Anyone else with an underactive thyroid doing the Dukan Diet?

[Poppy03]

As the title says, is there anyone else with an underactive thyroid? It would be good to share tips and support as dieting and the underactive is hard. Even reading Dr Dukan's book he mentions the thyroid as being one of the conditions that makes it difficult to get the weight off and keep it off.

I am finally medicated at a level that I can maintain my weight relatively easily as opposed to last year where I had to work at it. I am now able to take some exercise and generally be more active.

 

[Splendarella]

Hi Poppy - I have an underactive thyroid too. Diets previously have been a non starter. Happy to have a fellow sufferer to moan too about slow weight loss lol. I have lost 12lbs so far but week 3 is proving difficult with no weight loss. Convinced all of that loss was water as all I did was visit the loo twice hourly. Now I am back to being a camel....... xxx

 

[Poppy03]

Hello fellow sufferer Nice to meet you. You are doing well to loose 12lbs already. What other diets have you tried? Are you properly medicated now as that makes all the difference. I take T3 as the T4 completely disagreed with me and left me nearly disabled last year.

Have you read his book? Very interesting and very French - lol. He has ways of dealing with the stagnating weight loss (god help me).

I am on day 2 of the attack. Only doing 3 days of it and then onto vegetables - I mean cruise. I am starting to fantasize about them. Even courgettes which I can take or leave seem delicious and had to stop myself picking up kilos of them!

 

[Splendarella]

Hi I take Thyroxine but not sure if that is T3 or T4 (I know it is one or the other) but I am stable on that now. Diets tried SW and WW but NOTHING HAPPENED so I drank wine to get over the disappointment and then tried to do low GI thinking it would curb the carb cravings but err no - if I have a little of something then I WANT IT ALL I have discovered. How have you got on in the past? I like the rules on here as I seem to have got my head round it - all or nothing that's me. Hopefully after a few weeks the fat will start to 'melt' off like the other dieters on here but at least I feel better and my eyebags have mysteriously gone not that I am complaining and cellulite has gone right down too. Odd but fab! I also like the 'full feeling' thats good too. On PV days I am trying to vary my veg as much as possible to try and balance my nutrition. I also am trying to vary my protein i.e. red meat one day, fish another, eggs another, white meat another and to keep the interest going too. I have a vegetarian friend who when dieting only eats pasta with tomato sauce, loses loads then puts it all back on again as soon as she hits the cheese savoury, then back to the pasta etc etc. Hopefully this diet will deal with the head stuff so that it becomes very natural to have 3 balanced meals a day without the need to dream of unhealthy carbs as I admit I did and probably always will have a bad carb addiction. Good luck with it all xx

 

[fitnessqueen1]

Hi all

I've had an underactive thyroid since 1990 (originally had overactive and had part of it removed, unfortunately too much!). Whilst I recognise that everyone is different, I've never had a problem losing weight, I've found it challenging keeping it off sometimes but have always managed to lose whatever dieting regime I've followed.

Feel free to shoot me down, but's so easy to use an underactive thyroid as a reason for not losing weight - I've done it in the past. As long as your medication is at the right levels the weight will come off. It may take longer to lose the weight but it really is possible as long as we stick to the diet (and I've found that I have to exercise as well).

I love Dukan - especially the fact that the consolidation and stabilisation phases are part of the programme. I'm going to go all the way with this and not stop when I think I can do it myself!

 

[Poppy03]

I agree that you can loose weight with a properly medicated underactive thyroid but it is harder. Last year I managed to loose 5lbs but my calories had to be 800-1000 to loose 1lb in 10 days, I was not properly medicated but the Drs refused to acknowledge it. I had to fight each day to keep the weight off.

Now properly medicated my weight is more stable, thankfully, so feel this is the time to diet. I am also able to start exercising whereas last year it was just simply impossible - bad times.

