Another Hypo/Meno combo here. You didn't mention anything about exercise or calorie count.

For me, exercise works like this:

Light walking <3 days a week = gain

Pilates 1hr x 3 days/wk = shape improvement, maybe some loss

Pilates above + 1hr walking x 2/3 days = weight loss, only if I’m also watching calories.

And if I eat much more than 1,500 calories a day, despite aggressive exercising I won’t lose. Unfortunately I lose at 1,000/day which is difficult and not healthy for the long term.

Dear OP - it's not what you asked so I apologize and if not of interest to you, just skip me ;)

But I had Graves disease in the early 90's. We got it into remission with meds, not radiating my thyroid. Approx 10 years later, it reversed into full blown Hashimoto's just as my endocrinologist had suspected it would. My thyroid barely functions if at all.

I've never gained any weight. I am not one to eat in response to stress and had plenty of that all of last year (now mostly resolved) and I unintentionally lost. Trying to put it back now.

I have never - and never will - let anyone but a qualified endocrinologist address my thyroid. Nobody changes my meds or gives me advice that I would follow. Any changes at all in my levels and she knows immediately. I keep regular appointments, have a good relationship with her, and find if my meds need any tweaking she may know before I do.

Do you see an endocrinologist and if not, would you consider it?

DH's primary care had him begin a small dose of thyroid supplement. Next physical, it seemed like some minor med changes about as accurate as tossing darts at a board. 'Take a half pill on this day of the week, no pill on another day....'. What?! I put my foot down. DH chooses not to make the trip to Seattle for a doctor as I do, but he does see an endocrinologist closer to home. I insisted, and made the first appointment for him. Stable levels. No significant weight gain. If he does put a few pounds, he is able to quickly lose it with portion control. He has been very surprised to find he was reaching for second helpings out of habit and was really not still hungry.

Just please remember, your thyroid functioning as normally as possible is so important for so many processes. Your heart, your bone density, your overall health....

I would only use it if I had metabolic syndrome or early type two diabetes. Our societal belief that larger bodies are unhealthy is not only wrong but very dangerous. Dieting is one of our biggest money making industries even when the evidence shows it is not very successful or healthy. More people die under weight than over weight in reality. My autoimmune disease is likely very much caused by my early history of restictive anorexia. I have heart issues and a history of young stroke and my BMI had always been under 23.

Most successful health is attained by eating well, exercising and stress reduction. Most dietitians and trainers now suggest a macronutrient plate by plate approach to finding your body’s set point weight which is not the same for all of us. Each plate can either consist of half carbs and a quarter of both protein and fruits and veggies if you are very active and if less active a half plate of fruits and veggies with a quarter of protien and carbs.

Any fast weight loss even on a med or with surgery can cause dangerous issues and should be very closely monitored.

I highly suggest anyone eating 1500 calories or less read the results of the Minnesota starvation study.

I too had graves disease when younger which we treated with meds as necessary. Then when I hit menopause, I went hypo and got a benign nodule on my gland which we monitor.

I agree with wildchild that it's important to take your thyroid meds properly. I take mine around 5 a.m. or earlier with just water and eat nothing until 7 a.m. Also with monitoring and my endo, have determined that taking it 6 of 7 days a week gets my levels normal, but on the high end of normal where I feel most comfortable. You can also try using armour thyroid which replaces both T3 and T4. Make sure you are testing the FT4 along with TSH and not trying to monitor it with TSH alone. You might check your T3 levels as well.

Keeping your thyroid levels even and in range is primary as the thyroid controls just about everything else in the body. If they aren't, then controlling one's weight will be most difficult, and so many other things will go awry -- from heart rate to digestion to sleep to hair growth and more.

You might look to Mary Shomon who has written many books and has been an advocate for proper treatment of thyroid disease for many years. She has a thyroid diet book you might want to look at. Also you might want to look into goitrogenic foods. If you are eating low carb, you may be eating a lot of vegetables such as broccoli and kale which are goitrogens and can interfere with thyroid function.

