Hypothyroid/Hashimoto's and 5:2 (and introduction)

This topic contains 55 replies, has 31 voices, and was last updated by Melania 7 years, 2 months ago.

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carlyincali

3:26 pm
6 May 15
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Hi, I am new here and stumbled upon this diet while trying to find out ways to lose weight while on levothyroxine. I have recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and the doc just put my on the lowest dose of Levothyroxine as a start. I had 1/2 my thyroid removed 3mos ago because of a benign cyst.

In the last 4mos or so, since my thyroid decided to stop working, I have gained 20lbs… and am still gaining! I really need to lose the weight. I am so miserable. And I know that hypothyroid can cause depression and this is definitely how I am feeling. But I know that losing the weight would help boost my confidence greatly.

Is there anyone else out there in my shoes that has successfully lost weight using this 5:2 diet?

Thank you,
Carla

fitnfast

4:47 pm
6 May 15
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Hi! I am hypo, and just restarted on Levo. I started the 5:2 3 weeks ago, lost 3 lbs right off, then switched up to 4:3, and really started watching what I eat on non fast days! In addition to the thyroid problem, I take other meds that tend to slow the metabolism, so I realized that I JUST PLAIN CAN’T EAT LIKE A NORMAL PERSON! Because my body is NOT normal any more!

The 2nd week, I didn’t do so well eating, therefore I only lost 1 lb, but last week, I lost another 3! I only have one day that I eat “normal”, like, things that are not good for me. I had to face the fact that, if I want to be healthy and a good weight, I have to be more disciplined. It isn’t always easy. Food has been my go-to for any situation in life. Now, I find other things, and try to take pride in the fact that I am losing, while everyone else around me is getting bigger (especially the men at work! You should see these bellies!)

You don’t have to go to extreme. Just try one day…just ONE DAY, and say, I am only going to eat 500 calories today, and then tomorrow I will eat a normal, healthy amount (you also need to figure out what that is. Your TDEE figure on this and other sites is a starting point, but in my opinion, they always seem way high) If you need help figuring it out, I can help you, as will others here.

Welcome, and enjoy!

carlyincali

4:58 pm
6 May 15
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Wow, so you’ve lost 7lbs in three weeks! That’s fantastic! I sure know what you mean when you say that your body is not normal anymore. This is all so new to me. I have never been so tired, lazy, unmotivated, sad, weak feeling, etc. And then the weight gain has really put me over the edge. I have even gained weight while dieting! I just want to throw my hands up and say forget it… but I can’t. I don’t feel any different on this Levo, but I’ve only been on it for 5 days. I have to wait a month before I get my bloodwork done and levels checked.

I just want to enjoy life again and it’s just amazing how an underactive thyroid can affect so much. I know if I can just lose a few pounds, it will motivate me.

Thanks for replying,

Carla

fitnfast

5:27 pm
6 May 15
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Carla, as you know, it takes about 6 weeks for it to even start working! But I tell you what, I have been “dieting” (again!) since January, working out 3-4 times a week doing an hour of killer aerobics, and STILL never lost the weight! This plan (5:2) is the first thing that has worked! I think , and research has shown, that the thyroid is affected by things we eat, as well as general decline, hereditary, etc.

Now I realize that I have been eating way too much, and a lot of the wrong things. I started reading about Leptin also, and there are foods that you eat that can keep you from losing the weight! If I eat nuts, honey, bread (even wheat bread), etc, I pack it on or don’t lose at all. AS soon as I cut those, I drop like a rock. And I only do 15 minutes or so of HIIT exercise now.

There is so much that goes into losing weight, and I am surprised at how clueless I was. Hope you can find some success here!

carlyincali

6:15 pm
6 May 15
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Hmm… Never heard of leptin. I will definitely look that up. Thanks again for the support. I will keep you updated.

Tilda2

9:46 pm
31 May 15
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i am planning to start tomorrow. I am also SO discouraged about my weight. I have been hypothyroid for years and take Levotyroxine. But now my labs have been off and my Dr. has been lowering my medication for a year. I am told now I have Hashimotos Disease. I have gained over 14 lbs in a year and at 5’1″ it is very noticeable. I hope this plan works.

FreyaT

5:00 am
1 Jun 15
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Hi everyone I found a great website with lovely recipes and good info written by a girl in London with hashimotos. She follows a ketogenic diet. It really is fantastic and you might really enjoy reading stuff from someone who fully understands you condition because she too lives it. Keto diet app. She has a polish name but first is Martine. Hope you find it helpful it’s good for all of us on this. She also has a ‘fat fast’.
Cheers

Beldyboop

8:11 am
1 Jun 15
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Hi there!

I am also hypothyroid, and have been taking Levo for 2 years, did notice a bit of improvement in symptoms, but some are still here to stay, depression and sugar cravings. Have been doing this diet for 9 weeks, and have lost 8 Ibs. It is a fabulous accomplishment to finish a FD and I have noticed a subtle difference on NFD’s. I cut out wine before this diet, and for me wine is a huge trigger to eat to oblivion! so try to avoid it, or only a little glass at the weekend. My top tips are:

1) work out what is good for you on FD’s (Fast Days) there are many options, to have 3 meals and/or to divide meals up, it depends on what makes you happy and what works best, especially depends on the type of job you have.

2) expect some set backs, I’ve had some and eaten rubbish, but have got back on track, that is why this WOL (Way of Life) is so great!

3) Don’t depend to much on the scales, mine tend to tell me fairy tales, especially after heavy exercise, weigh yourself a couple of days after you’ve completed the 2 FD’s

4) I also cut back on Carbs like Finfast, so bread is out, never eat pasta also avoid “light” yoghurts etc in favour of Greek yoghurt. I am a vegetarian so do eat nuts, they seem to work for me 🙂

Happy fasting!

Philly_Lily

1:11 pm
13 Jun 16
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I just wanted to weigh in here…

Started 5:2 the first week of April 2016. It is now 2+ months and I have slowly transitioned to alternate day fasting (or 4:3). I absolutely love fasting. I have Hashimotos and PCOS and it is SO hard for me to lose weight. In the last few years, it has felt like nothing worked.

I have lost more than 10 lbs and while that is only a drop in the bucket, it is the right direction. It did take me about 6 weeks to start seeing reliable results. The scale jumps all over the place with this eating plan. I use my Fitbit app to track my weight and it gives me weekly averages which I find helpful. I also think it took me a few weeks to stop binging on my eating days. Years of depriving myself of this food or that, particularly carbs, has made me a disordered eater. But I love this lifestyle because I am finally at a point where I am able to enjoy food in reasonable amounts. Intermittent fasting has the added benefit of really curbing your appetite–your “stomach” shrinks!

If you are Hashimotos or PCOS, I think this is a great eating plan and I look forward to watching to scale continue to slowly go down.

Philly_Lily

1:14 pm
13 Jun 16
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Also, I forgot to add, I also love how my food costs have gone down! You certainly eat less. Those of you who have done low carb or south beach know how expensive eating that way can be. But this is really liberating!

MsGadjetty

6:39 pm
4 Aug 16
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Hi, I watched Michael’s 2012 programme only a couple of weeks ago and have started reading his book. I have been hypothyroid for years and am struggling with my weight or rather, the weight just keeps going up. I’ve always been fairly fit and never fat, but now between my thyroid issues and having arthritis (I had a hip replacement last year), I felt like nothing is going to help me lose weight.
I will finish reading the book first but am fairly convinced that it’ll be worth my while giving the 5:2 fasting diet a try.
I will read your above posts in more detail, but what I’ve seen so far looks encouraging.

Minka

9:05 am
6 Aug 16
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Hi all, I have Hashimoto’s. I don’t take levo, but instead liothyroxine, which is a T3 only medication. I’ve been practicing 5:2 for 5 weeks and my progress seems to be following the roughly pound a week shedding that others report as par for the course. For me adequate and correct type of medication feels to be a key to my success so far.

Bubbles67

12:48 pm
8 Aug 16
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Hi everyone, so glad I found this post.
Well done to all of you with Hashimotos. I have had Hashi’s for about 7 years and take Levothyrox. I also had PCOS until after I had children, and it went. In the past 2 years I have been flipping between Hypo and hyper and it sucks.
Most of the weight I managed to take off has gone back on, so after trying lots of things I decided it was time for 5:2 but I was not sure if it would be possible with Hashi.
This is my first week, and first FD today. I have decided to break down my 500 calories into lots of 50-100 calorie snacks throughout the day. I normally eat every 3-4 hours to control Blood Sugar levels so I think this will work for me.
I go to the gym 2-3 times a week so I hope this will finally start paying off. My husband is doing this with me (Except the Gluten Free bit) so we can support each other.
We took all our measurements yesterday (I have a Tanita scale so its easy to measure body fat).
Here goes………..

Mery

12:20 pm
30 Aug 16
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Hello! fellow Hashimoto’s sufferer here. Planning on incorporating 5:2 as off right now but not entirely new to fasting, anyway. I’ve done intermittent fasting for a while, eating in a short window, and total 24-48 hours water fasts. I feel better when I do them but I have a lot of additional healing to do. Not on any hormone therapy for the moment. Id really appreciate any tips, encouragement or sharing experience : ) A fasting buddy would be amazing too. Im based in London. A hug to all, and to your good health. Mery.

