My Thyroid Relief

MY THYROID RELIEF

Is it Possible to Lose Weight with Hypothyroidism?

Liliana Sierra T.
Weight problems: An issue that only seems to grow in severity every year. Despite all the attention in the media, millions of people continue to struggle with weight gain.
Why is it that some people get fat even if they eat very little, while others eat a lot and don’t seem to put on weight? If you constantly struggle with your weight, you may have an underlying reason for your weight difficulties.
Medical causes of weight gain are often overlooked, and it is important to highlight some of these underlying mechanisms to excess weight.
Body weight and body composition is a complex, hormonally dependent process, and often extremely personal. Despite this complexity, self-education can go a long way to guiding you on a favorable path on your health journey.

Did You know that Thyroid Health and Weight Gain are Connected? 

Several factors influence body weight, appetite, and body fat. These include hormones, metabolic rate, activity level, genetic predisposition, and gender.
You may have control over your diet and your activity level, but it is difficult to control the hormones and chemicals in your body, without external help. You cannot do anything about genetics.

The Importance of Thyroid Regarding Metabolism and Weight.

The thyroid is a small gland in the front of your neck. It releases two hormones, T3 and T4 that regulate your metabolism. Physicians call the thyroid hormones the master regulators of metabolism.

Since normal thyroid hormone levels are so important to metabolism, the body usually maintains tight control of its levels.
The thyroid is activated by Thyroid Stimulating Hormone or TSH. It is released by the pituitary gland and regulates the normal production of T3 and T4.
To add an additional layer of control, the pituitary is controlled by the hypothalamus with the signaling molecule TSH Releasing hormone or TRH. Both the pituitary and hypothalamus are in the brain.
The signaling molecules travel in the blood to their target organ. While this seems complex, our bodies have developed a multi-layered control system to help maintain normal levels of these critical hormones.
Typically, T3 accounts for 20% of the total thyroid hormones produced and T4 accounts for the remaining 80%. These hormones are typically protein-bound in the blood; however, a small proportion is free (or unbound).

It’s important to know that T3 is about 4 times more active than T4 in terms of metabolic activity, and some experts consider T3 the only active form of thyroid hormone. T4 is generally considered a storage hormone and gets converted to T3 in the peripheral tissues.

Different tissues that rely on T3 to regulate energy usage and metabolism use different enzymes to convert T4 into T3. At the level of the tissues, there can be further adjustments and modifications to this conversion process that can further regulate thyroid hormone homeostasis.

In addition, T4 is also converted into reverseT3 (or rT3). As the name suggests, rT3 inactivates T3 and acts as a biological braking system so the body does not generate too much T3. This conversion is dependent on selenium.

Under normal circumstances, tissues produce rT3 in low amounts, however, in certain medical conditions (cancer, starvation, heart disease, and chronic inflammation), rT3 is produced in greater amounts.

This situation can create an unusual situation where some thyroid labs values may indicate a normal thyroid state, yet clinically, a person may be hypothyroid. This is called euthyroid sick syndrome.

When hypothyroidism is discovered, the first-line medication treatment is the administration of T4. However, as can be seen with euthyroid sick syndrome, T4 is not helpful, as this issue isn’t necessarily caused by low circulating thyroid hormone.

Therefore, to restore metabolic homeostasis, administering T3 medications like Liothyronine are important in this case. T3 is not converted to rT3 like T4 is.
However, any hormone replacement should be done properly monitoring with lab tests and performed under the direction of medical professional.

Other Hormones Involved in Weight Problems

An underactive thyroid hormone may be partially responsible for thyroid weight gain. But other hormones and chemicals may be partly responsible for thyroid weight issues. These include:
  • Leptin– this hormone is produced in the fat cells and is thought to travel to the brain to signal if there is an energy deficiency.

    If sugar is used as a fuel source, leptin is secreted and helps bring the sensation of satiation or fullness. A high-fat meal, therefore, will not induce an increase in leptin. However, in times of fasting, leptin levels drop, and this induces hunger and decreases energy expenditure.

