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I used to be fat, and complained that it was just due to my genetics and some medication I was taking, and there was nothing I could do. It's true that I have a slow metabolism, and it does make it difficult to lose fat. But I finally decided to start counting calories, and was shocked to discover that I was eating over 2500 calories a day, even though I thought I had barely been eating 2,000. So I adjusted my exercise and diet so that I had a caloric deficit, and surprise surprise, the weight started coming off.
99% of the people I see who complain about being fat never do anything about it. For the 1% left, yes, they truly do have an excuse. Quit making excuses, stop eating processed carbs, and get off your butt and exercise. I used to weigh 270 pounds and had a bodyfat percentage over 45%. Now I body build and weigh a little over 200 and have a bodyfat percentage under 15%. It took years of hard work to get to where I am now (my genetics made it a very difficult journey, but I did it), and the only way I did it was that one day I decided to stop making excuses, and just do it!
Oh, and did I mention I deal with severe major depression and chronic fatigue? If I can do it, (almost) anyone can.
Thank you for proving my point. Congrats on the weight loss. If you really want to lose weight, you can do it. Overweight people need to stop whining and do something about it
As a fat person, I haven't heard about thyroid problems from other fat people. I do hear about being too busy to eat well, too broke to eat well, liking food too much, being an emotional eater, etc. But the people I know with thyroid problems are just not that large, maybe overweight instead of obese.
I've lost a lot of weight recently, enough that people who I don't know very well (store clerks, people whose house I go past regularly on my bicycle, etc) will ask me how much I've lost and what I'm doing to lose the weight. Most fat people I encounter are very eager to lose the weight. If it was a thyroid problem they could just pop a pill for, and be able to lose the weight easily, they would do it. .
Popping Synthroid won't cause magic weight loss. Too many ill-informed people truly believe that and hope to be diagnosed with an underactive thyroid.
I have multiple autoimmune diseases, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis being one of them. Prior to diagnosis, I had gained weight due to long term prednisone used for dermatomyositis, was taken off of that and placed on methotrexate. I tried dieting and knocked off a few pounds, but was still physically weakened and exhausted, had excessively dry skin, and was shedding more hair than normal. During one of my routine doctor visits, I mentioned this. It just happened that the mobile ultrasound company was at her office that day, so they checked my thyroid and I had a nodule. The last thing I thought about was popping a pill and losing weight -- I was more upset that I was going to be heading to an endocrinologist and would be adding a new diagnosis to my growing list.
I was diagnosed, and have spent 8 years being adjusted when needed, and taking vitamin D as well. When I first started onnthe correct dosage of Synthroid, I lost a few pounds < 10. Psychologically, it was enough to make me feel better about myself and not beat myself up. Having some energy back felt good, too, and made it possible for me to do light excercising following the muscle tissue death brought about by dermatomyositis.
The other autoimmune diseases flair up and have caused me difficulty in certain fine motor skills, range of motion; it impedes my ability to excercise. I've hit menopause, which hasn't helped, either.
There is no magic pill. It is a daily job to write down what I eat, making healthy choices, excercising when my body allows. People who don't know me judge me by my weight, not knowing what my life entails. I am happy to be alive 19 years after my scleroderma diagnosis, and happy knowing I've risen to the challenge life has thrown at me with each subsequent diagnosis.
And there is no magic spray to spread over those dolts who judge by appearance, or who think the weight can be excercised off and that I am lazy. I would gladly trade my diseases with them.
well, 100 years ago only the rich were fat because the poor people could not afford desserts and such. Nowadays the rich are thin and the poor are fat because the poor cannot afford the fruits and vegetables and healthy food to feed their families. Then their is age, your metabolism does slow way down over 30, then there is stress which produces cortisol which helps your body store fat, then there is computers and laziness, 100 years ago most people were walking or riding their bikes to the store. Nowadays, it is easy to just get on the computer and have food or clothes delivered. Then there is hormones which also help slow down the weight loss as you get older. And as you get older you lose muscle mass, I believe it is like 6% a year. However, in agreement with you, that as a "fat" person, I do have a thyroid issue, hormone issues, vitamin deficiencies and other issues that were not diagnosed until after I turned 50 and I was eating pretty healthy then. Why? I don't know, even though I complained about it from my 20's to my 50's it wasn't until I changed doctors that I found one who would help me. So with some combined, vitamins, hormone replacement and some diet changes I have lost about 20 pounds and I am still losing. I must say that it is very very expensive to stay healthy. For health food it is about 195 a week for fresh food, fish and organic. Where as if I just went to mcDonalds every day for a week it would be about 126 and it wouldn't spoil. LOL ewww. So it is a complex problem, laziness, convenience, financial, and health issues that impede someone to lose weight, however, if you are like me, you will stop at nothing to get healthy. I feel much better now then I did in my 20's.