Thanks for posting the Mary Shomon info, @Annie Deighnaugh

I had two thyroid surgeries, 20yrs apart, so taking Synthroid. My body does not process generic forms properly. I agree with seeing an endo for monitoring and treatment. My dose has been changed at least five times in five years. Only once was caught by bloodwork before I noticed a symptom. There are so many symptoms and mine have been a range of them. I've been hot from the neck up - was travling with DH and my sister and kept asking them if they were hot. By the time we got home, my heart rate was up. Jittery is another one. Most recently, I could be sitting on the sofa, watching TV, and all of the sudden I could feel my blood pressure go up. It was so high, as in very close to "go to the ER" high. While I go twice a year to endo for bloodwork, I do not hesitate to call for another when I feel off. Only once were my levels normal. Not only was my BP high, but my PVCs were more often, and I could feel my heart beating all the time.

Weight gain happens to many of us as we age. I did the low carb/high protein diet a decade ago and that worked for me. Now, I just try to walk almost daily, avoid sugar (not easy for me) and eat proper meal portions. It is hard to "be good" since DH likes desserts. I have never needed to loose enough weight to consider medication, but I do not think I would. I hate "working out," but don't mind walking until it gets hot. Stairs are an option. I hope you can find something that works for you at this time in your life. I believe that changes as we do.

OP, you might want to consider joining our Healthy Lifestyles weekly thread.

I agree, the ”Ozempic face” is from weight loss especially rapid weight loss, which like others have pointed out, can happen with any type of program. Also, some people when they come off the drug, they go back to unhealthy behaviors like binge eating.

Also hypo/post-menopausal. I have a way to go, but I did meet with a student Registered Dietitian last fall, and going to my hospital system weight management clinic. I’m not a candidate for bariatric surgery (and my insurance doesn’t cover that either as well even if I did), but I feel I have found a manageable eating plan with macro targets they have given me. Also stressed resistance training 3 x/week (this is crucial as we get older) and an hour of aerobic activity targeting at least 10,000 steps per day. So, consider an RD who specializes in weight management and other chronic conditions or look into a reputable weight management/bariatric clinic. I see the physician in two weeks, so I’ll have a follow up. I’m down about 11 lbs. since November, so I’m pretty happy about that.

Oh yeah, and my crappy insurance stopped paying for brand name Synthroid even though my doctor writes dispense as written. I do not want to switch. I have to use GoodRx for it and it is maybe about $10 more than I was paying for a 3-month supply.

I am fortunate that metformin, an older, plentiful, and very cheap drug, controls my diabetes. It too, is also said to help with weight loss.

While I still have a ways to go, I lost almost 100 lbs in the year that followed my diabetes diagnosis. Much of it had to do with lower carb choices and exercise, but it is certainly possible that the metformin helped. Because of my efforts and the resulting rapid decline of my A1C, a second diabetes medication was discontinued three months after my diagnosis, but I expect that I will remain on metformin for life.

Congrats lucille! That is quite an accomplishment! And I suspect you feel a lot better too!

Congrats Lucille! That is amazing!

I was going to suggest metformin as a possibility as well. It has a longer history and is used for so many things.

I don’t find it surprising that a post menopausal woman is insulin resistant. Being overweight is probably a sign of it as well.

I do feel better although I seem to have other, continuing post covid issues.

But I am wondering why the expensive Ozempic is the focus of attention recently, and why there has not been the same interest in the dirt cheap metformin, coupled with exercise and diet change, the way I did it.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whistleblower-exposes-the-dirty-tactic-that-coca-cola/id1381257272?i=1000595414392

This is a rabbit hole, but I do find these things fascinating. If you skip to about minute 35 you’ll hear some info on the money behind Ozempic, and getting it in to obesity drs hands.

I read this thread last night and woke up with that beastly jingle running through my head.

I have the opposite situation, keeping weight on. Don't hate me; it's not fun. I'm so sorry that weight gain is such a struggle for many.

@lucille, hats off to you! Wonderful story of your success. You must be so happy and proud of yourself. In response to your question, it's possible that Metformin isn't as effective for weight loss as Ozempic. Also, many are not willing to follow a careful diet and exercise like you did as it takes a lot of determination and willpower.

