How Low Cal is too Low???

soccermomof3 · 04-22-2012, 01:41 PM

So, I've read often that consuming too few calories is actually detrimental to thyroid function. With that in mind, what actually constitutes too few calories? I absolutely can't lose weight without going down to 1,000-1,200 calories per day and moderate carbs (50-100 grams). I have roughly 100 pounds to lose and weigh somewhere around the 300 lb mark. Is this okay for me to do? Or is this going to set me back metabolically in the long run?

Leo41 · 04-23-2012, 02:14 AM

I doubt that anyone can answer this question for you except for an MD, preferably an endo, since they specialize in metabolic issues. We are all unique in our caloric needs.

I will share my experience, so that you will know that the conventional wisdom does not apply to everyone. After I lost my first 80 lbs, I stalled for almost a year before I realized that I needed to restrict my calories significantly. I could not lose unless I ate <1000 cal daily. I'm post-menopausal and hypothyroid, and my endo also believes that I have a 'genetically slow metabolism."

When I asked him about this low calorie level, he agreed that it was probably accurate for me. He also told me that he has some patients who cannot lose unless they eat about 750 cal a day! (They are medically supervised.)

I lost the rest of my weight (about 120 lbs) averaging about 900 cal a day. I get lab work every 4 months, and my numbers have alway been fine. About 3 years ago, I began having conversion problems and had to begin taking T3. I had read (on the internet) that my low carb, low calorie eating was causing this. But when I asked my endo, he said that was nonsense. I have Hashimoto's, and he said that conversion problems are a natural progression of the disease, although it's impossible to tell when that will occur.

Other than my T3 issue (controlled with meds), I have not had any problems at all with my WOE and my thryoid. To maintain, I have to continue to eat low carb and fairly low calorie, and my body actually seems to thrive with this WOE.

soccermomof3 · 04-23-2012, 03:41 AM

Leo, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. This is truly helpful to me. It's so confusing to be told so many different things by so many different people (my doctors included!). I guess I just have to do what works for me personally and address my thyroid issues if they should worsen. I see my endo every three months for blood work and this is the best my test results have looked in years. He can't understand why my efforts to lose weight haven't been successful. I have often said that I need to significantly cut down on my calories if I'm going to see the scale move, but he has not been a big supporter of that. I've tried things his way and nothing has happened in terms of weight loss.

brandywine12 · 04-23-2012, 05:16 AM

Hi , what do your labs look like . Could you post them with their ranges. Do you have your gland? What was your diagnoses, hashi , or some thing else. Are you on t3 meds and t4 , or just t4? How long were you ill with td.Sorry for all the questions , just trying to figure it out for you.

soccermomof3 · 04-23-2012, 02:31 PM

T3, free: 3.33 (2.3-4.2)
T4, free: .73 (.71-1.85)
TSH: .17 (.32-5)

I am Hashi's, and I still have my entire gland. I'm currently taking 60 mcg two times per day of Armour.

Leo41 · 04-24-2012, 03:13 AM

I'm surprised that your doctor is NOT in favor of reducing calories because my understanding is that for most of us, even when medicated, our metabolism is compromised by the hypothyroidism--and generally we require fewer calories than someone with a normally functioning thyroid.

I know that for many people low-calorie eating can be problematic because they begin to feel deprived and then have a rebound 'binge' that cancels all their efforts. Perhaps your doctor is worried about something like this.

When I began to lose at 300+, I wasn't consciously counting calories, but I focused on lowering carbs to 20g AND reducing portions until I was losing. I only began seriously tracking calories when I stalled. A 'stall' mainly means that you're eating to maintenance, and you need a deficit in order to lose.

