Losing Weight is Hard - Venting

I think Weight watchers might be worth it. I've heard the online support system is amazing. They keep you on a strict caloric intake that includes all the nutrients your body needs, without you having to put much thought into it. The main issue is that you Just. Can't. Cheat. Otherwise it's all for not!

Well, I for one am proud of you! My FH did something like that to me recently. He was trying to be sweet by bringing me a snack when I was asked to work late, but he gave me a donut and I literally started crying because I wanted it so bad, but knew I couldn't eat it. He ended up apologizing the rest of the night and throwing it away. If you ever want someone to talk to about it, you're welcome to message me, as I'm in a similar boat as you. I have Polycistic Ovarian Syndrome, so I have a hormone imbalance that makes it much harder to lose and keep off weight. I talked with my doctor about any dietary changes that might help and she suggested something similar to the Keto diet, but obviously, don't do anything without consulting your doctor first.

Definitely get a good endocrinologist! My primary was managing my hypothyroid very poorly simply because she wasn't educated enough. She saw my TSH in a "normal" range (1-3 or 1-5) and felt that was good. The endocrinologist explained that it's better to get it down to what your last value was before you became hypothyroid because that's where your body naturally functions best! That's why we worked to get my TSH back to 1.2. She also checked my B12, Calcium, Iron, and Vitamin D values and we treated my deficiencies.

Basically, getting a good endocrinologist really helped get my values to a better place and aide in my metabolism/weight loss.

I have the same problem with PCOS and high hormone levels. No matter what, I keep gaining. I've gained 65lbs in just a few years. The "me" in my head and the person who is supposedly me in those pictures just don't match. You're not alone, but know that you FH obviously still loves you and your body enough to marry you!

View Quoted Comment I've tried doing a weight loss bet. I'm not a competitive person, so it didn't do much for me. I just need to get my FH to join in. (wouldn't hurt since he has high cholesterol)

Most of my free time is spent cuddling with him watching TV. I told him Tuesdays and Thursdays after work are workout days. We can do something simple, like go for a walk, or we can do a full on workout at the gym. We have memberships, but never use them. That extra cost every month is killing me, but he refuses to cancel.

View Quoted Comment Thank you. I know I need to be kind to myself. I've even gone to woman's retreats where they help work on body image and self esteem issues. It's just so hard to keep that mindset. In my head, I'm a size 8. In reality, I'm a size 16. I know that's not huge, but I still think of myself as the pre-hypothyroidism skinny person I was in college. I KNOW that's not realistic. I try my best to focus on how I'm FEELING instet of how I look. When I eat right and move more, I have more energy and feel less stressed.

View Quoted Comment I wish you all the best! It's such a hard thing to deal with when you just don't know if your hard work is actually doing anything to get you closer to your goals.

View Quoted Comment My thyroid is well managed now. I have an amazing endocrinologist!

I'm always searching for ways to move more. Last night I found a "Wedding Song Workout" and did that in my living room for 20 minutes while my FH tried not to laugh at me. I'm going to try to make that a regular thing. It was fun, I didn't need any fancy equipment, and I could do it in my own home.

View Quoted Comment I've been doing mindfulness exercises to help manage stress. It does wonders for my mood, and I'm sure it helps with other things too.

View Quoted Comment What is the difference between and endocrine panel and just testing the TSH and T4? I get my lipid panel, TSH and T4 tested about every 6 months.

I can relate! ((hugs)) I am also trying to lose weight before my wedding.

Have you read about Whole 30? It isn’t a “weight loss plan” per se, but nearly everyone who does a round loses substantial weight. And some people to consecutive rounds and keep on losing.

The cool thing about Whole 30 is that we eliminate all potential allergens from our diet. Completely detox for thirty days. And then slowly add foods back in. Some people learn that they are very sensitive to stuff they had NO idea, like dairy or artificial sweeteners.

When I did a W30 round, I had even energy throughout the day, moods were more stable, my lower back pain and sensitive digestion/reflux were gone. Completely.

There are also LOTS of supportive FB groups that are free.

Its just an idea! Good luck !

View Quoted Comment That's so hard!! My FH has done similar things and I feel bad turning his treats down. (There's a chocolate chip cookie sitting on my kitchen, but I've been avoiding it.) He knows I'm upset about my weight and lack of progress, but he also knows the way to cheer me up is with food or wine. He also doesn't quite understand that having just one cookie WILL set me back. He's never had weight issues. He's always been into all kinds of sports. He had a motorcycle accident about a year before we met and lost his left foot. He's not anywhere near as active because of it, but he still is as skinny as ever.

View Quoted Comment I've heard about Whole30, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm not sure I could stick to something so strick for a full 30 days. We don't cook much. We use a meal subscription service that is fitness related. I use those meals for 4 days a week, and cook on my own over the weekend and on Friday. It's a huge time saver and stress relief. I'm not ready to let go of that just yet.

