I am 45 years old and diagnosed hypo-thyroid 3 years ago. I have been on 25mcg Levothyroxine. My whole life I weighed 130 lbs, with 5 lbs fluctuating either way. I had 2 children at age 28 & 30 and lost the baby weight within 5 weeks after giving birth. I started smoking at 35 because I was going through a divorce. At 38 yrs old, I quit smoking and gained 10 lbs. It was all downhill after that. My cholesterol is high and I need to lose weight to be healthy and feel good about myself. At 5'3", I should not weigh more than 140lbs!!