Possible Thyroid problem....Please help

[joewee350]

My girlfriend thinks she has a problem and I agree. For starters she runs between 30-40 miles per week and lifts weights 4 days per week for a minimum of one hour each day. She also pays great attention to what she eats. She has not been able to lose any weight no matter what diet or exercise routine she has tried. Are there any indications that a thyroid problem is the cause of her inability to lose weight. I would think she would be pretty lean but she is at a 1lbs per month weight gain with little if any increase in strength. Please help.

 

[SgtSlaughter]

Wow... that's some serious mileage.

I would tell her to see a doctor and to have them run a thyroid panel... that's the only way to get a true reading on one's thyroid function.

 

[joewee350]

Yeah this week she did 7miles monday, 7 tuesday, 6.5 wed, and 6.5 today and she will do a 10+ mile long run on Saturday. She is 5'3 and 118. Legs are decent tone but arms and stomach are not. She looks fine to me but she is more than frustrated about not being able to lose weight. Any idea on how much a thyroid panel costs?

 

[sbt2082]

Hmmm how much does she eat a day to support all that training she is doing??? Because if she is undereating that could also be why her body is holding on to some fat if any?

 

[joewee350]

She has tried eating anywhere between 2500 calories a day to 1500 calories a day. She has done the no carb diet as well with not one pound loss for one month. I did the no carb diet with her out of support and i lost 16lbs in the month and I didnt do any cardio. I know that is unhealthy but it was a last resort. She is terribly frustrated and I would be too if i were in her shoes.

 

[mermaid]

For her body, she could be over training which would have a similar effect to not eating enough, i.e. holding on to body fat.

Like Sarge said, a doc visit would be worthwhile for thyroid screening.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

List Her Diet In Specifics.

 

[The Shadow]

If she is that active - its possible she is stripping muscle AND gaining fat simultaneously.


1 - get a blood panel

2 - bump over to a high carb diet(60%) on 12x bodyweight in cals for a week.

3 - while on the short diet - cut running out completely.

4 - begin a morning temp log FIRST thing after waking up

 

[nsashbl01]

HT had the same issue years ago. She was runnning 50 miles a week. Doing marathons, etc. But was skinny fat and gaining. She had 22% bf! She then slowly learned to eat clean and use good carbs. She slowly cut the cardio and weight trained more. I don't think she's been over 8-10% bf since. It took her a long time to learn, but she eventually figured it out. She also has a thyroid thats off the charts low. She just needed to gain muscle, eat, and stop all that crazy cardio.

P.M. her, she can maybe help with her experience.....

 

[SgtSlaughter]

hey Nash... just for clarification she may not know who "HT" is ...

HotTeacher, right?

 

[joewee350]

A typical day she will wake up at 4:30 am and eat a bowl of special K and eat a banana or some other fruit. Then she will go run usually 6-7.5 miles. She will eat a cereal bar after the run. She then showers and heads to work. She eats another snack 2 hours later, either another fruit or a cereal bar. She eats lunch at 11 oclock. It is almost always a Turkey sandwich with cheese and some baked chips. She gets off work at 2 and eats another snack, sometimes a package of nuts or something like that. She is at the gym by 2:15 and works out for one hour. She will usually have a small yogurt immediately after the gym. She eats dinner a few hours later...grilled chicken and green beans. A couple hours later she will have 5 or so graham crackers with peanut butter and then go to bed. She has tried several variations of this. She has had only 3 meals a day with no snacks. She has done the low/no carb diet and lost no weight. She has completely stopped running for 2 weeks with no real change in weight. She loves to run and is training for a marathon but she would like to have the benefit of weight loss that should accompany it. Any other thoughts on what she can do?

 

[herselftheelf]

My girlfriend thinks she has a problem and I agree. For starters she runs between 30-40 miles per week and lifts weights 4 days per week for a minimum of one hour each day. She also pays great attention to what she eats. She has not been able to lose any weight no matter what diet or exercise routine she has tried. Are there any indications that a thyroid problem is the cause of her inability to lose weight. I would think she would be pretty lean but she is at a 1lbs per month weight gain with little if any increase in strength. Please help.

...whoa. Before you do anything, diet changes etc, have her go to a doctor and run a full blood panel. And before you do that, maybe she should take a pregnancy test?

