism. will forcing metab. to burn carbs cause a thyroid problem worse than i have??


210 and feeling terrible

pat

[MammaC]

Hi Pat,
I have hypothyroidism, and I have been on Atkins for eleven months and I've lost 99 pounds to date. You can lose on Atkins. I did learn from Nonstickpam, and the Atkins NA that I should not eat under 30 carbs per day because of my thyroid problem. I have been eating between 30-35 most days. Sometimes it is just slightly under or over. This is working great for me. I did eat 20 or under for several months before I found out I should be eating more carbs, and lost well for quite a while, but slowed way, way down after a few months. Now, I am losing at a steady pace again. I know you are gonna do great, and I look forward to seeing your progress.
Martha

[pat63]

mammaC ; Thanks for your very encouraging reply.


ive decided i will stop reading every thing on the internet

about weight loss and thyroid problems; because it can

be very confusing. im referring here to ads for things to

help with weight loss; like speeding it up. they claim that

women with thyroid disease cant possibly lose weight.

well i hope some of them come accross these terrific testimonials, such as yours.

congrats on the pounds lost your doing wonderful.

pat63 on plan, today with no gain and no loss from yesterday. yipeeee.

[pat63]

OOOOps!!!

just weighed myself, 203lbs. lost one from yesterday.

yipppeeee for me and my atkins, and friends.........

i love low carb friends.................

pat

[inatic]

the best information for thyoid disease IS right here at LCF and with our nonstickpam107 who is a thyoid patient advocate as well as some one who who is also hypothyoid AND has other autoimmune diseases. You can definitely lose on atkins.

You might want to do some reading by the MANY people here who are hypo and have learned a few tricks along the way.

See the Heath BB if your so inclined.. Oh by the way I am hypothyoid, hashimoto's too.

[Steadfast]

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos years ago, but am not on medication now. Are you both on medication for your hypothroidism? My Dr said my tests were within "normal" range, but as I researched I found that they are in the newer lab values ranges for medication...? I plan to be rechecked soon, but wondered if I should up carbs from 20 or so to lose..? I lost well at 20 or under for about 8 months then stopped. No cheating, or eating anything that I should not...? Any advice would be appreciated.

[inatic]

If you have hashi's (i do as well) you need to be on medication. Once medicated for thyoid disease, it a treatment you need to follow for life.

Your dr doesnt know how to treat thyoid disease, that if for sure. Check out this (very LONG , informative ) thread about thyoid disease. Thyroid tests are normal?? Are you sure? and there are a few more threads on thyoid disease floating around on the heath Bulletin board too.

Let us know if you have anymore questions

[MammaC]

Originally posted by Steadfast
I was diagnosed with Hashimotos years ago, but am not on medication now. Are you both on medication for your hypothroidism? My Dr said my tests were within "normal" range, but as I researched I found that they are in the newer lab values ranges for medication...? I plan to be rechecked soon, but wondered if I should up carbs from 20 or so to lose..? I lost well at 20 or under for about 8 months then stopped. No cheating, or eating anything that I should not...? Any advice would be appreciated.

I would try raising my carbs to 30-35 if I were you. They told me that because of my thyroid I might not be eating enough carbs at 20 to metabolize the calories I was eating. I am sure the AN can advise you on this, but it has worked for me. I also lost well for several months at induction levels, then just slowed down to a crawl with a lot of up and down days. Now, I am losing at a more steady pace again. I just eat more veggies and have added fruit which I really enjoy. I have also lowered my calories a little as I raised my carbs. That might work for you, too. Right now, I am eating between 1600-1800 most days, but I'm sure I will have to lower it a little more soon as I lose more weight. I'll just have to see what works. If the change in weight loss doesn't happen at first, just give your body a little time to adjust. At least a week or two. I agree that you should definitely be on medication. I have been taking thyroid since my early 20's and am 56 now. I hope this will help you start losing again.
Martha

[Steadfast]

Thank You so much for that information. I have added minimal fruit, but will increase the carbs some and try adding more veggies.

