Low Thyroid and Calories
 

I know there's masses of information on the forum about low thyroid, but I can't seem to find the answer to one question. Do calories matter? When I did low carb back in the olden days about 14 years ago without thyroid problems, calories were an issue because they were often too low. This time around, as usual, I have to push myself past 1200 calories. The weight is s-l-o-w-l-y coming off, but I'm wondering if I could do better by increasing calories..or is that not the solution with a low thyroid condition? I'd appreciate it if anyone could critique my Fitday.

I'm so glad to be back at the forum...lots of new information and people.

Lower your calories too much and you can (possibly) permanently damage your metabolism. Same deal with over-exercising/low calories. Your body will fight back to regain.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/h...-loss.html?_r=0

The whole idea of "calories" as a measure of food energy is a quite recent fabrication. A moment's thought will persuade you that broccoli and Oreo cookies don't have the same effect on your cellular energy management as controlled by an assortment of hormones.

I wasn't able to access your Fitday diary. I keep my records there, too. However, if your daily nutrition involves nutrients in these proportions, and you are not hungry, you will probably be in the ballpark without any reference to calories: 65-70% fat...10% carb...20% protein.

It's a little more complicated than that, if you want to get into it. But that's a start. Don't count calories. But do pay attention to nutritional values and hunger signals.

Best wishes.

Yup. To both Nancy and Barb. Are you, at least based on your labs, currently hypo, or are your TSH, T4 and free T3 in normal ranges?

That will help with a lot of thyroid caused issues.

The best advice I have is, if you don't have issues recognizing when you have had enough to eat, is to eat two or three meals a day when you are hungry, in about the proportions that Barb mentions, and try to eat them in a 12 or fewer hour window. So, if you eat breakfast at 7 am, be done with dinner by 7 pm.

But, and this part is really important to remember, if you do have thyroid issues, you will need to have patiences with your weight loss. You don't have that much to lose, really, and it may take longer than someone with a normal thyroid.

Which needs to be OK, because the alternative to losing slowly is to regain by eating a lot of carbs again. Which happens quickly, of course.

Thanks everyone...I agree with everything you've said and your insights have made me reconsider my problem. Its not my thyroid slowing me down...I'm simply not eating enough..duhhh! Thinking back I did the same thing years ago when I had the same amount to lose (by then I'd lost several pounds) and called it a stall. In spite of years of knowing it's BS, I'm still brainwashed with the low fat attitude towards losing weight. I remember being told before on the forum that we should eat 10 x our weight in calories. Is that still valid?

I have no idea if what I'm saying has any scientific basis, but I'm hoping that my thyroid function improves as I lower my insulin resistance. There are more and more autoimmune diseases that seem to also be helped with a ketogenic diet (I recently posted one about MS), and that would imply that increased insulin and inflammation plays a role in the autoimmunity process.

Most of us with low thyroid levels are considered to have Hashimoto's, which is an autoimmune disease. All my thyroid levels are in the low-normal range and I take desiccated thyroid (Armour). I was considering asking my doctor to increase the dosage a bit to see if I could bring those levels up, but then decided to wait and see if the ketogenic diet with IF will make a difference on my next lab results.

I was worried that lowering my insulin with intermittent fasting, which also lowers your calories on those fasting days, would impact both my metabolism and my thyroid function. But after watching several Jason Fung videos, he shows research where fasting does not lower metabolism, so I'm hoping it also does not impact thyroid -- in fact, I'm hoping it helps.

I'll keep monitoring to see what happens. I definitely have more energy, so that's a pretty good indication that I'm at least not doing harm.

Kat

Repeat after me: I will forget about calories...I will forget about calories...I will forget about calories.

Got it?

I know. We've all been so immersed in the dogma of calorie counting and low fat, we almost can't unthink it. There is no "valid" amount of calories. No formula. Nada.

Eat when you are hungry. When you are not hungry, don't eat. Learn to tell the difference between hunger and "just wanting to eat something." Eat until you are satisfied, but not stuffed. Try to figure out how that feels. Ultimately these choices and discoveries will serve you better than counting--even counting carbs.

Meanwhile, count carbs. Maybe boost your consumption of yummy fats. But (did I mention this?) don't count calories. :wave:

I didn't mean to overlook the thyroid issue. This is an adjustment you'll have to work out with your doc, hopefully someone who listens to you. The right thyroid dosage has as much if not more to do with how you feel than what the numbers show.

My (new) doc has been bringing down my previous dosage incrementally for almost two years now. My tests kept showing hyperthyroid and he was worried about my heart. I was worried about my weight. As of now, my numbers are just barely into the "normal" range, and I plan to stick with my present dosage for a while. This is half what I was taking two years ago.

Weight loss is extremely slow--but I'm old (almost 70) and some of this fat has been with me for a very long time. I am very close to what I'd consider a healthy weight, and my energy, mood, and all other good health measures are fine.

Take what you want from my story. But remember you can't go by averages and anecdotes. You are your own best experiment, and hopefully your doc will help you get the information you need.

Best wishes!

I'm on Synthroid 75mcg. Is that low or high? My doc seems resistant to increasing the dose and to be honest I'm not overly unhappy with the weight loss so far. I spent 3 months last summer doing low fat without losing an ounce, (that's when I learned about the thyroid problem) so I'm good for now. Just don't want to waste another 3 months. Lucky you, Barb, being to eat so many carbs. I was never able to get past 25 - 30 the first time I did low carb, without gaining. Had other life things happening at the time, too. This trip around I'll persevere.

Well, according to my Fitday diary, my carbs average less than 30 net. That doesn't seem like "so many," but it's plenty. Veggies mostly. I aim for 65% fat or thereabouts.

As to the thyroid med, work with your doc. The dosage is entirely individual, so it doesn't matter whether it's "low" or "high" according to some speculative number.

Your weight loss depends mostly on other things, consistency with your plan being the most important.

Best wishes.

I've taken 60, I've taken 105. Currently at 90, which may or may not get dropped to 75, depending on the lab values in about a year...

It's not the dose on a standalone basis. It's the dose that optimizes your thyroid function.