Exercising, but Not Loosing Weight, Is It My Thyroid???

I didn't lose weight until I cut out gluten, apparently I had an intolerance to it and my body couldn't digest it, so it just puffed me up. I've remained at my goal weight now for almost 3 years since cutting it out. I have a few other friends with the same issue with gluten...

I recommend a food diary. I have always exercised, eaten "heathy" and been in good shape, but when I wanted to lose 10 lbs after having my kids, I started Weight Watchers and was amazed at how much I changed my eating habits once I became accountable for everything I put in my mouth. I was amazed that 20 lbs came off once I changed my eating habits. I highly recommend Weight Watchers whether you do it online or go to meetings!

I'm not going to say to not get your thyroid checked, but the chances of that being the issue are slim. I've worked with women and exercising and weight loss for years, and I've seen this many, many times. Think of how long it takes us to put on the weight, and how we want it to be gone so much sooner. Exercise and diet are obviously the key. In my experience weight LOSS is more controlled by the food you eat (and when you eat it), weight MAINTENANCE is controlled by exercise. You need BOTH to lose weight. It is important to raise your metabolism by eating three meals a day with two snacks in there as well. Going more than four or five hours without eating will sabotage your weight loss. When exercising, aerobic exercise will burn the most calories, weight training will increase the amount of muscle you have. You should do aerobic exercising 3-5 times a weeks for 30 minutes or more (walking, running, swimming, etc). Weight training should be 1-2 times a week and cover your major muscle groups.

Hi Sarah,
Most probably you are building muscle mass by exercising, which weighs more. The same thing happened to me. You could have a check up just to rule anything out.
Good Luck!
D.

You said you are eathing healthy...are you eating enough food to replace the calories you burn?

It's all about what you eat. Working out is really just a bonus, unfortunaly but WAY TO GO on your exercise program!!! Good for you! I was a nutrition major in college and I am a heath freak and exercise-aholoic! You could be losing inches which doesn't necessisarily mean your clothes will be hanging off of u. I suggest eating more lean-protein if you're doing strength training (fish, chk, cottage cheese, egg whites, etc). You may also have hit a plateau in your work-out so try switching it up a bit. The main thing is to evaluate what you're eating. Always remember you have to burn more calories than you eat to lose weight. I don't know your body height and weight but keeping your calorie intake under 1800kcal will help w/weight loss. Plus, drinking lots of water helps w/weight loss too!! Eliminating processed foods (anything frozen or pkgd) is the best thing you can do. Stick to 100%whole grains, fresh fruits/veggies, and low sugar will help maintain and lose weight!

Good luck and Keep it up!!! You'll get there!

I have done the same thing you are doing now and had my thyroid checked, it wasnt't the problem. I was getting up at 4:30 and going to the gym for an hour with no results. What finally helped me was changing my eating schedule to 5 - 6 meals a day - three main meals with 2 - 3 snacks. I eat every 3 hours. If you live near Deer Park I can give you a great nutrition lecture to attend.

You've received a lot of good feedback so far. before going and getting checked out you may want to try to tweak of few things in your diet.

Make sure you are drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day, 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies a day, watch your carbs, eat whole grains, and watch your portion control. Keeping a food diary really helps you see exactly what you are eating.

Chances are you are not eating enough. If you are exercising and not eating enough and drinking water, your body goes into starvation mode and it will hold on to the fat. (Especially belly fat.)

I was in your situation, I had slowly gained 50+ pounds over 15 or so years. I tried everything, but until Weight Watchers nothing worked. Since Weight Watchers is a life style change and not a diet, it worked great for me and I have been steadily losing 1-2 lbs per week for 6 mos. (And I don't exercise except once or twice a week!!/

Yes exercising regularly builds muscle, muscle is more dense so you may notice your clothes fit better or you are losing inches but the number on the scale isn't moving. So definitely use your clothes as a gauge because you won't lose lbs every week but as long as you notice inches you know you are on track.

You might want to consider Weight Watchers to help you in your weight loss efforts. I joined online and I do not attend meetings. Their web site has a ton if info and if you are diligent using only the online tools it will work!

If all that doesn't work, see your doctor!!

It may be your thyroid, and it can be checked with a blood test. I had the same problem and now take a prescription tablet once a day, and am doing fine.

It's all about calories in and calories out. Get a calorie counter book or use this website to get an idea....

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Track your calories every day for a week. And I mean every calorie...5 m&ms, spoons of ice cream, 10 chips.... It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose one pound. Trust me, it's scary how quickly your intake can calculate without thinking you are taking in that much! This was my eye opener. As soon as I did this, I started only eating 1/2 a sandwich and still chips but 1/2 a small bag. I was amazed that I was still full since I was so used to eating it all!