[HippyHipster]

There are a TON of threads in the Main Lobby that deal w/HYPO issues also. ( I don't think that they have moved all of the past threads to the med. board??????)

As far as Atkins, HYPO and weightloss........ABSOLUTELY!! As you can see from the progress of us that have posted in here. LC and be assured that you will live a healthy life at a smaller size.

STEADFAST: YOU NEED TO BE ON MEDICINE and for LIFE!!! You may need to get another Doc........one who has a clue. MAYBE.......you were within range because of meds that you were on doing their job. And just wanted to ask you if you know about the veggies you should be avoiding?

INATIC: YOU look wonderful!!!!

[Steadfast]

I am one of the few rare people whose thyroid began functioning after Hasimoto's Thyroiditis. Alothough I was told initially that I should take medication for life...later another Dr. took me off when I suddenly started producing enough on my own. At last testing I was in the "normal" range...but after I left the Dr's I did some research and found the level of acceptable had just been changed and mine fit the "needing medication" level, again. I don't have any of my previous symptoms, but will ask the Dr about it when I go back in.

I'm an RN so I do watch for the sypmtoms, but I have been okay lately. I do think I eat FAR less than other people and still don't lose. I lost about 25 pounds and then my loss came to a screeching halt and lately I have fought to keep 3 or 4 of the pounds off (I will gain and lose the same ones over and over). I eat real cleanly, too....? I am thinking my throid may be involved at this point. They had to take me off the medication because when I produced my own with the medication..my levels were dangerously high. That has been years ago.

[TinaBina]

And just wanted to ask you if you know about the veggies you should be avoiding?

HippyHipster, I have Hashimotos & so far the only food that I know I should be avoiding is soy, are there others that I should know about?

Thanks,

[inatic]

Thanks Hippy

You should avoid eating brussel spouts, broc, cauli, spinach, cabbage, some people cant do peanuts, strawberries and the worst offender soy.

there are more on the list but i cant think of it right now.

[TinaBina]

You should avoid eating brussel spouts, broc, cauli, spinach, cabbage, some people cant do peanuts, strawberries and the worst offender soy.

Wow, except for the last three, these vegies have been staples for me, I had no idea

Thanks Ileen!

[inatic]

You can eat them just not RAW. Cooked is fine and doesnt seem to bother people.

Oh some cant do flaxmeal either but can do the whole seed.

[CarolynF]

Hi..

I am hypo..and a good friend of Carol's (oow-woo)...and we
were talking veggies..that hypos can't eat..My book, Thyroid
Balance says that cooking REDUCES the effect of those veggies..
But..if someone ate them everyday, it could
cause a problem..and it could cancel out the medicine..



I think we have to experiment..cuz I love those veggies..and
eat them all the time..I'm on 100 Synthroid..but will try to
cut back and see what happens..

[inatic]

I eat a TON of those veggies cooked on a daily basis, it doesnt seem to bother me cooked at all.

[Steadfast]

I eat all these foods regularly (cooked) with absolutely no problems.

[HippyHipster]

The only veggie that I have found that really effects me is broccoli it has to be cooked to mush. If I eat it any other way, I literally go into a 2 day coma.

I eat strawberries, cauliflower, spinach (raw) and peanuts on a daily basis w/no problems. I think its a YMMV type of thing.

Here is a list of veggies that can cause us HYPO's some problems. I was thinking that there was a longer list, but I don't have time to look for it right now......

Cruciferous:

Arugula
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Chinese cabbage
Collard greens
Daikon
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mustard greens
Radishes
Rutabaga
Turnips
Watercress

[MAMZELLE]

How does this apply when diabetic? The more foods are cooked, the more sugar content they have, and of course carbs. When possible, I try to eat all the vegs above as close to raw as possible for that reason. I'm out of my mind from reading this. I suspect a thyroid problem because of not going more than 6 lbs lost on straight, strict induction for almost a year or 10 months. Nothing gained, but no more lost nomatter what I do.