 

[Gymgurl]

Diet already sounds to processed and some people will not lose weight with running when increasing their endurance....some gain when training for marathons. Diet and cal counting might help her out

 

[joewee350]

Pregnancy test...lol...yep we even tried that. She has her period every month but usually only lasts 2 days. Any idea on the costs of this thryroid panel? And another interesting note...she has a degree in community health and is a personal trainer.

 

[The Shadow]

Pregnancy test...lol...yep we even tried that. She has her period every month but usually only lasts 2 days. Any idea on the costs of this thryroid panel? And another interesting note...she has a degree in community health and is a personal trainer.

Seriously.....did you read any of my comments??


the temp is a GREAT FREE place to start

 

[joewee350]

My apologies. Yes I read your posts and I really appreciate your advice. She will begin taking her temp in the morning tomorrow. Convincing her to quit running is going to be tough. The diet isnt a problem. She will eat whatever it takes for the weight to come off. Thanks again.

 

[Sassy69]

It doens't need to be that she quits running, but that aspect of her life definitely makes the diet a little more important to be tweaked for what she is tryign to accomplish. I guess what is the goal-- if you are looking at the scale while she is doing an activity that is known to burn both fat & muscle - so both bodyfat % & weight arent' necessarily goign to show 'lost weight" results.

I'd suggest revamping that diet - there is a lot of simple sugar & processed stuff in there. Not much protein either so that won't necessarily maintain muscle mass much less build it while the training activity can actually be catabolic.

And i guess continue the thyroid thing as well. But look at other expected symptoms of thyroid - tired? hair falling out? etc?

 

[*Bunny*]

All other suggestions aside....Sorry to her about her luck but honestly, she needs to tweak her diet

A typical day she will wake up at 4:30 am and eat a bowl of special K ok but could use Old Fashioned Oatmeal and eat a banana or some other fruit. Then she will go run usually 6-7.5 miles. She will eat a cereal bar WAY better choices out there, maybe a decent whey protein shake?? after the run. She then showers and heads to work. She eats another snack 2 hours later, either another fruit or a cereal barNothing wrong with a granny smith apple, but NO more bars . She eats lunch at 11 oclock. It is almost always a Turkey sandwich with cheese and some baked chips.Deli turkey = processed... sandwich = bread = what kind?? whole grain hopefully? Cheese ... may be ok depending on type ... baked chips = NO She gets off work at 2 and eats another snack, sometimes a package of nuts Walnuts or almonds, preferably unsalted, no more than 1-1.5 ounces She is at the gym by 2:15 and works out for one hour. She will usually have a small yogurt Nothing wrong with yogurt, what kind? Plain? low fat? watch the cals immediately after the gym. She eats dinner a few hours later...grilled chicken and green beans. A couple hours later she will have 5 or so graham crackers with peanut butter Eek, no carbs & fat at the same time (poor carb choices that is), protein & fate before bed, no graham crackersand then go to bed. She has tried several variations of this. She has had only 3 meals a day with no snacks. She has done the low/no carb diet and lost no weight. She has completely stopped running for 2 weeks with no real change in weight. She loves to run and is training for a marathon but she would like to have the benefit of weight loss that should accompany it. Any other thoughts on what she can do?

IMO her diet is, well I've seen worse, but she can do WAY better. I wouldn't freak out and go runing to a doctor until she cleans up the diet for one, unless she really feels she is sick. SO many people want a reason for why they can't lose weight when simple diet changes make ALL the difference in the world. That goes for weight training as well. Women SHOULD train with weights.

I would take into considertion all of the suggestions given to you.

Diet needs ALOT of work. Seems like she runs alot, which is NOT BAD, but she is not giving her body the fuel it needs.

She needs to lift some weights, that SHOULD be a part or here marathon training as well, not just running.

 

[*Bunny*]

If she is that active - its possible she is stripping muscle AND gaining fat simultaneously.


1 - get a blood panel

2 - bump over to a high carb diet(60%) on 12x bodyweight in cals for a week.

3 - while on the short diet - cut running out completely.

4 - begin a morning temp log FIRST thing after waking up

Shadow ... curious as to why #2.

Please 'splain. High carb with better carb selections than she's been eating?

