u/pravaslovenka

Hi everyone. I’m a 21F, 5'6, 193lbs and currently being evaluated for Hashimoto’s. I’m feeling really discouraged and was hoping to hear from people who’ve been through something similar.

Over the past several months/ max last 2 years, I’ve gained about 50 pounds despite being very active and training regularly. It feels like my body is completely resisting weight loss no matter what I do.

My recent labs showed:
TSH: 4.73 (high)
Iron saturation: 13% (low)
Free T4: 1.2 (normal)
Free T3: 3.4 (normal)

I’m also taking Zoloft 50 mg and recently started Wellbutrin XL 150 mg because of the weight gain, cravings, and fatigue.

For those of you who were eventually diagnosed with Hashimoto’s
-Did your symptoms start with a TSH around this level?
-Did you experience rapid weight gain or feel like your body wouldn’t respond to diet and exercise?
-What tests or symptoms finally led to your diagnosis?

Many thanks!

Hey guys - I’m a 21F, and I honestly just need some advice or even reassurance because I feel like I’m losing my mind.

Over the past several months, I’ve gained about 50 pounds, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. The hardest part is that I’m not living a sedentary lifestyle. I work out consistently, train pretty hard, and an InBody scan I had done a couple of months ago showed I have a pretty high amount of muscle mass (120.2 lbs lean body mass and 67.2 lbs skeletal muscle). I know those scans aren’t perfect, but the point is that I’m active and genuinely putting in the effort. No matter what I do, though, the scale doesn’t move.

What really pushed me over the edge happened yesterday. My mom took a picture of me from behind at the beach without asking and showed it to me, saying I “eat too much sugar” and that’s why I have back rolls and have gained weight. It honestly crushed me.

It’s getting to the point where I’m starting to have really unhealthy thoughts around food because I’m constantly being made to feel like this is something I could fix if I just had more willpower.

For reference, I finally got a full set of blood work back, and there are actually some things that don’t seem normal:
TSH: 4.73 (high; reference 0.40–4.50)
Iron saturation: 13% (low; reference 16–45%)
Free T3: 3.4
Free T4: 1.2

From what I’ve been told, the elevated TSH suggests subclinical hypothyroidism, and the low iron definitely isn’t helping with fatigue or how I’m feeling overall. My doctor is also checking me for Hashimoto’s because I want to make sure we’re not missing something autoimmune.

I’m also on Zoloft (50 mg) and recently started Wellbutrin XL (150 mg). I actually asked about adding Wellbutrin because I’ve heard it can sometimes help offset the weight gain, cravings, and fatigue that can happen with SSRIs. Right now, though, I feel like my body is just…stuck. It’s like no matter how active I am or how mindful I am with food, nothing changes, and it’s incredibly discouraging.

I guess I’m wondering if anyone else has been through something similar. Has anyone had a TSH around this level along with low iron, gained a significant amount of weight on Zoloft, or felt like their body was completely resisting weight loss?

If you ended up having Hashimoto’s or were treated for subclinical hypothyroidism, did it make a difference?

And honestly, if you’ve dealt with family members who reduce everything to “just stop eating sugar,” how did you handle it? It’s exhausting trying to explain that sometimes weight gain isn’t just about willpower, especially when there are actual lab results suggesting something else could be going on.

I’d really appreciate hearing anyone’s experience. I just want to feel like myself again