The first 5 lbs. [after MONTHS on induction] was all at once, a sudden 5 lb. drop one morning after eating Dreamfields pasta for a whole week, only that and two eggs & bacon in the morning, per day, nothing else.

Then I stopped the pasta, and lost nothing again till weeks or months later.... then another 3 lost without the pasta, then months later gained back that three then lost one in another months time [strangely also the morning after eating 2 oz. of the dreamfields again only one time], and can't budge from the total of that 6 nomatter what I do.

The only 6 I kept off were the 5 I lost after the week of Dreamfields, and the 1 lb I lost after the one night of Dreamfields! I know that indicates something, but my sugar goes up to 170's, 180's with it [instead of my usual 120's, 130's after food] and although it comes nicely and steadily down afterwards, and my blood was 99 the next morning, I don't want to spike it that much, but it was the only 2 losses i've ever seen [aside from that 3 lb loss which came back, and it's the only 3 that did.... they were the only ones that weren't lost after the Dreamfields].

I don't have lots to lose, but want to lose another 10, 15, even 20 because of my diabetes. I eat mostly zucchini, eggplants, cabbage and salad as my vegetables, as a switch from my prior broccoli and spinach, loads of which are still in freezer, but wanted a change and am in that phase of vegs for now.

I make a lot of 'potted' dishes with those vegs in it mixed with chop meat, or just broil or nuke a lamb chop or steak or pattie with lightly nuked zucchini & olive oil till I continue with the broccoli & spinach when I start eating those again, and eating lots of salads. The only other things I eat are eggs, bacon, tuna, chicken, a few walnuts & machadamias, pork rinds w/cream cheese, 3-4 oz. cheeder cheese, 10-12 tiny olives, half avacado per day, decaf coffee &, green tea once a day each, and tons of water. Same exact things every single day. That's IT.

I've lowered my protein portions and that didn't help. I've cut out bacon trying less fats, more fats, and neither helped, nothing does. I've tried eating less food [I eat so little as it is] and tried more food, sneaking a third meal in when not even hungry, to try MORE of these same foods, and THAT didn't help either.

I walk laps many times a day to make sure I at least have a TOTAL of 30 minutes per day but can't do it all at once and don't always reach that amount, but have tried and that doesn't help either. The scale is the same every single day and won't budge for about ten months except for that 6..

I eat NO soy and lots of celery & lettuce with the tuna and when making egg salad. My 'mock' russian salad dressing is ONLY mayo mixed with mustard instead of ketchup, lots of real fresh garlic, but only onion POWDER [and olive oil added just because I try to get some in every day].... no onions, no tomatoes, nor any tomatoe products.

I cannot deal with eating fruits and would be scared to death to introduce such high sugar. When only 'dieting' on Atkins in the past, my maintenance included only cantelope when off induction, but I wouldn't even dare eat that now with diabetes, and don't believe in the ADA guidelines and never have, and never will. I would have still have an over 336 fasting if I did, which it was when I first tested, and over 200 every test through the day after that for a week, when I started atkins.

I lost 5 inches off my waist at the beginning, but not bust & hips and that ended there too. I'm ready for a straight jacket...... I wasn't concerned with weight primarily, but want my sugar to get below 100 and that's why I want to lose, only to lower my sugar to a fasting 85-90 from the current 100 to 120s mornings, and my current 120's to 130's 2 hrs after meals. I started at 200's and 300's fasting when first realizing I was diabetic after using my mother's blood meter and got down to my present numbers with mere dieting, no doctor and no medications..... but NO MORE WEIGHT LOSS.

What the hell is going on. What are the signs of thyroid problems aside from exhaustion when active. I've been very metabolically low all my life but was always able to lose what I gained.... now I don't gain, but don't lose either.