EmBlazes

1:49 pm
8 Sep 16
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Hi everyone. I am also hypothyroid and taking thyroxine daily. I have recently started intermittent fasting because I am sick of always feeling “not 100%”. I was blown away by the improvements to health markers as Michael explains in his book. I was surprised how easy it was after the first week to do the fasting days. I hardly notice it at all now and feel sharp and slim after my fasting days. I have now decided to try ADF because I do need to drop a bit more weight. I lost weight previously with weight watchers but I’ve always put the weight back on in the past so I was keen to find a way to keep it off permanently. I’m particularly impressed with how much my digestion has improved. Even if I eat gluten or dairy on my non-fast days, my body seems to cope with it far better. I try to limit gluten, dairy and refined sugar where possible, but also try to be a bit gentle with myself and not too restrictive. So far, after 3 weeks of 5:2, I have lost 1.5kg and seriously don’t feel like I’m dieting. Looking forward to seeing whether I will be able to lower my medication in the future. Personally, after a few weeks, I am now going to try fasting for the entire day and then eating my 500 calories in the evening. I found today that I’ve had no problem and it is now 2pm and I’ve only had green and black tea this morning AND I have managed a 2.5 hour walk! I do walk a LOT and I also think this is a great addition to the fast diet. Good luck to everyone else out there trying this!

MsGadjetty

3:11 pm
8 Sep 16
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EmBlazes, that’s awesome!

I’m in my 3rd week of 5:2 and am feeling great on it. Lost quite a bit of weight in my first 2 weeks but after my last fast day, I hadn’t lost any. However, I also didn’t put it back on!
I don’t restrict myself on my “days off”, but I don’t go completely OTT either. Hope I’ll be able to keep on losing weight as this diet is the first thing that’s ever worked for me since I became hypothyroid.

Good luck everybody and keep reporting back! 🙂

EmBlazes

7:40 pm
10 Sep 16
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Well done to you too MsGadjetty 🙂 I had a week where I stayed the same as well and after doing 2 fasting days in a row it was a bit disappointing to see no movement on the scales. That said, it is a plan you can LIVE with. I was glad not to have put any weight on and also, I tend to follow a pattern of weight loss where it is one week a good loss, next week, no loss or a small gain. I ALWAYS focus on the total weight loss over a month, rather than the numbers from week to week. It is much more positive that way!

Good luck 🙂

MsGadjetty

9:30 pm
10 Sep 16
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Ah thanks, EmBlazes! 🙂 My weight went down again a bit after my last fast day, so it only stagnated after one fast day.
I totally agree, it’s a lifestyle choice you can live with and that’s what makes it so appealing and doable.
Been on the plan for 3 weeks now and the last fasting day was a doddle in comparison with the previous ones. No headache either at night or otherwise. I drink plenty of herbal tea during the day and plain water. Seems to be doing the trick.
I don’t exercise as such at present, but I have 2 dogs and usually take them for 2 walks a day. As I’ve recently moved to the coast, I normally walk them on the beach which is a pebble beach. I think walking on the beach can be classed as exercise as it’s much harder to walk on the pebbles than it would be walking on the pavement.
In any case, I’m so glad to be on this plan and I’m nearly looking forward to my next fast day.

Minka

4:07 am
11 Sep 16
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Hi all! I’ve had up to 3 weeks when my weight remained the same. However, I have a scale which registers body fat, muscle and hydration. I noticed that during those weeks that my muscle mass increased. I remembered then that 5:2 naturally supports the growth of lean muscle mass all while reducing fat percentages. Muscle weighs more than fat, so makes sense that my body was doing a little composition shifting while not registering any difference, change or seeming improvement in grams or pounds.

I’ve observed over the 10 weeks I’ve been practicing 5:2 that my weight moves like a staircase. I have plateaus of a week or more in between losses which have continued to average a pound a week over time. The tracker on this website helps me keep in mind my bigger overall progress.

MsGadjetty, your dog walking on the pebble beach sounds idyllic! From everything I’ve read walking is definitely a valid form of exercise and especially walking on a pebble beach would work muscles even more than walking on flat pavement.

