How to lose weight with hypothyroidism: reviews from doctors

• August 24, 2018
• Endocrinology
• Daniil Belousov

Extra pounds are a nightmare for any woman. In youth, this problem can be solved by intensive training, an active lifestyle and proper nutrition. However, after 30 years, many women find it increasingly difficult to lose excess weight. Quite often this is due to improper functioning of the thyroid gland. In this case, doctors diagnose hypothyroidism and prescribe an appropriate course of treatment.

It is very difficult to completely get rid of the disease, so the fair sex has to puzzle over how to lose weight with hypothyroidism. Reviews from doctors on this matter are clear. First of all, they recommend not resorting to standard methods of losing weight. If metabolism in the body proceeds more slowly than usual, then it is necessary to lose weight according to a different scheme. To figure out how to lose weight with hypothyroidism, you need to understand what this disease is and what features distinguish it.

What is hypothyroidism

The thyroid gland is responsible for the course of energy metabolic processes in the body at the cellular level. If the level of thyroid hormones decreases, a very unpleasant disease develops. In this case, there is a strong decrease in the rate of processing and disposal of substances that enter the human body. Because of this, metabolic processes are disrupted, and something like swelling of the connective tissue occurs. The body's activity changes slightly. As a result, all energy metabolic processes slow down, and the person begins to suffer from obesity. Therefore, the question of how to lose weight with hypothyroidism certainly arises in everyone who is struck by this unpleasant disease.

Features of weight loss

Basic Rules:

• Limit your fat intake.
• Reduce soy intake.
• Do not reduce the amount of drinking.
• Eat fiber.
• Do not overuse fruits.

With hypothyroidism, cholesterol increases. The absence of fats in the diet, especially of animal origin, is very important. But you can’t go too far here either.

Cholesterol and fats are partially produced in the body, and if there is a lack of them in the diet, their production increases.

Soy and products made from it have some antithyroid effect, i.e. they suppress the thyroid gland, and should be excluded from the diet.

With hypothyroidism, the body tends to accumulate fluid, and therefore patients often limit themselves to drinking. But if the dose of hormones is selected correctly, then the liquid, on the contrary, is recommended to be drunk in the same quantities as healthy people - 30 ml/kg per day. The best thing to drink is tea and water. Fruit drinks, juices and compote are good only if they contain a minimum of sugar. Vegetable juices, despite the fact that not everyone likes them, are useful to add to the diet, since they stimulate intestinal motility, prevent constipation and help lose weight in hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is characterized by constipation. Of course, you can endlessly increase the dose of hormones, risking developing heart disease, or you can correct this unpleasant symptom with diet. So, they recommend fiber, both dry mixes for cocktails with fiber sold in any supermarket, as well as herbs and vegetables.

You need to be careful with fruits, as there is a tendency to insulin resistance. This means that it is better to limit carbohydrates, even “fruit” ones. This does not mean that you should give up fruits; it is enough not to overeat on them. It is also quite acceptable to replace watermelon with, for example, an apple. In terms of carbohydrate content, these two fruits are approximately the same, but an apple contains much more fiber.

Try not to overuse salt when cooking: by retaining liquid and increasing appetite, it prevents you from losing weight. A dish with a lot of ordinary seasonings seems salty, even if it has not been salted. It is not easy to completely give up salt and there is no need for weight loss, but at least let it be iodized.

How to lose weight with hypothyroidism. Reviews from those who have lost weight

If we talk about methods of losing excess weight, then first of all it is worth considering the opinion of “experienced” people. Many of those who chose to go on a hunger strike experienced severe dizziness and a general deterioration in their health. This is explained by the fact that if there is a metabolic disorder, a complete refusal to eat only aggravates the situation and can provoke the development of additional ailments. For example, stomach ulcers.

According to patients suffering from this disease, to obtain results it is necessary to include foods high in minerals in the diet. Also during this period, the body especially needs iodine, selenium, zinc and iron. Doctors recommend paying special attention to the first two minerals. The fact is that iodine, when it enters the body, is converted into the very thyroid hormones that the body lacks in hypothyroidism.

Reviews regarding how to lose weight with hypothyroidism often contain recommendations for the use of iodized salt and edible seaweed. To replenish the required amount of selenium in the body, you need to eat as many animal products and fish as possible. It is also recommended to drink milk.

Losing weight with hypothyroidism will not harm your health if you follow a special program compiled by certified endocrinologists.

Hypothyroidism Information

The chief endocrinologist gave advice... Read more »

Hypothyroidism is a variant of hormonal imbalance in the body, when the entire endocrine system undergoes restructuring. The disease is the responsibility of an endocrinologist and requires constant intake of thyroid hormones (thyroid hormones) in the form of tablets. This is called replacement therapy.

Symptoms

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are quite typical, each organ reacts to hormone deficiency in its own way. This is due to the fact that the entire body needs stimulation by thyroid hormones. Without the necessary levels of hormones, almost all functions in the body suffer. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism is made after a blood test for hormone levels (thyroxine, triiodothyronine and TSH).

Signs of hypothyroidism

Causes of the disease

Hypothyroidism develops not only when the gland itself is damaged, but also when the function of other endocrine (hormone-secreting) organs is impaired, as well as when there is a deficiency of nutrients from which thyroid hormones are formed. But most often, hormone deficiency occurs after inflammation of the thyroid gland, while the number of cells capable of secreting hormones gradually decreases.

Inflammation of the thyroid gland in most cases is autoimmune in nature, that is, the immune system mistakes thyroid cell proteins for foreign substances and begins to attack them.

