31, female, started PB 233lbs, need help with macros and calorie intake. page 4

[StephenHLi]

OP, since you have no thyroid, you and your doctor should monitor that as closely as possible. (You are missing multiple hormones that influence metabolism, sole replacement of T4 is not sufficient, especially long term.)

Next, what are your goals? Are you interested in losing weight or losing fat? If you strength train you may not lose the total pounds you are looking to lose.

How do you feel in your clothes?

Health and wellness goals are personal journeys and they are not etched in stone.

[oxide]

All the advice here is good. My $0.02:

Nuts are not the greatest, but they don't seem to be harming you.

PLEASE try to find some grass-fed beef, even if it's only ground beef. In fact, that's probably more important than organic vegetables. If you need to save money, switch from fresh vegetables to bagged frozen veggies.

It's OKAY to stop at 1100 calories if you're not feeling hungry that day; in fact it's a very good sign that your natural "stop" signals are healing. And who says that we have to eat the exact same number of calories each day? Grok probably didn't.

Please try to cut at least some dairy. Dairy is notorious for stopping weight loss. I can get away with just one cup of coffee with half-and-half.

Give yourself another month at least. Your body is still healing.

[vlo1125]

Update: Ok so now I'm 2 months in and I still weigh 225 lbs, so no progress in over 6 weeks. I ditched Zumba and now walk 5 days a week for 1 hr. I increased my calories to about 1800- 2000cals a day, I am still 100% primal. My husband in the same time frame has lost 25 lbs and is about 90/10. We did go on a 10 day road trip a few weeks ago where I would guesstimate that I was 80/20 and he was 50/50, he gained 6 lbs, I gained all 8lbs back. Took him 5 days to lose, took me 8 days to lose mine.

What I can deduce from all this is my 8 lbs initial loss was water weight and that I seem to plateau after its gone. my thyroid labs came back showing my Free T3 were a little low so in addition to my 150 mcg of synthyroid, i also take cytomel 5mcg twice daily for the last month. I thought this might help with weightloss but so far hasn't.

It's so discouraging not losing when you have so much to lose, but what's the alternative? I know if I go back to eating the typical SAD way that those 8 lbs will come back and give me " wheat belly" bloat. Sigh I wish I could say my clothes are fitting better too but alas aside from the bloat being gone from my gut I haven't noticed any other changes. I have yet to introduce lifting which I plan on starting this week so here's hoping that makes some kind of difference.

Forgot to add that we will be trying to conceive next month and I was really trying to hard to lose some weight before I get pregnant, now I feel like its not going to happen and at the end of my pregnancy I still be fat and miserable while my husband will have had 9 months to get into shape with out me. ( and yes I realize I shouldn't compare my self to him and his results but its not fair to see someone eat pizza right I front of you and still lose more weight than you when your eating a spinach salad! Arrrrrggh!)

[emmie]

I am only hypothyroid, but I have conversion problems and take T3 (Cytomel) as well as Levoxyl (T4). When my T3 initially tanked (below lab range), I was not only fatigued beyond belief--but I gained 10 lbs in 2 weeks--eating as I had been to lose a pound a week! When I raised my T3, I still had to lose those pounds the same slow way.

That was a few years ago, and my T3 has dropped twice since (increased Cytomel), and each time, I had to eat just 500 cal a day to maintain my weight until I got my increased dosage! (I lost close to 200 lbs over the past few years and am currently maintaining at 145 lbs). I mention this as an example of the power of our thyroid hormones in relation to weight management. Unless your T3 is at the right level, weight loss will be difficult, and keep in mind that being dependent on Rx for our hormones, we have some metabolic dysfunction to deal with.

All the advice you received to raise your calories is pure nonsense. You have no thyroid, but just being hypo slows the metabolism significantly, so you cannot rely on any of those online calculators to give you a calorie level. Our metabolisms are compromised. Think of it this way--if you know your calorie level and you don't lose or gain for 2 weeks, that's maintenance. To lose, you need to create a deficit.

