Weight gain

[Jeanielee1]

I have recently been diagnosed with under active thyroid and have gradually put on weight, is there a special diet to follow for weight loss

[PinkNinja]

Hi

There is no specific diet although low fat diets don't seem to work well for many thyroid patients. In fact there has been recent research to show that low diets often don't work as well for people without thyroid problems.

Basically, the best thing to do is to reduce the amount of junk food, especially sugar, and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, good quality protein and healthy fats (this includes butter from grass fed cows). Do avoid trans fats though.

Try not to decrease your calorie intake too much as this can affect how well your body is able to use the thyroxine you are taking. Our bodies are too clever for their own goods and will try to compensate for a reduction in calories. Exercise is also good for general health but build it up slowly and never do so much that you feel unwell or too tired - that goes for healthy people too!

I personally don't appear to be able to lose weight at the moment even though I am relatively well but one thing that did work for me was the 5:2 diet. Unfortunately I can't follow it at the moment because I can't work on a fast day and I'm working pretty much all the time at the moment! It was working well over the summer though. It doesn't suit everyone and if you don't feel well on it then don't do it. Same for any diet.

I'm sure others will have recommendations for you to try too. Some people like the paleo diet or just eating clean (fresh food cooked from scratch only).

Hopefully as you get your thyroid medication up to the correct dose for you, you will start to be able to lose weight

Carolyn x

[Jeanielee1 in reply to PinkNinja]

Thank you Carolyn all common sense advice...I should just concentrate on feeling well

[lesleyjehan in reply to Jeanielee1]

I replied to your post earlier but just want to add that I'm very physically, disabled so can't exercise but still managed to lose the weight. I would be careful on the amount of fruit you eat as it can be very high in sugar and certain green veg is bad for us too. Like broccoli and kale. Have you read the 'Stop the Thyroid Madness' book? I believe it's a very useful book but haven't as yet read it. Also I have found a lot of help from hypothyroid groups on FaceBook

Again, good luck

[Stourie in reply to lesleyjehan]

Hi, if broccoli and kale are cooked properly then there should be no problem with them.

Jo xx

[lesleyjehan in reply to Stourie]

Well that's good news cos I love both of them...but I don't like them all squishy? I get so confused with the diet stuff, time to take meds etc thank you

[greygoose in reply to lesleyjehan]

Ignore all this talk of this is bad for your thyroid, and that is blah blah blah. If it makes you feel bad, stop eating it. If it doesn't, carry on. Basic common sense.

Too much scare-mongering goes on about goitrogens, but being a subject that interests me, I have looked into it more carefully than just the usual idle gossip. And the above is the conclusion I have come to.

You would have to eat a hell of a lot of goitrogens - I mean really pigging yourself out on them 24/7 - for them to have the effect everyone thinks they have.

That said, you could be especially sensitive to one or other of them. So, if you start to feel bad after eating them - I mean like 1/2 hour to 2/3 hours after - you start to feel like you're coming down with flu, then best to give them up. If you have no reaction, carry on eating them! But Don't make the mistake of thinking that, because they're cooked they can't affect you, because they can.

Myself, I was unlucky enough to react to several of them : strawberries, pears, corn and walnuts. And that before I'd been diatnosed or even knew what a thyroid was! But, now my thyroid is out of action, they Don't affect me anymore.

The one big exception to that rule is soy. Do not consume unfermented soy in any shape or form. It has several nasty effects and is far from the health food it's cracked up to be. So, avoid!

[Jeanielee1 in reply to lesleyjehan]

Will have a look at the book thanks

[Marz]

Perhaps your FT3 is low in range - do you know the figure ? T3 is the Active Thyroid hormone and needed in almost every cell of the body....

[Jeanielee1 in reply to Marz]

Oh dear Marz don't know what FT3 is...obviously need to do some research, thanks for your reply

[Marz in reply to Jeanielee1]

When you take your tablet for the thyroid - Levothyroxine - it is T4. Normally your thyroid would produce this hormone. It is a storage hormone and does very little in the body. When needed the T4 converts into the ACTIVE thyroid hormone T3 - which is needed in almost every cell of your body - brain cells - heart cells and so on - billions of them ! So when the T3 is low in the body there is not enough to go around and things begin to go wrong.

As you are newly diagnosed it is important you have a test around 6 weeks after the diagnosis and have your dose raised. 50mcg is a starter dose and my make you feel worse in the beginning until your body adjusts.

Also get into the habit of obtaining copies of all your results with ranges so you can monitor your own progress. This is your legal right.