Hypogurl

5:47 am
12 Sep 16
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Hi,
I’m new here and have a question. I’ve been dealing with hypothyroid symptoms for 3 years now, especially the unexplained weight gain and inability to lose. I’m a 38 year old female. I’ve now been on generic Synthroid for almost 10 weeks with no change in symptoms so far. I was wondering though for others with hypothyroid, if you are having success with IF, are you doing it just as explained — by eating the 500-600 on fasting days and essentially your TDEE on non-fasting? Does it matter that your slowed metabolism isn’t factored into that TDEE? Mathematically, it would seem to me, if we did the plan according to the calculators and it had an effect it would at the very least still be slower than non-hypo patients. Have you found this to be true? Thank you if you can share your experiences.

Minka

5:56 am
12 Sep 16
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Hi Hypogurl,

From what I understand and from being in a thyroid online group with thousands of others, when we are properly dosed with the correct type and amount of thyroid replacement required for our body, we should be same as ‘euthyroid’ in other words same as we would be if we had a properly functioning thyroid. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t provide all the tests needed to determine this and even some that do, will misinterpret the results and then dose according to the misinterpretation and often on medication that isn’t producing optimal amounts. Many just think that there is Synthroid as an option. There’s also Natural Dessicated Thyroid and T3 only medication called Cytomel.

So, in answer to your questions, if your doctor is inadequately prescribing and dosing and you are left in a hypothyroid state, then weight loss will be slower since metabolism is slower. One way you could factor this in, is by doing what some do who aren’t necessarily struggling with a hypothyroid state, but who simply want to accelerate their results, which is to eat according to what your TDEE would be at your ideal weight, both on FDs and NFDs. Hope this helps.

Minka

6:00 am
12 Sep 16
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P.S. You can calculate the TDEE for your ideal weight, here at this link:

https://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/

Hypogurl

6:23 am
12 Sep 16
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Thank you for your suggestion, Lael.

Thyroid meds are funny things. As are people’s bodies and thus, their reactions to them. In my case, and like many others, so far my levels have come back into a more normal range (and then still an increase was given) but the symptoms themselves have not been affected, which will probably mean a trial on another type of med or something, but I won’t know exactly what the new plan is until I see my doctor next week for follow up. I’m being tested every 5 weeks and he’s very on top of things, but this has not been resolved yet. I’ve read many, many accounts of people with exactly the same problem. And of course, as the med trials are so long, it can take a very long time to find both the right med and dose so that both levels as well as symptoms are being addressed equally. As I only began my trials about 10 weeks ago, I’m still in the beginning stages. Still trying to work out the kinks.

But your suggestion is a good alternative thought, so maybe I’ll try that. I only decided to try IF yesterday (which was my first fast day), and I’m doing ADF.

Thanks and take care!
hypogurl

Minka

7:05 am
12 Sep 16
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Hi Hypogurl,

I understand it’s early days for you and your thyroid medication journey! I’ve been on various types and amounts of medication over the past 7 years since I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, so I understand!

That’s great that your doctor is testing you every 5 weeks! The only thing is that doctors usually test only for:

TSH

T4

While the above are important, T4 (which is what Synthroid is) is only a storage hormone. Our body then has to take that storage hormone and convert it into the active thyroid hormone T3. The thing is that we can have perfect T4 or storage hormone and be utterly challenged by converting it into the active T3, which is dependent on so many other things being in balance.

My point here is that stick to your guns with your symptoms. If the tests you are being given all say ‘normal’ and you still feel under par, that definitely means considering requesting your T3 be tested as well as something called ‘Reverse T3’.

Ideally we’d all get these tests:

TSH
T4
T3
Reverse T3

Iron panel test

The iron panel test is important because if we have inadequate levels of ferritin, which is our iron storage, we will not be able to convert that T4 into T3. Low ferritin is one of the main culprits in our inability to effectively utilize thyroid hormone replacement.

If you ever want to read a good book on the subject, one that explains all this in plain English and is fun to read, check out ‘Stop the Thyroid Madness’ by Janie Bowthorpe.

Hypogurl

7:16 am
12 Sep 16
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Thanks again, Lael! I appreciate so much you trying to help me out! I actually am very familiar with this information, as is my doctor and he has been testing me appropriately for all these things! There just still seems to be a problem.

Like I said, I go in next week and we’ll be brainstorming some more. I really wish it were something easy, like having missed a test like the ones you mentioned or something, and having an “Aha!” moment where we figured out the mystery! But so far, no such luck!

It’s really frustrating though! More than I can express. Argh…

<3 Blessings…

Minka

7:19 am
12 Sep 16
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P.S. One more thing about ‘normal’ on the lab ranges. Labs calculate what is ‘normal’ by averaging the results of all the sick people who test with them. From my experience with the wide ranges on the thyroid labs, I have to feel like death warmed over before mine go out of that ‘normal’ range. That’s why I say ‘stick to your guns’ with regard to your symptoms. They often tell far more than lab tests. One simple way you can also test whether your medication is doing the job it should be is by taking your temperature. Healthy before-rising morning underarm basal temp should be between 97.8 – 98.2. Anything lower, indicates a hypothyroid state.

