Xannadu2

Hi all- Just wondering if anyone out there has hypothyroid and how they dealt with losing weight, I have Hashimoto and have had it for years which makes losing weight seriously hard! I just wondered if anyone had any diet tips, or specific diet that they thought really worked for them with hypothyroid! thanks and good luck with your weight loss journeys!

bellekiss

Just wanted to reply that I am hypothyroid. I struggle with my weight and can't tell you there is a perfect solution. I've always done best for fast weight loss with low-carb eating (but that's hard to keep up long-term for me) and then switching over to an easier if slower plan I'll outline here:

I try only to eat 100 calories or less of anything I have except for some lean protiens. For example, I'll have any of the following on hand throughout the day, dry cereal, canned tuna, cheese stick, yogurt, nuts, sunflower seeds, cold cuts, deli packaged chicken, plain hot-air popped corn w/ butter flavored crisco pam style spray, minute rice cups, and fruits and veggies of course, etc.

I basically look for anything I enjoy eating that I can easily measure and therefore acurately control my calorie intake. I'll have grilled shrimp and steamed veggies (request both without added fat -oil & butter) mostly at restaurants or salads without croutons, proteins or dressings.

Well, I hope this helps!

Best of luck, Belle

nrh322

Hi...I'm new here...just signed up about an hour ago. Your post caught my eye. I'm a thyroid cancer survivor and struggled with Hashimoto's and hypothyroidism for years, unknowingly. I didn't find out what was wrong until I went from 155 pounds to nearly 240 pounds in less than a year. What a revelation! After a total thyroidectomy and two rounds of radiation, I finally felt "balanced." Losing the weight, however, has been a struggle. I've managed to get down to 210 pounds and have been stuck within that range for several years...partly because I was still caught in the mindset of blaming my thyroid problems for my weight. My turning point? When I asked my endocrynologist why I was struggling to lose and he said, "because you eat too much and don't get enough exercise!" Harsh...but the kick in the pants that I needed. I ended up signing myself up for a Biggest Loseresque "fat camp" out in Utah. I just came home last Friday...eleven pounds lighter but with a bad knee injury. I'm here to make sure that I keep very, very, very careful track of what I'm putting in my mouth to keep my calorie intake down while my knee heals. So....what am I trying to say? Well, everyone is different...and having thyroid problems WILL make it more difficult for you to lose weight if they aren't addressed...BUT...if you have a doctor that you trust and he gets you balanced, the problem might not be your thyroid after all.

Best wishes, Naomi

Xannadu2

Thanks Belle and Naomi for replying! It's motivation enough to hear that you are all out there trying to make it happen- I was on the low carb for a while and it was the only one that worked for me as well. I hear you about not being able to stay on it for long. The longest I could stay on it was about 2 months.
My only issue is that I'm also trying to go vegetarian, and then there is the issue of soy (which hypothyroid patients should stay away from) and my low tolerance to dairy. So it's always skirting around these things that makes weight loss even more difficult. But I will keep posting what works for me, and your 100 calorie idea is something I'll definitely try. Any ideas on recipes or substitutions you thought really worked for you would be great to hear! Thanks so much!

Xandra

nrh322

Xandra....My older son was vegetarian for years and I tried to keep him away from soy because of fears of issues with thyroid and also what it does with estrogen. (He's recently gone back to eating meat, but he was hard core ovo/lacto for 5 years!) There are LOTS of high quality protein sources out there besides soy and dairy. If you're willing to eat eggs, egg whites are superb and low in calories and fat. Quinoa (sp?) is great....lots of different legumes...whey protein is made from milk but easier to digest even if you're lactose intolerant. You might want to check out the veggieboards for some really good advice from other vegetarians. Best wishes, Naomi

Xannadu2

I just wanted to post- Mary Shomon is a leading blogger/advocate/patient of Hypothyroidism and she recently posted something on Facebook (if you are a member) about a free web seminar about weight loss. It's not necessarily about hypothyroid, but I'm curious to see what they have to say. It's on Monday March 22nd. She's also on twitter as thyroidmary.

Here's the link: Mary Shomon: Thyroid Patient Advocate, Author's Notes | Facebook