Have you had Ferritin - B12 - Folate - VitD - Iron tested ? These all need to OPTIMAL and do not ever accept normal for anything from your GP. They mean within the range ! - where you are in the range is very important to find wellness when Hypo ( I have learnt the hard way ! )

For understanding more about the thyroid go to the main Thyroid UK website where you will find so much information.

thyroiduk.org

I was once told by I Greek Doc ( I live in Crete ) that he can always diagnose the Thyroid by the two lines - like necklaces - on the neck I wonder how long you have had those ? Nice pic by the way !

You can click onto my name to read my Edited Profile and see that I am not a medical person - just a Hashi's girl !

[Jeanielee1 in reply to Marz]

Wow thanks Marz , I'm going to get so genned up that I will be able to give you advice....seriously you have made sure you are armed with all the info and I need to do the same once again many thanks

[Marz in reply to Jeanielee1]

...am afraid many of us are reading and learning to find good health - it is the only way !

[lesleyjehan in reply to Jeanielee1]

So sorry! It's me AGAIN! Just want to say that I've found Marz is an excellent fount of knowledge and it's well worth taking note of what she advises.

[Jeanielee1 in reply to lesleyjehan]

Please don't apologise for posting, I welcome any advice might not always take it though lol

[greygoose]

It's not about diet - hate that word! I equate it with 'punishment'. And your body needs nourishing, not punishing.

No, it's about T3 levels. Once your T3 is optimised, you will feel well. You need to have the FT4 and FT3 tested to see if you are converting OK. If you aren't converting very well, you will never lose weight on T4 only and will have to look at other alternatives.

But you Don't even say if you're taking Levo. A bit more detail would help people to help you better.

Take care.

[Jeanielee1 in reply to greygoose]

Hi grey goose thanks for your reply, newly diagnosed so I need to do more research...I'm on 50 micrograms of levo. I probably didn't explain myself very well I also don't like diets have never dieted but always tried to eat foods prepared in a healthy way, just thought I might need some extra help now with the under active thyroid

[greygoose in reply to Jeanielee1]

Well, that's good. That's what you need, clean food with no additives and little sugar. Plenty of protein, fresh fruit and veggies and good fat. And no soy whatsoever, in any form.

50 mcg is just a starter dose. And you should be tested six weeks after starting it to see what your levels are, and more than likely have your dose increased.

On the day of the test, make sure it's as early in the morning as possible - between 8 and 9 am - and Don't have breakfast before the test. Make sure you leave 24 hours between your last dose and the test.

Always ask for a print-out of your results, it is your legal right to have one, then you can print them on here and people will be able to help you understand them. But, briefly, what you are taking, Levo, is the hormone known as T4, a storage hormone, which your body has to convert into T3, the active hormone. And to do that, your body has to be well-nourished.

[Jeanielee1 in reply to greygoose]

Thank you for your advice and time...very grateful

[Anthea55]

A friend who also has an underactive thyroid went to Weight Watchers for a while, but couldn't lose weight and was accused of cheating, which she hadn't.

Don't try to lose weight, but you may find that going gluten free makes you feel better.

[Jeanielee1 in reply to Anthea55]

Hi I have toyed with the idea of going gluten free because my tummy swells up like a balloon with certain foods.

[Marz in reply to Jeanielee1]

..and also let us know your FT3 level Do you have thyroid anti-bodies ? Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg are the two you need testing if they have not been done. Going gluten free can help to reduce them if you test positive. GF can be helpful for many things in the body....

[Hidden in reply to Jeanielee1]

Just do it... you won't regret it. Check if fluoride in your water supply?

Don't drink it if there is? go for bottled but check that out also because some contain fluoride! Supplements help.. Vit C, Vit E , Vit D, Zinc etc..

All this has helped me in last few weeks.. I'm still battling but feeling the benefits. Best Wishes x

[PinkNinja in reply to Hidden]

How do you go about going gluten free? I barely have time to eat these days let alone inspect everything I eat. When things settle down I may give it a go. I do think it may be the missing link for me.

[Hidden in reply to PinkNinja]

If you wait for things to settle down...you will have a very long wait! It does take time looking through the things you normally eat, but it is time well spent for improved results.

Fresh cooked food is good, gluten is a product that just helps certain food to keep it's shape. These days ALLERGY ADVICE is in capital letters on the ingredients list on most things. It will state GLUTEN/SOY/DAIRY/WHEAT. When you see these you know that the product contains them.

I am not taking gluten or soy but ok so far with dairy, I gave up bread ages ago because it always made me feel awful and bloated. I definitely recommend you do this. It's no good just cutting some gluten out... it must be all. There are FREE FROM ranges in most stores (also in freezer section), which is helpful.

