The Best Way to Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism

Having an underactive thyroid--hypothyroidism--can make it difficult for you to lose weight, even when you limit your daily calories. However, you can still achieve your weight-loss goals while meeting your body's nutritional needs.

Don't Diet Excessively

If you have and underactive thyroid and diet to excess--cutting out too many calories or nutrients--you may find that you won't lose the weight you want. You either will stay at your current weight or you will gain additional weight. This happens because your hypothyroidism has already slowed your metabolism. When you begin a diet and decrease your caloric intake, your body responds by slowing its metabolism further, thus defeating your good intentions.

You can still reduce your caloric intake and lose weight, but you have to reduce your calories by a smaller amount and lose weight more slowly. Consider breaking your meals into six smaller meals throughout the day instead of the three larger meals. Begin by making sure your daily intake of protein is no more than 40 percent of your total calories, your fat intake is no higher than 25 percent and your consumption of low-glycemic carbohydrates is 35 percent. Incorporate fresh vegetables into your daily food intake, but avoid broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, soy, millet, pine nuts and peanuts. These foods are "goitrogenic," meaning they can interfere with your body's ability to absorb iodine, which the thyroid uses in regulating metabolism. Vegetables may lose this effect if they have been cooked, so if you cook them before eating them, you can have limited amounts to provide nutrients your body needs.

Nutritional Supplements with Iodine

If your body's iodine levels are low, you can take a nutritional supplement that contains iodine. Discuss the possibility of taking this supplement with your doctor. If your doctor has already prescribed a thyroid hormone replacement, check to make sure an iodine supplement won't counteract the hormone's effects.

Incorporate Iodine-Rich Food Into Your Diet

Your body normally stores 20 to 30 milligrams of iodine, mostly in your thyroid gland, but also in your stomach, salivary glands and in your blood. If your iodine stores are low, your body will not be able to make enough thyroid hormone. Iodine-rich food can help boost your levels. These include foods grown in soil rich in iodine, yogurt, cow's milk, seafood and seaweed (gamet, balbalugang, lato, nori and kelp). Incorporate these foods into your diet to help your thyroid function return to normal.