How To Lose Weight With An Underactive Thyroid Without Medication

If you're struggling to lose weight despite exercising and eating healthy, it's time to consider what's going on with your thyroid health. Most people see weight gain as a problem, not a symptom, but healthy thyroid function is crucial for regulating body weight and metabolism. When it's working properly, it keeps your whole body in balance. When this system is malfunctioning, it can feel like it's impossible to lose weight. More troublingly, millions of people who have a thyroid problem are completely unaware they have it. Let’s learn the signs that your thyroid is interfering with weight loss, and what you can do about it.

The thyroid is a gland located in the neck that produces thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormone production is important for hormone balance, metabolism, and energylevels–and basically every other system in your body. Thyroid hormones also help to control other essential functions such as heart rate and blood pressure.

Many people with hypothyroidism don’t notice symptoms until the condition has progressed. By that time, it can become more difficult to treat.

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If you have any issues with thyroid dysfunction, you’re not alone. As many as 20 million adults in the U.S. have some form of thyroid disorder (1). Symptoms of

As many as 60 percent of those who have thyroid issues are completely unaware they have any issues with their thyroid (1). This may be due to thyroid dysfunction symptoms often overlapping with what people consider “normal” signs of aging or chronic stress.

Thyroid hormones directly impact the basal metabolic rate (BMR), or the number of calories your body burns at rest. They also help to control how efficiently the body uses energy from food and influences carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism.

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To illustrate just how important healthy thyroid function is, remember this: Every single cell in your body has a receptor for thyroid hormone. The only other thing that comes close to the whole-body effects of thyroid hormone is vitamin D (4).

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, or just Hashimoto’s, is the most common type of hypothyroidism. It is an autoimmune thyroid disease in which the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. Those with autoimmune thyroid disease will likely find it hard to lose weight until the root cause of their low thyroid is addressed.

The thyroid gland is responsible for producing two main hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone and is responsible for the body’s metabolic rate.

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T4 is the storage form of thyroid hormone and is converted to T3 as needed. With autoimmune thyroid disease, like Hashimoto’s, the body makes antibodies to certain thyroid hormones, preventing them from doing their jobs and also reducing thyroid function.

To test for autoimmune thyroid disease, your doctor will need to detect the presence of thyroid antibodies. These tests typically aren’t included in most conventional metabolic panels. In integrative medicine, doctors can help you determine if a full thyroid panel that includes testing for autoimmune thyroid conditions is appropriate for you.

Hashimoto’s is a progressive thyroid disease, which means it gets worse over time. The earlier it is diagnosed, the better the chance of reversing some of the damage.

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In functional medicine, treatment for Hashimoto’s may include a bioidentical thyroid hormone replacement, as well as diet changes like omitting gluten and optimizing other nutrients like iodine and selenium.

Another major factor that makes it very difficult to lose weight is the balance of blood glucose and insulin within the body. These two factors are also relevant for thyroid function.

Studies show that insulin resistance and inflammation may increase the amount of damage to the thyroid in those with autoimmune thyroid diseases like Hashimoto’s (5).

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The thyroid impacts your blood sugar levels, which means that thyroid dysfunction may result in unhealthy blood sugar levels (6). Unfortunately, this only places you at increased risk for metabolic syndrome, the symptoms of which include increased body weight.

Subclinical hypothyroidism is a condition in which you have some, but not all, of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. Many people with subclinical hypothyroidism don’t know they have it because their thyroid hormone levels fall within the normal range on standard blood tests. The most common cause of subclinical hypothyroidism is autoimmune Hashimoto’s (7).

If you’re finding it hard to lose weight while eating healthy and staying active, you may want to get your thyroid checked out. Subclinical hypothyroidism can be treated with thyroid hormone replacement therapy, as well as dietary changes and supplements like iodine and selenium (8).

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In functional medicine, we take a holistic approach to healing hypothyroidism by addressing the root causes of the problem. This may include diet and lifestyle changes, as well as supplements and thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

For autoimmune thyroid disease, and others, the goal of treatment is to keep thyroid hormone levels as close to normal as possible. This helps to protect the thyroid gland and prevents it from being further damaged.

Some of the dietary changes that may be recommended if you experience thyroid issues include omitting gluten–especially for Hashimoto’s–and foods that can reduce gut health, eating plenty of healthy fats, and consuming iodine-rich foods like seaweed and sea vegetables.

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In general, it’s best to avoid processed foods and eat a whole-food diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins. In general, this eating pattern is supportive of weight loss after you address the root cause of your low thyroid hormone production.

When it comes to foods to avoid if you have hypothyroidism, some of the biggest culprits are foods that are high in sugar and refined carbs. These foods can cause blood sugar spikes, which can have a negative effect on thyroid health.

The best way to approach problems with your thyroid gland is by working with a Functional Medicine physician who’s equipped to address the root cause of your issues–not just their symptoms. Depending on what’s causing your difficulty losing weight, your doctor may also recommend targeted supplementation and/or medication as well as lifestyle changes, like removing gluten from your diet.

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This is where it helps to have a collaborative team of professionals who specialize in the functional approach to helping you overcome your health issues. At your care team might include:

If you’re experiencing difficulty losing weight despite exercising and eating healthy, it could be that your thyroid hormone levels are not within the optimal range. Hypothyroidism makes weight loss very difficult for men and women alike. It is estimated that up to 20% of adults in the U.S.–or about 30 million people–have hypothyroidism, but go undetected on conventional tests because their TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level falls within what’s considered “normal”.

If you suspect hypothyroidism may be interfering with your ability to shed pounds – talk with an integrative medicine doctor about testing your thyroid levels.

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CentreSpring MD, formerly known as Atlanta Center for Holistic and Integrative Medicine, provides the best medical care by using an integrative approach to find a patient’s centre—their core—empowering them to spring forth into health.

Our team of dedicated board-certified providers relentlessly pursue your health until you have the answers that you deserve to change the trajectory of your health—and your life.Your thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck. The thyroid is tiny, yet so powerful. It’s responsible for regulating metabolism, and stores and produces almost all of the hormones our bodies produce! If your thyroid is underactive, you might feel sluggish, tired, and gain weight without eating more or changing your routine. Losing weight with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you don’t know how to bring yourself back into balance. 

Either an underactive or overactive thyroid can spell major issues for hormonal balance, since the thyroid produces two important hormones: triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), which are secreted into the blood and needed for the proper functioning of all the cells in your body.  

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An underactive thyroid (the most common) is called hypothyroidism, and can lead to many symptoms.  Some of these symptoms include low body temperature (such as cold hands and feet and cold sweats), low energy, mood swings, depression, weight gain (and inability to lose weight), insomnia, brain fog, menstrual problems, dry skin, and hair loss.  

It can also contribute to high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Hypothyroidism is often caused by Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. Research shows that a shocking 40% of Americans suffer from hypothyroidism, but a low percentage are actually diagnosed. 

 Some kind of medication is usually prescribed, which may or may not completely resolve the problem. One thing is for sure, a healthy diet rich in whole foods is a helpful piece of the puzzle. The following are the top five ways you can keep your thyroid healthy or help heal an imbalanced one, lose weight, and feel amazing.

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Getting plenty of pure sources of both plant and animal protein and fat will help to nourish your thyroid and balance your hormones, leading to weight loss.  

Natural proteins and fats help to support healthy immunity, and eating low-glycemic food is really important as well.  This means avoiding processed foods including white sugar, bread, pasta, cereal, etc, and following a