I know it is time consuming but 'YOU ARE WORTH IT!'

You need to eat and regularly, otherwise your blood sugars will drop..this causes other problems with your system.

Once you get into a routine it will get easier,it's not as daunting as it first seems (I felt just like you about it.)

Your improved health will give you the umph to carry on.

Think about the fluoride too, I have drank gallons of tap water over the years but I won't touch it now.

I became so ill with my digestive system and it was through ignorance, but I am well on the mend with regard to that now. I won't be ever taking any more IBUPROFEN or PPI'S or long term anti- biotics (these have so not helped and probably hindered my health) . My GP was quite happy to keep giving me these even though she is aware of my condition.

Good luck to you and I look forward to hearing that you are feeling better pretty soon.

[PinkNinja in reply to Hidden]

Thanks

I've already cut out bread years ago because it made me bloated and tired. I started eating Rye bread instead but recently I have found that this has a similar effect.

I understand about cutting out all gluten which is what makes it so daunting but it would be worth it. I'm going to have to think about what I could have in my packed lunch that is easy and quick to make!

Luckily I live in an area that doesn't fluoridate the water

[Hidden in reply to PinkNinja]

That's great news, I'm in d fluoridated area and

I buy lorry loads of bottled. All the best with it x

[Anthea55 in reply to Jeanielee1]

Have you been checked for food intolerances?

I got tested because I had problems with my joints and thought I would try that rather than going onto long term medication for it. The tests came up with oats and wheat top of the list. After a few months not only were my joints better, but to my delight my life long indigestion had cleared up.

Worth keeping a food diary to see if you can track down the foods which make your tummy swell. I you start giving up various things it's worth doing one at a time so that you know whether that one is a problem or not, then give it a few days before testing the next suspect.

[PinkNinja in reply to Anthea55]

I had a similar experience. It was so upsetting! I did much better with Slimming World which had a much healthier approach, in my opinion. I hear that weight watchers had changed though. It was quite a few years ago that I tried it. My mum found weight watchers very good but she didn't have a thyroid problem.

You can get a referral from your GP or nurse to Slimming World which is free for the first three months

[warriorscot]

The only thing that works for me is fasting either the 5:2 or proper alternate day. Its hard when you start, but after two weeks its fine and if you prepare for fast days its easy. You get 25% of your daily calories, but if you prepare well that can actually be a lot of food volume. The hairy bikers cook book was quite good for ideas for fasting diets actually.

Ive heard anecdotally other hypothtroid people do better on fasting than other diets. There is probably a good biological reason for that probably either in your overall nutrition is still hitting all the boxes so no loss of medication efficacy with it or the fasting mechanism itself helps you. But I would certainly reccomend trying it.

[PinkNinja in reply to warriorscot]

It worked for me but I can't cope with fast days while working and studying. I am going to do it again in the summer holidays. I was a little strange in that I found doing my two days consecutively was easier than splitting them up and the second day was actually easier!

[warriorscot in reply to PinkNinja]

I struggled before I thought about what I was eating and drinking on fast days. And after the first few weeks I found my body adjusted so I didnt even get hungry on fast days. People see fasting and forget you still should eat on the fast day and getting that right makes a world of difference.

Soups the big saving grace for me, ticks all the boxes for me on fast days and low calorie tasty soups are really easy to make. Protein also helps and looking on the muscle building places can give ideas for high protein low calorie options/substitutes.

And making sure to check the gi of what im eating. Things that digest fast are no good on a fasting day they just give you cravings. The last thing on the pre fast day to eat being something with good gi helps massively along with protein.

It is hard though, I always try and do it on busy days. If I don't have time to think about it especially at the start it makes it easier.

[Stourie in reply to PinkNinja]

I have thought of the 5 :2 diet but was under the impression that the two fasting days weren't supposed to be consecutive, but maybe I am wrong. It happens a lot. lol

Jo xx

[lesleyjehan]

Hi, I also have hypothyroid, among other things, and have recently lost just over 6st by following the low carb, low fibre, high fat, high protein diet. I do eat carbs as they are necessary but I keep it to the barest minimum. High fat in that I no longer use low fat spreads, yogurts, skimmed milk etc I use full fat versions and I LOVE fat on my bacon or meat so I eat that too. I'm lucky in that I enjoy most pulses and grains which are better than potatoes/bread/pasta/rice which I avoid like the plague as well as peas and sweet corn! It sounds like a hard diet but is actually very easy and doable even if you eat out, plus, I have treats when we eat out.

I hope this is useful for you and wish you all the best in losing weight.