Dukan talks thoughout his book about the thyroid which is heartening that he recognises it but does say that it makes it much harder. At least he is not dismissing it as an issue and he gives more tips about dealing with it.

 

[Poppy03]

Splendarella. You take T4 which is what I used to take but my body just couldn't use it so I ended up with the worst symptoms ever. Now I take T3 which is what T4 becomes when active and I have a new chance at life.

Good for you for trying in the past to get the weight off. I did calorie counting last year and had to reduce my calories to 800-1000 to loose 1lb over 10 days. It was really, really hard and I only lost 5lbs over 2 months. Stuck with it for another couple of weeks but nothing came off. Managed to keep it off but that was hard. Have been trying to limit myself recently but thought I really needed to do something with rules. Not over thrilled with the food as I am not a huge meat eater but it is currently working and only one more day on attack - yay.

I think I will try some salmon today, something different. Not hungry and haven't had my breakfast yet (have to wait until 1 hour after taking my meds). What shall it be today. Something pale I think :cry:

Do you feel this is a diet you can stick to? I have lost 2lbs so far but feel the first pound was a cheaters lb as I had only gained that one the day before and was surprised. I feel flatter though. Do you find your weight is around the 'beer belly'?

 

[Splendarella]

Poppy Yay! Like you I am putting the past behind me. I never want to revisit that part of it. My weight, luckily, is evenly distributed. I feel good on this diet so that is a good indicator for me and I know people with hypothyroidism find it more difficult to metabolise carbs so a low carb diet is a better type of diet for us. Long term I hope I can keep the faith. Just been on a 7k walk this morning. I want this weight to come off for my health and I know I get terrible carb cravings the conventional way of dieting which is either agony to live with or I cave in and then feel terrible guilt so yes I plan to stick with this diet and post my progress as I go. I dream of having a BMI like yours. I have read that the less you have to lose the harder it gets so stick with it hun

Fitness Queen, sorry if I mislead you but I know that weight loss will happen on a diet when an underactive thyroid is under control but that it can be a little slower as our metabolism will never be as it once was - hence the title of my diary Thyroid Tortoise. Mine went underactive when I was pregnant 10 years ago and never recovered. I agree I think exercise is the key though with this diet giving me the energy to do the exercise when before exercise would leave me very shaky and in need of TONS OF FOOD! Now all I need after exercise is a big glass of water and that is bewildering but in a good way!

 

[Poppy03]

It is one of the reasons I picked this diet as I know that carbs and the thyroid condition do not make good bedfellows. Now George Clooney and the thyroid ...

How do you feel after your walk? I worked on my allotment for 5 hours and then did my 20 min walk after dinner. Feel ok, surprisingly. Enjoyed my dinner more today but definately looking forward to the vegetables. Haven't had any of the keytosis they talk about which does concern me a little. I shall see what the scale says tomorrow.

I know it probably seems crazy, since I have a ok BMI that I want to loose weight but I am so heavy for me and it will only get worse if I leave it. According to Dukan you gain 2.5lbs for every decade, its now or never! I am also inbetween dress sizes which is not fun!!

Together we can motivate each other to stick with it when the times get hard, which I am sure they will. I am not certain I wish to loose as much as the Dukan website says, I shall more base it on what my body is doing/feeling like.

Vegetables tomorrow - yay!

 

[Splendarella]

Yes George Clooney can kickstart my metabolism whenever he likes! During Attack my legs were really heavy by about day 3 and which lasted until about 4 days ago. I walk for an hour daily if I can't make the gym (gym usually about twice a week). My daughter and my extremely fit Mum join me and keep me motivated. Walking now I find that at the start my legs have the same heavy feeling but after I have warmed up 10 mins later say that feeling goes and I feel like I could walk all day (unless I have to stop part of the way when restarting I get that heavy feeling again). Enjoy those vegetables because they taste amazing on this diet!