I've been taking too many vitamin supplements to even list here.... split twice per day.... all the ones for diabetes and weight loss,
recommended by both Atkins & Bernstein.

Also, HippyHipster.... how do you KNOW that the broccoli i.e. has to be cooked to 'mush'. What happens to you when it's not. What signs are you getting? You just stop losing weight? But how do you know it's from not cooking the vegs enough? What other signs are there. I never feel anything negative from the foods I eat, nomatter how long or short I cook them nor even if I nibble zucchini raw sometings or barely cook broccoli or anything else. I have no problems at all from anything I eat, ever. What should I be looking for that maybe I'm not even noticing? All that ever happens is that once in a while I get tired at NIGHT after eating, but I keep such crazy hours and am mostly up all night, then all day and by the time I eat my night meal I'm 'naturally' tired, but that's expected as anyone would be with not enough sleep/rest...., but most of the time what I eat energiezes me and I feel better after eating. Could you explain why they have to be cooked so much, because that is worse for diabetes, and what the signs are for all of this... you too Inatic lol..... and Hi again!

[inatic]

Mamzelle with my body building I eat literally a ton of veggies. If i eat them raw or less cooked , i get tired/sleepy feeling. I dont have to cook mine to mush though. usually 4.5 min in my micro is enough.

I am trying to find the list of symptoms for you. hang on

[inatic]

Mamzelle here is the list of 69 symptoms that I was looking for.

69 Most Commonly Reported Symptoms of Hypothyroidism*


http://www.drlowe.com/geninfo/hyposymptoms.htm

[MAMZELLE]

Ok, Inatic... im here, thanks

MommaC... could you give me an example of a typical menu with your 30-35 carb grams. I don't think I've been going above 20 or even less some days, some days MUCH less but have been raising it more lately. But my nuts are about 5-6 g some days much less, only a couple or 5, and I forgot to mention that I do have a spoonful of the Fifty50 diabetic peanut butter that I only added 2 weeks ago [really it's just without 'added' sugar] so that accounts for some, sometimes 2 spoons which equals 7 gms, similiar to a veg portion, plus the few carbs here and there in the olives, cheese, 1 each egg, the salad, zucchini, so I'm probably around 30 already these days since trying to up my intake, if hungry and need to snack pork rinds & cream cheese in addition to that, and the half a small avacado some days is 6g so I really am up to that range but wondering if the KINDS of foods matter. You eat fruit you said [?], but I'd rather have all these little varieties to grab throughout the day instead of blowing it all on a piece of fruit which I don't enjoy as much, anyway, and don't want the sugar. Please give me ideas of what got your metabolizm going with FOODS [not medication]. Every morning getting on that scale, I feel like I died inside and my body just stopped working completely..... 10 or more months [aside from the 6] is a long time to keep watching this happen, but thankfully, I'm not gaining a single ounce either. Wonder if ANYTHING is working in there. NO movement at all either way, not even any evidence of water retention from all I'm drinking! It's really weird and getting to me.

[inatic]

You might want to get yourself tested for thyoid to rule it out. The proper tests and accept none less are:

Tsh (the range women feel best is UNDER 1 **NOT** what the labs tests deem "normal:
FREE T 3( NOT T3 or UPTAKE) These lab levels should be in the MID RANGE OR HIGHER to lose weight and feel well. this tests Measures the amount of hormone your body is USING on a cellular level. the other mentioned test/s only tells you have have the hormone in your body.. what good is it if it isnt being used
Free T 4 NOT t4 or uptakes. These lab levels should be in the MID RANGE OR HIGHER to lose weight and feel well This test also measures the amount of hormone being USED in your body on a cellular , not the availability of it.