Since leptin is secreted from fat cells, an obese individual will naturally have higher leptin levels. However peripheral fat stores secrete leptin in greater amounts than central or visceral fat stores. It is important to note that leptin causes the release of pro-inflammatory molecules (like TNF-alpha).
Additionally, fat cells are stimulated to release more leptin in the presence of these pro-inflammatory molecules.
This leads to a low-level, chronically inflamed state often seen in obesity. Despite having chronically elevated leptin levels, obese individuals can often exhibit leptin resistance. While currently being studied, this is thought to occur because leptin either does not successfully cross into the brain, or its function in the brain is altered.
    Ghrelin– known as the hunger hormone. It is produced mainly by the stomach but can be produced in other tissues (intestine, pancreas, and adrenals).Ghrelin seems to function as a meal-initiation system and acts at the level of the brain, meaning it induces the feeling of hunger.
As your weight goes up, your ghrelin levels go down, however, unlike leptin, ghrelin does not seem to be involved in determining metabolic rate. Ghrelin levels increase when you have hypothyroidism according to this study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18381578. This may be a contributory factor in hypothyroidism-related weight gain.

Insulin Resistance and Weight Gain

Insulin – this is a critical storage hormone that is created in the pancreas. Simply put, insulin is secreted when the body senses there are enough nutrients, specifically, when there is a rise in blood sugar.For your body to use nutrients properly, they must first be brought into the cell, and insulin facilitates this signaling.
When there is plentiful glucose, fat, and protein, insulin tells your cells to bring in these nutrients and either utilize them for energy or store them for later use.
Obesity is a factor in the development of what is called metabolic syndrome where the tissues become less sensitive to the effects of insulin. This leads to chronic elevations in blood glucose because the circulating insulin is less effective in bringing nutrients (particularly glucose) into the cell for storage.
  • Progesterone– an important hormone for reproductive function in women. Studies have shown that progesterone can have an effect at the level of the thyroid to help induce the production of thyroid hormones.Progesterone can induce thyroid hormone production without a rise of TSH, Other studies have shown that progesterone administration in women can increase T4. It is, however, unclear how this interaction affects overall thyroid health.


  • Estrogen – too little or too much estrogen also impacts the thyroid. Estrogen receptors have been found within thyroid tissue. This indicates that circulating estrogen in the blood can bind these receptors in the thyroid and create specific actions.What seems to occur when estrogen stimulates the thyroid gland is the induction of thyroid tissue growth. However, this does not necessarily lead to hyperthyroidism.
In fact, estrogen seems to induce more thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) production which has the effect of producing a hypothyroid state. This is because with more TBG, circulating thyroid hormones are more protein-bound and less accessible for tissue use (tissues utilize mainly the free-forms of thyroid hormones). This is a possible explanation for how estrogen can sometimes bring about weight gain.
  • Testosterone – low testosterone levels are also related to low levels of thyroid hormones in men and women. This occurs due to lower sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) amounts.Conversely, in hyperthyroid states, SHBG levels increase. This can lead to a rise in both estrogen and testosterone.
  • Cortisol – the body’s stress hormone is affected by thyroid levels. Cortisol is released by the pituitary to help our bodies deal with stress.Research has shown that hypothyroidism seems to lower the normal cortisol recycling mechanism in peripheral tissues. Hypothyroidism also blunts the normal feedback mechanism at the level of the brain.
This has the effect of elevating overall cortisol levels. Other studies have found that in states with elevated TSH, cortisol levels are likewise elevated.

Whether this occurs due to disruptions between the normal communication between the pituitary and thyroid, or if hypothyroidism itself creates a pro-inflammatory state, thus causing cortisol release, is still under investigation.

A particular area of interest is the association between high cortisol levels and the accumulation of visceral (stomach) fat. It is unclear if this preferential accumulation of fat is a maladaptation to stress, or if it occurs to help metabolize the increased levels of cortisol.
In either case, excessive visceral or stomach fat is associated with chronic elevations in cortisol, which usually indicates a chronically stressed or inflamed state.
There are complex regulatory mechanisms and feedback loops designed to find the correct balance of all these hormones, but central to them all seem to be the thyroid hormones.
Therefore, many consider the thyroid hormone to be the master metabolic hormone. That said, discovering a thyroid abnormality is critical if you are experiencing endocrine abnormalities.
Finally, this leads us back to weight gain. Often, being overweight is a manifestation of an endocrine abnormality, and thyroid abnormalities are central to this discussion.
To lose weight successfully, it’s important to discover if there is a problem with one or more of your hormones. One of the cornerstones to properly diagnosing a thyroid dysfunction or any endocrine abnormality is to obtain lab tests.

Tests

There are a few lab tests you and your doctor can obtain to determine your thyroid and endocrine health. Some tests include:
  • Complete thyroid panel – this is the basic test most doctors begin with. It measures TSH levels and free T4 and T3 levels (remember-much of the thyroid hormones are bound to TBG). In typical hypothyroidism, TSH levels will be elevated and T4 and/or T3 will be low.
Hyperthyroidism will show low TSH and often elevated T4 levels. To add to the panel, a doctor may order TBG levels. Remember, if TBG levels are elevated, T4 and T3 levels might be low, and this can explain normal TSH levels with low T4 or T3 levels. RT3 can also be checked. This is particularly useful in diagnosing euthyroid sick syndrome where excess rT3 is being converted from T4.
  • Thyroid antibody tests – these tests can identify if there is an autoimmune component to a thyroid disorder. The presence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies or high levels of thyroglobulin antibodies may be indicative of Hashimoto thyroiditis, an auto-immune disease that has symptoms like hypothyroidism.
If the blood test shows thyroid-stimulating hormone antibodies, Grave’s disease is usually diagnosed. This is a condition that is associated with hyperthyroidism. Antibody tests are not routinely ordered unless there is a suspicion that an underlying autoimmune condition is present.
  • Sex hormones: tests including DHEA, and Pregnenolone – Sex hormone abnormalities can often occur with other hormonal imbalances, particularly thyroid abnormalities. As mentioned, both hypo and hyperthyroidism can cause low testosterone levels.
Often with proper correction of thyroid levels, sex hormones normalize on their own. However, bioidentical hormones through transdermal delivery may be necessary. During hormone replacement therapy, checking blood levels are critical to ensure proper dosing is maintained. Pregnenolone is a precursor to many steroid hormones and checking blood levels of this and DHEA can help guide therapy through supplementation.

Complete blood count (CBC) – this is a basic blood panel that measures the number of different cells found in the blood. The CBC can show if there is a concomitant anemic condition with low hemoglobin levels.

This can account for a feeling of lethargy. The CBC can also suggest if there is an ongoing infection that would raise the white blood cell count.
  • Comprehensive Metabolic Panel– this test will measure a variety of components, from liver and kidney function to basic electrolyte levels. Some panels might include a magnesium level which is a mineral commonly deficient in many individuals.
In chronic illness and a chronically inflamed state, there may be subtle abnormalities in the liver and kidney function, which might indicate the beginnings of end-organ damage. Both organs can be adversely affected by obesity, and it’s important to reverse the damaging process before irreversible organ damage occurs.
  • Lipid panel – a series of lab tests that typically show levels of total cholesterol, the LDL again cortisol is the hormone released in response to stress. Evaluating morning non-fasted cortisol levels can give a general idea of an individual’s stress level. If you have elevated cortisol levels, it may be an indication that your body is reacting to stress.
fraction of cholesterol, the HDL fraction of cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Depending on your dietary strategy, the cholesterol breakdown can vary, but in terms of looking at general health, elevated triglyceride levels can often be the most indicative of a pro-inflammatory state. However, a complete interpretation of cholesterol requires a separate discussion.
  • Cortisol level – However, the test is relatively non-specific, meaning that cortisol will rise in response to any stressful stimulus, including emotional and/or physiologic stress.Additionally, cortisol levels normally fluctuate during the day and may have different levels at the same time on a different day. Given these variables, it is best to interpret this lab result in a broad sense.
  • Glucose metabolism markers– these lab values can be useful in determining the presence of insulin resistance. Insulin and glucose blood levels are often tested together in a fasted state.Elevated fasting insulin levels along with mild elevations of fasted glucose levels can indicate insulin sensitivity. Elevated ferritin levels are also associated with insulin resistance.Finally, checking a Hemoglobin A1C can show an individual’s average blood sugar level over a 3-month period. This will be elevated if there are chronic, long-standing elevations in blood sugar, and can even be diagnostic for prediabetes and diabetes.
  • Other helpful lab tests – micronutrient panels that include 25 hydroxy Vitamin D levels are helpful in detecting specific nutrient deficiencies. Vitamin D has many important functions in the body, including maintaining a normal balance of calcium and phosphate and maintaining normal GI and immune function.
Other tests measure levels of vitamins A, B12, C, folate, 25-hydroxyvitamin D-3, selenium, zinc, CoQ10, and red blood cell magnesium. All of these are important nutrients for the optimal functioning of the body. Taking unnecessary supplements can cause problems. At the same time, nutrient deficiencies should be addressed.
  • C-Reactive Protein – an acute phase reactant. This test will be elevated in response to inflammation. It is non-specific, meaning it will not give any clues as to where inflammation is occurring. It can give clues to an individual’s overall inflammatory state.
  • Food allergies tests – you are at greater risk of developing food allergies if you have an auto-immune condition like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Grave’s disease.An underactive or overactive thyroid gland can also have an impact on food allergies, and you may find it difficult to lose weight if you do not know the root cause of the problem.
  • Iodine test – a lack of iodine in the diet is associated with hypothyroidism and an enlarged goiter. Typically, iodine is added to many foods and is available from food sources in a balanced diet.
However, in certain regions of the world, iodine deficiency is endemic, mainly caused by diet. Additionally, some people have abnormal iodine absorption. In the case of an iodine deficiency, supplementation is needed to reverse hypothyroidism. At a minimum, if you are struggling with weight issues, a thyroid test will be critical in sorting out some of the most common hormonal imbalances that can contribute to weight gain.

