Had your thyroid out? Weightgain? Please advise.

I'm on thyroid replacement therapy, am OLD and just lost 85 poinds. I'm sure you'll do fine if she sticks to her rules.!

I had a total thyroidectomy in 2006 and am now in my 60's. I did put on weight about 6 months after my surgery. It was a slow gain and not totally based on not having my thyroid. I went to WW and did lose 20 of the 40 pounds. I am still following the plan but now my weight is stalled although my endocrinologist tells me my hormone levels look good.

He has recommended that I cut back my 1200 calories to 1000 and do 45 minutes of cardio a day in addition to weight training 3 times a week. I have fibromyalgia and bursitis in my hip so the exercise is something that I am working into and progressing based on my current limitations. I'm hopeful because I have been able to drop the lbs. in the past but it was slower than before my surgery. There is also some research indicating that a low carb diet works well for thyroid patients.

Your daughter is younger and had done a fantastic job of losing a considerable amount of weight. If she stays with what she has done in the past and stays with the exercise, she should do just fine post surgery.

On 9/10/2014 violann said: I'm on thyroid replacement therapy, am OLD and just lost 85 poinds. I'm sure you'll do fine if she sticks to her rules.!

Violann, would you be willing to share what approach you took to lose the stubborn thyroid weight?

If your daughter's thyroid is surgically removed, she will certainly be placed on thyroiod hormone replacement therapy. Sometimes it takes a little time to get the dosage properly adjusted for the individual patient's needs, but she won't be without thyroid hormones and should be able to normalize her weight status with thyroid hormone replacement and proper diet and exercise.

My Endo said that is old school. He carefully managed my TSH over a period of years until my thyroid slowly burned out and then when I turned hypo, put me on replacement meds. I still have my thyroid.

On 9/10/2014 sarahpanda said:

Dear Friends,

Darling Daughter has lost 130 pounds since July 2013. She noticed during this time- - an enlarge thyroid - at which time last year, the dr. did a biopsy that came back normal. In a follow-up visit today, the doctor did an ultrasound on her thyroid and said the nodules on the thyroid had grown in the last year and he advised she have her thyroid removed. My daughter can not decide what to do. She is so afraid after all this work she's put in for the last 14 months, she won't be able to control her weight without having a thyroid. The doctor gave her the option of just having a biopsy on the troubling area but even with a biopsy, things can be missed. If you've had your thyroid out, could you control your weight - or better yet, lose any weight? Thank you for your input in advance.

This is almost exactly what happened to me in 2010. I had lost a considerable amount of weight 100+ and noticed that I had an enlarged lymph node. I was diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer though. They did a total thyroidectomy along with radiation treatment, then another surgery as they weren't able to get everything. I'm not on Synthroid for life. It does take a long time to get the levels right after you have a thyroidectomy.

Some nodules are completely benign, so I'm not sure if I would recommend a thyroidectomy. Honestly, I would ask for a second opinion. There are other ways to test to see if she has any cancer or any other thyroid related diseases (Graves, Hashimotos, etc). She should have her blood checked for TSH, TgAB, T3, and T4 levels. If those are out of the normal range, then I think you can think about your next step.

Once you are on synthroid meds, you are pretty much on them for life. It can make you miserable for a while until you get your levels right. I'm still have good days and bad days.

I did gain about 20 lbs after my diagnosis from just not being active. I had a rough year with the surgeries and radiation. My weight loss is just a little more stubborn, but it can be done.

On 9/10/2014 Chimi said:

On 9/10/2014 violann said: I'm on thyroid replacement therapy, am OLD and just lost 85 poinds. I'm sure you'll do fine if she sticks to her rules.!

Violann, would you be willing to share what approach you took to lose the stubborn thyroid weight?

Glad to! First, I have to tell sarahpanda that I took RadioActive Iodine in 1995 or so, and half, but not all, of my thyroid was disabled. Then, I went nodular. Over the next several years I was normal- then hyper- then hypo thyroid. In 2001, I gained 65 pounds over the course of about 4 months. I weighed about 260 (5'4") from then until 2013. I was also diagnosed with fibro. In 2013 my internist decided I absolutely HAD to begin METFORMIN and blood pressure meds. After MANY tries, it became obvious that they ALL made me terribly uncomfortable, although they did work.

Continuing- I knew my lifestyle was at least partially responsible for my deteriorating health, so in March of 2013 I realized that I HAD to take charge. I reviewed all the problems I'd had with losing weight and maintaining it, and incorporated everything I could find that might help me. I chose ideas that would help my blood pressure, my weight, and. Y morbid obesity. I read extensively about intermittent fasting, and started there. Then I added Paleo. Concepts, although I'm not rigid with that, and eliminated foods that could cause inflammation. My meal LANs were based n eggs and egg whites, green veggies, berries or green apples, and nuts. For all intents and purposes, I eliminated salt, sugar, grain and dairy ( my "vice" is 2 Tbs of half and half in my morning coffee). I've lost 85 pounds and have about 15 to go. I was a serious emotional, binge-craver before I started, and I can now manage that MUCH better. I still have fibro but having much less pressure on my body parts has helped it. MY ADVICE? Do all the research about your specific issues, then develop a HEALTHY eating plan that works for YOU. I spent YEARS AND YEARS being disappointed by every WONDER "diet" that came in every magazine, but what I developed and tweeted for MYSELF was what finally worked.

Sorry, another comment- I have been on synthetics and animal replacements, and my best replacement med SO FAR is Armour Thyroid. I have taken it successfully both before and after the reformulation.