To Weight Loss Plateau Survivors

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(Prancing Pony) #1

I wanted to ask everyone who has been through a weight loss plateau how long it lasted and what restarted your weight loss?

(Susan) #2

I have had plateaus that have lasted over 2 weeks at times; and the only thing that seems to get me out of them is doing a 48 hour fast.

(Carl Keller) #3

You can try dropping dairy, nuts and artificial sweeteners if you are using them. You can also try lowering your carb total. Use total carbs if you are using net or even try carnivore for a few weeks. Fasting can also be a useful tool. Just make sure you are switching things up and not depriving yourself by undereating when you do eat.

(Prancing Pony) #4

I’m afraid I’ve tried all that :wink:

(Carl Keller) #5

Do you have a lot of stress in your life? That can keep you from losing weight. Also if you are close to your goal weight, your body will fight you tooth and nail to keep that last bit of reserve as an insurance policy against starvation.

(Prancing Pony) #6

Thank you for helping. No the funny thing is my stress is much lower than before. I still need to lose a minimum of 40lb so I don’t think it’s that. I did have to reduce my thyroid replacement dose a year ago when the stall started but my TSH is in normal range and the side effects of a too high dose were horrible. I haven’t pushed the fasting longer than 24 hours because I get so sad and tiered it makes me feel like weight loss is not worth it. So I may just not be trying hard enough :sweat_smile:

(Rachel) #7

Hi

I have experience on thyroid issues as I have an underactive thyroid.

When you say your TSH is normal what are your actual blood results?

Doctors are quick to say there are normal when in fact they mean they are in range this means nothing.

Also testing TSH isn’t adequate, you need your TSH, T3 & T4 testing.

If your not on the adequate dosage, weight loss will be a struggle.

Best wishes

(Prancing Pony) #8

Thanks. No I fully understand, TSH was 2.5 which I know is the top end of normal but any higher dose of levothyroxine and I get pretty crappy side effects. I’m in the UK and they don’t usually test T4 and T3 but I had it privately done and my T4 was a little high (I forget the number) and T3 was right in the middle, if I remember correctly 3.1
Do you think the TSH of 2.5 is enough to cause the stall?

(Rachel) #9

Hi

I’m in the uk too, yes I do private blood testing as my GP will only test TSH.

You really need your TSH to be 1 or below to feel well. I can sympathise with you feeling awful on Levothyroxine. I got to 125mcg of Levothyroxine and still felt awful, what dosage are you currently on?

I now self medicate with NDT, which has T4 & T3 in it, and I’m a lot better.

What are your T3 & T4 results?

It’s important when having bloods you don’t take your Levothyroxine 24 hours before and no eating, test as early as possible in the morning before 9am.

I would guess your T3 results are too low, which is why your not losing the weight, your GP will be hell bent on not letting your TSH get suppressed as in below range, they get twitchy and reckon it results in heart failure blah blah blah. Load of rubbish.

I would suggest you join a thyroid forum for guidance.

Best wishes

(Rachel) #10

Forget to add, for us to feel well our TSH should be 1 or below T3 & T4 results in the higher ranges of the blood test.

(Prancing Pony) #11

How did you get your hands on NDT?

I’m on 175mcg of levo. When I was on 200 my tsh was 0.005 lol I can’t win. I tried on my own to go up a little more by taking half pills and went back to feeling anxious and constantly running to the loo but stuck it out for a month and the weight stayed the same. I am tempted by NDT though, it sounds much more useful.

(Rachel) #12

I buy it privately abroad.

You really need to have your blood results to see what the problem is, maybe do some recent one, it could be you don’t convert well, as in T4 to T3.

Do you have Hashimotos as well (auto immune disease) many that do, don’t convert well at all.

Join HealthUnlocked the thyroid forum.

Best wishes

(bulkbiker) #13

I have been through a few the longest lasting about 18 months.
Extended fasting has kick started the weight loss for all but the most recent when I wanted to try something else so have been very strict carnivore (with precious little dairy) which has got me down to almost my lightest adult weight ever… Still in the midst of it so fingers crossed.

(Ethan) #14

15 months and carnivore stopped it

(Jane) #15

Fasted 2 weeks in a row. 72 hours minimum each fast. Broke a 2-month stall for me last summer.

(Jane) #16

And reset my body weight setpoint i.e. I didn’t gain any of it back.

(Prancing Pony) #17

Thank you for the info. I’ll have a look

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #18

V[quote=“Sweetpea31, post:9, topic:89260”]
You really need your TSH to be 1 or below to feel well. I can sympathise with you feeling awful on Levothyroxine. I got to 125mcg of Levothyroxine and still felt awful, what dosage are you currently on?
[/quote]

@Prancing_Pony I’m post-radioiodine for Graves’ Disease so am on Levothyroxine.

I find I only feel well when my TSH is at the absolute lowest end of the reference range and my T4 is at the highest. For me, 150mcg daily was too little, rendering me sluggish and depressed, and 175mcg made me hot, anxious and extremely whizzy. After a lot of tweaking the last time my dose was changed we settled on taking 150mcg and 175mcg on alternate days, absolutely at the same time and on an empty stomach*. Perfect!

*I used to take my tablets and supplements at the same time. Tip: thyroxine + cod liver oil = rubbish absorption of thyroxine! Now that was a crappy six months before I worked THAT one out!

Re the T4 testing - I know here in UK the standard thyroid function test is ONLY TSH - so I added T4 on my blood request form a couple of years ago, once I realised I couldn’t deal with not knowing my the relationship between the two for the sake of my health. It resulted in some questions from the doctor that first time, but I have continued to have both tested ever since.

As far as I know I haven’t ever had my T3 tested.

:slightly_smiling_face:

(Prancing Pony) #19

Thanks! I did try that secretly on my own because I had a stash of 25mcg tabs but still felt crappy. That’s the thing, I feel great on this dose, full of beans, warm feet, good skin and hair. It is just the weight loss that has stalled. I sometimes think maybe my body just needs time to heal and know it is not going to be punished with low fat low calorie diets before it will let go of more weight, but maybe that is just an excuse :wink:

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #20

That could well be it! And in the meantime, KCKO! :grinning: