How to Lose Weight with Thyroid?
If you are looking for how to lose weight with thyroid guide, this is the perfect post for you. Thyroid is a gland which is located just above the Adam’s apple in the neck. Its main function is to produce thyroid hormone which helps in regulating body temperature, metabolism and heartbeat. When the amount of thyroid hormone gets imbalanced, either decreases or increases, it results on thyroid disease. If you are not sure whether you are suffering from Thyroid or not, read our post, “Signs and Symptoms Your Thyroid isn’t Right”.
The most common symptom of thyroid is unexpected weight gain. A thyroid patient starts gaining a lot of weight due excess salt and water in the body. However, before learning how to lose weight with thyroid, you need to read “Home Remedies and Tips to Keep Thyroid in Control” so that, nothing goes wrong while losing weight.
Tips on how to lose weight with thyroid:
- Consult a doctor: Before starting any kind of diet control or exercise, consult your doctor once. The ways of losing weight highly depend on what is the level of your thyroid. Apart from that, a doctor can advise you the best ways to lose those extra pounds. SO, first thing first, talk to your doctor and ask his/her opinion on your weight lose plan.
- Make a Plan: Planning is an important part. Don’t just start randomly. Make a proper plan like what is your current weight, how much you are expecting to lose in first week and then in second week and how much you can lose at the end of the month. Don’t expect too much or an overnight weight loss. Shedding those extra pounds can take months and you need to be patient about it.
- Do not stop eating: One of the most common myths is that, if you stop eating for few days, you will lose weight quickly. However, that is not the case. You need to burn calories and fat. Instead of giving up on food, try to eat a healthy, balanced and regular meal. You can opt for food that have moderate fat, low sodium and complex carbohydrates.
- Make a diet: Either consult your doctor or ask a nutritionist to prepare a diet for you. A balanced diet can help you to lose weight quickly and effectively. A common healthy diet for thyroid patient is one which include 1200 nutrient rich calories a day. Try to eat stuff like chicken which will increase your metabolism and help you in burning more calories. You can also try whole wheat and oatmeal to lose weight more effectively.
- Say no to Junk Food: We don’t need to tell you how unhealthy junk food is. Try to avoid junk and unhealthy foods like nachos, burgers, pizza, potato chips etc. No doubt, all these are good for taste buds but, not for your body. Also try to stay away for bread, pasta, rice, baked goods and cereal. Avoiding these kind of foods can help you a lot in learning how to lose weight with thyroid.
- Avoid Sodium as much as you can: The real reason behind sudden weight gain in thyroid patients is due to excess salts in the body so, you should try to avoid sodium as much as you can. Restrict your sodium intake to 500mg per day. Avoid all those foods which are rich in sodium. To wash our excess of sodium from your body, try eating food which is rich in potassium like bananas, oranges, beets and sweet potatoes.
- Make water your best friend: Water is considered as the best gift to humankind. It is always said that you should drink as much water as you can. Try to remain hydrated all day long to quickly lose your weight. However, avoid liquid drinks like cold drinks, soda or liquid which are rich in sugar.
- Medical Tablets: Before taking any kind of supplemental tablets, you should consult your doctor first. There are cases of thyroid where normal diet do not help in losing weight. In such cases, the patient can opt for selenium, a supplemental nutrient but, only after getting it prescribed from the doctor.
- Eat Fiber Rich Foods: Fiber rich foods help in staying regular in flushing out salt from the body. Try to intake 40-45mg of fiber a day either for soluble sources like oats, apples, pears or insoluble sources like brown rice and whole wheat. Foods like carrots, broccoli can also be tried.
- Regular Exercise: Exercise is the main key in losing weight. You can go for cardiovascular exercise and can discuss your exercise plan with your doctor before starting. Try to walk at-least 5 miles or 10,000 steps a day and wear a pedometer or any smart watch to track your steps. You can also do swimming and biking.
Losing weight is not as simple as it seems. You need to be patient, regular and positive about it. If you are not getting expected results, consult your doctor as early as possible. Don’t go too hard on your body for losing weight. Remember, you are not the only one. If you know any other way on how to lose weight with thyroid, do let us know in the comment section.