About exercising...great job!!!!! Keep it up. Any amount is great for you! here's a good website to figure out how many calories you actually burn....
http://www.caloriecontrol.org/exercalc.html

I do not think you need to get your thyroid checked yet...just try the above for a week and do the math and see if you just may need to adjust some things!

Take care!

The reason why is because your body is building muscle and slowing eating away at the fat. So you may seem thicker, you need to give it time. You also need to make sure that your eating a high protein, healthy diet, if your eating like most people, lots of carbs, soda and sweets, your just going to keep packing on the pounds and building muscle.
But if you have any concerns about your throid you need to have it checked.

Good luck with your working out!! Just give it time, it doesn't happen over night!!

I'm ten years younger but have also just had my fourth kid. I use to run. I worked very hard to lose the weight for the first kid. I was younger and had the energy and highly motivated also.With all the pregnancies I started out around 130 to 135 lbs and ended up 180 lbs. But this last time was up to 194 lbs. I waited for it to fall off but not that much just dropped. I've always read the science of a calorie and what it takes to burn one. I've ran 3 marathons and 3 duathlons with respectable times. I have started running when I've been in horrible shape. The key is getting your metabolism going. You have to initally start the weight loss before it gets going. I started running but ran 2 mi. at a walking pace. I thought I did wonderful because I ran the whole thing.I'm not running to run now I'm running to lose weight. Sprints and walking would be better. You shouldn't use any weights unless your trying to tone up because that will just produce muscle.SAHM is hard to find time but get involved with those boys. That was the key to all my weight loss before. I have never went to a gym and never lifted weights. Stay active basketball, tennis, bowling, batting cages, soccer, punching bag, or swimming. Go do one of these and if you haven't done it in a while you will notice how sore you are after. These are the places of your body that haven't been worked out.The postman syndrom is when your body is so use to what it is doing your metabolism stabilizes and no weight is lost. The reason the fat postman can do his route every day and not lose weight.Look at the t.v. show the Biggest Loser its rigourous but they keep their body in shock and keep changing it up. Realisticly you can do all of the things above with your family especially with the boys. You don't have to be good. I used a duffle bag with clothes and hung it up in the closet and turned on the music and got to punching. I threw up some knee kicks.Nobody was looking so why not? As far as eating it has to be constant. THe hot thing now is to measure and right down everything but I'm to lazy to even do that. I have ate right to lose weight but Im not willing to do it now. Do something that works for you.I've always ate carbs and thats mostly what I eat. Its mostly portion control and I don't mean you have to eat like a bird The science of the calorie would make it impossible to lose weight. Make sure enough water to help your chemical process to keep things movin and I like Raisin Bran as a fiber to flush things out. My M. was tested and has medicine for her thyroid. But she won't get active and isn't losing any weight. It may be your problem but SHOCK your body with something new and the hardest part is getting that first one or two pounds of. But once you do don't sit and be satisfied keep going.

I would definately get your thyroid checked. Mine went unchecked for a year after the birth of my second son. In January I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. They put me on a small dosage of Synthroid. I am now starting to see the weight come off, a little slowly, but it's coming off.

Good luck,
S.

That exact same thing happened to me and yes it was my thyroid. I started taking medication, but only for 3 weeks and i'm hoping things will go back to normal and finally lose some weight. Get checked it's better to know than getting frustrated.

Yes, get to the doctor. I have the same problem and it was my hormone levels out of whack. Now, I am also diabetic and having the same problem. Your thyroid can be the problem--note that if it is on the "low normal" end, there are further tests to take to determine if it is truly the thyroid. My friend did that and it helped her tremendously! Hang in there sister! It is helpful to keep working out so that when the problem is determined, your body is leaner and more muscle and able to drop weight faster.

Hi, I used to work with a Beriatic doctor. Most of the patients that would see him had thyroid problems they could not loose any weight, one of the problems with thyroid you can not loose weight. I suggest that you do go with your doctor and check your self. After patients got the meds they needed for thyroid I saw a difference with their weight. DONT GIVE UP!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

Sarah,

I agree with a lot of the advice that the other moms have given you.

1) By all means, get checked out by your doctor if you really think there's a problem.

2) Muscle does weigh more than fat, so don't be a slave to the scale. Keep in mind that weight training, and building muscle will also increase your metabolism (muscle burns more calories than fat).
(I'm a huge fan of: forget the scale - how do my clothes fit?)

