Weight Loss Tips PLEASE

[ChickenFan]

Hello, I am 5 ft and 48 kg wanting to reduce my body fat percentage. I have hypothyroidism since birth which is what I’m assuming my problem is with weight loss (also my height) and although it’s treated, I don’t know how to lose weight. I would say, according to some charts I saw online, that I’m at about 20% or more body fat percentage. I have been dieting, as in, eating less than 1200 calories AND eating more nutritiously for the past 1 1/2 month. Though, on average, I strive for 800 calories. Consuming mainly protein, and reducing carbohydrate and fat intake and rarely eating sugary things, also don’t like soda or sugary drinks. I don’t binge and have never really wanted to, although I am hungry a lot of the time now. I have also been exercising at a good level almost daily, doing no equipment strength training in my legs (I want them to be toned, not to be bigger than they already are), cardio and HIIT whenever I can, as well as ab workouts every other day and doing more low-Impact exercises such as walking instead of sitting for so long, etc, when I’m low energy. Also, workouts have been getting harder and harder due to my lack of energy, though I still do some type of exercise every day. Overall, I have seen no budge on the scale, I have been in 48 kg territory for the entire month. The one day I try eating a bit more, I see a 0.6 kg increase and even though people say I should eat more, I really don’t think I should. I’m extremely short, and my hypothyroidism makes my metabolic rate even slower. I believe I should be eating 1200 calories MAXIMUM in order to lose weight. I really don’t know what to do since I’ve been following everything by the book, and nothing has been working. I’m also young, and if my metabolism is this bad now I really don’t know how I’ll be when I’m older. And yes, I’ve tested my hypothyroidism treatment recently and my dosage seems to be “normal”.

[moreless Administrator 7 stone]

Hi and welcome, ChickenFan

Just a couple of points. According to the NHS BMI calculator, you have a BMI of 20.7 which puts you in the healthy weight category. You could take your waist measurement to see if it comes in at half your height (30") or less.

About your hypothyroidism, you say your dosage (of levo?) is 'normal'. Is that OPTIMAL for you? Have you been tested for TSH, FT4, FT3 and Vitamins B12 and D, Folate and Ferritin? All have to be optimal for you. Low calorie diets and hard exercise can be counterproductive and may adversely affect your metabolic rate and conversion of T4 to T3.

My advice would be for you to join the Thyroid UK forum too and post your most recent blood test results for the very knowledgeable members there to be able to assist you. If you do not have recent results for everything I've listed above (rarely comprehensively tested by GP's), then you can do your own testing (information available from the TUK forum and website)

All of the information you need about this forum can be found as Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... I hope you'll be joining all the Events, Challenges and Clubs that we run, especially the Weigh-in and Daily Diary.

We've found active participation to be key to successful weight loss and, of course, it's a good way to get to know people, find inspiration and share support and encouragement.

Wishing you all the best

[ChickenFan Healthy BMI 2024 August in reply to moreless]

Hello, thanks for the suggestions. Will take a look into that. My personal doctor had Covid and could not meet in-person in my annual hypothyroidism check, so I should probably try to get in touch and ask about these things as well.

[Eryl Visitor]

Loosing weight hat little to do with the ammount of calories that you eat but about what types of food that you eat. Fructose (which is 50% of table sugar and 55% of many fruits) is the driver of weight gait. If you reduce calories from carbs then you need to increasr calories fromfats otherwise yo're just starving yourself which is why you're hungry. If you're hungry eat more fatty food like oily fish and drizle a little olive oilor put a knob of butter on your veg. Increasing fat could cure your hypothyroid. youtu.be/vjFrW695SV8?si=yjb...(Not working as expected?)