Long Rambling Return to the Forum

I had my DS surgery in December of 2012, and the next nine months were a happy, awesome weight loss journey.  Slow, but steady weight loss and return to great health.  I was down 55 pounds and confident that I could reach my goal by early 2014.  I started feeling really tired and run down in late October - and it felt unusual enough that I went to my doctor.  A blood test revealed hyperthyroidism (Graves Disease) - an extremely over-active thyroid.  This started a round of tests and visits to the endocrinologist resulting in my beginning to take Methimazole to control the thyroid.  I had a bit of a "honyemoon" period on the medication where the AWFUL symptoms of the disease were controlled but the one positive side effect continued - rapid weight loss.  I foolishly took advantage of the fact that I could eat anything and still lose weight.  So I did . .  eat anything I wanted.  I ate everything I had been avoiding since surgery - sweets, carbs, junk food.  It was temporarily wonderful and coincided with the Christmas eating season!  In early January the weight loss stopped and started going the other way - UP.  Okay, no problem, the doctor said I was ready to begin tapering off my medication now that the symptoms were under control.  But very quickly, despite less medication, my thyroid began to go the other direction and I was soon into the land of hypothryoid - underactive thyroid.  Only slightly disappointing at first, but it spiraled out of control very quickly.  I had fallen back into most of my destructive eating habits and now my metabolism was really slow.  More tapering off of the medication, but continued weight gain, and more gain, and more gain.  I finally woke up to the hard reality of my situation in February.  I had gained 20 pounds from my lowest weight, my clothes were feeling uncomfortable and I felt like crap most of the time!  What the heck was I doing?!  So, I got serious and started back on my low carb, high protein, high fat regimen.  I was feeling hopeful again, and I even went on liquid protein for a week to kick start it.  Well, after a few weeks my hope began to fade.  A couple of pounds down after the liquid protein week, but I gained back those pounds also within 2 weeks.  It appeared my metabolism was a mess and this was going to be nearly impossible.  I went to my endocrinologist in a panic, but he was no help.  "You just need to eat less" was his solution.  Wow.  Thanks.  Great value for my $50 co-pay.  A visit to my primary care doctor helped a little in that he was at least sympathetic to how scared and disappointed I was.  He helped me work out a plan on how to adjust my medication in order to get my TSH levels down to the minimum we possibly could before sliding back into hyperthyroid territory.  OK - a plan. That's what I like; a plan gives me hope again.  He told me to come back in 6 weeks to check the TSH level in my blood to see where we were.  So, I started working really hard at it again.  I scoured the internet for new low-carb foods and recipes, made careful plans, kept track of my carbs again, made sure I was drinking plenty of water, started riding my bike again.  I even took my own snacks to the many business meetings I went to.  All the right things!  Hooray! This is going to turn around!  Only it didn't.  Six weeks later, no weight loss.  None.  Not one pound.  Gained two more pounds.  And it wasn't like the old "you might not be losing pounds, but you're probably losing inches" situation either.  Nothing fits right, but I am NOT going to go buy bigger clothes.  No.  

All this time I had been avoiding this forum and some other support groups.  Partly because I had strayed so far from the "plan" and partly because I was irrationally jealous of everyone who was still losing weight and successfully enjoying the effects of their WLS journey.  "It's not fair!  I'm quickly falling back toward square one!  All the pain, money, and effort was for nothing!"

So, this week.  Another blood test.  TSH level cut in half from last time.  So that's at least moving in the right direction.  My emotions keep fluctuating between despair and hope.  Today is one of the hope days.  I'm going to win this battle.  I don't know how, don't know how long, but I'm going to do it.  I'm starting with a modified goal.  5 pounds.  I can lose 5 pounds - if it means working out like crazy to get this metabolism jump-started that's what I'll do.  5 pounds.  After that we'll see what's next.  But the biggest thing is to get back to this support forum to be with people *****ally GET IT.

I'm sorry I have avoided you guys!  I'm here to help support all the new folks coming in, and I promise not to get jealous!

You are extremely brave being so honest, Im so sorry that you have suffered being out of the loop for so long. It is what it is and everybody is different. You've have some thyroid problems, and your correcting it, that is to be applauded. Your finding out what is wrong an dealing with it.... Its a process. I have low thyroid also, and since I had the DS my level as far as my thyroid goes has tanked, and I am in the process of getting on top of it. I was taking "Prilosec" and my Synthroid at the same time each day and that is a no, no. The Prilosec cancels out the synthroid. Im in the process of correcting that as we speak.... Keep your chin up there is a light at the end of the tunnel......

Welcome back!  :)

Thank you for posting your story.  Good information about thyroid issues and the symptoms that come with those conditions.  I did not know the thyroid could swing from not working to overworking and back.  Kind of an elusive creature to get under control.

Hope you feel better soon.

Welcome back. It can be hard to remember we are all different, with different trials. Nobody's better or worse based on their weight loss or gain. We've all been there before...

I'm sure we all would like to help as much as possible. You can do this. You obviously have the resolve and just need to find out what is 
going to work for you.

You might consider tracking and posting in vits and bites. My tracking helps me keep on track and when I posted meals early on I thought it was really valuable to have other people just take a look. LOL. Sometimes even knowing that I would post made a difference in my choices. I have a great capacity to fool myself but I've trained myself to get down everything I eat, mostly. :) 

The only other thing I an think of that might be helpful is to think about how high fat do you really need to be. I get by with avoiding all "low fst" foods and some coconut oil in my tea once or twice a day. 13 months out and I seem to be doing OK with that.

Whatever you do - hoping for the best result for you.

Pete

Welcome back!

My father had this too.  And I desperately wanted to catch it!  A whole house full of fat women always on a die****ched him eat constantly.  Some evenings a whole pie and a quart of ice-cream and he STILL lost weight.  I kept hoping it was hereditary and I would come down with it soon.  But of course that was not to be.  Eventually, his docs decided to 'kill' his thyroid with a radioactive iodine ****tail.  I remember telling him the night before that he should drink half of it and spill the rest to try for the best of both worlds.  But he didn't do it and the rest of his life he tended towards heavy and of course had to take thyroid.  So I get what you are talking about.  It would stink on ice to be able to eat like crazy and still lose to have to go back to the always dieting thing.

I do have one suggestion.  I have 2 always fat friends with low thyroid who actually managed to lose weight when they gave up the synthetic thyroid and switched to Armour.  Just another possibility to consider if your issues continue.  And yes I know there isn't supposed to be any difference but for these 2 people the change was very noticeable and they both felt much better.

 

 

Thank you all so much for your support.  I made the mistake of getting on the scale this morning.  Gained another pound.  How in the world is it even possible?!  Ugh.