Girl, I so understand. I also have a thyroid issue, have been diagnosed with chronic thyroiditis for years, and they thought I had Hashimoto's immune disease for a little while there. I would recommend getting a good endocrinologist and going from there.. but it's also more than that. I tried taking Levothyroxine and doing IV nutrient drips, and it did absolutely nothing for me. Talk about frustrating. I eat an entirely organic, non-GMO, low sugar, low carb diet, 1,100 Cals a day, and I'm very active. I was 50 pounds overweight for absolutely no reason, while my skinny coworkers eat cake all day long next to me. Every time someone would say to me "well you really just need some more cardio in your life" I would literally picture myself punching them in the face. If you don't personally have a thyroid disorder, you have no idea what you're talking about. It is absolutely maddening to have a healthier lifestyle been literally almost everyone you know and still be extremely overweight, it just defies all logical sense.

I began losing weight and feeling better recently. Some things that actually worked for me: eating between 6am and 6pm ONLY (my endocrinologist said that when you have a thyroid disorder it can matter more WHEN you eat than WHAT you eat,) taking a CLA supplement I found on Amazon, doing a cleanse program, and most importantly- thyroid supplements and shakes through the company Standard Process- a supplement brand available only through health care providers. I subscribed to them for personal use through my NPI number (I'm an occupational therapist), but you can also get these supplements through endocrinologists, chiropractors, nutritionists, etc. Can't recommend this company enough, I dropped about 10lbs like nothing the first 2 weeks I used their products.

Another note worth adding, is that since I started taking the Standard Process thyroid supplements, I have been back to my primary care doctor for an annual physical. My thyroid levels all appeared normal on my blood panel, which is shocking and has never happened, not even on the Levothyroxine. I give a lot of credit to this company

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I fully understand. I won't get a gym membership because of the cost and I'm not available enough to go right now (in the middle of moving and planning a wedding for next month). We do go on walks on weekends when we have more time. I'd either tell him we're going to start going to the gym or I'm cancelling it. The money could be used elsewhere. If you want to rejoin later, that's fine. You can do it! We had high hopes to lose weight but life got in the way and we're out of time now. So, start now.. get in that habit!

I highly recommend a dietitian or nutritionist. I have recently been put on a modified Atkins diet (which is basically Keto, with less restrictions) by my neurologist. When I met with their nutritionist it made a world of difference. She had so much information for me about reading labels, how to calculate everything and even sample menus. I’ve only been doing it for about 2 weeks but use an app called carb manager and it tracks everything and has been super helpful

View Quoted Comment Excellent about thyroid! Love that wedding song workout! That’s what I’m talking about, you can sweat in your living room lol & don’t have to do any crazy workout routine to stay active. Dance type exercises are a great cardio & the key to sticking to a workout routine is to find something you enjoy.

As for FH, tell him you need his support & not him laughing from a couch, while waving a cookie in front of you lol. Support system works wonders for accountability & motivation. Maybe you can join a FB workout group to get a boost from people going through similar experience.

And about sugar, I have a big sweet tooth too & the best way to manage it is not to have any sugary food in my house. Once it’s there you’re constantly tempted & eventually will slip. Just throw it out of the house & replace with fresh fruit instead. Good luck, you can do it!

Hey Christina, those tests just go into your thyroid hormone levels and how it's functioning. The endocrine testing goes into every hormone.

Ugh Thyroids are a pain in the you know what. I'm so sorry this has happened to you, and what those women who are losing weight don't realize is that when you have medical problems it's 100x harder to lose weight.

My mom was the same way (skinny minnie), until she got pregnant, lost most of that weight, than all the medical issues came about, and she has never been able to keep the weight off. Now she's about well I'm not sure but very overweight and no matter how much I tell her she's beautiful I know she doesn't feel it. She eats very healthy and tries to exercise but she has fibro so exercise is very limited. It's depressing for her and I feel so bad. She's tried a ton of different programs (including weight watchers) and nothing seems to work. She'll be doing good, than it all comes rushing back just because she was stressed one day vs. not.

Like you said though...making those good decisions to stay away from certain things when they are right in your face tempting you is amazing! and you should feel good about it. Take one step at a time

If you are eating healthy I say create your own diet, you know what helps your body better than anyone else (food diaries really help and weight yourself so you can see in real time what effects your body more than others), and when it comes to exercising do something that you find is fun. For example I can't go to the gym it just doesn't work for me, and I can't exercise in the morning because it's too much for my body/brain to handle, and I love wall climbing but I hate taking the time out of my day having to go somewhere to do it and its expensive, BUT I like billy banks so I did his videos for a long time (I used to do them when I was younger too with my dad) however I got tired of Billy, so now I'm onto ZUMBA and I LOVE IT! I just load youtube up onto my living room tv and do 30 minutes a day, it's not easy but it's a great workout. That's just me though, you find what works best for you. The funner it is the easier it is to do, and you wont' think about it so much as exercise but something you enjoy and is keeping you healthy.

Go YOU, you can do this!