Even in maintenance, I eat much less than anyone here would approve of, but I'm post-menopausal (71) and hypothyroid, and my endo believes that I also have a 'genetically slow metabolism'--which he thinks accounts for my lifetime of obesity. He approves my low calories because I'm totally healthy. At my age, the only Rx I take are my thyroid hormones, and my labs are excellent.

My point is that you need to find your own level. For example, I can't lose (or maintain) on more than 25g of carbs a day, and I would suggest you try lowering carbs just to see if that's an issue with you. You also need to find a calorie level that enables you to lose.

By the way, don't despair if you get pregnant. My sister developed gestational diabetes, and her OB put her on a very low carb eating plan to avoid having to give her insulin during her pregnancy. She had a healthy baby, and after the birth, she discovered that she weighed less than when she conceived. My point is that a healthy low carb diet is not only possible during pregnancy; it's healthy for both mother and child.

[magnolia1973]

Fat loss can be slow and unsteady. It can be frustrating. Mine comes off in random chunks.

Don't "tweak" yourself into something unsustainable at this point.

My advice to you would be to try a Whole 30, )basically very strict paleo. That will tell you if anything like dairy or chocolate is stopping you. If you do a Whole 30 and don't lose weight, maybe you need to eat fewer calories or work out. If you lose weight, maybe the dairy or chocolate was preventing fat loss.

Basically, you get to learn your body. It takes a while.

[Annieh]

It's so discouraging not losing when you have so much to lose, but what's the alternative? I know if I go back to eating the typical SAD way that those 8 lbs will come back

...

I have yet to introduce lifting

...

its not fair to see someone eat pizza right I front of you and still lose more weight than you when your eating a spinach salad! Arrrrrggh!)

Oh I so feel your discouragement. But you are right to say going back to SAD is not the answer. I really think you need to persevere with eating good wholesome primal food as you have been doing, add the lifting as you have been saying you will, and try not to let your beloved eat pizza in front of you, that really isn't fair right now (one day, you will find it doesn't bother you in the least).

As others have said, it's all about health, not just weight, and you will be doing yourself a favour to nurture your body as best you can, especially at this stage of life before you conceive.

Best wishes.

[vlo1125]

Wow emmie thanks for the response it's nice to hear advice from someone who has been In my situation. I curse myself everyday for not getting the weight off BEFORE they took my thyroid out. I've been terrified that I was going to have to come to terms with 225 being my permanent weight. I definitely think your right about the calories, I need to create a larger deficit as much as it pains me to say. My carbs on a daily basis vary from 40 to 55 so I could def try to cut it down to 25 and see if it helps. I plan on staying primal during my pregnancy( and the rest of my life) but I wasn't sure if that meant I needed to up my carbs and add potatoes and starchy veggies back on the menu or not. It is my hope that I can manage to gain 15-20 lbs or less during my pregnancy and come out lighter at the end of it .but its my fear that ill balloon up and not be able to lose the weight I gain! I just feel like I have the odds stacked against me now that I don't have a thyroid, ill never give up but man does it suck!

Let me ask this, how much of a deficit did you have to have In order to lose 1 lb a week? 1000, more? Right now all the equations are telling me to eat 1660 cals a day for 1 lb a week, but I was eating that last month and not losing, so then I upped it and I'm still not losing.

[magnolia1973]

Also check out:
theclothesmakethegirl

She has the best cookbook ever, but also posts a lot about her experience with thyroid issues. I would think she might have some good info for you.

[vlo1125]

I was just thinking about starting the whole30, I've kinda ignored the idea because two months In to changing from SAD to primal should be enough for someone my size to lose without having to go full out strict paleo. But because of I have no thyroid I may have to take the plunge if I'm not seeing results. think I'm gonna give it two more weeks and if I don't see any changes I may have to do a whole30.

[vlo1125]

Also check out:
theclothesmakethegirl

She has the best cookbook ever, but also posts a lot about her experience with thyroid issues. I would think she might have some good info for you.

Thanks magnolia!