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Mar 24

How to Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism – verywell.com

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If you have an underactive thyroid, your thyroid has been surgically removed, or you have had radioactive iodine to treat an overactive thyroid, you may struggle with an inability to lose weight, a common complaint in hypothyroidism. However you ended up with an underactive, inactive, or surgically removed thyroid gland, you may find that, even with prescription drug treatment for your hypothyroidism, you stillcant lose weightor cant stop gaining weightdespite your best efforts.

Understandably, it's frustrating. In this situation, it's helpful to understand the factors contributing to difficult weight loss and how you can address them so that you can lose weight with hypothyroidism.

Whatthyroid patientsneed to know is that there are five factors that may make it significantly more difficult to lose weight:

Let's explore each one and identify strategies to address them.

For many conventional endocrinologists, the goal of hypothyroidism treatment is to restore you to a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level somewhere within the TSH reference range. At that point, you are considered euthyroid, which means that your thyroid function is normal.

Some studies show, however, that TSH levels in the upper end of the reference range are linked to increased weight, higher body mass index (BMI), and higher rates of obesity. To that end, some physicians aim to keep the TSH level at the mid-point of the reference range, or even lower, in some patients.

Conventional therapy for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine, a synthetic form of the T4 hormone. Some studies, however, have shown that nutritional deficiencies, genetic defects, and other factors predispose some people to have an increased need for the active thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3).

Those studies have shown some weight loss and increase in metabolism in patients who are treated not with levothyroxine alone, but with a T4/T3 combination therapysuch as levothyroxine plus liothyronine (synthetic T3), or natural desiccated thyroid drugs like Nature-thyroid and Armour, which include both T4 and T3.

Your metabolism works to protect you from starvation, ensure sufficient energy, and to maintain you at whats known as a set pointa particular weight that, like a 98.6-degree body temperature, your body tries to maintain. Initially, as you start to take in too many calories, or your metabolism slows, you will notice a small increase in weight gain. When operating normally, your metabolism will then speed up to burn off extra weight gain, your appetite drops, and your weight returns back to your normal set point.

If your metabolism is chronically slowersuch as seen in hypothyroidismand you take in more calories than you burn, the body then establishes a new, higher weight set point.

Take the example of a 5-foot-7-inch woman who weighs 160 pounds and maintains her weight on 2500 calories a day. She becomes hypothyroid and over the period of a year or two gains 50 pounds. Technically, based on body weight alone, she now needs 2800 calories a day to maintain her weight of 210 pounds. If she kept her calorie intake at 2500, would she lose the extra 50 pounds? Rarely, because not only is her hypothyroidism slowing down her metabolism, but as she drops calories and weight her metabolic rate actually slows down as well. So she might lose some weight, but she will have a higher set point, even as she is consuming the same level of calories as another woman who far less.

This issue of metabolism is one of the factors behind the mystery of someone who apparently eats even more than you do, doesnt exercise more, but maintains a lower weight, or conversely, someone who doesnt eat as much as you, but doesn'teat that much and gains weight or cant lose weight.

Hunger, satiety, fat storage, and fat burning are all intricately tied to your brain chemistryand a number of key hormones and neurotransmitters. There are neurotransmitters that are released to trigger hunger and to encourage you to eat quick sources of energy like simple carbohydrates. Other neurotransmitters tell you youve had enough to eat and are satisfied. Hormones direct glucose in your blood to be stored in fat cells, or instruct the body to release stored glucose for energy.

This complex system can be dramatically affected by several factors that are usually seen in hypothyroidism:

Insulin is a hormone released by your pancreas. When you eat foods that contain carbohydrates, your body converts the carbohydrates into simple sugars. These sugars enter the blood, becoming glucose, or blood sugar. Your pancreas then releases insulin to stimulate the cells to absorb the glucose and store it as an energy reserve, returning your blood sugar to anormal level.

For an estimated 25 percentof the population (and some experts estimate that this is much higher in people with hypothyroidism) eating a "normal amount" of carbohydrates raises blood sugar to excessive levels. A substantial percentage of the population also eats a diet that is too high in carbohydrates. In both cases, the pancreas increases insulin release to drive down blood sugar. Over time, however, cells can become less responsive to insulin, and more has to be produced to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Researchers have also shown a link between resistance to leptina hormone that helps regulate fat storage and fat burningand thyroid disease.

Both insulin resistance and leptin resistance have a number of negative effects:

The fatigue, reduced energy, and muscle and joint painof hypothyroidism may result in less activity and exercise. This lowers your metabolism, reduces fat-burning muscle, and reduces the amount of calories you can eat without gaining weight. These factors make regular movement and/or exercise as important to your health and well-being as taking your daily thyroid medication.

The issue of weight gainor difficulty losing weightin hypothyroidism is controversial. Many conventional medicine experts believe that there is no direct relationship between thyroid function and obesity.At the same time, numerous research studies have found that the interaction between thyroid hormone, fat tissue, other hormones, and the brain are all crucial for weight control and maintenance of metabolism and energy

Studies have shown that, on average, weight modestly decreases following treatment for hypothyroidism and that thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are typically higher in people who are overweight or obese, compared to the normal population. Research into thyroid patient quality-of-life consistent shows weight gain or inability to lose weight as a key concern for people with hypothyroidism.

There is, however, more definitive evidence that links autoimmune diseasesespecially Hashimoto thyroiditis, the cause of most hypothyroidism in the U.S.with weight gain and obesity. Some research has shown that in some people, autoimmunity triggers resistance to leptin, which then becomes a major contributor to a higher metabolic set point, and the inability to lose weight.

Dont give up hope. You can successfully lose weight with hypothyroidism by paying attention to resolving the key issues we just described. Specifically:

Stay motivated. To help encourage more movement and activity, consider using a wearable fitness tracker (such as a FitBit) to help you set goals and stay motivated. You can also track calories and nutrients with apps such as MyFitnessPal. You may also want to try one of the thousands of fitness programs available on DVD, video, and as smartphone apps. One thyroid patient favorite is T-Tapp, an easy-to-do and effective overall fitness program that combines aerobic and muscle-building routines in gentle, short sequences.

Get support. It's much easier to stay on track and positive with the support and encouragement of others who are on the same path. You can join a thyroid-specific support group for people participating in weight loss programs, such as theThyroid Diet Support Group. Or you may also want to consider teaming up with some friends to work with a personal trainer or weight loss coach, go for regular fitness walks, or join a gym.

Sources:

Garber, J, Cobin, R, Gharib, H, et. al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Hypothyroidism in Adults: Cosponsored by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and the American Thyroid Association. Endocrine Practice. Vol 18 No. 6 November/December 2012.

Duntas LH, Biondi B. The interconnections between obesity, thyroid function, and autoimmunity: the multifold role of leptin. Thyroid. 2013 Jun;23(6):646-53. doi: 10.1089/thy.2011.0499. Epub 2013 Apr 4.

Pearce EN. Thyroid hormone and obesity. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2012 Oct;19(5):408-13. doi: 10.1097/MED.0b013e328355cd6c.

Santini F, et al. Mechanisms in endocrinology: the crosstalk between thyroid gland and adipose tissue: signal integration in health and disease. Eur J Endocrinol. 2014 Oct;171(4):R137-52. doi: 10.1530/EJE-14-0067.

Versini M. et. al. Obesity in autoimmune diseases: not a passive bystander. Autoimmun Rev. 2014 Sep;13(9):981-1000. doi: 10.1016/j.autrev.2014.07.001. Epub 2014 Aug 2.

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How to Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism - verywell.com

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