As I've mentioned, the amount of calories that will produce the necessary deficit is individual to each person.

brandywine12 · 04-24-2012, 04:00 AM

Hi . your ft4 is low. 1.28 is mid range, your ft3 is about right in the middle of range.
I do believe that calories matter. I also have td , and I have to stay below at least 50 carbs,and watch some calories to lose any thing . When I first started this woe, I had to wrap my head around eating a lot of fatty foods, but ...It has helped me move the weight. I have tried to no avail before this woe to lose any weight , it just wouldn't move!n I walked and jogged every day on my treadmill, only to be disappointed in the long haul. This IS the only thing that has helped me to lose and to feel better over all. the calories will be from fat on Atkins, I do not worry about that, the fat is the only thing that has helped me to lose. At one time I thought I didn't have enough in coming hormones(meds for td), not true, I had mine reduced a smidge. I am on t4 prep only .
I had td for over 20 years and I have NO gland.The carbs, I can't go to low , it makes me have a fit of depression and I get tired easily.But , in the very beginning when I first started this woe,I stuck it out and behold I started to lose the weight,on the slow side but I lost the weight. I am only about 7 lbs form goal now.hope this helps
I am also menopausal, and over the hill lol!

inatic · 04-25-2012, 06:23 AM

your ft4 is way too low and there is room once you get that ft4 up and stabilize to go up IF need be..

what is low cals for you?

soccermomof3 · 04-26-2012, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by inatic

your ft4 is way too low and there is room once you get that ft4 up and stabilize to go up IF need be..

what is low cals for you?

Low cal for me is 1200 or less. At that amount I literally feel like I'm starving and it doesn't seem to matter what mix of foods I have (ie. carbs, proteins, fats, etc.). I keep telling myself that I will buckle down and go this low so that I can actually shed weight, but it's so hard to stick to when I'm uncomfortable with hunger.

laila827 · 05-01-2012, 05:53 AM

Hi All, I too have hashi's but I haven't been treated for it yet. I got on my meds then got off because my hair was falling out in bunches. Now that I've started the BFL WOE, my hair started falling out again. I'm not sure what to do! Could it be the excess protein?

04-22-2012, 01:41 PM	#1
soccermomof3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 91 Gallery: soccermomof3 Start Date: January 2011	How Low Cal is too Low??? So, I've read often that consuming too few calories is actually detrimental to thyroid function. With that in mind, what actually constitutes too few calories? I absolutely can't lose weight without going down to 1,000-1,200 calories per day and moderate carbs (50-100 grams). I have roughly 100 pounds to lose and weigh somewhere around the 300 lb mark. Is this okay for me to do? Or is this going to set me back metabolically in the long run?

04-24-2012, 04:00 AM	#7
brandywine12 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pa. Posts: 313 Gallery: brandywine12 Stats: 195/160-155 WOE: Atkins 100% Start Date: 1-4-11	Hi . your ft4 is low. 1.28 is mid range, your ft3 is about right in the middle of range. I do believe that calories matter. I also have td , and I have to stay below at least 50 carbs,and watch some calories to lose any thing . When I first started this woe, I had to wrap my head around eating a lot of fatty foods, but ...It has helped me move the weight. I have tried to no avail before this woe to lose any weight , it just wouldn't move!n I walked and jogged every day on my treadmill, only to be disappointed in the long haul. This IS the only thing that has helped me to lose and to feel better over all. the calories will be from fat on Atkins, I do not worry about that, the fat is the only thing that has helped me to lose. At one time I thought I didn't have enough in coming hormones(meds for td), not true, I had mine reduced a smidge. I am on t4 prep only . I had td for over 20 years and I have NO gland.The carbs, I can't go to low , it makes me have a fit of depression and I get tired easily.But , in the very beginning when I first started this woe,I stuck it out and behold I started to lose the weight,on the slow side but I lost the weight. I am only about 7 lbs form goal now.hope this helps I am also menopausal, and over the hill lol! Last edited by brandywine12; 04-24-2012 at 04:04 AM..

