trouble losing weight. possible thyroid disorder?

[whitel23]

I have been overweight since around the third grade. I had terrible acne, and it's still rather bad, and my hair got extremely thin. You can see my scalp easily. I started my cycle in the fourth grade and they were terrible and irregular so I was put on the birth control pill. I am 21. Since then, I have been to two endocrinologists, a dermatologist, a nutritionist, and have had two or three thyroid panels. Thyroid problems run in my family, but I have never had positive panels. I have been going to the gym since April five times a week for an hour and a half. Some days are cardio, some are weight training, and most days are mixed about half and half. Always keeping my hear rate between 169 and 182. I pretty much only drink water or tea. I rarely drink soda or sugary drinks. I eat breakfast... I don't know if I am doing something wrong or if there IS a thyroid problem that hadn't been detected. Perhaps Hashimotos? I don't know what else to do from here. Any recommendations?

[jemma116]

If you are eating only twice a day, this is likely to be where your problem likes.

Eat 3 meals a day with a healthy snack in between and drink your water.

Eating only two small meals a day is going to slow down your metabolism and also you will not get all the nutrients and vitamins your body needs.

There is lots of information on the right way to eat and still lose weight on the web.

I have been on most diets and it is surprising the amount of food that you can eat and still lose weight.  They all work as long as you stick to it.
Slimming World uses Green (vegetarian) and Red (meat) days, Weight Watchers allows you to eat anything but everything has points that you have to add up and the point allocation depends on your starting weight and height, age and sex.  Most vegetables and fruits are zero pointed.

As you have hardly any appetite at all and feel tired all the time, it seems that you may have anaemia.  Your doctor can do a blood test to find out if you are anaemic.  Liver, kidneys, dark green vegetables contain lots of iron.  Breakfast cereals are fortified with iron.  You can find out more information on the web with regard to other foods that contain iron.  

You do not have to starve yourself to lose weight.  If you need to lose weight, you need to do this by still eating healthily.

Best wishes.

[whitel23]

I will try the prenatal vitamin. And back when I was seeing the endocrinologist my tsh was tested. He never really told me my results but said it was my adrenal glands. He gave me dexamethasone and spironolactone but they never seemed to help. When I changed doctors she said he was an idiot and did a bone density test and said my growth was delayed and it looked like I was a year or two behind what I should have been. I was tested and checked for polycystic ovarian syndrome and that too was negative. I'm always tired even when I sleep 8 hours. I get dizzy. I've been tested for almost everything. I do drink a coffee drink once a month but otherwise I don't snack. I eat chicken and broccoli. Relatively small portions going by the labels. I try not to put salt or sugar or cream in anything. I eat maybe twice a day. And now I barely have an appetite at all. I was also on the Depo shot for three years if that makes a differencr

[jemma116]

As your thyroid panels have come back negative and you have been seen by specialists, your exercise regime seems fine, but as you are not losing any weight, your portion sizes may be too big or you are eating the wrong foods or making the wrong choices.

If you stick to what the nutritionist advised you, have kept your portion sizes right and have not "cheated" by indulging in cakes, chocolates, biscuits, cappuchinos, smoothies, you should be able to lose weight.  Sugar and salt can cause water retention and you can also expect to gain a few pounds a few days before a monthly cycle.  Aim for 1-2lbs of loss per week.  As you are doing weight training, this is likely to build muscle.  Tones muscles actually weigh more than fat.  So you may have lost fat, but gained muscle.  Perhaps the gym trainer may give you some advice on that.

The best way to monitor what you are consuming (and that includes drinks), write everything down.  Sometimes when we think we are doing well and not eating much, we actually consume more than what we think.
The other thing is to make good choices when it comes to the foods that we consume and also to choose the way the food is prepared.  WeightWatchers on the web has good recipes that can give you some ideas.

If you are worried that you may have Hashimotos, I would suggest you speak with you doctor about your concerns.

Best wishes.

[lils450]

Did have your tsh tested? If you what was it? Did you have your anti bodies checked also ? If not you really need these checked . Tsh over 2 is considered hypothydroidism.  Hence why your struggling to lose weight. Could also be polycystic ovaries by the sound of it. Though if you have dizziness, forgetfulness, anemia, vitamin deficiencies, constipation or sensitivity to the cold or hoarse voice then more than likely it is hypothydroidism.  Hope it helps .

[silverfox67]

   Hello... Sorry you are not doing well.  You say you have seen a nutritionist.  Did he/she recommend any supplements?  Since our food no longer contains all the nutrients we need, I was wondering.
      MSM is supposed to help the skin, hair and nails.  Zinc is also wonderful for acne.   Magnesium is something we are all lacking.  I would start with a good prenatal vitamin supplement.  You don't need to be pregnant to take it.  It would be the most complete.
      Sounds like you are doing everything else right.
I have not been diagnosed with a thyroid problem, but my temperature is always lower than "normal", so I take an iodine (Vitamin SSKI) supplement to give my thyroid a little boost.
    See your doctor about supplements if you aren't comfortable with self-prescribing.

   Wishing you the best.