hello there,
i have been on thyroid meds since 2004. at first i lost weight and i was able to pretty much eat anything and keep it off. i admit, i took that for granted and when i started school as an adult learner working full time, i got lazy and the work outs took a back seat.

i continued to take generic synthroid for the four years i was going to school and the weight kept creeping up. i gained about 30 pounds over four years (luckily that was only one pants size, no joke) and after graduating last fall, i focused my efforts on resuming my active lifestyle and losing that weight.

after working out for three months sometimes three times per day (my work has a fitness center and i was taking classes at lunch and at night), i learned that i gained weight at my yearly exam. i about flipped!!!! i went back to my endocrinologist who gave me every test known to wo/man and we learned my TSH had crept up to where it was when i first started taking meds.

fast forward: i am now on a mild appetite suppressant and i am on 12 mcg higher dosage of non generic synthroid. since february, i have lost 11 pounds. while i'm happy with this loss, i have realized that this will be a struggle for the REST of my life and i always must WATCH everything i eat and everything i do. i require far fewer calories than the average person and the only way i see results is by increasing the exercise (sometimes two and one half hours per day) and decreasing the food intake.

so, my point is:
generic thyroid meds are frowned upon by my medical professional
you must always be on top of your TSH and make sure you monitor that
you likely will feel better by being on the meds but the price you will pay is that it may be harder for you to maintain your desired weight.

i hope this helps!??!