If that is the question you are asking yourself, read on below as we are going to help you find some causes and simple steps to turn your situation around.
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When it comes to Hashimoto you have to understand that your body can undergo changes from losing weight incredibly fast to gaining weight even faster! That’s because the autoimmunity attacks your thyroid which is responsible for controlling your hormonal balance and your metabolism. The Thyroid is very important in your organism as it is like the ‘thermostat’ that creates balance,and when it is out of balance the whole body suffers.
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We have been asked questions from our followers on what are the real causes of this weight gain. As the thyroid controls the hormonal balance: insulin, glucagon and other metabolic hormones production, your body will react differently from the norm even on a diet of low calories and you may be gaining weight even if consuming just 700 kcal a day. If you have followed our previous posts you have learned that autoimmunity is caused by inflammation( if you haven’t I recommend you go through our posts and read on ‘What is a leaky gut?‘) and that your thyroid function will depend on the level of inflammation.
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How to know that your weight gain is due to low thyroid function? Well, first of all check our level of TSH in your blood. Normal ranges vary from 0.4 to 5 but normal is relative to the patient i.e people of young age have a normal range of 0.5 to 1, older age people have a normal range higher than that, while normal for pregnant women is 5. As you see normal varies from the individual group, and you have to get your TSH levels to your normal to help your body lose weight naturally.
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As we mentioned previously healthy thyroid will help your body stay healthy with a high metabolism. For us that suffer from Hashimoto, unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated than that. If you want to thrive even with Hashimoto, read on as we are going to tell you some tips on how to lose weight naturally. So read on to the reasons why you many not be losing weight:
If your thyroid is not working properly, you need to help it by taking a supportive thyroid replacement hormone that your doctor will prescribe according to your need. You will need to do lab tests to check you current TSH and T3, T4 levels to get a clear view of what you current needs will be.
“So if I just get my medication then I should start to lose weight?”- you would say. As much as we wish this was just enough, unfortunately it’s not. As we have said many times Hashimoto is a complex disease. Our organism is marvelous, and works by interconnected system organs. You will have to manage your sleep schedule, your work schedule and even times when you eat and drink! It requires at the beginning especially some work to settle a schedule that works for you, and you will need to do some trial and error until you achieve the best results, but don’t get discouraged, it will eventually work out. You will know when you have found the perfect time management schedule when your energy levels finally start to raise and your symptoms to disappear.
First of all, DON’T STRESS. This advice works for everything! That’s why stress induces our bodies to produce more cortisol, the stress, hormone, which in turn will produce more stress. Also keep in mind that the adrenal glands are responsible for production of TSH hormone and stress will disrupt their proper function. TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone which controls the proper function of the thyroid gland. Then in turn it will lead to you feeling fatigue and lower energy. So take it easy, and be calm, I know it is a handful condition, but you will learn to manage it with time and experience.
Second, sleep properly. People that suffer from Hashimoto have a high level of inflammation, lack of sleep will deteriorate your condition. The worse your inflammation, the worse your condition, and the more you will gain weight. If you sleep for at least 8 hours your body will be relaxed and regenerated, your metabolism will start to regulate and the better it gets the faster you lose weight naturally. If you are sleep deprived, you will also be triggering adrenal fatigue, and feel more tired all day.
Third, to help your metabolism speed up and lose more weight, you need to workout, on a daily bases. The level of workout for us with Hashimoto is different depending on the stage of the disease you are. I know that it looks impossible, sometimes yo can barely drag yourself out of bed, but just moving will help you. Then it all depends on you body energy on what you may do:
•If you are just diagnosed with Hashimoto, with low energy and fatigue, you need to workout every day, but just a short period of 5 to 15 minutes a day to keep your body active. Usually no weight, fast exercises that may be total body workout. High intensity, but short period of time will help you improve your energy levels, as well as to help you start lose weight.
•If you are diagnosed for a while and have started to regain your energy, your workout level can start from 30 and can go up to 60 minutes. Again try to keep weights at minimum. Jogging, and high intensity total body workouts are the best to help you get energy and in shape again.
Forthly, meditate and do affirmations. Meditation has shown to improve lower stress levels as well as to help our body calm down and regenerate. It will be a little difficult in the beginning to concentrate but by practicing you will eventually become a pro. It is very calming and soothing the moment you meditate, it is like you are flying in the sky, and all your problems have disappeared, so I highly advice you to do it. Affirmations, will also help you to positively affect yourself to being healthy. Repeat in the morning ‘I am healthy, my thyroid is healthy and functions perfectly‘ and ‘I love myself’, 5 times each, when you wake up, you will be surprised on what wanders it will work for you. Do this for at least 21 days.
Fifth tips is to take supplements. Most problems with Hashimoto and other chronic diseases are rooted into inflammation and lack of nutrients. Inflammation causes the organism to fight its own cells leading them into degradation and you to serious health issues. Cells need micro and macro nutrients in order to stay healthy.
Keep in mind that we that have Hashimoto are very sensitive to chemicals or toxins and are a big deal into increasing inflammation. So be careful when choosing supplements. If you want to learn more in depth about what supplements to take read more here.
Sixth tip is of course hydration. Drink plenty of water, during the day. We have a dry skin as a result of this condition, so drinking water improves the cells hydration. Plus hair health is improved. Water helps your intestines’ health, and helps alleviate Leaky Gut condition as well as helps get rid of toxins through frequent urination, so helps in lowering inflammation, and thus helping you to lose weight. Set a goal to drink at least 1.5 liter water during the day. It will improve your health condition, and it is just a simple thing to do.
So there you have it, some tips on how to create a positive condition to start losing weight naturally. These simple tips, can make a huge change in your weight and health overall. Let us know how you are feeling after trying these tips, in the section of comments below. You can also reach out to us, to ask questions and require help on different topics you are having a problem with. We would be happy to write content and help you with your condition. After all we are in this together, it is a difficult health condition, but you will get to learn how to mange it. We will be there with tips and advice.
Much love, Organic Vision Team
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I really found it helpful. These are really simple tips. I have just being diagnosed, and these tips gave me a clearer view of how to help my body. Could you please post a blog about Nutrition and what should we eat to lower inflammation. Thanks a lot. Eva
Hi Eva, We are glad our content helped you with your condition. Keep an eye on our next blog posts, as we will be posting a blog on what to eat and how you can lower inflammation through food.
Much love, OV Team