Losing weight with hypothyroidism
Losing weight with hypothyroidism has been one of my biggest personal challenges - so I've learned a trick or two and can help you overcome the usual traps and keep your metabolism stoked up.
I'll start with a quick outline - what is hypothyroidism and how do you know if you have an underactive thyroid ...
Then I reveal 4 SIMPLE WAYS that you can optimise your weight loss efforts ... it may change the CHOICES you make!
Firstly, what is the challenge for losing weight with hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a condition whereby, for whatever reason, your thyroid gland (just under the neck) does not produce the right levels of hormones it is supposed to.
Thyroid hormones, such as thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) are responsible (among other things) for controlling your basic metabolic rate.
With hypothyroidism, things get out of synch - the presence of TSH in a blood test is usually a sign that your thyroid is working harder to compensate for not having sufficient thyroxin.
This can mean that losing weight with hypothyroidism becomes like pushing a heavy boulder up a very steep hill.
(The same can be said of other medical situations, such as diabetes, pcos, and people taking anti-epileptic medicines.)
Here's my FOUR simple day-to-day actions for losing weight with hypothyroidism:
1. Eat foods that promote normal thyroid function
For a healthy thyroid diet, avoid or eat less of the iodine-suppressing foods.
Things like raw: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, peaches, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, lima beans, peanuts, and especially any soy/soya based products in general cooked or uncooked. So at least cook them first to reduce the 'goitrogens' that screw things up.
Thyroid diet foods are those that are rich in iodine. So go for foods such as kelp, beetroot, oatmeal, bananas, radishes, parsley, potatoes, and oily types of fish such as salmon or sardines - also good for your cardiovascular health.
You CAN take supplements of course as a further boost, but this sometimes can overdo it and cause other problems in the longer term.
Go for multi vitamin & minerals tablets containing all the B-Vitamins as well as Vitamin-C and manganese.
2. Boost your Metabolism Naturally ...
There are several straightforward ways to increase metabolism whether you are losing weight with hypothyroidism or just trying to lose weight generally.
Rather than blame "an under active thyroid" so as to make it not your fault - I've done this myself until I got tested and found it actually WAS below the normal range - take action to combat it.
The point is, that actually it doesn’t matter if you're hypothyroid or not because if these tips will work for you just imagine how well they will work for people with a normal thyroid.
The key to boosting your metabolism is to build muscle: for a great advice on that, read & follow the principles of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, a book by Tom Venuto.
3. Eat More Frequent Healthy Meals
Eating more often gives your body a metabolic kick. Rather than 3 meals a day, go for 5-6 smaller mini-meals or balanced snacks.
As long as you stick to your daily calorie requirements - reduced by 20-30% for weight loss - you will probably feel more energetic AND drop lbs.
Cut out as many sugary and starchy foods as you can. These are more likely to contribute to weight gain or stop you losing weight than extra calories from protein or fat.
Avoid false stimulants! Smoking, caffeine and stress can interfere with a thyroid diet.
Avoid alcohol calories as much as you can - it's your worst nightmare!!
Drink plenty of water!!! Will help with every aspect of your well being.
4. Find Extra Ways to Reduce and Burn Calories
Make sure you have realistic goals and have an idea of how far off your body fat you are. If you don't have access to a body fat analyzer, start by looking at your body mass index as rough guide.
From there you can work out how many calories your body needs just to function - then multiple this by 1.3 if you are only moderation active through the day, 1.4 if you exercise 3 times a week, 1.5 if you are doing sports or heavy labor 4-5 times a week, and so forth.
You can grab a free ebook on 177 Ways to Reduce and Burn Calories when you sign up for my free basic membership - see sign up form below.
You don't have to settle for burning fewer calories due to your metabolic level. You can do something about it without necessarily resorting to drug therapies or thyromine supplements.
In fact, the problem with taking thyroid stimulating hormones it's incredible difficult to get the doses right.
My mother-in-law and a 'twenty-something' friend of mine both had horrendous experiences and felt dreadful for months until eventually they decided against drugs.
It's easier to conclude that losing weight with hypothyroidism is impossible due to your slower metabolism than to admit that you are making the wrong choices.
So ...
TAKE ACTION on the above diet and fitness plan. It WILL work!
If you need more detailed guidance on what to eat to get your body burning fat, then you have to read Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ...
Fat loss is first and foremost a matter of calories in vs calories out, so the calorie count is what you should be looking at.
The fact is, you can certainly get leaner no matter what kinds of foods you eat, as long as you stay in a caloric deficit, but the smartest thing to do for your body and your health is to choose foods that are easy to burn.