If you can get away with [b]TPO/AG[b/] antibody testing PUSH for it as well. THese tests diagnose the autoimmune versions of thyoid disease. I have Hashi's. As you know, once you have one auto immune disease you are suspectable to more


Do not listen to your dr if they come back and say everything is normal unless you have matched those ranges to the above ones. you might want to take a gander at this VERY long, INFORMATIVE thread about testing normal Thyroid tests are normal?? Are you sure?

It is possible that it could be other hormones going out of wack too Might be able to also push/swing the following. In the above thread, there is a list of other tests for hormones that you might also want to consider testing.


.

[MAMZELLE]

Just want to mention, inatic, that I did immediately go to your above list [link] that day, and got very upset, and talked about it all night with my DF, because even the symptoms that I knew about regarding a sluggish thyroid, seeing them in print really set reality in, mostly the ones regarding emotional anxiety, worrying and ALL the ones pertaining to fatigue and total exhaustion ....many of the overt physical "SIGNS" didn't apply, but a couple of the minor ones did, and the covert, though non drastic "symptoms" did ring a bell.... emotions and energy ones mostly. "Thinking too much" was one of those lol That's what keeps me awake all night, but I've always been like that anyway.

One especially. It was very strange. I was wearing a pair of granny reading glasses resting on the lower part of my nose, which I use when typing in these dialogue boxes with such small print and mine has a light blue background which doesn't help [is there any way to make this dialogue box's font larger & darker, I can change every kind of font everywhere else on laptop, but never in these darn boxes where we type, which is why I type elsewhere first and then just paste it in here if it's a long one], but anyway.... those glasses hit me in the wrong place on the bridge of the nose and suddenly my nose swelled up! I then taped a ball of cotton onto that spot of the bridge of the glasses that rested on my nose but by that time my nose was already starting to swell!

In a couple of days it spread to my eyes! I was all blown up around the area. I figured it was the glasses [and of course that was the catalist] but I couldn't understand how that could do such a thing to that whole large area, nose, and around both eyes! It scared me to death. The list included "swelling around the eyes because of edima" but that never happens to me other than that one isolated time and no swelling ever anywhere else before or after... but STILL why such a reacton to just glasses resting on my nose! I've worn similar granny lenses before and it never happened, nor since, hmmm, actually as I now think about it, the kind I have now I think I did used to wear before [where they DON'T rest directly ON the nose in the center] anyway, he sent me a whole supply of more grannies without that center bar [theyre all like only 2 bucks in his favorite drug store, and very light strength so I got a lot of them].

I also don't have fluctuating weight gain from liquids on the scale that would indicate edima, it never moves at all so I'm not retaining water at all. But it did scare me at the time and when reading your list.

So that's why you hadn't heard back from me here. I had to get away from it. Even my DF said ''diabetes you can control yourself, but not thyroid" so I'd been pretty upset about the possibilites, because I like to try to take care of things myself, and don't trust doctors as far as I can throw them, and haven't found one that I trust yet, and dread experimenting. But it was a fascinating site and I'm not done there, but needed to take a mental break from it before I explore it all. It really put me in a funk for a couple of days.

I read both the 'signs' and the 'symptoms' listed seperately [practically the same, though] and also the 5 things on top of the lists where it says if you ARE already doing these 5 things, the things on the list might indicate thyroid [eating right, taking vitamins, etc.] and of course I did answer 'yes' to three out of the five [except for seeing a doctor for every little thing, and also taking blocker medications.... those two I'm not doing] so my problem ISN'T simply nutritiional.

Anyway, I appreciate the info and sorry I didn't thank you sooner but it's something that I guess should get me to a doctor sooner to check out. DF said "hey, if it's that, its better than diabetes because thyroid reacts to medication and can be resolved" and he's frustrated that I DON'T get to a doctor, and used this to press his point, but I didn't know thyroid was a lifelong thing like diabetes and can't be corrected permanently, which is what bothered me the most when reading, and medication could interfere with diabetes which I'm afraid of and it's foreign to me, u