What are The Tips To Lose Weight with Thyroid Disease?

28-10-2017   |   Posted By: Chhavi   |   2624 View(s)

Losing weight with a thyroid problem is indeed difficult. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck which produces the thyroid hormone, which regulars the body’s metabolism, temperature and heartbeat. Overproduction or underproduction of thyroid hormone can cause a lot of health problems. Hypothyroidism is a thyroid condition characterised by underproduction of thyroid hormone which slows down the metabolism of the body and causes weight gain. With slow metabolism, it’s hard to shed pounds; but it’s not impossible. With some dietary and lifestyle changes, anyone can lose weight with thyroid disease. Let’s dig deeper!

Easy and Effective Tips to Lose Weight With Thyroid Disease

1. Get all Details About Hypothyroidism and Weight Gain

If you have gained weight unexpectedly, then do visit a Doctor. There are other symptoms too of hypothyroidism which includes: fatigue, constipation, dry skin, muscle pain, joint swelling, loss of hair, depression, irregular menstrual cycles and slowed heart rate. If you observe any of these symptoms, then seek immediate medical help.

Your Doctor will order a range of tests, including Thyroid Profile and see if you have a thyroid condition or not. Consulting a Doctor is important because if you do not seek medical help, the symptoms will get worse over time. Speak with your Doctor about diet and exercise tips to maintain an ideal weight after having hypothyroidism. So, first of all, confirm that you have gained weight due to Hypothyroidism; and get all the tips from your Doctor to keep yourself fit and healthy.

2. Don’t Expect Too Much

Hypothyroidism is a condition wherein your metabolism is affected, and metabolism plays a significant role in weight loss. So, if you have a thyroid problem, you should not expect to get results in a short span of time. You need to understand that losing weight with hypothyroidism is difficult because your metabolic rate is low. Maintaining a healthy diet and following exercise regimen is the best way to shed pounds. Keep your expectations in check and do not overthink about the results.

3. Make Some Healthy Changes in Your Diet

Do you love eating junk food? If you do, then you must give up the junk. You need to incorporate some healthy changes in your diet to treat hypothyroidism as well as lose weight.

However, the type of diet you have to follow will depend on many factors including your unique physiology, ability to absorb nutrients, metabolic rate, ability to burn carbohydrates and food sensitivity.

But, some common approaches can help you lose weight with thyroid disease. First of all, you need to restrict the number of calories you intake on a daily basis.

Your daily diet should comprise 1200 calories and do not go below 1200 calories a day. It is important that you cut down 500 calories per day. This way, you will lose 3500 calories a week, and it is equal to one pound of weight loss.

4. Eat Small Meals Frequently

Many people have the habit of eating three heavy and large meals a day. While this practice is followed by many; only a few know that this habit makes people gain weight. It is better to eat healthy, balanced and frequent meals throughout the day. It doesn’t matter if you have gained weight due to thyroid disease, or unhealthy eating practices; eating small meals frequently will help you lose weight in both of these conditions.

Instead of having three large meals, you should eat frequently and resort to eating six small meals a day. Now, do not think that you can add junk food to your meals. Make sure that your meals consist of foods that have complex carbohydrates, low sodium and moderate fat.

You should eat a diet which gives you about 1200 nutrient-rich calories a day. You should eat a protein-rich diet because it will not only increase your metabolism but also help you burn calories. When you eat your meals; then ensure that you include whole grains such as oatmeal, quinoa and whole wheat to your meals.

5. Say ‘No’ to Sugar

You should opt for a low-carbohydrate diet that is rich in complex carbohydrates such as legumes, starchy vegetables and cut back simple sugars from your diet. According to studies, consuming complex carbs and avoiding simple carbs can help in reducing cytokines production in the body. Cytokines are tiny proteins that cause inflammation in the body and leads to weight gain. Thus, eat complex carbs and shun simple sugars.

6. Eat Foods that Have Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Hypothyroidism does not only makes you obese but also gives a lot of other health troubles. This thyroid condition many times lead to depression, joint aches and body pain. Eating anti-inflammatory foods is the best way to get relief from these symptoms because these foods boost the immune system and increase the ability of our body to fight these problems. Add fatty fish, nuts and seeds, citrus fruits, olive oil, coconut oil and leafy green vegetables to your diet to boost your immune system and prevent inflammation, which in turn will help you shed fat.

7. Add More Fiber to Your Diet

It is essential to have regular bowel movements as it will help in flushing excess sodium and water from your system and contribute to weight loss.

Hence, you should eat fibre laden foods to flush out salt and water from your body and stay fit. You should eat about 30-40 mg of fibre a day from soluble and insoluble sources.

You can get soluble fibre from foods like legumes, apples, pears, flax and oats. Healthy sources of insoluble fibre include whole wheat, brown rice, broccoli, carrots, kale and zucchini.

8. Exercise

Exercise should be given high importance if you want to lose weight with thyroid disease. You can start with simple cardio exercises like walking, jogging and swimming to lose weight and maintain overall health.

Also, get about two and a half hours of moderate physical exercise in every week. Apart from that, you should also do strength training exercise. Strength training helps in building calorie-burning muscle while maintaining your overall health. You can also hit the gym to lose weight and get the figure of your dreams. But, make sure that you discuss the exercise regimen with your doctor or a certified trainer before you start.

9. Keep Yourself Well-Hydrated

If you want to lose weight with thyroid disease, then one of the best tips to follow is drinking lots of water throughout the day. When you drink plenty of water, it helps you stay hydrated and also prevents water weight.

You should drink at least eight to ten glasses of water every day. According to Insititute of Medicine, men should drink about 125 ounces of water every day and women should drink 1 ounce per day. However, avoid sugary drinks such as processed fruit juices and soda, as these drinks will make the situation worse.

10. Understand Your Medications

There are certain drugs prescribed for thyroid treatment which can cause weight gain. For instance, the following drugs are linked with weight gain:

• Beta-Blockers
• Steroid anti-inflammatories
• Antidepressants
• Mood-stabilizing and anticonvulsant drugs
• Antithyroid drugs

If you are taking any of these medications and gaining weight, then talk to your doctor about your concerns.

11. Sleep Well

Every doctor advises the patient to get enough sleep to get well soon. Also, many studies have shown a link between sleep deprivation and metabolism. Many studies reveal that sleep deprivation leads to a slower metabolism which in turn causes weight gain. Hence, if you want to keep yourself healthy and fit, get enough sleep daily.

Follow these tips to lose weight with thyroid disease. Also, go for regular Health Checkups to detect diseases like Thyroid at an early stage. After all, ‘A stitch in time saves nine.’