How to lose weight while taking thyroid hormones. Endocrinologists about losing weight with hypothyroidism. How the thyroid gland regulates fat deposits in the body

Why does a person get fat? The source of such troubles would seem obvious - overeating plus low physical activity. However, there are other, lesser known factors in obesity. For example, endocrine diseases or impaired hormone production. There is no need to be sad, because any endocrinologist will tell you that the problem is solvable. Find out: how to lose weight with hypothyroidism, make up correct menu and influence the functioning of the thyroid gland with drugs.

What is hypothyroidism

Hormones endocrine system influence all processes in the body: participate in the formation of soft tissues, are responsible for the functioning of the heart, bone growth, etc. However, it happens that the endocrine system fails for some reason. Autoimmune hypothyroidism is a decrease in the production of the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine, which interferes with metabolic processes and contributes to obesity.

Hypothyroidism and excess weight

Characteristic symptoms of hypothyroidism include: decreased body temperature, pale or yellow skin, and the formation of cholesterol plaques. Due to the reduced production of gland hormones, the rate of metabolic processes decreases, while the need for energy at rest or activity remains the same. As a result, a person constantly feels hungry and begins to eat a lot of higher-calorie foods. Obesity with hypothyroidism appears as a consequence of this process.

Hypothyroidism and weight loss

It is known that the thyroid gland and weight loss are closely related concepts. If you don’t improve the functioning of the first one, then losing weight will be simply unrealistic. It’s good that there are a lot of medications and food products that can stimulate the endocrine system. However, you need to remember that losing weight with hypothyroidism has a number of contraindications, including:

pregnancy or breastfeeding;
severe intestinal disorders;
the presence of other serious chronic diseases.

Is it possible to lose weight

It is quite possible to lose weight with hypothyroidism, the main thing is to adhere to the rules and slightly change your lifestyle. In general, the program for getting rid of obesity due to thyroid dysfunction is not much different from a regular diet for weight loss. You should discuss details with your doctor about how to lose weight with hypothyroidism if:

there were cases of thyroid dysfunction in the family, especially in the female line;
you are entering premenopause or have reached full menopause;
Over the past few years, you have already suffered from hormonal imbalance or experienced severe emotional turmoil during this period of time.

Is it possible to play sports

A good combination is hypothyroidism and sports. Moderate exercise for a few minutes a day will help speed up your metabolism. How to lose weight with hypothyroidism through sports? Any simple activity will do: jumping, bending, walking, climbing stairs, running. Easy fitness for weight loss can be combined well with strength exercises for extension muscle mass. The muscles will gradually grow and displace fat layer.

Diet

Before starting to lose weight if there are disorders in the endocrine system, it is necessary to confirm the alleged diagnosis. In most cases, to diagnose hypothyroidism, you need to take a blood test for hormones and do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland. If the results confirm the suspicions, the doctor will prescribe artificial hormones, the purpose of which is to compensate for the lack of thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

The endocrinologist's diet for weight loss will go along with taking medications, but will not begin until TSH returns to normal. All foods containing goitrogenic substances that interfere with the production of hormones will be excluded from the diet. As a rule, these are all types of cabbage, spring vegetables and some greens. A good example of a proper weight loss regimen is the diet for hypothyroidism from Mary Chaumont.

Products

The essence of this weight loss program is to stimulate metabolic processes by eating properly selected foods. The basis of the diet should be proteins, most of which are best eaten at breakfast. Quality protein can be found in:

fermented milk products, especially cheese or cottage cheese;
lean meat: beef, sea fish, offal, rabbit meat, liver;
eggs.

What will not be beneficial are foods rich in refined carbohydrates for hypothyroidism. Their dietary fiber levels are unusually low, and complex carbohydrates slow down their metabolism. Sources of empty calories include:

all types of granulated sugar;
store-bought juices;
fine flour;
instant porridges and other dishes made from refined grains;
pasta;
refined starches.

However, you cannot completely give up carbohydrates for weight loss. It is important to learn to distinguish beneficial substances from placebos. For example, instead of pasta for hypothyroidism, it is better to cook sweet potatoes, replace polished rice with brown rice, and use coconut oil instead of refined rice. Fruits and foods containing fiber, iodine, magnesium, and selenium will be especially beneficial for the thyroid gland.