Outside of thyroid issues, an important next step is to undergo an honest intake of your overall stress level. Are there factors either in your psychological or physiological life that are causing chronic stress? What is the fat distribution in your body? What are your ultimate health and physical goals?

If you identify with a pro-inflammatory state in some way, then some of these lab tests might be useful. If you are curious as to your insulin resistance, the glucose metabolism labs can be very useful.

Lab tests can serve as adjunctive data in your weight loss journey, but in many cases, carrying excess weight is often the result of an endocrine abnormality.

Thyroid Medicines

Taking the right thyroid medicines will go a long way in treating hypothyroidism. Levothyroxine comes in many formulations, but it is the most common and usually the first-line medicine prescribed for treating this disorder. 
At times the combination of both T4 and T3 medications works better. However, T3 medications are not as stable as T4 pharmacologically, and the T3 medication may have to be taken more often during the day. Because T3 medications cause more dramatic blood level fluctuations, you may have occasional hyperthyroidism. You can also opt for a slow-release T3 medicine by compound pharmacies so that you won´t need to take medications several times during the day. Instead of taking T3 and T4 pills separately, there are also combination pills. The benefit of a combined pill is that you can take it only once a day. Two combinations are available:
  • Naturally desiccated thyroid or NDT is derived from pigs and called porcine thyroid. It is available by the names Armour Thyroid or Nature-thyroid.
  • Thyrolar or Liotrix , another combination preparation, contains different ratios of T4 and T3, but it has more T3 than the body normally makes.
Some thyroid medicines have fillers like starch and lactose. If you have gluten or lactose problems, these medicines may aggravate some of these sensitivity problems. If this is the case, and your thyroid medicine is not working as it should, you can ask a compounding pharmacy to formulate a medicine for you, without fillers.

Supplements that Help you Lose Weight

If you have already put on weight, then apart from taking your thyroid medicines, you can also consider adding supplements that will help you lose weight. Some natural remedies include: 
  • Lipoic acid – known as Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA, this is an antioxidant and helps with weight loss.
  • CoQ10 – this enzyme may help increase metabolism, helping you lose weight. When you are taking thyroid medicines, check with your doctor before taking CoQ10.
  • NAD (cell regenerator) – this supplement improves metabolism and reduces fatigue, both of which may be present with hypothyroidism.
  • AMPK (metabolic activator)– this natural supplement fires up the metabolism and is particularly useful in burning abdominal fat.
  • Chromium Picolinate – another supplement that helps with weight loss. You can take this up to 1,000 μg/day for weight loss. Chromium reduces insulin resistance in the body and so helps with weight loss. However, if you are on synthetic thyroxine, check with your doctor if it is right for you or not.
  • Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) – commonly known as evening primrose, this natural remedy may help improve weight loss in obese patients.
  • Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) – this not only promotes weight loss but also shrinks fat cells. Apart from being available as a supplement, it is also naturally found in grass-fed beef and dairy products.
  • Vitamin D3 – often overlooked, low Vitamin D3 levels occur in more than 50% of people and are linked to obesity. If you do not get enough sunlight for any reason, you should take a Vitamin D3 supplement.
  • Omega-3– this is an important antioxidant and may help decrease body weight.
  • Magnesium – this nutrient helps boost metabolism and reduce weight.