I’m writing this mainly because as a fellow thyroid patient, I believe we should not be at the mercy of being forced to remain in a hypothyroid state! That’s not what thyroid hormone replacement is supposed to look like. I’ve seen many struggle with weight loss, exasperated that seemingly nothing they did worked, only to find that their thyroid hormone was inadequately dosed and once that was corrected, they began to suddenly reap benefits for their efforts. I admit I get a soap box about this issue, but is just isn’t fair.

Yoyo-D

10:38 pm
14 Sep 16
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Lael, are you in the UK? Only when you say ‘I have to feel like death warmed over before mine go out of that ‘normal’ range’, it may be because what the NHS recognises as abnormal is out of date compared to modern thinking in other countries, and they won’t change their guidelines, which still class anything up to a TSH of 5.0 as ‘normal’. In some places anything above 2.0 is considered indicative of a thyroid problem. But if the NHS changed the guidelines here, a whole lot more hypothyroid cases would be diagnosed, and all those people would be on free prescriptions, so they can’t afford to change their view. Which is a shame as lots of people who aren’t ‘normal’ are told they are.

StephyMorry

10:34 pm
22 Sep 16
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Hi everyone
I’m a newbie here. I’ve been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and am taking Thyroxine. I’ve successfully dropped about 4 kilos on my own but have plateaued the last month. I exercise every day by walking at least 30 mins. I figured having some FD could be the way to go. Today is Day 1. Let’s see how I go!!

Bubbles67

12:23 pm
23 Sep 16
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I plateaued earlier this year and started putting weight on again. So I started 5:2 and have now lost 4.6kg in 2 months, really happy and really easy to do.

CAnnbewarra

8:13 am
24 Sep 16
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Hello – I’m a busy mature age student & have had low thyroid for decades (many people in my family do – don’t know if it’s genetic or lifestyle?). Doctors like to play around with my medication levels, and I pay the price in dry skin, falling-out hair, depression, lethargy, exhaustion and inability to concentrate (not a good look in a student – I’ve had to repeat subjects because of this, even though I am a good student & do well).
I still take my thyroid medications, but since I’ve discovered the 5:2, I’ve lost 15kgs (I think that’s about 33lbs) over the space of 10 months. I’ve really plateaued the last few months because of depression (& anxiety), but I have just this week bought a blender & am trying out the raw smoothie thing for breakfast. Even though I have a cold & feel reasonably horrible, I am noticing I have more energy (& green poo?). I’m using 3 leaves of kale, 1 silver beet leaf, apple/pear, orange, kiwi fruit, ginger as my basics & have also added in mint, banana & avocado on different days.
It is delicious, it is VERY filling, and I’m not feeling hungry, so perhaps this might work for some others too?
I’m due to do my blood tests for thyroid again in a month or two (I insist on doing them every 6 months because the side effects are so devastating & my mental status seems to affect my levels – a bit circular really!) so I’ll be interested to see if my doctor cuts my dose again.

Anyway – I hate fast days – I’m very bad at doing them (seriously bad…) & have sworn never to count a calorie again, but 5:2 seems to be doing the trick.
Good luck everyone!

Minka

1:12 pm
24 Sep 16
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Hi Yoyo, I just saw your question! I’m actually in Australia!

Pretty much same is true here as in the UK with regard to the lousy lab ranges that doctors go by! I suffered for years with doctors who went by those ranges!! In the end I had to do my own research or I knew I’d never get better! Thankfully I found ‘Stop the Thyroid Madness’ book that enabled me to understand why I wasn’t doing well and gave me the understanding of how to self dose my thyroid medication using the temperature method. I then I found ‘Recovering with T3’ by Paul Robinson which took me to the next level! Paul Robinson is a UK author who has started a whole movement on the benefit of taking T3 only medication, which I’m now on.

Hi Cannbewarra, those smoothies sound delish! I love green smoothies! My favorite is made with coriander leaves! I too have had devastating effects from thyroid dose cutting. I know how it feels. Here’s to your doctor honoring your symptoms over lab ranges.

