Many people who are diagnosed with hypothyroidism have difficulty losing weight, and are interested in finding the ideal "hypothyroid diet" to help shed those unwanted pounds. What they often times find is that modifying their diet and exercising regularly doesn't help them to lose weight. Since the thyroid controls metabolism, one can understand how it can be a challenge to lose weight with a hypothyroid condition, as this slows down the metabolism. However, losing weight will be a much easier process if you follow some of the tips I'm about to give.
In addition to following the hypothyroid diet tips I'm about to give, as well as exercising regularly, there is another big factor that will determine whether or not you will be successful in your weight loss efforts. So while you definitely need to pay attention to the following tips I'm about to give you, keep in mind that no matter how well you eat or how much you exercise, you won't lose weight without following the final "Bonus Tip" I'll be revealing at the end of this article.
With that being said, let's take a look at the three tips:
Hypothyroid Diet Tip #1: Cut Out Refined Foods And Sugars. The first thing you want to do is to minimize or completely eliminate the refined foods and sugars from your diet. Eating refined foods and sugars will spike up your blood sugar levels, which in turn will cause a surge in insulin to bring these levels down. The blood sugar levels will then drop down low, which in turn will cause the adrenal glands to release cortisol. Eating this way constantly will put stress on your endocrine system, especially your adrenal glands, which can lead to numerous problems, which I'll discuss shortly.
Hypothyroid Diet Tip #2: Don't Skip Breakfast. This is another common problem, as many people don't eat anything for breakfast, which isn't a good thing after you've gone eight or more hours without eating. If you find that you're not hungry upon waking up in the morning, the reason is because your endocrine system is not in balance. And while I'm not suggesting you need to eat a huge breakfast every morning, you really do need to begin eating something healthy on a daily basis, even if it's a small meal. Just make sure it consists of some high quality protein.
Hypothyroid Diet Tip #3: Eat Every 2 to 3 Hours Thereafter. After you eat breakfast, eating every two to three hours thereafter will help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced, which as you'll learn shortly, will help in your efforts to lose weight. Not eating regularly will once again affect the hormone cortisol, as when you go a long time without eating, your blood sugar levels will drop, and the adrenal glands will then secrete cortisol. If this happens daily over a period of many months and years, then this will stress out your adrenal glands.
How To Make Sure These Hypothyroid Diet Tips Work For You
Now that you have read these hypothyroid diet tips, I'm about to reveal the primary "bonus" tip that will make you understand why most people with hypothyroidism have difficulty losing weight. Here it is: the main reason why people with hypothyroidism have problems losing weight is due to an uncorrected hormonal imbalance. As Dr. Janet Lang tells her attendees during her Restorative Endocrinology Seminars, "hormones are stronger than diet", which means that changing your dietary habits alone won't allow you to lose weight if you don't address an existing hormone imbalance.
There are actually two hormonal conditions that will make it almost impossible for anyone with a hypothyroid condition to lose weight. These two conditions are:
• Estrogen Dominance. Many people with hypothyroidism are in a state of estrogen dominance, which relates to the ratio of estrogen and progesterone. While the wording suggests an excess of estrogen, this isn't always the case, as frequently this is caused by a deficiency in progesterone. In either situation, the estrogen dominance will usually result in weight gain, and losing weight will be extremely difficult, if not impossible to achieve, unless the estrogen dominance is corrected.
• Insulin Resistance. This is another common condition among people with thyroid conditions, and frequently has to do with poor eating habits, as eating a lot of refined foods and sugars, skipping meals, etc. will cause problems with the hormones insulin and cortisol, and very well might lead to this condition if you continue to eat this way. So essentially following the hypothyroid diet tips I gave above will help to prevent this condition from developing.
If you have either of the above conditions and don't address them, then no hypothyroid diet will make much of a difference. Actually, this isn't entirely true, as modifying one's diet will help to some extent, especially with regards to insulin resistance. However, there are other factors involved, especially with estrogen dominance, and so just eating well and taking nutritional supplements alone usually won't correct this hormone imbalance. This is why it's a good idea to consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor, who will recommend a natural hypothyroid treatment protocol that not only can help you lose weight, but just might help restore your health to normal.
The reason for this is because natural hypothyroid treatment methods address the actual cause of the thyroid condition. Although most endocrinologists and other doctors aim their treatment directly towards the thyroid gland, and usually recommend that someone with hypothyroidism take thyroid hormone for the rest of their life, in most cases the malfunctioning thyroid gland isn't the actual cause of the disorder. So for those who have a condition such as estrogen dominance, taking thyroid hormone won't do anything to correct his, which means that the person will continue to gain weight, plus most likely will have other symptoms related to this condition. This doesn't mean that taking thyroid hormone won't help at all with weight loss, as if the sole cause of your weight gain is due to the thyroid gland then it might help. But if estrogen dominance is the primary reason for your weight gain, then taking thyroid hormone isn't going to fix this problem.
In summary, if you have hypothyroidism and are having difficulty losing weight, then in addition to following the hypothyroid diet tips I listed above, you also might want to consider consulting with a natural endocrine doctor to help diagnose and address any hormonal imbalances you may have. In addition to helping you lose weight and correcting any hormone imbalances, being on such a protocol also can potentially restore the function of your thyroid gland back to normal, which means you wouldn't need to take synthetic or natural thyroid hormone daily for the rest of your life.
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