Diet Mary Chaumont

Meals should be divided: it is better to eat little by little, but chew often and slowly. The American writer and author of the book “How to Lose Weight with Hypothyroidism” suggests preparing food in the same way as following a regular diet. In addition, the Mary Chaumont diet for hypothyroidism suggests taking into account several important points:

Make sure your TSH level is low. As a rule, doctors prescribe a diet when the TSH level reaches 4-4.5 mU/l. However, Mary claims that the optimal T4 value for weight loss is in the range of 2.5-1 mU/l.
If you have hypothyroidism, you should not take any other medications that will interact with thyroxine preparations. For successful weight loss You will have to stop taking vitamin complexes with calcium, as well as birth control pills.
Test yourself for insulin resistance. If the amount of insulin produced in the blood is significantly higher than the concentration of sugar, this will inevitably lead to the accumulation of fat.

Fasting

Metabolism, already working at its last strength, can slow down significantly if you start consuming less than 1200 kcal per day. Therefore, fasting for hypothyroidism is strictly contraindicated. According to Mary’s weight loss diet, you can calculate your individual food intake using the following formula: X=Y*25 – 200, where:

X – total daily calorie content;
Y – total body weight in kilograms.

Thyroid medications for weight loss

The principle of nutrition based on taking the right medications and foods is the most effective method reduce body weight. However, before using thyroid medications for weight loss, you should have your blood tested for plasma levels of triiodothyronine, TSH, thyroxine, and cortisone. Only after receiving affirmative answers and on the recommendation of a doctor can hormone replacement therapy be started.

As a rule, vital medications for hypothyroidism include:

Euthyrox;
Tyrosine;
Omega-3;
L-carnitine;
Levothyroxine sodium.

The nutritional system for hypothyroidism remains the same, but becomes more useful. To make it easier to fight excess calories, you should take note of the endocrinologist’s advice for losing weight:

If you have hypothyroidism, you should not set goals to lose weight in a week. Therapeutic weight loss– the process is long but effective.
A diet for thyroid hypothyroidism involves excluding alcohol, fat, fatty acids, complex carbohydrates.
For proper weight loss drink coffee in the morning. It contains vitamins of the PP group and potassium.
Monitor your cholesterol levels and regularly replenish iodine deficiency with ready-made vitamin complexes or food: walnuts, seafood, grapes.

Video

Many people know that hypothyroidism and excess weight are related to each other. Many people believe that from the start of taking hormonal hormones replacement therapy body weight should decrease quickly. However, losing weight with hypothyroidism has many features, so you should not hope for quick results.

Proper nutrition and healthy image life - these words are constantly spoken by doctors, but people do not always pay enough attention to them. This mistake is often made by patients with hypothyroidism. Taking L-thyroxine preparations, they wait quick results, especially if you are obese. But it does not always occur. How to deal with overweight If you have hypothyroidism, your endocrinologist can tell you.

Excess weight due to hypothyroidism

First you need to find out why people suffering from hypothyroidism are almost always overweight. The first reason is excess accumulation of adipose tissue. It occurs due to insulin resistance and impaired fat metabolism. In hypothyroidism, dyslipidemia is noted against the background of increased insulin levels with slightly elevated level blood sugar. As a result, adipose tissue accumulates.

The main role in this process is played by insulin resistance - a condition in which the process of transport of glucose molecules into tissues (muscles, liver, adipose tissue) is disrupted. As a result, glucose is not processed, but is deposited in fat cells. Therefore, to the question - how to lose weight with hypothyroidism, there is only one answer: you need to start with the fight against insulin resistance.

Second reason excess weight is the accumulation of fluid in the body, which is directly related to the lack of thyroid hormones in the blood. Therefore, the effect that patients see at the beginning of treatment with L-thyroxine is associated specifically with the elimination excess liquid from organs and tissues. But this result is short-lived. Wrong lifestyle and nutrition can return the previous state of affairs.

Losing weight with hypothyroidism

The process of losing weight with hypothyroidism can take a long time, since “starvation” diets and extreme physical activity are unacceptable in such cases. First, you should pay attention to the TSH numbers.