Also, determine how long to take a supplement to help you achieve your specific health goal. A little discrimination towards what we consume, particularly with supplements, can go a long way.

We’ve seen how endocrine abnormalities, particularly hypothyroidism, can contribute to weight gain. Identifying these abnormalities through lab tests, correcting the deficiencies with medications, and using the correct supplements will together help you lose weight. Let’s move on and look at diet and exercise.

Diet and Exercise

The importance of diet and exercise cannot be over-emphasized. If you eat a diet high in fat and carbs or a diet consisting mostly of processed foods, you are at risk of gaining unwanted weight. This can occur in the absence of thyroid problems that can compound weight gain.
In another article, we have talked more specifically about which macronutrients and broad dietary strategies can help optimize thyroid health in terms of depression. In weight loss, one of the first things you can do from a diet perspective is to start a food journal.

Once you get a sense of what and how much food you’re eating, the next step is to see what all this means from an energetic level. The idea is to break down the macronutrient content of your food and determine how many calories you’re consuming.

Often this is as easy as looking at the label. How many grams of fat, carbs, and protein are in that bar you’re eating, and what are the calories? Add this to your food journal.

If you are making your own food (which is better than eating packaged food), try using MyPlate or MyFitnessPal. These are great apps that can help you determine how many grams of fat and carbs are in that pasta primavera you just made.

Following this, then start setting specific goals. Try to limit the total calories consumed. This will all depend on your height and activity level, but if you notice during your journaling that you’re consuming over 3000 calories a day, try to bring that down to say 2500 calories per day.

Another strategy is to try to limit total carbs consumed to 200g or even less if you’re motivated. Remember, if you limit one macronutrient and you want to keep total calories the same, then you need to eat more of another macronutrient.

Keep in mind that digesting protein requires more energy to do so. Every function in our body has an energy cost, and if you’re eating more protein in your diet than carbs or fat, then you’re expending more energy, and this can help lose weight.

Low-carb diets are very popular and can be extremely effective for some people. Instituting a low-carb diet includes setting a daily limit to carb consumption, usually below 100 g, and making dietary choices that emphasize protein and fats.

Again, having a dietary journal can be useful in instituting and maintaining a low-carb diet.

If you don’t want to be so dogmatic and strict with your eating, often following general guidelines can be more useful in these circumstances.

Following a Mediterranean diet is one way of making conscious dietary choices without being so strict and organized that comes with food journaling.

The Mediterranean diet aims to resemble the cuisine of Greece and Italy. It emphasizes whole foods, vegetables, fish, and other seafood, and uses mostly olive oil for fat. It usually results in lower carbohydrate consumption, and for some people can bring good weight reduction results.

Another general dietary strategy is the Atkins diet. It is widely popular and has its own protocols to follow. The general idea is to limit carb intake without necessarily counting calories. There are specific foods to avoid as a rule. These include added sugar, grains, vegetable oils, and legumes.

Diets like Atkins tend to bring someone into a state called ketosis. This is different from diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be a life-threatening situation.

Ketone bodies travel through the blood and provide a very efficient energy source to organs like the brain. Since the body is using ketone bodies as fuel, lean body mass (muscle mass) can be maintained and therefore metabolism is not adversely affected.

Low carb diets also have the effect of keeping blood insulin levels low. We described insulin as the storage hormone of the body. When insulin levels are high, the body tends not to use fat as fuel, and therefore fat is not lost and body weight increases.

Low carb diets, through the creation of ketone bodies, therefore, keep insulin levels low, promote fat utilization, and this can contribute to weight loss.

