We’ve all heard the saying “I’m not fat, I’m just under-tall”. Thyroid issues can have a terrible impact on a person’s health and weight, and could be plotting against you in the epic battle of the bulge. Yes that tiny gland in your neck, can wreak havoc on your waistband. I have dealt with both hyperthyroid and hypothyroid, if you want to read about my story click here. In my struggle I have learnt how to control the havoc and the waistline with a hypothyroidism diet. So buckle up, we’re diving into the world of thyroid turmoil as we explore how to lose weight with hypothyroidism.

Hyper vs. Hypo: The battle of the ‘Thy-Roids’

If your thyroid decides to go rouge and starts pumping out more hormones than a teenager, you might find yourself shedding the pounds. On the flip side, if your thyroid decides to be lazy and takes a vacation, you could be stacking on pounds quicker than a Police officer in a doughnut shop. I’ve personally wrestled with both these issues, so trust me when I say I’ve been on this rollercoaster.

Hypothyroid: The Slow-Motion Metabolism Saga

Hypothyroidism is like having a tortoise for a metabolism, everything moves at a glacial pace. The thyroid hormones control how your body burns energy, too little thyroid hormone and your body will burn energy slowly, Source. This will affect your metabolic rate and your body will have trouble to balance the calories consumed and the body energy expenditure. And well, your body will become a car park for calories. But fear not, with the correct hypothyroidism diet, you can outsmart these pesky hormones.

Tracking: Become a Calorie Detective

The key to mastering your hypothyroidism diet is tracking. I know, its about as fun as watching paint dry, but it really is the key. You will need to know the calorie count of everything you are consuming and any change in weight. Forget intuitive eating, your body is all out of whack. Step on those scales every morning, the weight may vary from day to day so focus on the weekly average. Use a calorie tracking app such as MyFitnessPal. Remember to track everything you eat, those sneaky, secrete biscuits need to be exposed. With this you can find the calories you need to lose weight. If you gain weight over the week, lower the calories by another 200 to 300kcal.

Exercise: Taking Baby Steps (literally)

High-intensity workouts with hypothyroidism? Not likely. I personally had super low energy and the motivation of a sloth. But fear not, a daily stroll at a slow pace can bring significant benefits. Just 30 minutes a day will do the trick. The real key to weight loss is a hypothyroidism diet.

Hypothyroidism Diet: Making Friends with Food Again

Smaller meals, more often

My hypothyroid experience left me feeling terribly bloated and left me feeling like I swallowed a watermelon after every meal. I first tried intermittent fasting, a noble idea. However this meant that I had a small window to eat my calories which made the bloating ever so worse. So I stopped the fasting, ate some breakfast and this made all the difference.

The Sugar Dilemma

Sugar is the devil, and I have a sweet tooth to match. The trouble with sugar is not just that it is high in calories compared to the volume, but it leads to over consuming. Sugar and high fat foods are linked with over consuming, this is because they have a very low satiety impact. There are many studies showing that sugar will also send your appetites into hyper drive, making you crave even more of this high calorie, low satiety food, which is the last thing you need when trying to lose weight when your metabolism is acting like a sloth. While I’m not saying banish treats forever, but save your sweet indolence for after your biggest meal and stick to your daily calorie budget.

Protein Power

Protein is your hypothyroid superhero, or anyone trying to lose weight. . Protein has the opposite effect of sugar in that it will increase your satiety. It has been shown is scientific studies that a high protein diet will increase the secretion of satiety hormones (yes there is a hormone for everything).  Not only will protein make you feel fuller but it has a high the thermic effect which is the amount of calories your body uses to digest the food you eat. The thermic effect fat is 0-3%, the thermic effect of carbohydrates is 5-10% and the thermic effect of protein is 20-30%. This means that your body will use up to 30% of the calories of the protein you have eaten just to digest it, source.

Volume Eating

This trick is like having your cake and eating it, too (metaphorically). Eating 100kcal of cookies is not going to be filling compared to 100kcal of broccoli. Load up on fruits, veggies and lean meats to fill your plate without filling your calorie quota.

A Day in the Life of a Hypothyroidism Diet

Breakfast

A great way to start the day would be with this high protein breakfast. One of my staples throughout this journey with high protein overnight oats, you can find the recipe here.

• Calories 244 Kcal
• Carbohydrates 37g
• Fat 4g
• Protein 21g
• Fibre 8g

Lunch

Go big with a stacked cheese and chicken toasted sandwich, your taste buds will thank you.  You can find the recipe here.

• Calories 509 Kcal
• Carbohydrates 55g
• Fat 10g
• Protein 48g
• Fibre 7g

Dinner

Dive into a turkey pasta bake. It’s a comfort food minus the guilt.

• Calories 545 Kcal
• Carbohydrates 71g
• Fat 5g
• Protein 46g
• Fibre 15g

Snack

Grab 200g of fat free Greek yoghurt mixed with 25g whey protein.

These 3 meals with the snack will put you at;

• 1524 Kcal
• Carbohydrates 171g
• Fat 20g
• Protein 154g
• Fibre 27g

hypothyroidism diet Conclusion

Losing weight with an underactive thyroid doesn’t require you to become a gym rat. Its more about adapting to your new thyroid reality. Change can be tough, but your metabolisms been taking a nap, so its time to wake it up. Spread your meals throughout the day, focus on high volume and high protein meals. The meal plan was an average day for me, this will require fine tuning for yourself. So, eat smart, laugh often and lets kick thyroid trouble to the curb!

Please feel free to contact me if you require any assistance to fine tune your thyroid habits.