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04-23-2012, 02:14 AM	#2
Leo41 Senior LCF member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8,426 Gallery: Leo41 Stats: 340 then/145 now WOE: Low carb/calorie cycling	I doubt that anyone can answer this question for you except for an MD, preferably an endo, since they specialize in metabolic issues. We are all unique in our caloric needs. I will share my experience, so that you will know that the conventional wisdom does not apply to everyone. After I lost my first 80 lbs, I stalled for almost a year before I realized that I needed to restrict my calories significantly. I could not lose unless I ate <1000 cal daily. I'm post-menopausal and hypothyroid, and my endo also believes that I have a 'genetically slow metabolism." When I asked him about this low calorie level, he agreed that it was probably accurate for me. He also told me that he has some patients who cannot lose unless they eat about 750 cal a day! (They are medically supervised.) I lost the rest of my weight (about 120 lbs) averaging about 900 cal a day. I get lab work every 4 months, and my numbers have alway been fine. About 3 years ago, I began having conversion problems and had to begin taking T3. I had read (on the internet) that my low carb, low calorie eating was causing this. But when I asked my endo, he said that was nonsense. I have Hashimoto's, and he said that conversion problems are a natural progression of the disease, although it's impossible to tell when that will occur. Other than my T3 issue (controlled with meds), I have not had any problems at all with my WOE and my thryoid. To maintain, I have to continue to eat low carb and fairly low calorie, and my body actually seems to thrive with this WOE.

04-23-2012, 03:41 AM	#3
soccermomof3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 91 Gallery: soccermomof3 Start Date: January 2011	Leo, thanks so much for sharing your experience with me. This is truly helpful to me. It's so confusing to be told so many different things by so many different people (my doctors included!). I guess I just have to do what works for me personally and address my thyroid issues if they should worsen. I see my endo every three months for blood work and this is the best my test results have looked in years. He can't understand why my efforts to lose weight haven't been successful. I have often said that I need to significantly cut down on my calories if I'm going to see the scale move, but he has not been a big supporter of that. I've tried things his way and nothing has happened in terms of weight loss.

04-23-2012, 05:16 AM	#4
brandywine12 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pa. Posts: 313 Gallery: brandywine12 Stats: 195/160-155 WOE: Atkins 100% Start Date: 1-4-11	Hi , what do your labs look like . Could you post them with their ranges. Do you have your gland? What was your diagnoses, hashi , or some thing else. Are you on t3 meds and t4 , or just t4? How long were you ill with td.Sorry for all the questions , just trying to figure it out for you.

04-23-2012, 02:31 PM	#5
soccermomof3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Indiana Posts: 91 Gallery: soccermomof3 Start Date: January 2011	T3, free: 3.33 (2.3-4.2) T4, free: .73 (.71-1.85) TSH: .17 (.32-5) I am Hashi's, and I still have my entire gland. I'm currently taking 60 mcg two times per day of Armour.

04-24-2012, 03:13 AM	#6
Leo41 Senior LCF member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8,426 Gallery: Leo41 Stats: 340 then/145 now WOE: Low carb/calorie cycling	I'm surprised that your doctor is NOT in favor of reducing calories because my understanding is that for most of us, even when medicated, our metabolism is compromised by the hypothyroidism--and generally we require fewer calories than someone with a normally functioning thyroid. I know that for many people low-calorie eating can be problematic because they begin to feel deprived and then have a rebound 'binge' that cancels all their efforts. Perhaps your doctor is worried about something like this. When I began to lose at 300+, I wasn't consciously counting calories, but I focused on lowering carbs to 20g AND reducing portions until I was losing. I only began seriously tracking calories when I stalled. A 'stall' mainly means that you're eating to maintenance, and you need a deficit in order to lose. As I've mentioned, the amount of calories that will produce the necessary deficit is individual to each person.

04-25-2012, 06:23 AM	#8
inatic Way too much time on my hands! Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Alpharetta,Ga. Posts: 17,805 Gallery: inatic Stats: 182+/126 5'4 50!yo 16/4 5 kidlets later! WOE: Coach:Erik Ledin leanbodies consulting Start Date: LowER C since 2/02 wt training 10/15/02	your ft4 is way too low and there is room once you get that ft4 up and stabilize to go up IF need be.. what is low cals for you?

05-01-2012, 05:53 AM	#10
laila827 Junior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 6 Gallery: laila827 WOE: Body for Life Start Date: April 28th 2012	Hi All, I too have hashi's but I haven't been treated for it yet. I got on my meds then got off because my hair was falling out in bunches. Now that I've started the BFL WOE, my hair started falling out again. I'm not sure what to do! Could it be the excess protein?