I have hashimoto and, naturally, need to lose lots of weight. I have had very, very little success with Atkins and the meds haven't prompted me to shed much either. So, I have kind of given up on Atkins. I am now doing the Body RX WOL, which calls for (depending on which cycle you are in) 1-1.5 grams of protein per lb. of body weight per day, 30-60 grams of fiber from fruits and veggies (with grains counted only from All Bran or Fiber-One cereal), and other carbs .5-2.0 x body weight---however, these carbs are a maximum and not a requirement, so I can choose not to have any carbs, which I chose not to (besides the ones providing my fiber requirements from the fruits and veggies).

So my question is this: I've read a lot of people in here say that low-carb works for those with thyroid conditions and I wanted to know if the high protein/fiber (optional no other carbs) diet I am following might work for hypothyroid; and would it be considered a "low carb" WOL?

Any other tips? I'm on the verge of severe depression, I think. And I'm a happy person, despite........


Thanks~

First off, what meds are you on? If you are not well medicated, ketosis is not a good idea for hypoTs. That being said, BodyRX is a decent program. Here are some further suggestions:

Eat several smaller meals.
Eliminate goitrogens from your diet. The big ones soy, uncooked crucifers, tea, flax, and peanuts.
Take Selenium, 200 mcg for one month, then drop to 100. (helps fight the antibodies)

Truly, tho - meds first. What are you taking and how are your symptoms. If you're still evening out the meds or you still have symptoms, hardcore dieting is just flogging your poor, abused system to death.

Let us know and we can help!

Cheers,

Friday

Hello and thank you so much for getting back to me.

I have been taking Synthroid. First they had me on 100 mcg. Then 125 mcg. Then they accidentally gave me a prescription for 150 mcg, realized their error and took me down to 137.5 mcg. Somewhere in the interim they had my try Levoxyl because I just felt like nothing was working and my doctor was very resistant in letting me try Armour (sp?). I have to admit, I am not regular. I forget to take it sometimes and sometimes I will go long periods without taking it. (I grew up Christian Science and although I do not follow the religion, I guess I have leftovers from childhood because I don't seem to place a lot of importance or prioritize taking medication on a regular basis. Not because I don't want to....I don't really know why. ....A big part of it might be having no health insurance and not always having the extra money. I have asthma and sometimes have to choose that medication over synthroid. ...sigh...For a while I thought maybe they were wrong and the problem wasn't thyroid because the meds weren't helping. Then they did another test, and it is Hashimoto. I think I am going to get another doctor and try the Armour stuff.)

Excuse my ignorance, but what are goitrogens and crucifers?

My symptoms are, well, weight gain (I've always been between 115-130 when I thought I was heavy to a now whopping 180.) There was hair loss at one point. Memory loss to the point of feeling like I am about 95 years old. I can't focus or concentrate. I always transpose my terms. I have a decent vocabulary but I mess up saying words I don't say often...I even mess up every day words. I feel uncoordinated. Depression and near apathy are a factor. Lack of libido. I feel slow, and I've always been a quick thinker and fast on the mark. My IQ has lowered (not that that matters, it just reflects the inability to concentrate and focus). I feel tired and hazed over all the time. My hair, nails, and skin look bad. My face and eyes are puffy. My hands and feet get numb, like they're asleep. I have aches and pain in my muscles, joints, and bones. Menstrual cycle is irregular. (I have a very strong feeling I won't be able to have children.) Heartburn. Headaches. And around the same time I found out about the thyroid I also developed asthma and psoriasis---all autoimmune (I think.)

Except for a few "bingey" days here and there, I eat pretty healthy. ....................I just got so bummed out listing off all my health problems that I forgot where I was going with this. I guess I want to figure out what meds to take and what diet to follow and---like everyone here, I'm sure---get some help/tips/encouragement from you fine people.


Many thanks~

Good news for no insurance. 6 months of Armour cost me less than $40!

Goitrogens are substances that naturally depress your thyroid function. If you're eating things on the list I mentioned, you should try to stop eating them. Crucifers are a family of vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage. You can eat these if they are well cooked, but not raw.

Many doctors prescribe medications that only have T4 (snythroid, levy-whatsit) because our bodies are supposed to be able to convert T4 to T3, which is the active form of the hormone. Well, lots of us can't, so we need to be given the T3 directly. That means adding in Cytomel or using Armour, which has both naturally.

If it helps any, Armour is a natural product, not a man-made drug. Not having enough T4 or T3 in your body is like not having enough air - you just can't function. Forgetting to take your meds is like slowly depriving yourself of air. Knowing how I feel on Armour vs how I feel unmedicated, I make darn sure I take those meds!

If you have your numbers, post em, and we'll help. The ones we need to see are TSH, Free T3, and Free T4. If the tests ordered by your doc are too expensive, you can get the same ones privately for $75 at www.healthcheckusa.com.

