Question:
Does having throid disease slow weight loss after gastric bypass?
My sister and I have both had gastric bypass. She is almost a year out, and has not lost any weight for 5 months. She takes synthroid for her thyroid disease. Does having thyroid disease stop or slow weight loss? She does cheat alot by eating alot of chocolates, but blames the stop in weight loss to her thyroid. I have made it to goal in 9 months & she still weighs 200lbs. What can I do to help, or is it really her thyroid? — SkinnyBird (posted on March 29, 2009)
March 29, 2009
When I was in office practice I checked thyroid function in my patients on
Synthroid every 3-6 months depending on how stable they were. If she hasn't
lost weight in 5 months and hasn't had her thyroid checked it could be that
her current dosage is too low and that is affecting her weight loss by
slowing her metabolism. You can still lose weight it just means you have to
take in a lot less calories. However if it has been checked and is at
therapeutic levels then I would have to say that the chocolate may be
contributing most of the problem. Either way the excess calories of the
chocolate intake aren't helping, especially if we aren't talking about a
rare indulgence but a regular part of her diet. There is no miracle cure
that lets us eat anything. I would suggest she check with the doctor
managing her thyroid to make sure that whether a dosage adjustment might
help then also with her surgeon and/or nutritionist to go over current
eating habits and exercise to see if they can help get her weight loss back
on track. Good luck to you both. Kevin
— hapkidodoc
March 29, 2009
Hi I have thyroid also, i do not cheat, i exercise everyday and still
losing weight slow. I lost 21lbs the frist week then it took five weeks to
lose 5lbs and did not lose anything for 5 or 6 months lost 10 lbs and have
not lost anything in the last three weeks. Its very hard. I had lap band
what did the two of you had.
— JANIECEMOM
March 29, 2009
I have hypothyroidism and have been on synthroid for years. I have lost a
100 pounds but hit a plateau after a year. I still have 70-80 pounds to
lose. After Reading about the 5 day pouch diet and getting back to basics,
I found hypothyroidism was not the problem - snacking was. Google 5 day
pouch test to find the website! If you read all about how your system
works since bypass surgery, it is different. One thing - maybe you can't
eat as much in one sitting, but you can snack all day long if you allow
yourself. Carbohydrates, such as crackers, chips, rice, potatoes, etc.
will literally destroy the weight loss progress. Also, there are 'slider'
foods that will prevent you from losing weight - things that used to be
recommended as a snack foods for dieters prior to WLS such as popcorn &
pretzels, etc. are no longer recommended after the surgery. Basically, eat
lots of protein to keep the matabolism moving and the hunger down and
lowering the carbohydrates! I also recommend a Free website - Fitday. You
can actually input what you eat and in an instance, see on a pie chart
exactly how much protein, carbohydrates and fat you are eating. It is
amazing - You may think you are eating the right foods, but the chart will
say it all!. Good luck.
— BonnieP
March 29, 2009
28 months out -- have been taking synthroid for 4 years --lost all excess
weight and have maintained since 1 yr out -- i have my thyroid checked
every 6 months along with my vitamin/mineral levels -- i eat a diet of
protein first, fiber second and don't eat rice, pasta, or bread -- i will
eat a forkfull or 2 of potato when we go out to eat -- other than that i
don't buy white carbs -- but i haven't had a problem with losing or
maintaining -- stop the chocolates
— RCassety
March 30, 2009
I have hypothyrodism and have been on medication for almost 3 years and
I've lost 228 lbs. If your sister hasn't had labs done in awhile I would
start there, I have mine every 3 months to make sure my medicine is still
working.
Also, it's a good idea to limit chocolate as a special treat because it has
no nutritional value and can cause weight gain. Debi
— DEBI R.
March 30, 2009
I have hypothyrodism and have been on medication for almost 3 years and
I've lost 228 lbs. If your sister hasn't had labs done in awhile I would
start there, I have mine every 3 months to make sure my medicine is still
working.
Also, it's a good idea to limit chocolate as a special treat because it has
no nutritional value and can cause weight gain. Debi
— DEBI R.
March 30, 2009
I eat dark chocolate in moderation (I get high quality stuff and keep in
the freezer for a tiny piece when the urge hits...then I just nibble on a
small square rather than scarf an entire chocolate bar down YUCK! Too much
dark chocolate)...SF cocoa and chocolate protein bars and chocolate protein
drinks and powders, SF pudding, etc!...My point is, there are good
chocolate choices and if she is eating full fat, full-sugar, milk
chocolate, she needs to change her options...I enjoy chocolate like the
majority of women...I just had to learn to make the best choices...I was
hypothyroid before surgery and on meds...For whatever reason I didn't need
meds for 4 years post op...Then suddenly I had a weight gain of 3 lbs for
no good reason...I felt sluggish and my hair started falling out...So I
thought I was anemic again and went in for labs...Found out my I was back
to being hypothyroid...Got back on meds and my weight gain stabilized and I
lost my 3 pounds, no problem. I'm still working on the right dosage, and
need to go get labs again because I am still not feeling the energy I
normally get in spring time...I hope she is not using her thyroid as an
excuse without taking responsibility for the chocolate munching...She
should be able to eat some in moderation...but all my weight gains have
been sugar and or simple carbs! See if you can get her to try better
choices of chocolate and get her thyroid checked regularly. (I'm bad at
getting rechecks myself...so I need to take my own advice as well!)
— .Anita R.
April 8, 2009
Was in the midst of thyroid cancer and trying to get my levels stablized.
Lost 80lbs and then stopped.Reaching 4yr anniversary and have gained 45lbs.
Thyroid does indeed complicate weight loss, hormone function and so many
other functions in the body.Frustration does not begin to describe my
feelings, especially since I just recently saw a new surgeon to discuss a
revision and was told that my pouch has NOT stretched; therefore, weigh
gain is due to something else. Good luck.
— amistique569
Click Here to Return