Through numerous studies, it has been proven that with a TSH of 1.0 mU/L, patients feel significantly better than with a TSH of 4.0 mU/L. The same goes for weight. The lower the TSH, the higher the likelihood of weight loss.

You should also pay attention to the fact that some medications reduce the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy, and the lack of weight changes is actually associated with existing hypothyroidism.

Such drugs include: calcium supplements, estrogens (birth control pills). Eating soy products is also undesirable because they reduce the amount of L-thyroxine in the blood.

The basis of proper and effective weight loss is the reduction of insulin resistance. After reading about hypothyroidism: symptoms and treatment, it will become clear why this is necessary.

First you need to decide whether a person has such a syndrome. Insulin resistance is most often detected in individuals with abdominal obesity. Therefore, if your waist size leaves much to be desired, then insulin resistance most likely exists.

People with this syndrome also experience dark pigment deposits in the skin under the arms, elbows, knees, and under the breasts.

In order to eliminate insulin resistance, you should engage in active physical activity (swimming and exercise cycling are effective in such cases, as they relate to aerobic species sports).

The diet should be limited in fats and carbohydrates. Weight loss leads to decreased insulin resistance. Does it seem like a vicious circle? If you follow all the rules, you can get out of it easily.

Diet for hypothyroidism

The peculiarity of any diet is that it must be balanced. That is, the food must contain all the nutrients, but in altered proportions (if necessary). The diet for hypothyroidism is different in that it should not be low-calorie.

If your metabolism is impaired, fasting can significantly worsen your health, but the goal of the diet is to reduce body weight, and not to develop a large number of chronic diseases.

The calorie content of food should be maintained at a decent level. But if you eat often, but in small portions, and at the same time active image life, the metabolism will become more intense, which will lead to a decrease in body weight due to the burning of fat accumulations.

Eating in small portions has another undeniable advantage - it establishes a strong connection between the brain and the stomach.

With hypothyroidism, the nervous system is primarily affected, so appetite is most often reduced, the feeling of hunger and the feeling of satiety are dulled. By eating fractionally, a person does not overeat, which has a positive effect on health.

Nutrition for hypothyroidism should be complete - you can eat vegetables, lean meats, legumes, and dairy products.

All people who are losing weight should remember that if the process of losing weight only gives you unpleasant sensations, then something in your lifestyle and diet needs to be changed.

Depression causes a decrease in serotonin levels in the blood, which puts the body into “physiological stress.” It gets in the way effective weight loss no less than a diet violation. Therefore, losing weight with hypothyroidism should bring joy and only pleasant moments.

YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTION HERE (in the comments) AND GET AN ANSWER FROM AN ENDOCRINOLOGIST.
Do not forget to indicate your age, height and weight, since the norms for different categories are different.

: 13 comments

Hello. I would like to consult. During pregnancy I gained 25 kg, doctors attributed it to gestosis (but all the indicators, as they said, were normal). During pregnancy there was severe swelling of the legs, I took diuretics and gave IVs, but there was no result. I ate as advised, almost eliminated salt, did not eat fatty or fried foods, mostly vegetables and fruits, did fasting days. I gained weight quickly. Now the child is already 11 months old, but these 23 kg are not going away. During pregnancy, I warned that I had stage 1 hypothyroidism, but I was not asked to take any pills or tests. Before pregnancy I weighed 54 kg, now I weigh 77. Fasting days and eating low-calorie foods do not help. I'm breastfeeding. Tell me, is it possible that my illness has now worsened due to inattention during pregnancy? and how is it possible to reduce body weight? Thank you

my age is 24 years, height 164 cm, weight about this moment 77 kg

Hello, if you had hypothyroidism, then you should definitely take L-thyroxine during pregnancy. You should examine yourself and show your child to an endocrinologist.

You should also do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland and a blood test for hormones (TSH, free T4 and antibodies to TPO). All the child needs to do is donate blood for TSH and see the result. If a child has even slight developmental deviations, then he should be examined as soon as possible.