 

[Sassy69]

Also per my above post - the type of weight changes you are talking about are miniscule compared to a true "problem" - I know it is a relative thing, and when eating what is perceived as a "clean" or "good" diet (without really designing it specifically and intentionally for what the goal is), thyroid always seems to be a first place to place blame. Just to be realistic (also granted that thyroid issues are also a bit hard to really identify w/o actually getting the testing done) here is a list of the typical symptoms of hyper or hypo (full article: http://thyroid.about.com/cs/basics_starthere/a/symptoms.htm) -

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism (An underactive thyroid)

fatigue, exhaustion
feeling run down and sluggish
depression
difficulty concentrating, brain fog
unexplained or excessive weight gain
dry, coarse and/or itchy skin
dry, coarse and/or thinning hair
feeling cold, especially in the extremities
constipation
muscle cramps
increased menstrual flow
more frequent periods
infertility/miscarriage

Symptoms of Hyperthryodisim (An overactive thyroid)

nervousness
irritability
increased perspiration
thinning of your skin
fine brittle hair
muscular weakness especially involving the upper arms and thighs
shaky hands
panic disorder
insomnia
racing heart
more frequent bowel movements
weight loss despite a good appetite
lighter flow, less frequent menstrual periods


Like Bunny notes and all of us have experienced in one form or another - start w/ diet. And not just "I eat clean". Really dissect the diet and go from there.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

HT had the same issue years ago. She was runnning 50 miles a week. Doing marathons, etc. But was skinny fat and gaining. She had 22% bf! She then slowly learned to eat clean and use good carbs. She slowly cut the cardio and weight trained more. I don't think she's been over 8-10% bf since. It took her a long time to learn, but she eventually figured it out. She also has a thyroid thats off the charts low. She just needed to gain muscle, eat, and stop all that crazy cardio.

P.M. her, she can maybe help with her experience.....

HT is who I though of as soon as I read his post.

How is you blushing bride? We miss her around you.

 

[joewee350]

Thank you so much for the advice. Could someone give me an example of what she should eat in one day? Also, about the thyroid symptoms...she has quite a few of the ones listed.fatigue, exhaustion,depression,feeling run down and sluggish,unexplained or excessive weight gain,feeling cold, especially in the extremities(this one especially),constipation(graphic but sometimes 2 days between movements and in her words "like little rocks"),muscle cramps(she assumes because of the running). One other thing she complains about is sporatic hair growth. Thanks again for all of the help.

 

[*Bunny*]

Shadow ... curious as to why #2.

Please 'splain. High carb with better carb selections than she's been eating?

BUMP^^

Ok if not Shadow can someone please explain this to me


Great post Sass...

 

[The Shadow]

Shadow ... curious as to why #2.

Please 'splain. High carb with better carb selections than she's been eating?

There is a direct link between carb intake and:

Thyroid levels

Cortisol levels(which are an issue - Im betting)

 

[*Bunny*]

There is a direct link between carb intake and:

Thyroid levels

Cortisol levels(which are an issue - Im betting)

Thank you

I by no means want to write off these symptoms as something to blow off, but my question, could all this running & poor food choices (granted there are worse) affect the thyroid function even IF a problem does not exist? And cause a false reading?

Just curious...

 

[nsashbl01]

There is a direct link between carb intake and:

Thyroid levels

Cortisol levels(which are an issue - Im betting)

I agree here. When HT ran and didn't eat ike a runner, (high carb) her thyroid was low and her cortisol was very high. Likely due to stress on the body that needs to eat muscle for energy because there are not enough carbs.

What worked for HT was to up the protein and cut the cardio. If she insists on cardio, up the protein and the carbs. (complex only, no bars)

 

[The Shadow]

Thank you

I by no means want to write off these symptoms as something to blow off, but my question, could all this running & poor food choices (granted there are worse) affect the thyroid function even IF a problem does not exist? And cause a false reading?

Just curious...

Certainly.....

It happens ALL THE TIME to fitness and bbers when they follow a zero carb diet for any amount of time....thyroid(fat burning) levels drop. It why I preach all the time about cheat meals here and there.

Throw in a lot of running(ala my girl Treilin) and you have a recipe for a lowered thyroid output AND ramped up cortisol.


Ms 24 K might post in here on the effect of lowered carbs. She added in a compound specifically designed to counteract the lowered carbs and she responded almost immediately.

Let's not complicate matters - there are two issues:

Diet

Level of activity

As nsash stated above, it's a very parallel issue, high cortisol and a whacked thyroid.

Solution:

make dietary adjustments

make activity level adjustments





.......note - the FIRST thing I suggested was getting a blood panel however.