While a small percentage of people that are "obese" have the obesity caused by medical issues, a greater number of "obese" people have medical issues because they made the choice to become "obese". They chose what they ate and they chose not to exercise. Look at their grocery carts and watch them come out of the fast food joints and you can start to sort got who gives a darn and who doesn't. You cannot compare a lifestyle choice to skin color or disabilities unless that disability is the inability to give a darn about your health. It all comes down to "personal responsibility" and realizing that actions have consequences which isn't something that many people seem to get.
It's not like the thyroid gland is some big mystery, and it is not ambiguous. A simple blood test can tell you if you have an underactive, overactive, or normal thyroid, and the protocol is very specific. If someone says they have a thyroid issue, but they are not taking thyroid medication, then their doctor obviously disagrees with their diagnosis because the lab results don't indicate it. If they are taking thyroid medication, then they have a thyroid issue.
That is not to say that people don't have different metabolic rates. They most certainly do for a combination of several different reasons. Some are within their control, and some are not. I have to work hard to keep from getting fat while some other people don't. I just chalk it up to "life isn't fair" and suck it up and do what needs to be done. I didn't have to work as hard to do well in school as a lot of my friends, so we all have our gifts and we all have our crosses to bear. I can say that the best way to NOT lose weight is to dwell upon any excuse that will keep you from doing the actual work involved.
I hope you're not a real doctor. If the "simple test" that you think will diagnose all thyroid problems is the TSH test, in the first place, it is NOT a test of thyroid function at all. It is a test of pituitary function.
On top of that, results are often misinterpreted or even ignored by doctors. I had a friend who's TSH came back at 10 and her doctor told her it wasn't high enough to warrant treatment. (The usual cut-off back then was 5 to 6ish, depending on the exact test being run). In point of fact, the American Thyroid Foundation has been recommending a cut-off point of TWO for many years now - which is also still largely ignored by many doctors.
And then there are the many many types of thyroid dysfunction that will not show up merely by testing what the pituitary gland is or is not doing. Such as binding problems, conversion problems, and a host of secondary and tertiary thyroid dysfunctions that will not be diagnosed by the TSH test.
The idea that if someone isn't being treated for a condition they must not have it is ludicrous in and of itself. TSH tests are seldom done routinely, and seldom are they properly interpreted if they are done. And TSH tests alone are not sufficient to exclude thyroid imbalance in the presence of symptomatology.
It took me over 20 years to get my thyroid dysfunction diagnosed and properly treated, because my TSH tests routinely came back "normal" - ish. They were only a LITTLE bit elevated - so the doctors decided the elevation didn't matter. This was before I educated myself and found out I'd been being misdiagnosed for literally decades. In my case, I not only have problems with binding, I also have conversion failure and require TS3 as well as TS4. I also have other metabolic issues and hormonal imbalances, but the worst of it was alleviated just by getting the thyroid issues resolved.
The idea that there is ONE protocol (and I bet you rely on ONE medication for treatment as well, eg synthroid) would also be laughable, if it didn't cause so many people so much suffering. Is there only one treatment protocol for diabetics? OF COURSE NOT. There are many treatment approaches that should be considered for thyroid imbalance, just as there are for any other medical condition. You do not treat Hashimoto's syndrome the same way that you treat hypothyroidism; even hypothyroidism isn't always treated the same way.