Thank you. It turns out that the child could also get the disease from me? Why don’t pediatricians pay attention to this? We saw an endocrinologist and he didn’t run any tests on the child! Although he asked me about my illness. strange people! What should be the norm for me and my child? I will rent it myself at a paid clinic.

Hello, you should pay attention to the health of the child. because it developed under conditions of potential hypothyroidism. His thyroid gland worked overtime to compensate for the lack of L-thyroxine in the mother's body. Therefore, for some time it is worth periodically having your child have a blood test for TSH. Also show it to a competent neurologist.

Hello. After giving birth in July 2015, I felt unwell. Until December 2015, I was getting worse and worse. The face, tongue and whole body are swollen. The brain didn't work. There was obvious lethargy. I took hormone tests. Tsh 25. The endecrinologist prescribed L thyroxine 100 mcg and Bimmunal. I still accept it. Now the hormone (as of August 15, 2016) is TSH 3.9. But still my weight does not go away. But he is holding on. His general health leaves much to be desired. Appetite does not decrease. The brain always gives the signal “I want to eat”! The brain retardation did not go away either. Nervousness and drowsiness are still present. What pill can you take to reduce appetite and improve brain activity? My vision also deteriorated sharply. Last year it was 0.20. This one is -1.25. I have been taking thyroxine since December 2015.

Hello, many patients believe that after starting treatment for hypothyroidism, the weight will return to normal on its own. This is a common mistake because weight loss requires a person's full participation (diet, exercise, daily routine).

There are drugs that reduce appetite, but their effect is temporary, and they do not help every person. They also have a huge number of undesirable effects, and their effectiveness is relatively low. Therefore, taking such drugs is harmful to health. Regarding the diet: drink more liquid half an hour before meals (this will reduce the amount of food eaten at one time), reduce the portion size, eat 5-6 times a day. Last time eat 2-3 hours before bedtime. Of course, exclude fried, fatty, salted, smoked foods.
Physical activity should be daily - swimming, running, yoga, fitness is possible, but it is better to postpone it until you feel better.

Regarding “improving brain function” - a daily routine, proper nutrition and exercise will improve metabolism throughout the body. If you want to stimulate the central nervous system, you can take a tincture consisting of eleutherococcus, ginseng and lemongrass. Use three times a day for a month.

Take general blood and urine tests (check ESR, hemoglobin, leukocytes). Do an ultrasound of the thyroid gland. You can undergo an MRI of the brain to refute any structural changes in the central nervous system.

Hello, I'm 32 years old. weight 77. height 169 cm. I feel normal, although many years ago I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Do I need to lose weight?

Hello. I have hypothyroidism. I have been watching since I was 12 years old. Now I'm 27 years old. After giving birth, I gained weight. Ttg 0.8. Height 156, weight 64 kg. After giving birth, the weight began to decrease. I take l-thyroxine at a dose of 125. During pregnancy I took 200. After giving birth, I began to reduce the dosage. The child is one year old. I quit breastfeeding and suddenly gained 5 more kg from 60 kg. In three weeks of doing moderate-intensity sports, I lost only kg. I want to go to the pool. They are planning a second pregnancy and want to get my body back to normal. Preferably, I want to lose at least 8-10 kg in 4 months. Is this real and what should I stick to? Help!!!

Also lack of appetite, apathy. Not in the mood. I don't want to do anything. Ultrasound of the thyroid gland is normal. I have been taking L-thyroxine continuously since I was 12 years old without breaks. Maybe it's worth increasing the dosage? I also feel swelling.

Hello, weight loss should always be physiological. This is especially true for those patients who have health problems. Most likely, excess weight after stopping breastfeeding appeared due to the fact that you are used to eating more calories than your body needs. You should limit fatty, fried, starchy foods and other foods that contribute to weight gain. Meals should be fractional, low-calorie and high in fiber. The intensity of physical activity should be increased gradually. If you manage to lose 10 kg in 4 months, this will negatively affect your metabolism, the state of the digestive tract and work nervous system. I recommend reconsidering your view on nutrition and increasing the duration of exercise. Swimming is very good for health, but to lose weight you need to swim at least three times a week.

