Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland present at the base of the neck. If the gland doesn’t function properly, it can cause swelling in the gland and can result in two conditions – hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism (Image: Shutterstock)
Weight gain is common with this low thyroid function disease.
The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that hypothyroidism affects up to 5 per cent of the general population, with a further estimate of 5 per cent being undiagnosed. A condition in which the thyroid gland doesn’t produce sufficient thyroid hormone to meet the needs of a person’s body. This disturbance in the level of hormones gets in the way of functioning of other organs, resulting in the symptoms like fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, and others.
Weight gain is common with this low thyroid function disease. You all must have heard a quote that defines insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. This quote is often credited to Einstein, but that is exactly how it feels trying to lose weight when you have hypothyroidism.
The ray of hope for you is that you aren’t alone in this. There are many who are referring to the internet to find magical ways to help them reduce weight, but all the ways on the internet might not prove helpful to you. So here are a few tips weight loss tips that might not work if you have the condition.
- Cut down the carbs
A low carb diet is extremely helpful in dropping those extra kilos and many people opt for this tip to lose weight, but restricting carbs might backfire the people with hypothyroidism. As carbs are an essential macronutrient that is required to balance the thyroid level in the body. Add more complex carbs and fibre to your diet. - In taking a healthy diet at once
The pace of digestive functioning slows down when a person has hypothyroidism. So, therefore the experts suggest eating smaller meals, in a small interval of time, but it should have balanced macronutrients. And not everything at once. - Cutting too many calories
Any weight loss diet plan demands cutting down calories, but due to slow metabolism pace, such patients already need fewer calories, so cutting the calories down further might not be ideal.
