6 Steps to Lose Weight with Hypothyroidism

2. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods
We’ve made a list of foods to eat and avoid, but the bottom line is that foods that feed inflammation need to be removed from your meals. Clearing up inflammation through diet can help your thyroid function properly.
At PrimeHealth, we recommend following the Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) diet to those diagnosed with hypothyroidism (especially when autoimmunity is a trigger) for between 1-6 months.
Eating this way has two main advantages:
The AIP diet is designed to eliminate inflammatory foods that can trigger the root causes of hypothyroidism (called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).
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3. Intermittent Fasting
To stabilize your weight (or lose more), you may want to try time-restricted eating (also called intermittent fasting or IMF).
Here are the basics:
Choose a specified time window in your day during which you’ll eat.
The end of this window should be no fewer than 2 hours before bedtime, which will protect you from blood sugar spikes while sleeping.
There should be at least 12 hours between the last bite of food one day and your first bite the next day.
Extending your fasting window to 14 or even 16 hours may even be more beneficial when trying to lose weight.
If you suffer from hypoglycemia or diabetes and cannot increase your fasting window safely, talk to your doctor before starting this kind of eating plan. Women also need to consider the impact of fasting on menstrual cycles, so talk to your healthcare provider if you notice a significant change.
4. Stress Relief
Stress is a leading contributor to an underactive thyroid. Relieving stress can lead to a normal balance in your hormone levels. If your thyroid is normalized, your metabolism will speed up again.
And outside of hypothyroidism, stress has been linked to obesity in general. This is primarily due to exposure to excessive amounts of cortisol over time.
Turn off technology before bed. Cutting out blue light exposure an hour before bedtime can improve your sleep quality. You can do this by using software that blocks blue light, like f.lux and iristech.
Use blue light-blocking glasses. We also encourage everyone to use blue light-blocking glasses after sunset if using any electronic devices, which helps to reduce cortisol production. Use code PRIMEHEALTH for 10% off of our favorite blue light-blocking glasses at Ra Optics.
Meditate. Practicing meditation is another way to alleviate your stress and decrease excessive cortisol production.
Exercise is a fantastic natural treatment for hypothyroidism, helping to:
Relieve depression
Increase energy levels
Boost self-esteem
Reduce joint pain
Increase muscle mass
Improve insulin resistance
Lose unwanted weight
Maintain healthy weight
How much weight should you lose with hypothyroidism? Determine your healthy weight by starting with a normal BMI range for your height. Every person is different, so seek medical advice from your doctor about exactly how much weight you should try to lose.
6. Supplements
Here are the best natural dietary supplements to lessen the severity of your hypothyroidism, promote healthy metabolism, and promote hypothyroidism-related weight loss:
Iodine is essential to healthy thyroid function. Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of goiters, a thyroid disorder. Iodine is important in preventing autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto’s, that lead to hypothyroidism. Recent research reveals iodine’s weight loss potential in thyroid patients.
Selenium is found in fish and muscle meats. As a supplement, researchers found that selenium improved biomarkers of hypothyroidism. Selenium also improves mood, which can relieve stress. Both stress relief and improved thyroid function speed up your metabolism.
Glutathione is the most abundant antioxidant in the human body. In supplement form, glutathione fights oxidative stress that leads to inflammation. 2018 research reveals that glutathione promotes weight loss in certain obese individuals.
Metabolism is how fast your cells turn nutrients into energy. The slower the process, the fewer calories you burn at rest and during activity. With a slow metabolism, more stored calories turn to fat tissue.
Weight gain can be a vicious cycle. Once you have put on weight due to slow metabolism, it can be more difficult to:
Exercise the proper amount (2 ½ hours per week for most people)
Get motivated to work out or adhere to a diet
Move around as much as you used to during the day (also called “accidental exercise”)
Fatigue
Hypothyroidism leads to fatigue. Fatigue is one of the primary symptoms of an underactive thyroid, as your cells need thyroid hormones to make energy.
Fatigue leads to less physical activity, which can lead to weight gain.
Although over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can relieve pain, they come with all sorts of side effects. Fortunately, there are many natural ways to reduce hypothyroidism-related joint and muscle swelling so you can get moving again.
Thyroid hormone replacement, thyroid medication (like levothyroxine,) though it can also cause side effects), or anti-inflammatory supplements (like curcumin) can treat the root causes of joint and muscle swelling.
When your joints and muscles feel good, physical activity and a healthier weight are easier to achieve.
Depression
Another symptom of hypothyroidism is depression. Depression causes a lack of motivation to do anything, including exercise. This lack of exercise can lead to weight gain.
Most interestingly, if hypothyroidism is misdiagnosed as a mood disorder, the lithium medication that’s often prescribed can make thyroid problems worse. Effective diagnosis should include measuring thyroid hormone levels, as well as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels.
Isolation fuels depression, as does the indoors. If you find yourself in a depressive state, try spending time with loved ones and enjoying the outdoors.
In Summary
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when attempting to lose weight with hypothyroidism.
Not only does hypothyroidism directly cause weight gain, but the other symptoms contribute to bodyweight outside the normal range.
However, there’s hope with these natural tips to change your eating habits, relieve stress, exercise regularly, and use natural supplements.
Here at PrimeHealth, we have years of experience with hypothyroidism and weight loss. We focus on each patient as an individual and take the time you need to lose your unwanted weight from hypothyroidism.
At PrimeHealth in Denver, Colorado, we focus on disease prevention, from group medical visits to personalized healthcare. We’d love to offer you a free consultation;schedule your conversation today!
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Dr. Soyona Rafatjah is a board-certified Family Medicine physician and Co-Founder and Medical Director of PrimeHealth. Dr. Rafatjah is passionate about helping her patients reach their health goals. She helps them address the root cause of their issues and focus on disease prevention in addition to treatment. With the knowledge and tools she gives them, her patients feel in control of their own health.