MsGadjetty

8:02 pm
24 Sep 16
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Been on the 5:2 plan for 3 or 4 weeks, but went on hols for 5 days and ate a lot of the “wrong” things as you do on holidays.
I didn’t want to weigh myself after I came back and before my next fast day, but I don’t think I’ve put on any weight: With the fine weather over the last few days in Southern England, I’ve been wearing shorts and I managed to squeeze into 2 pairs of shorts that didn’t fit me at the beginning of the summer. Before I went on holidays, I had lost about 6.5kg.
I’ve been hypothyroid for 10 years+ and nothing else worked for me before, including weight training or aerobic exercise.
I’ll be carrying on with the 5:2 diet on Monday next and am looking forward to losing some more weight.

Minka

4:54 am
25 Sep 16
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MsGadgetty, Your post is very inspiring and I hope every thyroid patient who is struggling to lose weight and/or with 5:2, comes across it. Isn’t it wonderful that we don’t have to be ‘perfect’ to make 5:2 work!?! It’s a relief to be able to enjoy ourselves and still shed weight!

Cec57

1:39 am
12 Oct 16
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Hi I’ve been hypo for 10 years now and put on a massive amount of weight at the start. I tried so many times to lose weight without success and then on top came the menopause. I started the 5:2 in June and much to my surprise I’ve been loosing around half a Kilo a week. I’ve now lost 8.5kg despite going on holiday to America with their portion sizes lol. Yes my loss is slow, but it is steady and the 5:2 way of eating is easy for me. Oh and the additional plus is that I’ve gone from being pre diabetic to being well within the normal blood sugar range.

kazvye

1:51 pm
18 Oct 16
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I’m hypo and have been on thyroxine for 4 years now, eventually ending up on 100mg a day which has been unchanged in almost 2 years. I’m 44, 5ft 7 and currently 17st. When I was diagnosed, my GP said I wouldn’t lose weight on the meds but that I would find it hard to lose. Ironically my 8-stone-wet-through friend who didn’t need to lose weight, lost 1.5 stones the minute she went on thyroxine (as is always the way).

Last year it took me exactly 10 months to lose a stone; during this time my husband was seriously ill and almost died, and even that didn’t have any great effect on my weight! I gained half of that stone back and have been yoyo-ing the remaining 7lbs ever since; last week lost 1lb, this week gained back 2lbs.

10 weeks ago my husband and I got a dog with a view to getting us walking more and yes, hopefully losing some weight. She’s a 6 year old husky and doesn’t exactly dawdle! I walk between 0.5 and a mile each day, 1.5 miles and more on weekends and on my day off last week I walked nearly 3 miles with her. I walk between 7000-9000 steps a day. I don’t eat massive portions – yes I like a treat, the odd drink and we have an occasional takeaway which I always halve for leftover-lunch. I don’t eat much fruit because I’m allergic. It’s made zero difference. So I’ve somewhat reluctantly come to the conclusion that after 4 years of being determined not to blame my thyroid, I actually have to accept that it IS having an effect on me. I lost 4st 2002-04, without any exercise other than a bit of walking, and am now 6st heavier than I was then. I registered here on the site a few months ago but struggled with the concept of what to eat on fast days; I’m not a cook so I want grab-and-go stuff rather than recipes and menus. I couldn’t go all day without eating anything. I drink about 2 litres of water a day, a couple of Diet Cokes and quite a lot of tea. I’ve put my TDEE into My Fitness Pal as I use the app every day but eating normally isn’t an issue, it’s the fasting days I need help with.

MsGadjetty

3:20 pm
18 Oct 16
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I think that the 5:2 diet is the best thing since sliced bread (although siced bread is something I avoid these days).
I’ve been on the diet since August and have lost nearly 10kg where nothing else had worked before. I was just piling on the weight and am on 100mcg of thyroxine a day.
I haven’t changed my lifestyle much, although I’m more aware of what I eat, but I’m strict with myself on fast days.
I normally have 100g of smoked salmon for breakfast on a fast day with a cup of tea with milk. For the rest of the day I drink water and herbal teas and have a small meal in the evening that brings the total calories to 500. One thing I currently like are the ramen noodles (small pack about 18p in Lidl or Aldi). I throw away the sachet and just add curry powder to the water and maybe a spring onion. When the water boils, I add the noodles and shortly after 1 egg. I let this boil for a minute or two and then ladle the lot into a large soup bowl. I then have a bowl full of soup with the noodles and the egg in it. This is really filling and feels like I’ve had a substantial meal. – Just my thing, but maybe somebody else on here likes it too.

c_galen_b

7:25 pm
18 Oct 16
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I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s eight years ago. I understand exactly how all of you feel- I have gained an average of 10-15 pounds a year since being diagnosed. I’m on 200 mcg twice a day of Synthroid now and I’m not responding to the meds anymore- my last TSH was 23. It’s so discouraging on many, many levels and weight gain is only one of the issues most of us struggle with. It seems sometimes that the deck is stacked against us, but I have recently embraced a new mantra: “Falling down is an accident – Staying down is a choice.” I’m just not ready to let a stupid molecule to determine the quality of my life, so I have to at least try this again.