Complaints of lack of appetite and depressed mood do not always indicate problems with the thyroid gland. Your TSH is close to the lower limit of normal, so you should not increase the dosage of L-thyrrxin. Hyperthyroidism will lead to weight loss, but it will harm everyone internal organs. You can visit an endocrinologist and psychotherapist to adjust your treatment.

Hello, excess weight due to hypothyroidism may be associated with edema, and not with excess adipose tissue. Therefore, you should take a blood test for TSH. If it is normal, then you need to start losing weight through diet and exercise. If TSH is increased, then you should contact an endocrinologist to adjust treatment. Normalizing TSH rarely leads to significant weight loss, so the next step will be to review your diet, regimen and evaluate the quality and quantity of physical activity.
We must fight excess weight not only for aesthetic reasons. With age, diabetes mellitus and fatty liver disease may develop. The increased load on the joints and spine in the future will lead to an earlier onset of arthrosis and osteochondrosis. Therefore, you should pay attention to this problem, but you need to lose weight gradually.
Sudden weight loss due to fasting or excessive exercise can lead to other problems.

Beautiful fit and a slim body- the dream of every woman. But what to do if you can’t lose weight? Perhaps the reason lies in thyroid diseases and hormone imbalances that provoke weight gain, despite all your efforts.

Acquired hypothyroidism develops:

because of ;
due to partial or complete operations;
due to taking medications;
due to lack of iodine in food.

Diagnostics

In the latent course of the disease, the level of hormones may be within the lower or upper limits of normal, so they use additional methods diagnostics:

laboratory determination of level, T3, T4;
the number of antibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormones;
detailed lipid profile.

Slow metabolism is the cause of obesity

Why is it so difficult to lose weight with hypothyroidism? Thyroid hormones in normal quantities regulate the body's metabolism, accelerating the utilization of incoming substances, being catalysts for the production of special enzymes at the cellular level.

If the body receives more nutrients than it is capable of using, then the excess is converted not into energy necessary to maintain life, but into body fat. And in this case, this process is determined not only by the amount of food absorbed, but also by the slow process of its processing into energy, so fasting is contraindicated for hypothyroidism. Due to slow metabolism, the body in any case more actively forms fatty tissue - this is how excess weight appears in hypothyroidism.

Thus, in order to speed up the process of losing weight with thyroid hypothyroidism, a consistent set of actions is necessary: normalization of nutrition, introduction of foods rich in microelements into the diet, aerobic training and loads.

“Nutrition” of the thyroid gland

How to lose weight with hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland if there is a lack of nutrients in the body? Latent forms of hypothyroidism often develop due to a lack of minerals in food. , poor iodine, selenium, zinc and iron indirectly provokes obesity in hypothyroidism:

for iodine deficiency, it is necessary to consume arnica, persimmon, dates, spinach, sorrel, and sea fish;
with a lack of zinc and iron: veal or rabbit, liver, eggs, dairy products, cereals, seafood, oysters;
for selenium deficiency: pumpkin, blueberries, beets.

In order for microelements to be better absorbed, calcium is necessary. It can be obtained from dairy products and citrus fruits.

Weight loss program

How to lose weight with hypothyroidism if your metabolism is slow? The approach should be comprehensive and include some features: clarification of the diagnosis, consultation with an endocrinologist, treatment, proper nutrition and diet, intense physical activity. Fasting is strictly contraindicated, because with hypothyroidism, weight loss can only slow down (due to impaired metabolism).

Everything in the complex will certainly give desired result However, without consulting an endocrinologist, it will be more difficult to formulate a program of proper diet or physical activity.

First, confirm your diagnosis

Before going on a diet if you suspect that you have hypothyroidism, you need to get your thyroid hormone levels tested and consult an endocrinologist about this. Sometimes other tests are required to definitively confirm the diagnosis. This is also necessary in order to receive the right treatment.

Secondly, combine foods and medications correctly

Some biologically active substances, when combined, can weaken or enhance each other's effects. Therefore, having chosen a program, a patient losing weight should:

exclude foods that reduce the absorption of iodine and other trace elements;
take in such a way that an interval of 3-4 hours is maintained between taking calcium and iron-containing complexes, as they weaken the absorption of hormones;
do not make independent appointments.

