A guest post by Avelina Kongoi
We all know how difficult it can be to lose weight at the best of times but just imagine how hard it is to shed even a single pound of body fat when you’re battling hypothyroidism. The reality is that this is a condition that is affecting more and more people’s lives every single year, and it shows no signs of actually stopping.
There are almost 28 million people in America who have been told by their doctors that they have an underactive thyroid. But even more surprising than this number is the fact that there are way more people out there that are still waiting to be diagnosed and given the treatment they require to get better.
Aside from hypothyroidism, there’s another condition that’s also getting more and more common and it goes by the name of subclinical hypothyroidism. This disease doesn’t actually do anything to the individual’s thyroid but it still leaves them experiencing many of the symptoms that are common with people that usually have full blown hypothyroidism. The good news however is that if the person just improves their diet for the better then everything can be flipped around.
So what happens when the individual is suffering from hypothyroidism? Well more than likely it will leave them with a much slower metabolism which will result in them burning way less calories than normal.
Any person out there that doesn’t have thyroid glands that are working properly will find that they will struggle to lose weight. This is because the thyroid glands are responsible for creating two very important hormones known as T3 and T4. These hormones are basically what control your body’s rate of metabolism.
So any individual who doesn’t have enough of these hormones will find it a lot harder to lose weight! This is precisely why losing weight can be do damn difficult.
However those of you that are absolutely dedicated to getting results will be glad to know that you can get it done by following the tips below:
Tip 1: Get a Fully Qualified Doctor to Properly Diagnose and Then Give You Treatment
The first step you must implement is to make sure that you get a fully qualified doctor to thoroughly check you over to give you the diagnosis and treatment that you need.
How you are diagnosed will totally be dependent upon the results of the blood test that your doctor actually gives you. This simple and quick blood test will basically be measuring exactly how much T3, T4 and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) you have inside your body. Should the results come back to show that you have really high amounts of TSH but really low amounts of T4 and T3 then it’s pretty much guaranteed that you do indeed have hypothyroidism!
The American Thyroid Association states that you need to have a TSH level of about 2.5 mIU/L to be officially considered as being hypothyroid.
Those of you that do get the diagnosis that you do actually have an underactive thyroid will go on to be prescribed with some sort of synthetic T4. Most of the time you’ll be given medication that goes by the name of levothyroxine. The great thing about this medicine is that it will help to get your levels of thyroid hormone right back into the healthy range where it should be to get your metabolism fired up again.
Tip 2: Start Making Meals That Are Really Healthy and Nutritious
The best and most effective way to help yourself lose all the weight you want to lose is to make sure that you start eating healthy and nutritious meals. Not even hypothyroidism will be able to stop you from losing weight if you can do this. Every single meal that you sit down to consume should contain a healthy portion of both protein and vegetables.
You might not realize this but protein is actually very satiating. It has been shown to not only keep hunger at bay for a good number of hours but it also helps to protect your metabolism boosting muscle mass, which is very important when you are focused on trying to lose weight and get into shape.
Tip 3: Begin Consuming Tons of Foods High in Fiber and Totally Avoid Processed Junk Foods
Nothing out there is going to be more detrimental to your long term weight loss success than you eating junk foods that do nothing but cause you to gain weight! Seriously you need to do your level best to dump these foods in favor of foods that contain a good amount of fiber in them. The first benefit you’ll notice is that fiber rich foods are very good for keeping your hunger at bay.
Of course the other benefit of getting a good amount of fiber into your body is that it will help to prevent any sort of chronic constipation from occurring which is very common among people that suffer from hypothyroidism.
Tip 4: Exercise Properly
Truth be told, after diet exercise is going to be the key to you really getting the dream body you’ve always desired. So regardless of the time that you’re able to dedicate to exercise every single day, it’s going to be in your interest to make sure that you’re doing whatever you can.
The really great thing about exercise is the fact that it contributes to weight loss a lot more than just helping you burn calories in the moment. Rather it will help to build up a good amount of high quality muscle mass which is essential to getting your base metabolic rate to rise and rise.
And as we all probably know the higher an individual’s metabolism the more weight they are going to end up burning over the long term!
The only way to really overcome hypothyroidism for good and lose the weight you want to lose is by making sure that you remain consistent in your efforts and never allow hypothyroidism to stop you from getting what it is that you want.
Believe me, only you can stop yourself from getting the results that you truly desire! This means you just need to make sure that you keep a positive mind and that you keep moving towards your goals every single day! Do this and believe me soon enough you will end up in the best shape of your life.
Make sure that you head over to http://hypothyroidismdietplan.org/ where you will find all the latest and greatest on exactly what you need to get into the best health of your life, even if you happen to be suffering from an underactive thyroid!
Coconut oil helps me, so does a spoonful of raw frozen liver taken daily.
Thank you for sharing this great information. I have had my thyroid tested several times in the past because of family members who have had issues.