Just yesterday I watched a zoom presentation about heart health. The cardiologist was saying that besides blood sugar control and weight loss, Ozempic can reduce cardiovascular events, lower BP and cholesterol. There is a lot of excitement about this drug.

As for taking it for a lifetime, T2 people will be taking something for a lifetime, so why not Ozempic or a similar drug in that family?

@lucillle - That’s a great accomplishment! Not pre-D, my endo tried off label use of metformin when my weight kept going up and I think the weight lost was only because of my, um, digestive issues. We quickly decided it wasnt going to work and my weight went right back. Also, it is hard on your liver.

The body is a fickle thing. When I say 1,500 calories is my max, it’s not to stay skinny. It’s to stay around 30lbs more then my lowest weight and 25lbs away from my highest weight.

Right now i’m focused on how to stay in the 40lbs from lowest/20lbs from highest range while getting stronger and fit. That’s my definition of winning.

From there, I will figure out the next step.

Just 2 serious long term side effects of ozempic are kidney failure and thyroid cancers. These possible negatives are acceptable risks when treating diabetes but the benefits do not out weigh the negative if only used to be thin. We really are becoming a society dying to be thin:(

I strongly agree with seeing an endocrinologist too. Many years ago, a doctor diagnosed me with low thyroid. I was in my early 20s, didn't know much about thyroid disease and went along with his diagnosis and started on meds. Which did pretty much nothing. Thankfully a nurse friend of my mother's suggested an endo dr and I was able to get in. Although my thyroid was at the lower end of the NORMAL range, it was not actually low. I should not have been on medication. With the new endo dr., I even went through a thyroid biopsy. He was extremely thorough. Part of my problem was birth control pills, which I had to go off of. Several years later I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Disease, which I feel played a part in all this. An endo will dig so much deeper (at least mine did) to get to the root of the problem.

Lucille, my sister worked in an endo office before she retired a few years ago. She sang the praises of metformin, but I have known many people who had trouble with the side effects from it, including my dad and my brother. I think the ozempic is in the news so much because people are using it for weight loss, causing a shortage for diabetics who need the med and supply is apparently short. Congrats to you on your weight loss! That is quite an accomplishment.

I thought I had done so well with "covid weight", but at a recent physical, I found out I had gained 8 pounds. I am another who does best with weight loss by eating a variety, but watching portions, CUTTING THE SUGAR (sigh, I love sweets) and exercise is a must. It really is a necessary component in losing weight. Good luck to us all who are fighting that battle!!

Hypothyroidism is actually linked to long term diets of less than 1500. Our metabolism slows down with an energy deficit and most adults need at least 2000 cals to maintain energy balance(energy in equals energy out). long term or yoyo dieting causes our body’s metabolism to slow down to perserve energy and save our most vital organs and thus unnaturally putting our bodies in this deficit messes with our thyroid function greatly.

https://azdietitians.com/blog/extended-low-calorie-diets-and-thyroid-dysfunction/

Wow I did not expect this kind of response! Thank you everyone!!! My Dr thought that I should try the Ozempic. She has taken it herself. She lost 45 lbs on it and has been off of it since Oct. 2021. She has only gained 6 lbs of the 45 that she lost. She does not think that keeping it off is that difficult. I was really surprised when I found out that my insurance will cover it. I had my first shot yesterday. I will return to my Dr in a month. She said that I would not lose any weight in the first month because the dose is so low. I think that it takes about 3 months to get up to the dose that helps with weight loss. I am going to check out the links that some of you have provided.

Oh yeah, and my crappy insurance stopped paying for brand name Synthroid even though my doctor writes dispense as written. I do not want to switch. I have to use GoodRx for it and it is maybe about $10 more than I was paying for a 3-month supply.

GoodRx shows my 90 day supply $30 more than I'm currently paying (grocery store pharmacy). If generic doesn't work, insurance should cover. Mine doesn't either.

