For most of my life, I had symptoms of hypothyroidism, but didn’t know it. I was cold all the time, gained weight easily, struggled with energy, had brain fog, and couldn’t lose weight no matter what diet I tried. Doctors ran thyroid tests and told me I was fine. But I didn’t feel fine.
I also tried every type and dose of thyroid medication (T4, T3, NDT, even compounded formulas), but none of them gave me steady results. I kept adjusting the doses, hoping the next adjustment would work. It never did. I spent years chasing solutions so that I could feel normal.
My First Clue: Weight That Wouldn’t Budge
I started struggling with weight when I was a kid. At 11, I was put on a strict diet and told to count every calorie. I followed the plan exactly—measured food, tiny portions—and still didn’t lose weight. Adults assumed I was sneaking food. I wasn’t.
I didn’t understand it at the time, but my metabolism was already running slow. I could gain weight even on a low calorie diet. Meanwhile, my friends were eating pizza and soda and staying thin. I was eating cottage cheese and still gaining.
Exercise Made Me Feel Worse
When I told doctors I couldn’t lose weight, the answer was always “exercise more.” So I did. But instead of feeling better, I felt worse. I’d work out and then crash for days—tired, achy, and sometimes sick.
Later I learned my adrenals were involved too. When cortisol is off, exercise can actually drain your energy instead of helping. That explained a lot.
I Was Tired All the Time
It wasn’t regular tired—it was hard to wake up, hard to focus, hard to get through the day. And when I finally did sleep, I’d still wake up exhausted.
My sleep-wake cycle was flipped. Cortisol was low in the morning and high at night, so I couldn’t fall asleep easily. I relied on sleep aids just to get some rest.
Everyday tasks like grocery shopping or doing the dishes felt overwhelming.
Always Cold, Puffy, and Sick
My hands and feet were cold year-round—even in the summer. My face was puffy. I had chronic sinus infections, asthma, low blood pressure, and high cholesterol. At the time, I didn’t realize how many of these symptoms were related to low thyroid.
No One Looked at the Full Picture
After I had a baby, I developed a goiter. Still, doctors insisted my labs were normal and said I wasn’t hypothyroid. One even suggested removing my thyroid.
By that point, I’d already started doing research and came across the Stop the Thyroid Madness site. I saw story after story that sounded just like mine—people with symptoms, normal labs, and no answers.
When I brought that information to an endocrinologist, she dismissed it and said, “You’re not hypothyroid. You’re just looking for a quick fix to lose weight.”
That was devastating. But it didn’t stop me from looking for answers.
I Finally Found a Doctor Who Was Willing to Help
Eventually, I found a doctor who didn’t brush me off. He didn’t have all the answers, but he was open-minded. He listened, asked good questions, and actually took my body temperature. It was 95.5°F, in the middle of July.
That was the first time anyone noticed or acknowledged that my low body temperature wasn’t normal. It finally explained why I was always cold and tired.
He ran a full thyroid panel, but the real turning point was that he looked at my symptoms not just the numbers.
What Helped Me Turn Things Around
The biggest change came when I stopped relying on thyroid labs and started tracking how I actually felt. I started taking my temperature daily and paying attention to patterns. I began supporting my thyroid and adrenals with minerals.
That’s when my body finally started working again. My energy came back. I could sleep without pills. My weight became easier to manage. My body temperature came up, and I finally felt warm again.
Everyday tasks didn’t feel overwhelming anymore.
Why I Share This
I created the HypoHero™ Thyroid Protocol because I know how frustrating it is to feel like something is wrong and not have anyone take you seriously. This protocol is based on everything I wish I’d known sooner, especially the importance of tracking symptoms and temperature, not just chasing lab results or medication adjustments.
If you’re still struggling, I hope this helps you feel less alone.
You’re not lazy or imagining it, and you’re not stuck. You just might need a different approach, one that considers the full picture and supports your body in the right way.
