How do you motivate yourself to exercise when you feel tired all the time?
I have been trying to get 10,000 steps a day in and plan to start skipping but some days like today I am beat. I want to sleep never mind move out of the house and walk or anything.
What do you do?
Rivers

I to aim for 10.000 steps 5x/wk. I walk around perimeter of my workplace on my am coffebreak(3x) lunch (4 x) and pm coffeebreak(3x). 2 1/2x around = 1 mile so i get in four miles this way and other mile is from me running back and forth to john from water intake any other steps are a add on. http://www.firststeptracker.com/steps/index.php you can track your steps here. If you wish to join club name is:activelowcarber password is alc or you can join as indivdual.

I'd say that challenge is probably the hardest one when you're hypo. The good news is that medication WILL help you feel better once your dosage is adjusted...but until then, all you can do to keep your weight in check is to exercise. Please feel lucky that you are getting this advice, and be proud of yourself for thinking about exercising while feeling tired, as I didn't get ANY advice and continued to gain 20lbs BEFORE I was correctly diagnosed/dosed and before I could even THINK about exercising!!! Just push yourself and be proud that you're holding off potential gain as well as setting yourself up for the ability to continue to workout and LOSE once your medicine is dosed correctly!

Before being diagnosed with Hashi's I was doing 25,000 - 30,000 steps/day. Now I'm only doing about 3,000. I've been on 112 mg of Synthroid for about a month. How long before the effects of it kick in before I start feeling like myself? The past 2 years I've run a half marathon the middle of May but I don't have the energy to start training. Should I consider asking my dr. for a higher dosage?

When my thyroid dose goes higher I feel it almost immediately, however it takes 4-6 weeks before the full effect is in effect. If you're at 4 weeks and still feel lousy then you probably need more. You should aim to get your TSH as close to 1 as possible, and not feel hyperthyroid.

What about your labs, have you been retested since you've been on your meds to see where your hormones are at now... Free T3 and FT4 should be in the optimal ranges. I've learned that TSH isn't as important as those two numbers, as well as the thyroid antibodies... Of course, finding a doctor that adheres to those principles is easier said than done!

TJ

The Broda Barnes Foundation in CT will send you a list of their members and lots of interesting info for a small fee. I didn't get treated until I started seeing a nurse practitioner/naturopath/homeopath/herbalist.

If you are too tired to exercise, you need to know why. I am currently too tired to exercise -- and have problems with advice to push myself, as that is part of what got me into the shape I'm in -- and at least I know why: a chronic internal infection I need surgery for (have to lose another 15 lbs before surgery), fibromyalgia, and severe osteoarthritis. At least the hypothyroidism is finally being treated. I'm seeing a PT this week and hope they can help me feel better enough to get back to doing stretches. Pushing myself for years certainly has contributed to the fibro.

I get a hypothyroid newsletter type thing every month/week .....haven't checked e-mail in like forever.....but it says along with basically a LC diet, Meds, avoiding certain foods, the best thing you can do is exercise to increase your energy levels day to day ......start out slow if you need to. If you do 3000 steps say ok tomorrow I'm gonna do 3100, and just inch your way up.

Unfortunately, this isn't true for all of us. I felt better right after starting meds, but then in no time, I was feeling worse than ever. Even after different doses and different meds for 10 years, I'm still waiting to feel well as so many say that they do while on meds. By researching, I've found that I'm not alone. I feel like by taking meds, I'm only attempting to treat the symptoms when the cause of the thyroid problem is an underlying condition. I'm currently trying to come off thyroid meds.

hi guys new here,,i just had biopsy done they had found a nodule in my thyroid and biopsy results cldnd derternine cancer but just suspision..so dr want me to get surgery now..im nervous i've been tested for 4yrs cause i had all the classic signs of thyroid problems always tested fine..and now this so i can relate to being exhausted,,i feel sickly everyday,,i feel people dont understand and think i'm just a big baby but i really feel horrible i just want to ball up in bed thats how bad i feel..head hurts constantly i work cause i have to but by the end of the day ifeel like i have the flu..i go straight home eat something and go to sleep,,isnt that horrible..my family just looks at me like what ur sick again..its been the past 2weeks i'm feeling worst..wasnt always like this i use to go to gym and work out for 1hr 1/2 a day 4x a week..now i'm stuck. cnt wait to get this surgery to be done with this..i go for my consultation on monday the 13th..

Gareliz, I could have written your description of how you feel. I am doing a little better since I've changed how I eat, though (started a yeast-free, gluten-free diet as well as eliminating foods to which I now realize I was reacting).

I hope your biopsy is negative. Take care of yourself.

Gareliz - I just said a prayer for you. Do let us know how you are doing.

Rivers - I find that being in water helps a lot with motivation. If possible, get in a pool. If I don't feel like doing anything, I can sit on my noodle and relax and before I know it, I am leaning back on it and kicking and flailing all around. Maybe it's the buoyancy!