I know several people who've started taking Ozempic, Trulicity and other such medications. These are from the same industry that gave us narcotics, Xanax, and lifestyle-fixing drugs that do more harm than good. In 10 years, we'll be hearing the ads about class action lawsuits, but pharma is already anticipating those. Discussions like this are disheartening to me.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's in my 20s. I went through pregnancies and menopause with it. I'm grateful that the only prescription I take is synthroid, and that I've always maintained a healthy weight.

Through it all, my endocrinologist has been mostly useless, and long ago turned her practice focus toward the more profitable diabetes treatments. I stopped seeing her a decade ago, and now just work with my PCP, who's more helpful, frankly.

Feathers, would you like a side of Vioxx or Fen-Phen ;-)

I watched a podcast with Katie Couric and an Obesity Dr. I personally wouldn't take the drug because they don't know much about long term effects. I remember in the 1980's Fen Phen was a weight loss drug. I was only taking one of the

drugs, not both and lost weight. Eventually they discontinued the drug because of side effects. I am doing Keto and it is working for me. No cravings, no snacking, keeping my fat intake on the low side and following Dr. Westman's Prescription Keto Plan. I just finished taking a 3 week online course he presented along with nutritionists and dieticians. One of them, Amy Berger has a few videos about Thyroid on Youtube and has written a book about it. I have lost 45 pounds so far following the first phase of Dr. Westman's Prescription plan. He said if you are diabetic and follow his plan you might be able to get off your Type 2 diabetes drug within a week or two. I keep my fat intake on the low side, not like Internet Keto where they say you can eat a lot of fat. Easiest thing I have ever done to lose weight. No cravings, I don't need to snack in between meals and craving for sweet food went away after the 2nd day. I plan on doing this for the long term. I feel so much healthier, my joints are better.I am choosing health over how I look from losing weight. My face looks older and lets just say I won't be wearing sleeveless tops any time soon. I have lost lots of inches and all my clothes are much looser. Here is the Katie Couric Video

Funny this came up now. I just got finished listening to a rant by one of my truck drivers. He is diabetic, and had to call 18 pharmacies to get his Ozempic prescription filled. He was carrying on about how he cant get the meds he needs because people "cant just put the fork down."

I do not like to judge people on their choices, but I feel like taking drugs or having surgery JUST to lose weight is very extreme and can be harmful long term. I understand losing weight is not easy, I struggle with it off and on myself. Its unpleasant, uncomfortable, inconvenient at times, and annoying all the time. But it really is doable for everyone.

I wish you great success with it though, truly.

It's amazing how many of us are on Synthroid . For myself I follow the instructions on the bottle and the discussion with my doc and pharmicist. Take on empty stomach, don't eat for half hour, coffee has no effect. My levels have not fluxuated much over the 20+ years... I am very pleased my insurance and pharmacy have generics availible. Big Pharma gets enough money!!

He is diabetic, and had to call 18 pharmacies to get his Ozempic prescription filled

It seems to me that some sort of prioritization is appropriate? I'm a free market gal, but this seems wrong to me.

I first tried Costco to get my prescription filled. They were out of it but then Kroger filled it with no problem. I hope to get mine from the mail source Optium RX once I reach a steady dose. It takes about 3 months to reach a steady dose. NBC recently reported that the supply should improve soon. I sure hope so.

I enjoyed the Katie Couric podcast. Thanks for posting!

I too enjoyed it. Thanks!

”I understand losing weight is not easy …But it really is doable for everyone.”

That’s not what researchers say.

What specific researcher says that losing weight is not doable at all for everyone? Not more difficult, but impossible. Which researcher says this?

For those with cardiomyopathy and other diseases where steroids are the normal treatment loosing weight can be very difficult if not impossible. When your heart muscles do not beat strong enough to provide enough blood to the lungs to collect oxygen it is a little difficult to exercise. Too little food will cause every calorie to be stored in the body as fat.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sites/default/files/media/docs/obesity-evidence-review.pdf

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/health/brain-defect-gut-bacteria-microbiome.html

for starters.

Lucille-

That's awesome for you!!