3) One M. recommended walking and sprinting. I would also suggest slowing down your workouts (with the occasional sprint). The sprints are good for your heart, but if you're constantly going fast, huffing and puffing, sweating hard, and really getting your heartrate going, you're working out -anaerobically-.
A brisk walk is a true -aerobic- workout (and much better for fat-burning). If you don't have a heartrate monitor to help you hit your target, here are some easy guidelines: If you walk fast enough to raise your heartrate, but slow enough that you can carry on a normal conversation, you're probably in the fat-burning range.

If you do want to utilize your heartrate, here's a really good resource: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/thr.html

Best of luck!
M.

Hey Sarah,

Been there done that. There is no discounting a number of medical possibilities (cyst, hormones, thyroid, etc.) but one suggestion I would make is to make a log of your activity and your eating habits. We can think we are eating healthy but still sabotaging ourselves. 6 Triscuits and 1 oz of low fat cheese (healthy); 20 Triscuits and an unknown quantity of cheese unhealthy. I have 3 kids and I know how easy it is to snack when I am making things for them and the little bites add up. I only say this because at one point I was working all day at a desk job, running 3 miles every other day at least, lifting weights at lunch, and going to aerobics after work for an hour but not losing a pound. They tested my thyroid and everything was just fine. When I started a journal and realized how much orange juice, cheese, Triscuits, whole grain bread, etc. I was really eating all day it was a wonder I didn't weigh 350lbs. :) One other reminder 1 lb. equals 3500 calories. So you have to cut our or burn 3500 calories to lose one pound. It is a lot harder than it sounds. For example, a 150 lb person running a 10 min mile will burn 681 calories if they run for an hour.

I hope this helps and wish you all the best!!

Get a physical, it can't hurt. Make sure that beyond testing thyroid levels, that they test for thyroid antibodies-very important! Mine was misdiagnosed for years due to this horrible error-Good Luck!

It wouldnt hurt to get checked out. I was working out all the time refusing sweets and eating what I thought was healthy. I went to the doc and was told I have a insulin resistants. Its not quite like being diebetic but my body just holds on to any kind of insulin type food, carbs. So 80lbs later and knowing what is right for my body I am glad I went to the doctor. I was a point or two off which I did take meds for. Good luck !

If I were you, I would definitely put in a call to your PCP. If it has been that long since you've started a new exercise routine and you're not seeing much difference, a quick blood test can tell you if it's your thyroid. Have you been feeling tired too?

Good luck!

Hi Sarah: I worked with a woman who had been trying to lose weight for over 6 months. She said she had been doing hundreds of sit-ups at night (and I assume, other exercises as well) but saw no effect on her stomach. Finally she complained to her doctor... who ran tests and discovered (no kidding!) a 17 pound ovarian cyst. Now, I don't mean to imply that you have some huge cyst growing inside you... However, why not schedule a physical exam and mention this to your doctor in case there is a condition or something else that might explain your static weight.

(BTW, In my coworkers case, she was very lucky because all that physical activity could have ruptured the cyst and, at the size it was, caused a massive infection or internal blood loss, etc. Or, if you do have a hormonal imbalance, that in itself could be causing additional stress on your heart during exercise.)

Hi Sarah,
I understand your problem. I ran/walked with my husband 3 to 4 times a week and he lost 25 lbs and I lost 1 lb. So discouraged until I found a great weight loss program which I would be happy to share with you. Check out our website, www.idealprotein.com and if you are intersted in losing weight on a safe high protein diet, which rests your pancreas so you can lose weight! I have a 100% success rate with all my customers and the foods are great. Check us out, I have lost 28 lbs so far still have about 15 more to go!
I hope to speak with you soon!
K. Turner
The Clear Choice Weight Solution
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I did the same as you did but the weight would keep coming no matter what I did. After 10 yrs of going off and on the GP doctors, they all said it must the your Thyroid, but test did not show that. However, thanks to my hair dresser I went to the correct type of doctor"Endocrinology". Also, did you know if you have a tyroid disorder it can give false high colestrial reading.
But thank goodness for my doctor I was diagnois. If you have thyroid problem please ask you doctor for Armour thyroid pills they really are the only ones that work and are the real thing. They cost very little.
Hope you do not have to wait as long as I did.

First of all, congrats on taking charge of your life and doing weight training and cardio. What I would recommend to you is if you are going to the gym see if you can get a personal training appointment. A trainer can help you bust through a plateau and be able to help you pin point areas in your diet that you can make improvements on. Also, in order to lose weight you need to do a minimum of 45-60 minutes a day, 4-5 days a week of cardio and then do resistance training on top of that.(The government guidelines of a minimum of 30 minutes of activity on most days is for those who are looking to maintain their current weight.) When you are doing weight training you need to bump up the amount of weight you lift every couple of weeks. This will help continue to add muscle and keep you from plateauing.

