How to lose weight with T1D, Hypoglycemia unawareness AND Hypothyroidism

Type 1 and LADA
1

hi every one.

I have always been a skinny girl,usually I am 53-50,being tall and all,with 168cm height,then before Dx. ,I weighed only 49 kilos!I gained 2 kilos in the first 4 days,then number came up to 57 in a week!now I am 59-60…
I have frequent lows.I don't really overcorrect,I eat about 1600-1800 calories maybe. medium activity.being a student.
with the hypo unawareness,it's even worse.about a low a day,maybe 2 in the mean time with school and all,leaving that aside,I have hypothyroidism,a real one,one of the endos didn't believe it and suspected bad results.anyway,I know that gaining weight is one of its symptoms.I work out about 3 hours a week,when I have time,I ride a bike for 3 hours 2 days aweek,I stopped that because it seems to be not working.
I'm not losing any weight!whatever I did there seems to be something wrong.
just for you to know,I know how great my weight is,and that I don't need to lose any grams.
please do know that I'm not bulimic,anorexic,or having eating disorders at all,really,anyway I wouldn' be so even if I wanted to,I love to eat,and throwing up is one of the most embarassing things for me.
so please,don't make a fuss out if it.
thank you in forward :-)
2

Hi!
Are you on thyroid meds? I was diagnosed and as soon as I went on the medication I dropped 20 pounds. I literally wasn’t eating anything and weight was coming on not off. Now I workout 3x week and eat around 1200 calories a day and I’ve recently put on about 5-10 pounds!! Don’t know what’s going on, thyroid levels are fine. I think it’s just due to getting older. It could be the frequent lows?! Are you on insulin? pump? shots?

3

Usually, what works best for Hypothyroidism is reducing the amount of carbs we consume, which is what will combat Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome, which are the issues that affect persons who develop this condition, and gain the weight (I have that problem, myself)… The body just has a very hard time metabolizing carbohydrates very well, and they usually turn straight to fat. Even taking insulin regularly, the body can have these problems, and even develop insulin resistance because of them (yes, even in T1’s).

You may not want to go completely low carb, of course, if you have Hypoglycemia unawareness… but perhaps having more frequent, small meals, with a small amount of carbs, would be ok. I don’t know how that would work with your insulin schedule… I have found what has helped my weight loss is to to just have about 15-30 carb max per meal, or snack… and I eat about 5-6 times a day, sometimes more… depending on my hunger. Sometimes I just snack on protein, or cheese. If I eat more than that, in any one given meal, my system seems to get overwhelmed with the carbs, and then I get stuck in weight loss for that week. This is seriously, about the only way I have been able to effectively fight the effects of my Hypothyroidism… Maybe whatever total amount of carb you have in the day, divide it up into smaller meals.

Other things to keep in mind: a.) have you tested your thyroid levels recently? not just a TSH, but a T3 and T4 as well… Sometimes we are deficient in T3, and don’t realize it, and need a little extra help…

4

You may have underlying adrenal imbalance. Most endos will say there is no such thing, but they said the same thing about celiac, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome until recently! Adrenal imbalance can affect your thyroid function & can also cause weight gain. Read this: http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandweightgain.aspx

5

I am on insulin of course,type 1 so no other way
I’m on thyroxine,started on 25 micrograms then up to 5o grams,then soon it’s 75.
you see,there is also hyperthyroidism,which makes you thinner,so the medication,reasonably,would put on weight.
maybe that’s what you have?
I’m still 16!
the lows,maybe,the insulin causing the lows that causes me to eat things I wouldn’t.
but how not to?

6

my latest one is coming soon,I only measured TSH and T4 as I remember,no no,that was the first one,the last one was a TFT,it’s already out but I have to go to the hospital to get it.
I didn’t understand what you said exactly,but in general,my meals are smaller and less than they should be.
thanks for your help :slight_smile:

7

ummm,it’s interesting,but I wouldn’t go that far,I know what’s wrong with me,the problem is,how to fix it.
thanks Elizabith for your concern,doctors sometimes are hard to digest and new things are hard to digest for doctors.

8

The medication doesn’t add the weight… But I know insulin can. Especially if you eat things you shouldn’t, and then have to overcompensate a lot.

See… the way the Thyroid works is that it takes iodine from the body, and produces T3 and T4 accordingly… T3 is a more concentrated form of T4. The Thyroid produces T3 by converting T4 into it, but some people even have problems with that aspect of their Thyroid. Those are the hormones that regulate metabolism, and metabolic functions in all of the cells of our bodies. So this is why, when they are off… our metabolisms are impaired because they are not getting the proper regulation from T3 and T4, and many cells will not be able to perform their functions properly… Including, metabolizing carbohydrates well, and causing weight gain. When the Thyroid is not working properly, the Pituitary gland (which is over the Thyroid gland) will produce Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (or TSH) which communicates to the Thyroid that it needs to produce more T3 and T4. When the Thyroid is underperforming, it just will not respond to that production of TSH, and the Pituitary will keep producing more and more amounts of TSH, trying to get the Thyroid’s attention. It only does this for T4… so if you’re low in T3, and not converting it properly, you may not know it… unless you get it tested. You cannot cure weight gain by giving someone with Hypothyroidism MORE replacement T4. In fact, this is quite dangerous, and can cause enlargements of the Thyroid gland (goiters) and other complications.

9

Another thing I need to note is that… no one is added to the maximum dose of T4 (Synthroid, Levothyroxine, whichever one you take) overnight… they gradually raise your levels, and do exams, to see how they Thyroid is responding. You may not be at your ideal level yet. The meds take a bit of time to kick in, but when they do… they don’t cause weightloss, automatically… They simply make it easier to lose weight without having to fight a faulty metabolism so much…

10

I see,not exactly,but I understand the whole picture.
I’ll post my test results soon.
thyroxine,that’s the one,I know.that’s why I have been on 25 first.
oh,that’s great news!
I have been on them for maybe,3 months?something around that.
thanks Lizmari for your great help and advice,I’m trully grateful.are you an endo?

11

No, not an endo… I’ve just have had to deal with this since I was about your age (15). I’m now 33… so I’ve had a little time to read up on things. heh :slight_smile: Sometimes these meds take as long as 6 months to see good results… so hang in there. Let your doc know if you still don’t feel 100%, and they’ll keep testing your levels. Maybe even suggest T3, as well. :slight_smile:

12

I get that :slight_smile:
thanks for your advice anyway.
I will keep an eye on the symptoms,my hair is still falling,I hate cold,I’m always 36,the worst is,when you get a fever,no body believes you!! o.O