I just started the 5/2 Fast diet yesterday so I don’t have any glowing reviews yet, but I’m hopeful! I’ve seen some really positive replies related to Hypothyroid. A close friend has lost 35 pounds on the 5/2 Fast diet in a year. We’re both in our late 50s, so I think we accept that it’s an uphill climb. It may not be lightning fast, but it is steady weight loss, maintainable, and best thing? She said she has not run into any of the dreaded plateaus that seem to stop my weight loss in its tracks.
I wish all of you the best luck with the thyroid issues and the diet!

MsGadjetty

11:39 am
2 Nov 16
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Just to share this with you:

Today, I broke through the 10kg!
I’ve hypothyroid on 100mcg of thyroxine a day and I never thought anything would help me to lose weight after I’d gained so much weight over the last 10 years or so.
Since 4th August (3 months) I’ve lost 10kg! And this is without going to the gym or exercising like mad. I walk my dogs for 30 – 45 minutes twice a day and sometimes once a day and sit at my desk as I work from home. And it still works! 🙂
Michael Mosley, you are my hero! Without this programme, I would’ve given up!

Honey1962

9:41 am
21 Feb 17
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I have had under active thyroid for 14 years, I put about 2 stone on and managed to lose half a stone with Slimming world and Weight watchers but it was slow as I was sticking to the diets 100% and only losing half a pound a week. I gave up and put the weight back on. Up until last year I used to do a lot of exercise but I think I overdid it and felt awful. Ever since I haven’t been able to do any exercise because I felt so ill if I tried and the fatigue was really bad, could barely put one foot in front of the other. My doctor did my blood test and said that my 150mg of thyroxine per day was too much (after being on that dose for around 8 years) but when they lowered the dose I felt worse, so cold nothing would get me warm. My doctor has now said that my T4 levels have disappeared and I was having some days with under active symptoms but some days I was shaking so bad inside, which my doctor said is overactive. The doctor said my body is confused and doesn’t know whether it’s over active or under active hence my symptoms. Anyway I decided to start the 5-2 two weeks ago and feel much better, still not full of energy but better than I was, and I have lost three and a half pounds.

1Maureen

3:43 pm
25 Feb 17
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Honey, Congratulations on your weight loss! We all truly have to figure out what works for US when it comes to losing weight when we have these thyroid issues. Out of the blue, about 10 years ago, my gynecologist doctor had the lab do blood work to check my thyroid numbers. I felt my regular energetic self all the time so there were no symptoms for me at all. The doctor told me I had the worst numbers she had ever seen and wondered how I was even able drag myself out of bed each day, much less function normally. The only thing I could think of was all the excess sugar and carbs (that turn into sugar) in my body were keeping my energy going all that time. Again, everybody’s body reacts differently when it comes to our thyroid issues. I’m so sorry you have had the struggles you have had getting just the right dosage for your thyroid. My doctor recently increased mine to 100 mg. I have felt fine no matter what the dose has been and just take my pill every night before I go to bed. Weight loss has been the struggle for me. I lost weight doing a very low sugar/low carb plan, but then went back to my old ways. I lost 5 pounds on my own (started Feb. 6, 2017) and then started doing FD on Feb. 22nd (5:2) but decided to switch it to ADF (alternate day fasting) and today have lost a total of 7 1/2 pounds. Hope to lose another 20. My good results are due to drinking more water. I drink 48 oz. a day and work out 20 minutes on my Gazelle (like cross country skiing off the ground). I actually prefer my 500 calories days over NFD because I don’t have to think about food so much! Again, congratulations on your weight loss…you’ve got this!! Maureen

Helen1854

12:13 am
8 Mar 17
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Today is my 3rd fast day. I lost weight on a very restrictive diet no carbs sugars all food weighed and measured . After a while even that wasnt working . I also felt so burned out on it . Im on a relativly low dose of synthroid for my under active thyriod. All my levels are good . Reading about everyones success gives me alot of hope . I want to lose 30 pounds and i will be patient about it .