When you exercise as much as you indicate and include weight training, it can build up your muscle mass. So you may be losing fat but gaining muscle mass, which is a good thing. However, if you are concerned that there may be something more, I suggest you schedule a physical with your doctor just to be sure.

Have you had problems with your thyroid before? Are you fatiqued? Do you get bad PMS? THese are things my doctor asked me. I had problems when I got pregnant with my second who is now 1. I quit taking medicine & like 6 months later, I could bareley stay up during the day especially after I ate something, my PMS was REALLY bad & unpredictable when it hadn't been before. I was losing hair, & I'm now working out more now in my life than I ever had. My doctor told me that someone with a thyriod problem can run marathon's daily & still not lose a pound! Now I'm taking Synthroid & it's a life saver!I've been on it for about 4 weeks & already showing improvements. The cool thing about synthroid is it has a generic, levothyroxin, which works the same & only costs 4.00 at Walmart(even if you dont have insurance).
The only way to tell there is something wrong with your thyroid is to take a blood test but if that is your problem, once you get on medication, it will be like night & day.
Anyways, I know exactly how you feel. I was working out for 8 months & only lost 20 lbs, which made me want to give up but then I had my thyroid tested again & found it was that.Don't get discouraged, get tested, & know that thyroid problems can be easily managed.
Hopes this helps & good luck!

Do you actually LOOK slimmer too? Sounds like you're just building muscle. If you FEEL slimmer & look slimmer I'm sure you're probably just building muscle. I was always told, don't look at the scale, numbers don't count. What counts is losing the fat, not the weight. Weight may either increase or definitly will fluctuate w/exercise & eating right so don't even look at the scale, you'll drive yourself crazy. As for the thyroid issue, look up the symptoms online, if you think you have any or a majority of the symptoms talk to your doctor about getting it checked or just get it checked anyway. By doing that, you'll know for sure. But just concentrate on fat loss, not necessarily weight loss. If you weigh a lot, then yes you should lose weight too but if you just have a little to lose, say between 20-40 lbs then fat loss should be your goal. Good luck!

Go get a physical. Have the doctor check your thyroid and blood sugar (AC1 test). I had high blood sugar and thyroid issues. I had the same problem. Now with exercise, diet and medication I am losing weight like crazy.

I just read a report about women being induced with pitocin and then later they have thyroid issues...interesting.

I had the same EXACT problem. I spent three to five days a week at the gym busting my tail and plateaued at my pre-pregnancy weight which was twenty-five lbs too much. I swear it is ALL about the food! Even though you may be watching what you eat, there are probably things that are sabotaging you that you don't even realize. I started weight watchers(to track what I ate and to learn about weight retaining foods like ranch dressing and cheese) and dropped 28 lbs in four months and have kept it off for a year now. Pick the meal that you care least about (for me it was breakfast) and try a Slimfast optima shake. Also slow down the workouts to walking or light jogging three times a week. If you follow these suggestions, I am confident you will see a change! You are welcome to contact me for support or food suggestions. ____@____.com

You can find out if it's a thyroid problem by getting blood work. Then the doctor can help you figure it out from there. It sounds like you are doing great with exercising. I wish I could. Wish you the best of luck.

Yes, get your thyroid checked. Must go to a thyroid specialist, your normal physican can overlook it in blood work. Look up Dr. Michael Allon, he is a endocrinologist and diagnosed mine. Good luck!

You thyroid causes many more problems than just your weight. It will make you sleep all the time, you will always be tired, and if you don't get it treated it can even cause death. I would get it checked. I thought my thyroid was off too, but when I had it checked it was fine. It seems that my weakness for breads and pastas, was not working with my losing weight. I gave them up for about 2 weeks, and ended up dropping about 4 sizes. However, as soon as I ate a sandwich, I blew right back up. So if your thyroid is fine maybe it's something that you are eating that is counter acting everything you are doing as well. Try to stop eating foods from a certain food group for about a week and see if you notice a difference. If not, try another food group. Once you figure out which one it is, only eat that food in moderation. As for me.... I would much rather be "fat and happy." I'm not fat, just not my "ideal weight" of 135. I'm 5'7, with wide shoulders and hips. 135 DOES NOT look good on me.

Hi Sarah,

It's always a good idea to get a routine physical exam before starting a vigorous exercise program. Remember, if you are doing weight training, you are building muscle mass so are toning up, which means you may not lose actual pounds, but you will be in better shape and feel better. It's good to eat healthily, and we must burn more calories than we consume. Have you considered going to a certified personal trainer and a nutritionist? Weight Watchers? Also, check out dadamo.com and take a look at his books. Good luck! jenifer