The thyroid gland is the real cause of cancer! Endocrinologist's advice - to save yourself, drink every day... Read more »

An enlarged thyroid gland will return to normal in a week! The chief endocrinologist told us what needs to be done! Read more "

An enlarged thyroid gland returns to normal right before our eyes! Read more "

Is your thyroid gland not working properly? To help her, brew 1 spoon of dry... Read more »

Combination of treatments

As a rule, when hypothyroidism is detected, doctors prescribe a course of drug treatment to patients. It includes taking hormonal medications and vitamins. Patients should also carefully monitor their diet. The fact is that some products can neutralize the effect of medications. For example, if a patient begins to take specialized dietary supplements with a high content of calcium and iron, then he thereby reduces the absorption of hormones prescribed by the doctor.

Experts also strongly recommend avoiding consumption of unfermented soy products, legumes, raw vegetables (cruciferous) and cauliflower. If these components are included in the diet, the formation of thyroid hormones will only slow down. Therefore, to really lose weight if you have hypothyroidism, you need to be extra careful.

Diets that can harm your health

A regular diet for hypothyroidism will not only not help, but can also cause some complications.

Important! To get rid of excess weight with a deficiency of thyroid hormones, you cannot “go on” a popular protein diet. Too much protein is an excessive burden on the metabolism, kidneys and intestines.

Since the intestines are difficult to empty, the protein food in it will begin to rot, which will cause digestive disorders and even intestinal infections. The kidneys may fail because they are forced to filter all the protein without passing it into the urine. In addition, with autoimmune hypothyroidism, trying to lose weight this way is dangerous because of the risk of exacerbating chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland.

Diet

A balanced diet is the main rule for losing weight with this disease. Doctors recommend consuming about 20-30 mg of protein per meal. This substance not only has a more powerful effect, accelerating metabolic processes, but also supplies the body with more nutrients than fats and carbohydrates.

Answering the question of how to quickly lose weight with hypothyroidism, doctors recommend taking the largest portion of proteins in the first half of the day. However, in the case of training, it is worth delaying eating for 2-2 hours after exercise.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that not all protein sources saturate muscles with nutrients. It is best to give preference to whey protein, which contains the required amount of amino acids. This component is most effective for weight loss.

What it is?

With hypothyroidism, the activity of the thyroid gland is reduced, so it produces less thyroxine, a hormone directly responsible for the speed of metabolic processes. Due to its lack, the body absorbs the nutrients it receives more slowly, but the feeling of hunger occurs at the right time. It turns out that with a normal diet, a person still overeats.

Hypothyroidism can be congenital, when the child's thyroid gland is underdeveloped, or acquired. The most common cause of its development in adulthood is iodine deficiency, since it is iodine that is converted into thyroxine.

A decrease in thyroid function is also possible after injuries, operations, in the presence of neoplasms on it, or while taking certain medications.

Fiber and refined sugar

When looking for information on how to lose weight with hypothyroidism, many are interested in the question of sweets. It is worth considering that refined carbohydrates contain so-called empty calories, which can negatively affect the process of losing weight. In addition, these components do not contain dietary fiber. Therefore, refined carbohydrates may cause stool to form more slowly.

To prevent constipation, you need to consume more dietary fiber. In addition, this component will help you get rid of calories faster, which will result in weight loss.

It is recommended to consume at least 25 g of fiber per day. Some people find it difficult to immediately switch to this diet, so it’s worth starting to include this component in your diet gradually. In this case, increased gas formation will also not occur.

Eating starchy carbohydrates has a negative impact on weight loss. Therefore, it is worth switching to whole grain bread. Instead of pasta, it is recommended to eat sweet potatoes. White rice should be replaced with brown rice.

For dessert and during snacks, you can eat bananas or peaches.

Refined vegetable oil negatively affects the activity of the thyroid gland. In addition, this product does not contribute to weight loss in any way, but, on the contrary, retains unnecessary calories in the human body. It is better to replace it with a coconut analogue. It is considered more useful and stimulates metabolic processes in the body. It is also recommended to take coconut oil separately from food. You need to eat up to 3 tablespoons of this product per day.

Basic principles of diet for hypothyroidism

With this disease, it is important to reduce difficult-to-digest foods rich in cholesterol and saturated fatty acids from the diet. It is important to note that the diet is auxiliary in the treatment of hypothyroidism, but it is unacceptable not to follow it.

It is necessary to significantly reduce the consumption of so-called fast carbohydrates and foods that increase gastric secretion.

Below are some rules for choosing products:

• It is advisable to replace meat with fish and other seafood;
• Give preference to fresh fruits and vegetables;
• Once a week you should have fasting days on fruits or vegetables;
• Any sweets and “goodies” are replaced with dried fruits.

Dishes should be steamed or baked in a sealed container, salted only with iodized salt. It is not recommended to use butter, lard and tropical vegetable oils during cooking. You can only eat warm food, chewing it slowly and thoroughly. The body should not spend a lot of energy on digesting food, so the latter should be light and well cooked. It is advisable to rest after eating. In addition, it is important that the diet is varied.

Power training

In order for the metabolism in the body to proceed much faster, physical activity is required. Just a few minutes of exercise per day is enough. To speed up your metabolism, just stop using the elevator and take the stairs as often as possible.

If you combine strength training with eating foods containing protein, the weight loss process will go much faster. At the same time, muscle mass will increase, which also has a positive effect on the removal of excess calories from the body and normalization of the thyroid gland. The fact is that muscle weighs more than fat, but it takes up much less space. By displacing fat cells, they give the body a slim appearance.