Thirdly, adjust your diet

A balanced diet for metabolic disorders is a balance in favor of protein foods. Proteins are absorbed faster and almost completely converted into the energy of chemical bonds, so you need to add 30–40 grams of protein to each meal. An endocrinologist's advice on how to lose weight with hypothyroidism by eating right will help you create a daily diet with calorie counting. This diet completely excludes spicy foods and alcohol.

Fourth - focus on fiber by giving up carbohydrates

Patients with hypothyroidism are not recommended to consume carbohydrates: refined sugar, baked goods, white bread, pasta, potatoes. These products should be abandoned in favor of plant fiber, which at first will give the illusion of satiety, a “full” stomach, without adding as many calories as carbohydrates. 20 – 30 grams of fiber per day will quickly reduce excess weight.

Fifth - consolidate your success with aerobic exercise

Is it possible to lose weight without moving? results proper nutrition needs to be secured. Intensive and regular aerobic exercise can speed up metabolism. Start gradually: with cycling, brisk walking walking, jogging. In the future, when the body gets used to it, it will be necessary to introduce a more intense physical complex, For example power training in gym. This will help you lose weight faster, you will strengthen your muscles, and fat tissue will gradually give way to muscle tissue.

Feedback from a patient who was able to lose weight thanks to these comprehensive measures: “Due to hypothyroidism, I was overweight. Nothing helped. I found a forum, read reviews about the step-by-step weight loss program, consulted with an endocrinologist and thanks proper diet and a set of exercises, I managed to reduce my weight by 15 kg in six months. I am very grateful, I will continue to follow the recommendations!”

Bibliography

Guide to endocrinology. - M.: Medicine, 2017. - 506 p.
Guide to pediatric endocrinology / Ivan Ivanovich Dedov, Valentina Aleksandrovna Peterkova. – M.: Universum Publishing, 2006. – 595 p. : ill.
Grebenshchikov Yu.B., Moshkovsky Yu.Sh., Bioorganic chemistry // Physico-chemical properties, structure and functional activity of insulin. - 1986. - p.296.
Mikhailov V.S. Food culture. - M.: Profizdat, 2000.
Filippovich Yu.B., Fundamentals of biochemistry // Hormones and their role in metabolism. - 1999. - p.451-453,455-456, 461-462.

⚕️Melikhova Olga Aleksandrovna - endocrinologist, 2 years of experience.

Deals with issues of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the endocrine system: thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, gonads, parathyroid glands, thymus gland, etc.

The thyroid gland is an organ belonging to the endocrine system. The thyroid gland is an internal secretion organ; it produces specific hormones, which are special regulatory proteins.

This gland is located on the anterior surface of the neck from 2 to 6 cartilaginous rings of the trachea, below the thyroid cartilage. It is an active, 24/7 hormone production factory. In this regard, it needs a constant supply of iodine, oxygen, amino acids, and other elements. The mass of the thyroid gland ranges from 20 to 60 g, but an average of 140 - 150 liters of blood passes through it per day!

How does the thyroid gland regulate fat deposits in the body?

Thyroid hormones directly or indirectly affect all biological processes in our body. This is a powerful regulator of the speed of metabolic processes. In addition, the hormone that directly regulates the activity of the thyroid gland also has a certain effect on many tissues of our body.

Hypothyroidism and excess weight

Hypothyroidism (hypo means decreased) is the opposite of hyperthyroidism, a condition that occurs in the body when there is low levels of thyroid hormones.
Hypothyroidism occurs in 1.5% to 2% of women and 0.2% of men. These disorders are more common due to age. Up to 10% of women over 65 may have some signs of hypothyroidism.

Somewhat less frequently, hypothyroidism also occurs among young people. For example, hypothyroidism in newborns causes a condition described as cretinism. It is characterized by mental retardation, jaundice, poor appetite, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms. IN adolescence Hypothyroidism is characterized by growth retardation and problems with the mental development of the child. Some medications can cause hypothyroidism by affecting the production of thyroid hormone. These include some heart medications, lithium medications, etc.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism

Symptoms of hypothyroidism include: weight gain, hypothermia (low body temperature), chilliness, jaundice of the skin, hypercholesterolemia, early atherosclerosis, etc. However, weight gain with hypothyroidism is not too great and is partly due to myxedematous edema, and not the accumulation of fat mass. This edema (myxedema) develops due to the accumulation of mucopolysaccharides in the tissues - glucosaminoglycans, which sharply increase the hydrophilicity (water content) of the tissues.