IMHO, if your doc won't give you Armour - tell him/her it's about the cost if you have to - or add Cytomel, yes, switch docs. We can help you find another one.
Cheers,

Friday

I was so glad when you said I could still have brocolli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower as long as they are cooked well because, ironically, those are my four absolute favorites!

It's been a while since I've been tested, so I don't really have any up to date numbers; but finding this board, talking to you, and looking up Hashimoto (again) on the internet has sort of (re)ignited an urgent desire to get this in check. I would like to find a new doctor, however. He is a nice guy, but very orthidox, if you know what I mean. And his eyes twitch and he forgets what he was saying. Between the two of us, nothing gets accomplished!

And I'll check out that link and I look forward to hearing back from you! Right now, you are a godsend! (Okay.....being a little dramatic here! Is that a symptom? )

Anyway, if you could recommend a doctor that would be great! I live in Portland, Oregon and would go anywhere in the area for a good doc, epecially one who would prescribe Armour for a mere $40 for a six month supply---wow!)

In terms of soy; dumb question, but would that include soy sauce? And I do drink tea, take flax seed, and eat peanuts. Won't be doing that anymore. Thanks for the info. .......Why doesn't my doctor tell me this?

Again, many thanks!

fermented soy is ok, so that means soy sauce is ok. I can't remember what other forms of soy are fermented, tho.

I'll see if I can get a link to Portland area docs for you. BRB

BTW, here were my total costs for my diagnosis so far.

Healthcheck - $125 (I got more than just thyroid checked. I got the VIP Plus program)
Endocrinologist $121 for office visit
Armour, 6 mos $37
total, less than $300

http://www.thyroid-info.com/topdrs/oregon.htm

Look for the people inthe Portland section. Kaluza and Marinelli look pretty good, and the recommendations mention T3 and/or Armour. I don't know them personally, however.

Cheers,

Friday

Oh - take fish oil instead of flax for your omegas. And there are several good books to read on this subject. try amazon or half.com and look for the names Mary Shomon and Arem Ridha.

Thank you SO much! Checking that out now!

So, just to finalize, the diet I am following is okay you think? High protein and fiber, lower carbs if I want, and not a lot of added fat? (And the plan does call for 6 small meals per day. ) ....Do you think Hashimoto is the reason Atkins didn't work maybe? May I ask what diet, or rather, way of life you follow?

I think probably the hypoT is why just about ANY diet migh5t not work right now. IMHO, right now you should focus on getting your body the right nutrients until you get your meds straightened out. HypoT can depress your metabolism, so just about nothing will work.

I am not losing right now. In fact, I'm not trying to because I've just been diagnosed and I'm trying not to stress my system until my symptoms are pretty much gone and my meds are right. However, I am doing a low glycemic approach with iso-caloric ratios. There a good book called The GI Diet that is worth reading. It will combine well with Body RX. Iso-caloric means that fat, carbs and protein each make up 33% of my calories for the day. Low GI and Body RX also stress whole foods eating, and that's healthy no matter who you are.

Cheers,

Friday

Sound advice.

I just spoke to my mom and she is going to help me. This is a priority and, like you suggest, I'll focus on that first. ....And you're right, eating healthy never hurt nobody! (I have been curious about the GI book so I think I'll check that out too.)

Okay..........many thanks and I will keep you posted as I hope you'll keep me posted on your progress!

All the best!

Good news is, I felt noticabley better w/in 48 hrs on a T3-containing med, and except for period week, I feel pretty good now. Still a few bumps, but night and day different than a month ago.

Wow. What is a T3 containing med? Is that the Armour stuff? Whatever it is, I want it. 48 hours is not too shabby, indeed.

Yep, Armour has T3 and T4. Just so you don't get a rude shock, Armour is an animal product. It's natural thyroid from pigs, so it has all of the same hormones that regular human thyroid would have, though in slightly different concentrations. I was a little 'eww' about the whole idea at first, but I felt so bad that I'd have swallowed just about anything that would make me feel better. Now that I'm on it, you ain't gettin' me off it!

Actually, I did know that. My doctor explained it all to me when I asked him to put me on it. I'm like you, willing to do anything to feel better, so I can deal with the piggie stuff. (Wait....it doesn't hurt the pig, does it!?) ....The reason he said he didn't want to use it was because he said it was inconsistant from batch to batch (or something) and that you may get too much or too little (of whatever) with each dose. I told him I didn't care and that people said they had success with it and that I wanted to try it, but he insisted I try another dosage instead, so....


What are your thoughts on the inconsistancy issue?

I do believe that Armour is standardized. The generic version of Armour has varied by up to 14% in lab tests, tho, so get real Armour, not the generic which is just called Thyroid. About hurting the pig - they just take the pig thyroid when pigs are killed for food anyway, so in a sense it's a wise use of resources. If animals have to be killed, we might as well use every part possible.

About just changing you dose... If there's no T3 in your med, giving you more of the otherstuff isn't going to do squat. I know a lot of traditional doctors think that way, but well, it's just plain wrong. (Translation - your doctor's a dope, lol. Ok, maybe not a dope, but he's been brainwashed by the academy.)