I'll start with a quick outline - what is hypothyroidism and how do you know if you have an underactive thyroid ...
Then I reveal 4 SIMPLE WAYS that you can optimise your weight loss efforts ... it may change the CHOICES you make!
Firstly, what is the challenge for losing weight with hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a condition whereby, for whatever reason, your thyroid gland (just under the neck) does not produce the right levels of hormones it is supposed to.
Thyroid hormones, such as thyroxin and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) are responsible (among other things) for controlling your basic metabolic rate.
With hypothyroidism, things get out of synch - the presence of TSH in a blood test is usually a sign that your thyroid is working harder to compensate for not having sufficient thyroxin.
This can mean that losing weight with hypothyroidism becomes like pushing a heavy boulder up a very steep hill.
(The same can be said of other medical situations, such as diabetes, pcos, and people taking anti-epileptic medicines.)
Here's my FOUR simple day-to-day actions for losing weight with hypothyroidism:
1. Eat foods that promote normal thyroid function
For a healthy thyroid diet, avoid or eat less of the iodine-suppressing foods.
Things like raw: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, spinach, peaches, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, lima beans, peanuts, and especially any soy/soya based products in general cooked or uncooked. So at least cook them first to reduce the 'goitrogens' that screw things up.
Thyroid diet foods are those that are rich in iodine. So go for foods such as kelp, beetroot, oatmeal, bananas, radishes, parsley, potatoes, and oily types of fish such as salmon or sardines - also good for your cardiovascular health.
You CAN take supplements of course as a further boost, but this sometimes can overdo it and cause other problems in the longer term.
Go for multi vitamin & minerals tablets containing all the B-Vitamins as well as Vitamin-C and manganese.
2. Boost your Metabolism Naturally ...
There are several straightforward ways to increase metabolism whether you are losing weight with hypothyroidism or just trying to lose weight generally.
Rather than blame "an under active thyroid" so as to make it not your fault - I've done this myself until I got tested and found it actually WAS below the normal range - take action to combat it.
The point is, that actually it doesn’t matter if you're hypothyroid or not because if these tips will work for you just imagine how well they will work for people with a normal thyroid.
The key to boosting your metabolism is to build muscle: for a great advice on that, read & follow the principles of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, a book by Tom Venuto.
3. Eat More Frequent Healthy Meals
Eating more often gives your body a metabolic kick. Rather than 3 meals a day, go for 5-6 smaller mini-meals or balanced snacks.
As long as you stick to your daily calorie requirements - reduced by 20-30% for weight loss - you will probably feel more energetic AND drop lbs.
Cut out as many sugary and starchy foods as you can. These are more likely to contribute to weight gain or stop you losing weight than extra calories from protein or fat.
Avoid false stimulants! Smoking, caffeine and stress can interfere with a thyroid diet.
Avoid alcohol calories as much as you can - it's your worst nightmare!!
Drink plenty of water!!! Will help with every aspect of your well being.
4. Find Extra Ways to Reduce and Burn Calories
Make sure you have realistic goals and have an idea of how far off your body fat you are. If you don't have access to a body fat analyzer, start by looking at your body mass index as rough guide.
From there you can work out how many calories your body needs just to function - then multiple this by 1.3 if you are only moderation active through the day, 1.4 if you exercise 3 times a week, 1.5 if you are doing sports or heavy labor 4-5 times a week, and so forth.
You can grab a free ebook on 177 Ways to Reduce and Burn Calories when you sign up for my free basic membership - see sign up form below.
You don't have to settle for burning fewer calories due to your metabolic level. You can do something about it without necessarily resorting to drug therapies or thyromine supplements.
In fact, the problem with taking thyroid stimulating hormones it's incredible difficult to get the doses right.
My mother-in-law and a 'twenty-something' friend of mine both had horrendous experiences and felt dreadful for months until eventually they decided against drugs.
It's easier to conclude that losing weight with hypothyroidism is impossible due to your slower metabolism than to admit that you are making the wrong choices.
So ...
TAKE ACTION on the above diet and fitness plan. It WILL work!
If you need more detailed guidance on what to eat to get your body burning fat, then you have to read Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ...
Fat loss is first and foremost a matter of calories in vs calories out, so the calorie count is what you should be looking at.
The fact is, you can certainly get leaner no matter what kinds of foods you eat, as long as you stay in a caloric deficit, but the smartest thing to do for your body and your health is to choose foods that are easy to burn.
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