Such disorders in connective tissue arise from the effects of thyroid-stimulating hormone, the amount of which different forms hypothyroidism increases significantly. Myxedema is also characterized by thickening of the skin and a puffy face. Of course, hypothyroidism is accompanied in many cases by the deposition of additional amounts of fat mass, but the main weight gain is still due to mucous edema.

Hypothyroidism usually develops slowly. Often the first symptom of the disease is hearing impairment, which forces the patient, first of all, to contact an otolaryngologist. This hearing loss occurs due to swelling of the auditory tube (Eustachian tube) and the organs of the middle ear. Difficulty in nasal breathing may also occur, which is associated with swelling of the nasal mucosa, a low, hoarse voice due to swelling and thickening vocal cords and other symptoms. In severe cases of hypothyroidism, periorbital edema (swelling of the tissues in the eye sockets), puffy face, large lips and tongue with tooth marks on the lateral edges, swollen limbs, difficulty in nasal breathing, etc. are observed.

When treating hypothyroidism, body weight is reduced due to the loss of excess fluid, not fat. Also, in patients with hypothyroidism treated with levothyroxine (L-T4), the degree of TSH suppression has no effect on body weight.

In studies, patients with lower TSH levels had more high level basal metabolic rate, but no differences were found in weight, as well as in fat and lean body mass. In contrast, it should be noted that with low levels of thyroid hormones, not only general metabolism decreases, but also appetite, which compensates for the potential risk of gaining excess weight

Such conclusions are supported by the observation that in patients receiving suppressive therapy for thyroid tumors, weight gain over 3–5 years corresponds to the usual level, despite a decrease in thyroid hormones in the blood.

Thus, as you yourself understand, with general significant obesity and the absence of additional symptoms of hypothyroidism, there is no reason to associate weight gain with hypothyroidism and prescribe hormonal therapy. Only insufficient thyroid function confirmed by laboratory testing may require correction. And this correction does not always involve prescribing thyroid hormones!

rice. Myxedema in a patient with hypothyroidism
(low thyroid function)
(illustration from textbook)

Hyperthyroidism and weight

Hyperthyroidism (hyper- means enlarged) refers to an increase in the thyroid gland's production of thyroid hormones. When the level of thyroid hormones increases, the metabolic rate, as well as energy expenditure at rest and during physical activity, correspondingly increases. With hyperthyroidism, this leads to weight loss with a decrease in the amount of fatty tissue. Many processes in the body also accelerate, body temperature rises (by the way, an increase in base body temperature is one of the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction), the heartbeat accelerates, and trembling occurs in the hands. Along with this, appetite increases, but despite this, patients often lose some weight (a kind of metabolic weight loss, not obesity). In this situation extra energy will also be spent on maintaining elevated body temperature.

Losing weight with thyroid hormones

This effect of thyroid hormones on metabolism was the reason for the creation of weight loss methods using them. To do this, overweight patients were given additional thyroid hormones, despite their normal hormonal levels in the blood, which caused a condition similar to hyperthyroidism and led to some weight loss. However, weight loss with moderately severe hyperthyroidism is not too severe, while at the same time, with significantly severe hyperthyroidism, other symptoms begin to predominate - from the heart, central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, etc. (It is in connection with these more noticeable disorders that patients turn to doctors .)

Is it right to use thyroid hormones for weight loss?

In my opinion, the prescription of thyroid hormones, with their normal amount in the blood, has a destructive effect on the entire regulatory system of our body. The weight loss caused by this method will be short-lived and will quickly return to the initial values, and what is even more likely, will exceed them. In addition, the impact of increased amounts of thyroid hormones on many organs and tissues will lead to their restructuring and an adaptive decrease in receptor sensitivity, which will subsequently cause withdrawal syndrome after the end of the course.

It should also be noted that attempts to use thyroid hormones in dietary supplements for weight loss often cause thyrotoxicosis with the possibility of developing thyrotoxic periodic paralysis.

