Weight loss with Hashimotos - help!

[RachEliz]

Hi all. Hope you’re all doing well. I have heard that a low calorie, high exercise diet isn’t much good for those of us with Hashimotos - but don’t really understand why. I am desperate to see some movement on the scales (in the right direction for once!) and I can’t stand this slow slow 1/2 a pound off every few weeks thing. It’s so demotivating. Anyone fill me in? What minimum level of calories should we be having?

Thanks so much for any advice x

[Lalatoot]

The body needs the calories to convert T4 to T3 so if the diet doesn't provide enough calories the body won't be producing enough T3. Add to this exercise which requires more thyroid hormones and you can have a problem.

No one can say how many calories. It would depend on how well you convert, how your individual body works and how much exercise you do..

[greygoose]

There's also the problem that exercising uses up your calories, so if you aren't eating enough to begin with, that's going to have a devastating effect on your conversion.

And, the problem is exclusive to those with Hashi's. The problem of weight-gain is due to being hypo, whatever the cause. It's low T3, the active hormone, that causes symptoms, like weight-gain. It has very little to do with how much you eat or how little you exercise. If you're hypo, your metabolism is low, and you will have a tendency to retain water - with a lot of hypos, their weight-gain is water, not fat, so dieting and exercising is not likely to have much impact, anyway.

[SlowDragon Administrator]

Previous post 21 days ago

healthunlocked.com/thyroidu...

shows you are very under medicated

TSH over 5

Ft3 and Ft4 rock bottom

Have you had dose increase in levothyroxine ?

Bloods should be retested 6-8 weeks after each dose increase

Vitamin D was too low

Need ferritin and folate tested

Have you had coeliac blood test

Strictly gluten free diet helps or is essential for thousands of Hashimoto’s patients

[RachEliz in reply to SlowDragon]

Hi yes had a 25mg increase in levo but only just.

Waiting for coeliac and remaining vitamin results once I am able to be tested again after the pandemic situation.

About to order some vitamins. Just wanted to start to figure out how to finally lose some weight. Everything I’ve tried so far has had such slow / minute results I end up being disheartened and giving up again after a few weeks.

Thanks for the advice xx

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RachEliz]

Suggest you buy coeliac test online ....very easy test

Then ....assuming test is negative you can start trialing strictly gluten free diet

If test is positive you have to remain on high gluten diet until endoscopy

Vitamin D test

vitamindtest.org.uk

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to RachEliz]

Your previous post ....you had vitamin D tested

vit D is 57.5

[RachEliz in reply to SlowDragon]

Yes - so planning on buying the mouth spray vit D you recommended. Thanks