Cherlyn

10:30 pm
29 May 17
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Hi everyone – I am 42 and have had hashimotos now for 14 years and I’m currently taking 150mg thyroxine.
My weight is at 105kg which is my heaviest and I went to see a doctor (not my regular doctor) last Friday about the prospect of bariatric surgery. He recommended the 5:2 diet as the best option for me, which I found surprising as I had thought it a fad diet, and I’ve now started with my first fast day yesterday.
I made a filling Mexican bean soup at 170 cal per serve and have divided it into 4 portions for my two fast days. I found it quite easy to do the fast day, but felt very anxious the whole time thinking I would start to become overwhelmed with hunger: it didn’t happen 😄
I’m cautiously optimistic at this stage and my doctor wants to monitor my progress in 4 weeks, so I’m keeping the faith and reading your inspiring success stories is exciting and motivational. So thank you ❤

Pam M

10:05 pm
7 Aug 17
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Hi Cherlyn. Was wondering how you’re getting on. I’m on 3rd FD – liking the positivity it is bringing as low mood has been a BIG factor with my experience of Hashi’s.

Bubbles67

8:38 am
8 Aug 17
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Hi. I am going to kick start 5:2 again this week. Had a terrible 6 months with major life changes but now need to get my life back on track.
My husband walked out in February after 26 years, he had been having an affair with a friend for 2 months right under my nose and I did not see it.
The silver lining for me was losing 8kgs. Also my bloods showed a great improvement, I think it was due to my stress levels reducing. Read anything and they say stress us the worst thing for Hashi.
So now I can see my goal of getting in a size 10(UK) jeans becoming a reality. Just 10kgs more to go. So I am back on 5:2 to do it.
I have a new job, new outlook on life, lots of new friends, still got my house and my 2 teenage boys and lots of male attention. Divorce papers are going in this week. So with my 50th birthday just 4 months away I have a new target.
I tell myself EVERY day I can do this. You need a goal, so set one today.

Slim2fitit

9:35 pm
13 Aug 17
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Great to hear you can lose weight while taking Levothyroxine as I was beginning to lose hope. I have been taking it for several years now and although weight gain was slow it has mounted up to over 3 stone. It has been a battle, one month to lose 1/2 stone, one weekend away to put it back on.

AdelaideE

4:47 pm
21 Aug 17
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Today is my first fast day – ever. I’ve been up for an hour. I’ll start with green tea and will eventually do some light cardio. Usually, I eat no carbs anyway.

I have Hash and reducing its effects IS one of the reasons that I’m doing this. Is it realistic to expect that this diet will help reverse Hash? I’m somewhat discouraged to hear everyone talk about it taking at leat 6 weeks to show progress. Other people have talked about showing progress in the first week. What gives?

The whole point of the diet is to slow age-related medical issues. Else, why do it?

bigbooty

10:39 pm
21 Aug 17
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You eat no carbs? No fruit and veg, no grain based products? That is very hard to do. Describe a typical days food intake. Are you talking about taking six weeks to show signs of weight loss or improving your Hasimoto? I think one week is very optimistic to reverse years of poor diet. Set yourself more realistic goals.

Jilly V

8:46 am
25 Aug 17
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Hi I am new here as I only started 5:2 lifestyle diet on Monday. I have already lost 4 lbs and ate normally on the other days. I also have hypothyroidism which was only diagnosed in February this year with TSH of 76! I had not been feeling well for years!!! I am on Levothyroxine and so far I have noticed the fasting days reduce my appetite on the other days. I am an emotional eater/constant craver. I walk dogs daily at a brisk pace and garden but am going to add HIT exercise in the mix. I have already noticed a reduction in joint pain. So very happy 😊

MsGadjetty

7:58 pm
25 Aug 17
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Hi,
I’m back!
I was doing so well last year on the 5:2 diet and lost 10kg in 4 months. And then Christmas happened and after that I didn’t really get back in the swing of things.
Admittedly, this has been a really stressful year and I had to move house again after only 1 year.
The end result: I’ve put nearly all the weight back on again and am deeply unhappy.
So despite having a stressful job and some personal concerns and worries, I’m now trying to get back on the wagon and start with the 5:2 again.
Today was my first day and it hasn’t been quite as hard as I’d imagined and despite this being a Friday night and a bank holiday weekend in the UK, I won’t have a drink and will stick to water and herbal teas.
It’s good to be back 🙂 And good luck to all of you.
PS: The 5:2 diet is the ONLY thing that works for me with losing weight, being hypothyroid. Nothing else does, not even exercise.

Cherlyn

10:38 pm
30 Aug 17
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Hi Pam 😄

I’m 3 months in now and have lost 6kg. I love this way of living as I only need short bursts of motivation!
I do experience low energy on my fast days as well as low temperature, but I honestly feel more even tempered on those days too compared to the hyper feeling that I have on my nfd’s.
How are you faring? Is this working for you?