It is absolutely clear that the prescription of hormones can only be justified in cases where the thyroid gland cannot, for some reason, produce sufficient amounts of them. In any case, this should be decided with the participation of an endocrinologist.

Weight gain with hypothyroidism is closely related to problems of the thyroid gland, which takes part in metabolic processes. With hypothyroidism, the metabolism is slowed down, and excess weight appears regardless of whether a person plays sports or not; very often the problem of excess weight turns into a problem of obesity. An endocrinologist, a doctor who treats diseases of the endocrine system and the thyroid gland in particular, will help you lose weight if you have hypothyroidism.

The endocrinologist will give directions for laboratory examination, make a diagnosis and prescribe medications necessary for the treatment of the thyroid gland. During the consultation, you can get information about a thyroid disorder called hypothyroidism and what diet will help you cope with excess weight.

Treatment of hypothyroidism

The disorder is associated with dysfunction of the thyroid gland, which ceases to produce hormones in the required quantities. It can be caused by a lack of iodine in the body or surgery on the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism can also be associated with diabetes mellitus, which disrupts the functioning of the endocrine gland.

Treatment is carried out with replacement therapy drugs, these are synthetic hormones that patients must take for the rest of their lives. In addition to replacement therapy drugs, the endocrinologist will prescribe a diet and advise how to lose weight with hypothyroidism.

Endocrinologist's advice:

If you have hypothyroidism, you cannot adhere to a strict diet with severe calorie restriction. Hunger will not help you lose weight and get rid of obesity, since with a lack of calories, your metabolism slows down even more.
Endocrinologists for diseases of the thyroid gland advise taking food little by little, but often.
You need to give up medications that contain estrogens and calcium, these substances contribute to sudden weight gain.
Patients suffering from diabetes need to reduce the dose of insulin injections. Insulin promotes recruitment extra pounds. However, you cannot adjust the insulin dose yourself; only a doctor can do this.
Losing weight with hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland occurs naturally if a person walks a lot, goes swimming and physical exercise on fresh air. Physical exercise accelerate metabolic processes and promote weight loss.
You can restore thyroid function with diet. To get rid of obesity, it is necessary to exclude soy, cabbage, fried, spicy and fatty foods from the diet.

Products that help you lose weight:

dairy products;
lean meat;
sea fish;
fresh vegetables, except cabbage;
berries and fruits;
iodized salt;
kelp.

With thyroid diseases associated with hypothyroidism, weight loss occurs gradually, this is due to the slow restoration of metabolic processes.

What is L-carnitine and how to take it for hypothyroidism

Synthetic L-carnitine is a pharmaceutical preparation containing levocarnitine, a natural substance produced by the human body. Carnitine accumulates in muscles, brain, sperm and heart and helps convert fat into clean energy. In addition to pharmaceutical preparations, carnitine can be obtained from lamb, red meat, dairy products, poultry, fish, wheat and avocado.

A completely healthy gland allows the body to produce as much carnitine as is necessary for normal functioning. In patients with hormonal deficiency, low production of levocarnitine contributes to the development of angina, intermittent claudication and the development of other problems.

Endocrinologists advise taking carnitine as an addition to the therapeutic treatment of the thyroid gland.
The drug L-carnitine can be taken for weight loss; it stimulates the transformation of adipose tissue into muscle tissue, promotes weight loss, while eliminating lethargy and fatigue.
Carnitine regulates the functioning of the gland and reduces metabolism. It can be taken by patients who abuse alcohol; the substance protects the liver from the influence of alcohol. Endocrinologists recommend L-carnitine for hormonal disorders; the drug helps to lose weight and cope with weakness. You can also take L-carnitine if you have hyperthyroidism of the thyroid gland; the drug helps reduce body temperature, cope with tachycardia, and relieve excitability and the effects of stress.
Carnitine is recommended to be taken for chronic pancreatitis and gastritis, for diabetes and hypertension.
For thyroid diseases accompanied by excess weight gain, you can use carnitine as a means of reducing metabolic resistance to weight loss.

All actions related to weight loss pharmaceutical drugs, it is recommended to consult with your doctor.