PCSO and a Underactive thyriod

[emmamc1986]

I have suffered from PCSO since I was at High school. I have been and still am suffering from ill health had gallstones. I had the gall bladder removed but didnt help with illness at all.

even on a low fat diet with the gallstones for over 14 months I lost nothing and I mean nothing at all.

My activity level is very low due to pain and discomfort. I have started the GI diet through Sainsburys online.

I am struggling with the food the amount that I have to eat I have been told by the diet that I need to eat 2,500 calories a day am very shocked as surely you need less being a woman and wanting to lose weight

Is this right I am 5 foot 10 and weigh 21 stone and 4 pounds

I was tested for a lot of different things recently on a blood test to find wheather liver, kidneys etc and my thyriod showed up for the first time since and it was underactive, I am thinking showed up as I have been taking Metforin for PCSO to get a cycle
but GP will not treat me for it even though have had all the signs of both PCSO and under active thyriod. I have to wait 4 months to be retested.

Any advice would be great if someone in my situation has done diet and has lost etc

 

[Plumfoodie]

Hi Emma! Welcome!

I crunched some numbers for you and I had to guess that you were maybe 26 years old based on your username? You're right that you do have to eat less calories to lose weight but depending on your current weight and activity levels this might be more than you think! It's a common myth that eating as few calories as possible will help you lose; eating too few can in fact stall your weight loss completely. I have some health issues myself and the only way I can lose weight and make sure I stay healthy is being sure to eat enough. There's a process for working out a good number of calories to eat, I have done your numbers below as an example. The Sainsburys figure does look a little bit high based on what you said about not being too active - if I were you I'd double-check that your activity level is set correctly in your profile on their site and if it still doesn't seem right contact their customer services.

Good luck and let us know how you get on. I hope you like the GI diet; it's my favourite way of eating.

-----------------------------------------------------

The short version is, calculate your:

BMR = 2158 calories - how much your body burns for basic functions if you stayed in bed all day

TDEE = 2590 (BMR times sedentary activity level) - how much your body burns for basic functions plus your daily activities

Calorie goal option 1 = 1590 (TDEE minus weight loss deficit) - how much you should eat to lose 2lb/week

Calorie goal option 2 = 2158 (TDEE minus 20%) - if you are happy to lose more slowly; this might be better if eating too little makes your health issues worse (it does with mine)

------------------------------------

The long version, along with helpful links, is below!

1. I went to this page to calculate your BMR (this is the number of calories your body needs to support its basic functions if you did nothing but lie in bed all day) - if you are indeed 26 then it came out as 2158 calories. BMR Calculator

2. Now, of course you don't lie in bed all day. As you said you aren't very active, I took the sedentary activity level and multiplied your BMR by 1.2 as stated on this page (Harris Benedict Equation) to get 2590. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and is the number of calories your body needs not only to support its basic functions but also your daily activities.

3. Finally, you need the figure that will help you lose weight. A good rule of thumb is:

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

So, if you want to lose 2lb a week, you need to eat 1000 calories less per day than your TDEE. This is because you need to eat 3500 calories less to lose 1 lb of fat - multiply this by 2 and you get 7000 calories less per week, or 1000 per day. So, we subtract 1000 calories from your TDEE and get 1590 calories. This is the amount of calories that should allow you to lose 2 lb per week.

 

[irish molly]

I cannot add to Plum's excellent info. I just want to add my good wishes to you on your journey. Losing weight when you have numerous health issues can be very challenging. GL is certainly a very healthy approach. Plum makes a very good point about not cutting cals too drastically. It can be counter productive. However, 2500 does seem a little high to start with. You might also input your stats into myfitnesspal.com and estimate your intake depending on how much per week you aim to lose. 2lbs per week is a reasonable target at your current weight.

Have you read any GL books for info? I'd recommend Patrick Holford's low GL diet bible for an indepth read. I found it the best of the many books I've read.
Personally, I have found GL to be a wonderful life plan. I do not see it as a diet. I feel so well when I stick to mostly low GL choices. I used to suffer with irritable bowel and a bad ulcer but all symptoms are gone since embracing GL.
Take it a day at a time and you will soon be well on your way.

 

[emmamc1986]

thanks I am currently doing my research you have advised

 

[Mis-behave]

I have suffered from PCSO since I was at High school. I have been and still am suffering from ill health had gallstones. I had the gall bladder removed but didnt help with illness at all.

even on a low fat diet with the gallstones for over 14 months I lost nothing and I mean nothing at all.

My activity level is very low due to pain and discomfort. I have started the GI diet through Sainsburys online.

I am struggling with the food the amount that I have to eat I have been told by the diet that I need to eat 2,500 calories a day am very shocked as surely you need less being a woman and wanting to lose weight

Is this right I am 5 foot 10 and weigh 21 stone and 4 pounds

I was tested for a lot of different things recently on a blood test to find wheather liver, kidneys etc and my thyriod showed up for the first time since and it was underactive, I am thinking showed up as I have been taking Metforin for PCSO to get a cycle
but GP will not treat me for it even though have had all the signs of both PCSO and under active thyriod. I have to wait 4 months to be retested.

Any advice would be great if someone in my situation has done diet and has lost etc

Have you had a look at the south beach diet which is a low GI diet, the most recent book mentioned success of some dieters with PCSO

Have a look at my myfitnesspal.com which is also a free phone app.. You put in your weight and height plus exercise level and it works it out for you.. It also counts cals

 

[blue-kat]

I would recommend asking for your thyroid to retested sooner than later.
it's very hard to lose if you're thyroid's too low.
have a a scout around fin thyroid support groups e.g. Thyroid UK - Home and on Facebook.

i couldn't shift any weight until I got on reasonably high dose of thyroid meds + low GI diet.

all the best with your journey to better health.