 

[Poppy03]

I started Zumba classes although not been as often as I would like due to chest infection, daughter (3) getting fever and needing mum, etc etc. Older daughter in America at the moment so shall resume on her return. They were good fun, the classes, so wont bother with my 25 min walk on the day I do that.

I don't have the heavy leg feeling anymore, now my meds are good. Before it was like dragging a dead body along with me!

I am feeling really well today. I woke up at 7.30am which is unheard of. I have had less than 8 hours sleep but feel raring to go

Looking forward to my salad at lunch time and then chicken cooked in tomato and onion sauce. Mmmm sauce! What are you making today?

 

[Splendarella]

Morning - the sleep thing is really odd - I am not sleeping well on this diet but feel fine i.e. I dont seem to get to sleep till about 3am. I must be sleeping really deeply when I do sleep. Hope it sorts itself out though. Today's menu is (PP)

B - Muffins
L - Chilli prawn omelette
D - Keema
S - Yoghurt

Eat asparagas on some PV days as I read somewhere it is a really good diuretic

x

 

[Poppy03]

Good morning. Just ate a tomato, soooo good. To be honest it is not even a homegrow one so not the most brilliant of flavours but it was goood. made my own ketchup so I can use that on PV days so my scrambled eggs on pancake tasted much better.

What is a keema?

I don't like sea food at all so that eliminates one of the food catergories. Do you know if red wine can be used for cooking on PV days?

 

[boofle]

Hi i too have under active thyroid i have been on 75mg thyroxine for 2 years and my levels are stable but the weight is very very slow to come off tried all usual diets i note some of you have said about cutting carbs if you have under active thyroid could someone give me any info on this thank you

 

[Splendarella]

Hey girls - Linda I can recommend a really good book by Mary J Shomon called Living Well with Hypothyroidism ISBN 0-380-80898-6. She refers to it in her book. It makes me quite angry that we are just given a prescription when diagnosed but given no useful information or support about the condition that would be so helpful. It is left to on-line forums and chance that we get the information we need.

Poppy - red wine should be ok if only used as a flavouring/marinade and the alcohol is burned off during cooking (I think!) Dont worry about not liking seafood as at least there is plenty of protein to choose from (I believe really really lean lamb and pork have been added to the protein allowed list i.e. pork fillet occasionally not daily but to ditch if stalling).

p.s. Keema is curried mince - loads of cumin and cinnamon, bay leaf, little onion and garlic, cardamon, chillies beef stock cube and mince browned separately then rinsed of grease with boiling water and added to pan. On PV days add a tin of tomatoes and lots of onion otherwise just enough water to cook everything down.

 

[boofle]

Thanks will take a look at the book as i am dieting and exercising 3-5 times a week but seem to go 3 steps forward and 4 back x

 

[boofle]

Hi just had a look at book on amazon she also has a thyroid diet book have you read this as well also do you think if i reduce carbs it will help lol x

 

[Splendarella]

No I didnt know she had a diet book. I must check that one out but I bet it is a variant of Dukan's low carb low fat ethos. I know she says if, like you are experiencing, weightloss is 1 step forward and 3 back then you may be insulin resistant as a result of hypothyroidism and if so to try low carb. Maybe try to make your diet more low-glycemic rather than the totally restrictive Dukan and see what happens? If you get the diet book will you post on here what the crack is please?

 

[boofle]

Yes will do will try to get it from library but if you look on amazon it gives a little bit of a description if i cannot get from library will send for both from amazon x

 

[Poppy03]

In answer to boofle I think it is to do with thyroid people often having the wheat/gluten allergy and also low stomach acid. Not sure of the technical details but the general consensus seems to be that low carb works better for those with thyroid. Our systems seem to make everything go through our stomachs slower, which in turn makes us extract more out (great).

Splenderalla. That keema sounds nice, may well give that a go. Time to get creative on this diet. My body is currently digesting the vegetables - I think it is going back into shock again but boy was that delicious!