Lesson 6: Eating Right and Losing Weight With Hypothyroidism

For those of us who struggle with this condition, weight loss can be quite frustrating. We'll focus on why it may be harder to lose weight with hypothyroidism. We'll also discuss why it's not impossible to do so. We'll take a look at the important role exercise plays in this endeavor and see if low-carb plans are better for hypothyroid patients or not.

Introduction to Lesson 6

Welcome to Lesson 6. We’re almost through with this course. This lesson focuses on nutrition and fitness for the hypothyroid. Chances are if you are hypothyroid, you have struggled with unwanted weight gain, at some point at least. I know I have.

An unwanted symptom or side effect of this condition is a sluggish metabolism which makes it easier to gain weight and tougher to lose it once gained. It can sure be frustrating when you try to manage your weight while managing this condition, but it’s not impossible.

In this lesson, we are going to discuss many things. I hope you'll learn a thing or two.

Have you heard of the new low-carb craze? I’m sure you have. Have you wondered whether you should jump on the low-carb bandwagon as a hypothyroid person?

Is Atkins right for you? South Beach? The Zone? We’ll look at these popular plans and see if they make sense for you, or not.

We’ll also look into some of the benefits and drawbacks to low-carb living. Yes, there are some of each.

Perhaps, you are thinking that a low-fat or low-sugar diet is better. Maybe you like Weight Watchers, or Sugar Busters. You love carbs and want to continue eating them. Okay, at least some of them.

Maybe, you’ll learn as we delve into this subject that an either-or approach isn’t one that will last us a lifetime. When it comes to dieting and nutrition, there can be too much information and too many contradictions. It can get so confusing, can’t it?

What about a high-fiber diet? We did mention that it may help with constipation, which is a symptom of hypothyroidism and some of the medications we take for it. High-fiber diets do have a lot of benefits but what exactly do they do for the thyroid? We’ll answer that question too (at least I hope so!).

Are there foods that you should avoid? It’s possible. There are some foods, especially when you eat them raw, which are called goitrogenic. That means that they can cause goiters. We’ll look at those.

We will also talk about soy. Soy is all the rage these days. It’s supposed to be beneficial for a host of ills, such as in the prevention of osteoporosis. Unfortunately, there are instances in which soy has been proven to be problematic for some of us with hypothyroidism.

Did you know that exercise can rev up a sluggish metabolism? Of course, you did. Exercise can also help alleviate some of the pain, depression and lethargy associated with hypothyroidism. It’s certainly a good thing for anyone, whether you are hypothyroid or not.

We’ll discuss some fitness tips to help you stick to an exercise plan. (I’m so hoping they work because I need them more than everybody!) We’ll also talk about how weight training can help the metabolism. (In a nutshell, it does so by increasing muscle mass.)

By the end of this lesson, you will have learned so much, or at least reviewed a lot of things you already knew and should be doing to manage not just your thyroid, but your overall health.

Remember: NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH AS MUCH AS YOU DO.

No one can take care of your health like you can. Exercise and eating right are two of the best ways any of us can take care of ourselves. So, let’s get a move on and run through this lesson.

Oops! Before you do that, how about doing some of this recommended reading? That’s if you want to, of course. For this lesson, I recommend the following:

Chapters 4, 9, 11, 12, 13 & 14 in Is Your Thyroid Making You Fat? by Dr. Sanford Siegal. If you don’t have the time to read all of them, that’s cool. Chapters 9 & 14 are of special importance for this lesson. If you like to read and have the time, you may also want to look at Appendices: B, C, D, E & G. They’re awfully interesting.

In our main text, Living Well With Hypothyroidism, please read Chapter 9, if you have done so already.

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