Lucky me.....diagnosed as Type-2 5 yrs ago-

I've been on MF for ~~ 4yrs now. 2 in am, & 1 at Supper. Initially, I lost 60 lbs (down to 250lbs.) with accompanying diet changes & some exercise. Slooooooowly crept back up to ~ 300lbs tho' dammit! Started Ozempic last Nov. This month, Dr. wanted me to try the 1.0mg dose, up from the 0.25mg starter-level, & 2 months @ 0.5mg.

He's optimistic I can back off some on the MF if the 1.0 dose of OZ does well.

I was a little peeved in early Dec, when I needed a refill Rx OZ. My regular Pharmacist was out, due in part to the weight-loss use of OZ! So.....I missed a week when I had to find another place.

Faron

If you have not walked in someones shoes that has had a lifetime weight issue then please do not presume that you are an expert or assume that if you could lose a few pounds with a some extra effort that everyone can. I am 69 years old and have battled this my entire life. When I was 11 years old my mom took me to our family Dr who put me on diet pills. I laid awake night after night until I stopped them. I have fought this my entire life. I have lost & gained the same 50-80 lbs so many time that I cannot count them on 2 hands. I was 56 years old before I finally was able to convince a Dr to do the correct testing for my thyroid. My TSH has always been low. Finally it was discovered that my free thyroid hormones were way below range. A life long deficiency cannot be repaired with a pill.

I was only asking if there was anyone with any experience with this drug. After losing my husband last April I am getting the courage up to do some solo traveling. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I am not comfortable with the extra weight that I have been carrying.

Sorry, vent over. I have now started my 3rd week on Ozempic. No luck yet but my Dr warned me not to expect any loss at this point. It takes 3 months to ramp up to the proper dose. I still would like to hear from anyone else that is giving this a try. Thanks everyone for your input.

I hope I didn't offend you in any way Gale!!

For ME anyway.....I've had no side-effects from OZ. I'm glad I feel "Full" much faster tho'! If I eat too much, it feels like I ate a Bowling-Ball, & I suffer for a couple hours! Uffda! Obviously, this helps me lose weight & helps a lot with Blood-Sugars. My early Feb. A1C was down to 6.8.

Btw....I'm a 61 y/o Male, 6'2", & now down to 285lbs!

Faron

Best of luck to you, Gail. So sorry about the loss of your husband.

”I understand losing weight is not easy …But it really is doable for everyone.”

This is 100% true! And most heavy adults have succeeded at this. The problem is, for reasons now believed to be both behavioral and physiological, the recidivism rate is like over 90%. If it interests you, you can google it. NYT has done a lot on this.

Just read an article today that Ozempic is in short suppy and hard to come by for diabetics who desparately need it because it is now so widely prescribed for weight loss. Something about that doesn’t seem quite right.

I guess you could split hairs and say that very heavy people cannot seem to lose weight permanently, but there’s a but more to it than that, as each cycle of weight loss and re-gain leaves them even more at risk for comorbidities. It’s actually better for one’s health to stay at a stable, albeit higher, weight and try to exercise and maintain that weight than it is to lose a considerable number of pounds and regain them with a few extra the next time.

Obviously there is a lot of nuance when discussing weight loss drugs. Every person would have to weigh the pros and cons of their personal health vs the risks of any drug. Most people in their 40's and above that would consider this for weight loss have been grappling with these issues for years and have a different take than someone who has not ever had to lose weight, or lose more than 10-20 pounds.

I did read this editorial yesterday that had an interesting take on health vs weight. We do (me too) get caught up in size and a number on the scale and forget about all the other benefits - both physical and mental- real food and movement have for us even if the numbers on the scales don't budge. But that is a hard mindset to change for yourself in this current physical environment.

Ozempic

Faron, No offense taken at all. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Ozempic. This is just what I am looking for & it is good to hear about your results. I wish you the very best with your future health.

Everyone else that has commented, I appreciate the input. I wish everyone good health with no weight issues.

I think pretty much everyone can lose some weight, particularly 5-10%, which will help with many chronic conditions, but there are some people who will never get to a low body weight/ ideal bmi. Yes, I know BMI is problematic as an individual measure, but it’s best looking at populations like county, state, and national, and historical changes. It’s really hard to get people to go beyond that 10%.