There are many other general dietary strategies that are more extreme but can help with weight loss. Diet, in general, is a personal experience and often can bring strong beliefs. The purpose of this article is not to necessarily promote one diet over another.

Everyone’s biology is different, and as such, there’s not one ideal dietary strategy that’s meant for everyone. That said, on one end of the dietary spectrum is veganism. It’s the polar opposite, from the plant perspective, is a carnivore diet.

Both can probably help people lose weight, but again, there’s so much controversy around both diets, and proponents of each tend to be extremely dogmatic.

Whether that plan is food journaling and following a particular macronutrient guideline, or a plan based on a broader dietary strategy, having a detailed dietary blueprint will be critical in difficult, stressful times, because, in response to stress, we often make poor food choices.

Additionally, having specific rules on what you do and do not eat, makes shopping for groceries a bit easier. Being more conscious and connected to our food can equate to a better, healthier lifestyle and thus, a healthier weight and body composition.

A conversation about weight loss is not complete without a discussion on exercise. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not get enough movement in your day, your health can be adversely affected.

Everyone can find 30 minutes sometime in your day. If your day includes scrolling through social media, why not set the phone down and instead spend this time with some physical activity? Try for at least 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 times a week.

If you cannot go to a gym, there are many other things you can try– walking, jogging, swimming, sports or even exercise at home. Exercise helps by burning calories, keeping your body fit, improving muscle tone, and reducing bone loss. It also lowers stress and even releases endorphins which make you feel better.

It reduces blood sugar levels and improves blood pressure. If you walk somewhat faster (don’t just stroll) the beneficial low blood sugar effects may last up to 24 hours.

If you are more motivated, there are hundreds of specific exercise regimens out there. Yoga is an example of patterned movements that can promote weight loss.

At a minimum, yoga can promote stress reduction, and as mentioned previously, weight gain is often the result of an endocrine abnormality. Yoga or Pilates can help normalize your hormones and contribute to a healthy weight.

More intensive forms of physical activity include intermittent high-intensity training (HIT). The idea behind this type of exercise is that you perform a very strenuous movement for a short interval, then rest for a set amount, followed by another round of intense movement.

This type of exercise rapidly increases your heart rate and can bring about dramatic improvements in your cardiovascular performance.

The quintessential HIT protocol is the Tabata interval (aptly named after the famed Japanese scientist Izumi Tabata who originally researched this topic in professional cyclists).

The Tabata protocol involves 20 seconds of intense physical activity, followed by a 10-second break, which is then immediately repeated by another 20-second interval of intense activity. This is repeated for a total of 8 rounds, so the entire workout is only 4 minutes.

This can be done with any intense activity (jumping jacks, sprinting, burpees, etc).

If you’re more interested in the benefits of moderate-intensity exercise, research has shown that targeting a moderate intensity threshold during exercise can have optimal effects on thyroid hormones.

More importantly, this study suggests that increasing exercise over optimal intensity level can adversely affect thyroid hormone levels.

By targeting an exercise intensity of 70% of your maximal heart rate, this study suggests that thyroid hormone levels are optimally elevated, while increasing intensity beyond 70% of maximal heart rate may specifically decrease T3 and free T4 levels.

As with most topics detailing hormone function in humans, there is still much research to be done. But what seems to be a common theme in much of the scientific literature is that exercise is good in moderation, but extremely intensive and prolonged bouts of physical exertion can have adverse effects on your hormonal balance.

It’s always important to find the right balance for your body. 

As with any exercise program, consult your physician or health practitioner prior to beginning a specific regimen.

Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a healthier way of eating. Everyone fasts during their lifetime. When you go to sleep, you enter a fasting state, and in this state, your body activates some of its regenerative functions. This includes recycling of degraded proteins, which may be a contributing factor to longevity.

For intermittent fasting, the idea is to purposely extend this fasting time frame and create a smaller eating window, all while keeping caloric intake the same. Many kinds of intermittent fasting schedules can be followed, and you can follow the timings that suit your lifestyle.

Ideally, you should work up to 16 hours without food and 8 hours during which you can eat. However, you can do this gradually, starting with 12 hours of fasting and 12 hours of eating, but make sure you don’t get up in the middle of the night to snack.

