So many times in the past, I have tried to diet. I have always failed. I do everything I'm supposed to, follow all the rules, and nothing. Maybe I'll lose 5 lbs, I think once I lost 10. But that's it.

Well, I got my pre-op bloodwork done, and when I went into my surgeon's office to meet with the nurse practitioner, she said my thyroid levels were off.

So now I am wondering if my doctor ever checked them before. Every time I would go in to see him, I would get a lecture about losing weight. If he never checked my thyroid, and I have been suffering and struggling with my weight all this time, I will be pissed. If I could have been taking a pill that could have helped (I know fixing my hypothyroidism won't magically make me lose, but it will make me lose when I am trying).

Every time I would go on a diet and nothing would happen, I would get so frustrated and quit. And then feel like a failure. And even my husband made me feel like a failure, because he would always say well you must be doing it wrong because you aren't losing. Even though he would be eating the same things and he would lose weight. All that suffering, and it could have been prevented with one blood test!!!!!

:confused::cuss::cuss::cuss::thumbup::cuss::tt2::cuss::cuss:

Edited June 2, 201016 yr by Kristy29

You'll probably never know how it really effects you anway - my sister is hypothyroid, she didnt discover it until about 30. She has always been the tiniest thing, she's 5ft 6 and was always about 115 lb, really slim and she ate like a bird. Reason being, the problem dampened her appetite and she never had any interest in food whatsoever.

Anyway, once it was picked up, of course she went onto thyroxine. Her appetite picked up and she promptly gained weight, she's a healthy, nice looking girl, she didnt get fat, but she's now more like 130lb or so and she had to really balance her suddenly increased food intake with running to avoid getting too heavy.

Thyroid problems are not always the cause of weight problems or inability to lose it - of course once she was diagnosed I thought I had the easy answer, went and got checked, no dice. And the doctor said to me, your thyroid will never the cause of a 100lb weight problem, it might account for 10 or 20% of that.

Then again, there's probably heaps of people here who have had a different experience.

But on a good note, with a band, so many people that were unable to lose do lose.

Yes, I understand that it isn't the root cause of all my weight, and fixing it won't be a magic cure. But I do believe it is the reason that even when I do diet and eat right and exercise, I still don't lose.

Last year while living with my parents, I was walking and biking 4 times a week and eating a high Protein low carb diet with lots of veggies. I don't think I lost even 5 pounds. That just can't be right, and it is so frustrating to know I am doing everything right and getting nothing for it.

I have been on the pre-op diet for over a week now. I have been eating a Protein shake of less than 115 calories for 1 meal a day, the second meal is no carbs and the third meal is very low carb. Also low fat, low calories. I have been journaling my food on SparkPeople, and have been within the calorie range to lose weight. Not an ounce has come off. So so so frustrating, especially since I can't have the surgery, per my insurance, unless I lose 15 lbs. I have never lost 15 pounds in my life.

I have hypothyroidism too. That is insane that your sister was skinny with this disease! It didnt seem to affect my appetite at all haha.

You would prob still have a weight prob without it but it def makes it a LOT harder to lose and keep weight off. I am also furious that my doc didnt check me sooner, I kept telling her I couldnt lose weight and she didnt believe me:) BUT alas even though I am on meds now I still have trouble losing weight. It is easier than it was but I still think I'm going to need lapband. The major difference I discovered after getting on my meds is that my brain seems to work better and my body is not sore all the time anymore.

Also my hair quit falling out!

I only weighed 112 when my thyroid started acting up. That was 14 years ago. Since then I take a huge dose of Synthroid every day and I'm still gaining weight:( It helps it does it's just not a magic fix.

Will they still do your surgery now? Per my insurance company if they find a disease that could be making you gain or hold onto weight then that must be treated first before they will do the Lap Band.

I have a friend who has hyperthyroid, she recently found out. She is about the same size as me. Can't believe she didn't lose weight with it. She was so mad, she told me "finally I have a problem that would make a person lose weight, but for me I just gain!" I felt bad for her. We have tried so hard to lose weight, just to fail once again. That would be bad if the dr never checked your thyroid. I hate getting told "you need to lose weight." Oh, I never thought of that! Idiot drs!

I was relativily lucky, and knew that I had low thyroid levels all the way back in high school. Most of the women in my family have under active thyroids. What I've found is when I don't take my medicine-like i didn't for the past 3 months due to lack of $$$-I don't lose. I went back onto my synthroid 2 1/2 weeks ago, and have dropped like 10lbs since-which is very heartening after a 3 month plataue

I have grave's...which is from hyperthyroid. At first I lost, then gained a bunch. My weight went up and down. Surgery...the band has helped so much...and I make sure to get my levels checked every 4 mths. I take my meds like I should(most of the time) which really helps. Having a thyroid disease can cause your weight to go up or down...whether your hypo or hyper. Everyone is different.

Coneflower- I have graves too and was treated with RAI to slow my thyroid. yep, it's gone... on sinthroid. I was banded in March 2010, and have been working really hard for every pound lost. I can barely muster -4 a month. Proper eating and lots and lots of exercise. I am up to 5cc's now, with better restriction- but I would think I'd be loosing more... I think I might post something today.

I'm super curious what the loss rate is for bandsters with a thyroid diagnosis. Hyper, Hypo, they all suck. I'm just wondering if it is what makes me slow. I know the graves really messes with me, by my thyroid levels seem to be steady.

Has anyone had thier sinthroid level lowered after weight loss? Take Care!