Exercise by itself has independent effects against inflammation, blood pressure benefits, blood glucose benefits, so it is super important to exercise no matter what your bodyweight. There have been a lot of studies out of Duke Univeristy on this starting in the early 2000’s. And more recently the emphasis on resistance training as we get older. Resistance training can also confer the same blood glucose benefits as aerobic exercise, too. My former colleagues from Virginia Tech did some work in this area: Resist Diabetes Study and then there is Stuart Phillips out of Canada who is a leading researcher in resistance training for everyone but more recently focusing in older adults.

I like to use this infographic fromThe Obesity Society, a scientific organization, that shows obesity is caused by factors both inside and outside the person. I’m glad they’re updating it since it’s from 2015.

my clothes were getting tighter and i just refused to 'give in' and buy a bigger size. TBH, i was not heavy but i just refused to fall into 'oh we are older, its just what happens' category.

my friend introduced me to THM and it changed everything.

basicallly, you do not mix your healthy carbs and fat in the same meal.

eg.: eggs with bacon/sausage and 1/2 avocado OR egg whites with veggies on sprouted bread

chicken thighs with buttered veggie (broccoli) OR white meat chicken over a bed of lettuce with cucumbers, toms peppers etc and a light dressing (not heavy oils) or on a low-carb wrap/pita

it does take some thought, but once you get the hang of it, its easy and automatic.

i eat no white anything. no sugar, i do use Truvia. i eat mostly berries as they are least amount of natural sugar. i eat every 3-4 hours, not in between, this is good for your digestion and metabolism.

i do have Hashimoto's for about 25-30 years now, and actually my med dose has recently gone down and my thryoid is not as swollen. my Endo is very pleased. i do my best! to not eat after dinner. i walk 5 days a week (3-4 miles), Follow the THM plan and use their recipes which are fabulous. Even DH likes them! BP is perfect, Cholestrol is 180 although my LDL is a slightly above 100, always was since my 30's - genetics??

i am not saying everyone is the same, but this diet lifestyle really works for me. good luck to everyone!

Gscience, my doctor says BMI is not as good a predictor of health as is the girth to height ratio. Apparently if that is over 0.5 a person is at much greater risk for heart disease and all manner of other problems.

A quick reading would find that BMI's are not an accurate indicator of being overweight. The reason most frequently sited is that a muscular person who exercises will have a high BMI because muscles weigh more than fat. It also does not take into account bone size.

Interesting thing since some on here are older. Some doctors as you age want you to weight a little more than what the BMI indicators state as normal.

Well if anyone is curious, I have lost 7 lbs & it has been a bit over 2 months. I am close to being the slowest loser on this treatment but before this it was impossible for me to lose anything at all. I see people that have lost 30 lbs in that amount of time. I suspect they had much more room for improvement in their daily eating habits. I am certainly happy that it is going in the right direction. Now I am off to board a cruise of Alaska, we'll see how I am doing at the end of the cruise.

This has really been in the news lately. Celebs and regular people are using it for weight-loss.

I talked to a nurse about it, just as part of a general conversation and it makes you lose your appetite. You have no interest in food.

It also has a number of side-effects. You can lose your muscle tone quickly and have sagging skin if you have a lot of weight to lose. Nausea is a very common side-effect, as is diarrhea.

The cost is also a side effect, with the cost averaging $350-400/mth for Canadians.

Glad to hear that the medication seems to be working for you! 7lbs in 2 months is really a good rate. Generally it can be better to lose moderate amounts to allow your skin to recover and hopefully indicate loss of fat not muscle. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

Thank you pricklypearcactus!! I hope to have a wonderful time showing my family Alaska.

Jaspid, If anyone loses 30 lbs in 2 months I would expect a lot of saggy skin. I have only had mild nausea on 2 occasions & no diarrhea. My Insurance is covering most of the cost, I am spending $130 a month for it. I cannot say that I have no interest in food but I am not very hungry & am eating much smaller portions. I am just happy to see any results at all.

So glad to hear it is working and you have a reasonable copay for it. Enjoy your cruise! We’d love to see Alaska since DH was born there at the base in Fairbanks.