By your lights, I didn't have a thyroid problem for the first 40 years of my life - it suddenly developed, apparently, when I started taking thyroid medication. I think your patients might be safer if you stick to anesthesiology and leave metabolic disorders for others to address.
well, 100 years ago only the rich were fat because the poor people could not afford desserts and such. Nowadays the rich are thin and the poor are fat because the poor cannot afford the fruits and vegetables and healthy food to feed their families. Then their is age, your metabolism does slow way down over 30, then there is stress which produces cortisol which helps your body store fat, then there is computers and laziness, 100 years ago most people were walking or riding their bikes to the store. Nowadays, it is easy to just get on the computer and have food or clothes delivered. Then there is hormones which also help slow down the weight loss as you get older. And as you get older you lose muscle mass, I believe it is like 6% a year. However, in agreement with you, that as a "fat" person, I do have a thyroid issue, hormone issues, vitamin deficiencies and other issues that were not diagnosed until after I turned 50 and I was eating pretty healthy then. Why? I don't know, even though I complained about it from my 20's to my 50's it wasn't until I changed doctors that I found one who would help me. So with some combined, vitamins, hormone replacement and some diet changes I have lost about 20 pounds and I am still losing. I must say that it is very very expensive to stay healthy. For health food it is about 195 a week for fresh food, fish and organic. Where as if I just went to mcDonalds every day for a week it would be about 126 and it wouldn't spoil. LOL ewww. So it is a complex problem, laziness, convenience, financial, and health issues that impede someone to lose weight, however, if you are like me, you will stop at nothing to get healthy. I feel much better now then I did in my 20's.
Riding a bike to the store? Certain death in the sprawled city where I live. Most places in the U.S. are not suited at all to riding bikes.
I am overweight but it is not because I overeat. According to my thyroid levels, they are a bit low. My biggest problem is having Rheumatoid Arthritis. I am not able to be very active with the pain I have in my joints, and it does suck. Also a couple of my medicines I take for Epilepsy and Fibro cause weight gain as a side effect.
I don't go around telling people I am overweight due to a thyroid issue, however.
I am glad the OP knows what all overweight people attribute their weight gain to. Good to know.
On top of that, results are often misinterpreted or even ignored by doctors. I had a friend who's TSH came back at 10 and her doctor told her it wasn't high enough to warrant treatment. (The usual cut-off back then was 5 to 6ish, depending on the exact test being run). In point of fact, the American Thyroid Foundation has been recommending a cut-off point of TWO for many years now - which is also still largely ignored by many doctors.
And then there are the many many types of thyroid dysfunction that will not show up merely by testing what the pituitary gland is or is not doing. Such as binding problems, conversion problems, and a host of secondary and tertiary thyroid dysfunctions that will not be diagnosed by the TSH test.
It took me over 20 years to get my thyroid dysfunction diagnosed and properly treated, because my TSH tests routinely came back "normal" - ish. They were only a LITTLE bit elevated - so the doctors decided the elevation didn't matter. This was before I educated myself and found out I'd been being misdiagnosed for literally decades. In my case, I not only have problems with binding, I also have conversion failure and require TS3 as well as TS4. I also have other metabolic issues and hormonal imbalances, but the worst of it was alleviated just by getting the thyroid issues resolved.
The idea that there is ONE protocol (and I bet you rely on ONE medication for treatment as well, eg synthroid) would also be laughable, if it didn't cause so many people so much suffering. Is there only one treatment protocol for diabetics? OF COURSE NOT. There are many treatment approaches that should be considered for thyroid imbalance, just as there are for any other medical condition.
Not only well said but informative to people who should understand people do have medical conditions
that are complicated and not always easily remedied or taken seriously by physicians. Another example,
when I recently moved, I went to a few doctors. I know my condition. My last doctor lowered my
thyroid medicine drastically and I tried to explain to him that the dose was too low. He told me that if
I gain weight "we can worry about it later." Within 5 weeks, I gained 20 lbs. Knowing my history I
found another physician who did raise it a little higher. When I went to the endocrinologist he put me
back on my original dose. Dr. Low Dose didn't have to worry about the weight gain, I did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnywhereElse
You cannot compare a lifestyle choice to skin color or disabilities unless that disability is the inability to give a darn about your health. It all comes down to "personal responsibility" and realizing that actions have consequences which isn't something that many people seem to get.
My lifestyle choices did not have anything to do with getting thyroid cancer and the after effects from
it. What many people seem to ignore is that people are disabled for many reasons which had nothing to
do with what type of lifestyle choices they made. I would assume that most people would have some
empathy....after all....no one knows what tomorrow may bring.
