Thyroid, what are you doing?

I have now been on my medication for seven weeks. I have found that nearly all of my symptoms have lessened if not entirely disappeared. I am surprised that my thyroid is still as enlarged as it is. It is not THAT noticeable to someone who isn't looking for it, but I still see it. And I have gained back the weight I lost, and then some.

In June I went for blood work, about a month after I started taking my medication. My doc called me into the office the next week and said my numbers were still quite high so she upped the dose of medication. I will go for blood work again in about three weeks then I have an appointment scheduled for the following week with her to go over the results and potentially adjust the medication again. I hope that my body is responding to this medication. I don't understand how I could feel so much better but that my numbers are still so high.

This weight gain is really bothering me. I am certain that I did not have symptoms of graves disease for more than two months before I was diagnosed. I am almost entirely certain that the 30lbs I lost since we got married were not because of my thyroid, but due to a change in my lifestyle. I think the last 10-15lbs I lost were thyroid related. I just cannot believe how crappy it feels to gain 10-15lbs in seven weeks. I feel it the most in my tummy area, and I just feel sort of bloated all the time. My clothes still fit, but my pants are a little snugger on my belly. Pants that used to darn near fall off me (the ones I wore around the house for yard work and whatnot) now actually fit me again. In the last couple of years, as I lost weight, I went through my closet and got rid of my 'fat clothes' and replaced them little by little with smaller sizes. I sincerely hope, and I will try to do everything in my power NOT to need to buy more larger sized clothes.

I want to be healthy, and I look at the struggles of my parents and clients who carry extra weight and it is so hard on a person's body. So many joint problems, back problems, not to mention things like diabetes and heart disease. I want to look after this body I have been given. I have never 'dieted' and I realize that diet changes have to be changes in lifestyle, not just a temporary change in eating habits. I do not feel that I have a lot of will power when it comes to food, but I think I could change my problematic eating patterns if I had the proper resources available and a good support system. I realize that exercise is also important. I think I could incorporate more of that into my life too. But I know one or the other on its own (ie changing diet OR adding exercise) is not going to be enough. Maybe as an incentive I should post a picture on here of myself in my new bikini I bought today ;) I would like to wear it if we go to Hawaii this winter, but if this weight gain keeps up at this rate....oh gosh I would be 300lbs by January! I would not let that happen!!!