As you gradually increase the fasting window, you will find it easier to work up to 16:8. This means skipping breakfast and finishing eating dinner by 8 pm For example if your dinner was at 8pm and you don’t eat anything until the next day by 12pm, you have been fasting for 16 hours.

Intermittent fasting allows you to drop weight faster. It is a good thyroid weight loss diet. When you have hypothyroidism with weight gain, you should use all the weapons in your arsenal to lose weight.

Before you go on any kind of weight loss diet, it is best to check with a doctor and get guidance as to which method of weight loss program will be right for you.

Sleep and Rest

Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is important for all your health functions, but it plays a particularly important role in weight loss.

Our circadian rhythm is how our body naturally reacts to the day/night and wake/sleep cycles, particularly regulating different functions and actions during each cycle.

Our bodies need sleep and recovery for optimal health. Studies have shown that shift work, which disrupts our normal circadian rhythm, is associated with an increased risk of many health concerns, including obesity and diabetes.

One effective method to help maintain a normal circadian rhythm is to sleep earlier. Even if you need to wake up early for work, kids, school, or other life factors, you’re sure to get enough sleep to optimize your health.

While artificial light enables you to do whatever you want during the night, the constant exposure to artificial blue light, notably found in computers, television, and phone screens, all disrupt sleep.

It is Important to sleep in a dark room (without any light from devices, radios, television, and other gadgets.

In fact, even the tiny indicator light, that signals that your device is ready to use or indicates that you have a message, can be disruptive. It is best to turn off all devices completely, unplugging them.

Turn your mobile phone off or keep it in another room. Sleeping with a light on has even been linked to obesity and disruption of the circadian rhythm.

 

The body begins to produce a hormone after sunset called melatonin, which promotes sleep. If we are exposed to light, blue light, in particular, melatonin production decreases, and we, therefore, cannot sleep.

While you can take melatonin supplements if advised (for the short-term), it is best to listen to your body and not unnecessarily stay awake at night, just because you can. When you sleep early, you wake up early and can enjoy the sunlight.

Importance of Outdoors and Sunlight

Always being cooped up indoors is not good for your health. Spending time outdoors to get fresh air, sunlight, and to experience your local weather will help your mind and body feel replenished. Sunlight helps with bone health; thanks to the Vitamin D your body naturally makes. 
Whether you exercise outdoors, go for a walk, or have meetings outdoors, you are doing your body and mind a favor. If you live in a busy city, you can always go to a park or garden, or find a scenic view to sit or walk to recharge your brain and connect with nature. 

Conclusion

A healthy body has a wonderful natural mechanism that keeps hormones in the right amount and in balance. If one thing goes out of whack, your health is adversely impacted. Inadequate thyroid hormone levels can cause several health problems, including weight gain and even obesity.

The thyroid hormones are known as the master metabolic regulator, and it’s important to consider that thyroid hormone abnormalities often contribute to other hormone derangements, like low testosterone and elevated cortisol levels.

Keep in mind, if you are struggling to lose weight, remember your thyroid health and take appropriate action.

Talk to your doctor about ordering blood tests, or if you have obtained lab work on your own, seek out a trusted professional to help you interpret the results.

If it turns out that you do have a thyroid problem, talk to a professional about hormone replacement therapy and start instituting other lifestyle changes that can help optimize your health.

Find a dietary strategy that fits your goals and commit to making it a part of your life. Start using exercise to improve your health and metabolism; you can begin with something as simple as 30 minutes of walking a day.

Of course, with a little research, you can find a specific exercise program or regimen that you enjoy and that fits your specific needs.

Talk with a trusted health professional for specific advice if needed. Consider taking supplements to help support your weight loss goals. And lastly, remember to take steps to reduce stress, spend time outdoors in the sunlight, and get plenty of sleep to help your body recover.

Obesity can be very challenging to reverse, especially when it’s caused by an endocrine problem like hypothyroidism. You have arrived at this article for a reason, and it’s likely because you are taking control of your health and educating yourself on how to improve your wellbeing.

No matter where you are on your journey to better health, remember to enjoy the process and stay positive. By sticking with these principles and committing to a comprehensive, holistic approach, it’s possible to achieve your weight goals even in the setting of hypothyroidism.

 

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