weight gain issue

[flossie]

have only been on levothyroxine for a year but finding losing weight impossible, although going to the gym three times a week and swimming. i am also trying to eat less ie rubbish foods with no health value and drinking less alchohol. does anyone have any ideas. i am currently just on 11st once being 10st or less when overactive. my thyroid was wiped out with radio-iodine last year. help

[RedApple Administrator]

Hi flossie, many people with hypothyroidism seem to do best on a low carbohydrate diet. There's something about this condition that makes our bodies less able to process carbohydrate into energy - it stores it as fat instead

I'm currently on a totally sugar free (yes really!), very low carb diet for other health reasons. When I first started on this diet, I was a bit over my ideal weight due to thyroid, and the pounds dropped off me very rapidly.

It's now around 10 months since I last ate any potatoes, bread, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cereals, sweets, chocolates, ice cream and so on. All my meals are comprised of protein, in the form of meat or fish, with a huge pile of vegetables or salad stuff. If I need to snack between meals, I generally eat things like a handful of nuts or olives.

If you think this might be worth a try for you, take a look at the Atkins diet website (uk.atkins.com/program/how-i.... I'm not advocating this diet, nor do I follow this diet myself, but you might find the basic information to be of help.

It does take an unbelievable amount of willpower to stick to a low carb diet, but I have found it has gradually become easier as time's gone on.

<b>Updated on Jul 5 2010 12:47PM:</b> Just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that anyone needs to follow the extremely strict diet that I'm on! It's no fun, and I certainly wouldn't do it if I didn't absolutely have to But a low carb diet does seem to help lots of people to both loose weight and have more energy.

[lynmynott Partner Thyroid UK]

Hi Flossie, If you still have thyroid symptoms, it may be that you are not on enough thyroxine or may need some T3 or natural thyroid hormone. Some people find they don't lose the weight until they use these meds. Some people find a low carb diet is best for them.