I hope you're not a real doctor. If the "simple test" that you think will diagnose all thyroid problems is the TSH test, in the first place, it is NOT a test of thyroid function at all. It is a test of pituitary function.
On top of that, results are often misinterpreted or even ignored by doctors. I had a friend who's TSH came back at 10 and her doctor told her it wasn't high enough to warrant treatment. (The usual cut-off back then was 5 to 6ish, depending on the exact test being run). In point of fact, the American Thyroid Foundation has been recommending a cut-off point of TWO for many years now - which is also still largely ignored by many doctors.
And then there are the many many types of thyroid dysfunction that will not show up merely by testing what the pituitary gland is or is not doing. Such as binding problems, conversion problems, and a host of secondary and tertiary thyroid dysfunctions that will not be diagnosed by the TSH test.
The idea that if someone isn't being treated for a condition they must not have it is ludicrous in and of itself. TSH tests are seldom done routinely, and seldom are they properly interpreted if they are done. And TSH tests alone are not sufficient to exclude thyroid imbalance in the presence of symptomatology.
It took me over 20 years to get my thyroid dysfunction diagnosed and properly treated, because my TSH tests routinely came back "normal" - ish. They were only a LITTLE bit elevated - so the doctors decided the elevation didn't matter. This was before I educated myself and found out I'd been being misdiagnosed for literally decades. In my case, I not only have problems with binding, I also have conversion failure and require TS3 as well as TS4. I also have other metabolic issues and hormonal imbalances, but the worst of it was alleviated just by getting the thyroid issues resolved.
The idea that there is ONE protocol (and I bet you rely on ONE medication for treatment as well, eg synthroid) would also be laughable, if it didn't cause so many people so much suffering. Is there only one treatment protocol for diabetics? OF COURSE NOT. There are many treatment approaches that should be considered for thyroid imbalance, just as there are for any other medical condition. You do not treat Hashimoto's syndrome the same way that you treat hypothyroidism; even hypothyroidism isn't always treated the same way.
By your lights, I didn't have a thyroid problem for the first 40 years of my life - it suddenly developed, apparently, when I started taking thyroid medication. I think your patients might be safer if you stick to anesthesiology and leave metabolic disorders for others to address.
Your rudeness made me think twice before even responding. I'm still not sure if I made the right decision.
You do realize that there is a negative feedback loop between the pituitary and the thyroid, don't you? And that TSH is still the accepted standard test, but I also look at T4 and anti-TPO if it is available. An anesthesiologist often has to deal with thyroid issues in practice, though hyper is much more of an issue for us than hypo. Uncontrolled hyperthyroid can be life threatening under anesthesia. I have cancelled non-emergent surgeries because of poorly controlled hyperthyroidism. Once in an emergency surgery on a patient in thyroid storm, I spent the entire surgery trying to get his heart rate under control so he wouldn't have a heart attack.
The reason so many doctors are not acceptable to you is because most of us practice evidence based medicine. The nationally accepted guidelines have been revised as recently as 2 years ago, and they still recommend TSH testing and levothyroxine treatment. If you were not satisfied with your "mainstream medicine" experience, I am sorry. I'm sure you can find some progressive, fringe, experimental endocrinologist, and maybe even he/she will be proven right some day. Until then, I have to base my practice on the nationally accepted standards. As you pointed out, I am not an endocrinologist, so I can't afford experimenting on my patients with unproven diagnoses and treatments. I have to go by the guidelines. BTW, I once knew an endocrinologist who was also a "diet doctor". I sent a friend to him, and he put her on synthroid along with a few other medications. Her levels were normal and I got the feeling that this was standard practice for him. I can't help but wonder about the negative long term effects of synthroid therapy in a person who doesn't even need it.
"The idea that if someone isn't being treated for a condition they must not have it is ludicrous in and of itself. TSH tests are seldom done routinely, and seldom are they properly interpreted if they are done."
We are discussing people who claim to be fat because of their thyroid. I think we can assume that they have had themselves tested. If they haven't, the only thing "ludicrous" here is their claim. They do a disservice to people with real thyroid issues. But then, really, how often do you hear a fat person claim they are fat because of their thyroid when they have not even been diagnosed with hypothyroidism? Not very often.
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