Are you struggling to lose weight with hypothyroidism?  Weight loss and hypothyroidism are combatted with the functional medicine approach towards wellness.  Weight loss is tough without having a chronic condition attached.  Does is seem like not matter what you try nothing seems to work for you? Maybe you have cleaned up your diet and even started exercising yet you just are not able to reach your goals. Many women; not just those with hypothyroidism contact our Naperville office because they are  to do. With all of the new weight loss diets, cleanses and detoxification programs being sold today, it can be a bit challenging to sort out what will really work for YOU. While some are able to lose weight using these programs; they rarely result in the individual actually achieving their goal weight, let alone maintaining it for any significant period of time.  Learn more about your body, hypothyroidism and the journey with weight loss now.

Hypothroidism and Weight Loss

Naperville Integrated Wellness recognizes the intricate relationship between hypothyroidism and weight loss, understanding that conventional approaches often fail to consider individual variability and underlying imbalances. By conducting thorough assessments and crafting tailored treatment plans, functional medicine aims to uncover and address these overlooked factors comprehensively. Through a functional medicine approach that emphasizes personalized dietary adjustments, lifestyle modifications, targeted interventions, and ongoing support, functional medicine provides a roadmap for managing hypothyroidism while achieving sustainable weight loss and promoting overall well-being. This integrative approach considers the interconnectedness of various bodily systems, empowering individuals to optimize their health and vitality.  Learn more about hypothyroidism and losing weight now.

Functional Medicine Approach To Weight Loss Goals

If you just aren’t getting anywhere with your current efforts to lose weight, you may want to consider a different, functional medicine approach and start looking at the problem in a different light. In this article we will look the common mistakes people make when it comes to effective weight loss and the factors that could be sabotaging your efforts.  I will focus on 3 primary areas that significantly influence weight loss…no just for you, but for everyone, they are #1. Metabolism #2. Caloric intake and calorie sources and #3. Regulating hunger messages from the brain. We should also identify the key ingredients of an effective and worthwhile program for weight loss.

Key ingredients of the ideal weight loss program with hypothyroidism:

• Safe and sensible weight loss; who cares if you lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks if you just gain it all back again! Besides, most of what you “lost” was simply water weight.

• It will take you all the way to your goal; not just closer to it. If your goals is to lose 25 pounds but you only lose 10 and then get stuck at that weight, what do you do now? The ideal program will get you all the way!  

• It can be maintained. Is your goal to go through all the work is takes to lose the weight, only to have it all return over the next 6 months? I’m guessing that is NOT your plan.

Ok, so let’s look at what really affects your ability to lose weight and keep it off.

Metabolism and the Inability To Lose Weight

What is metabolism? The word metabolism means “all of the chemical reactions that occur in your body to maintain life.” This includes all of the processes involved in building up the tissues of your body as well as all of the process of breaking down tissues in your body. So how does this apply to weight loss? When it comes to weight loss, we want the body to “break down” a particular tissue; body fat. Ideally, we also want to increase the building and maintaining of another tissue; body muscle. This brings us directly to very important questions; #1 Why does the body break down fat tissue and #2 What increases the maintenance and therefore metabolism of muscle? The answers are really quite simple. The body only breaks down fat when the energy demands of the body are less than our calorie / food intake and the only way to increase the metabolic and energy demands of muscle is to use it; also called exercise. So the best way to actually increase your metabolism is to exercise more and if you want the body to break down fat, you need to eat fewer calories.

Exercise, Weight-loss and Metabolism

Most people understand that exercise helps with weight loss, but many people just can’t seem to eat fewer calories; we will address that particular problem in moment. I should also mention the effect of thyroid hormones on metabolism at this point. It is true that thyroid hormones do impact metabolism and if your body does not have adequate levels of these hormones then metabolic functions will suffer; leading to a slower metabolism. In previous articles I have discussed the various imbalances that can occur with hypothyroidism and thyroid medications and how we address them, but in many cases the problem is not due to the thyroid or the medications. Many women who do not have thyroid problems struggle with weight loss for same reasons that women with thyroid problems do.  All of the information in this article pertains to everyone, whether the thyroid is involved or not; so the underlying barriers to effective weight loss may or may not be related to your thyroid. I want to make this point clear, because I want you to reach your ideal weight and not place blame on the thyroid or medications if that is not where the problem truly lies. Let’s achieve the desired result instead of holding on to an idea that does not lead to a solution.

Calories and Hypothroidism

Calories are just a simple way of measuring how much energy a particular food has. Dietary fats have lots of potential energy compared to vegetables like carrots and celery. So fats have more calories and energy than vegetables. Body fat is stored “energy.” If you have excess body fat, then your caloric intake is exceeding your body’s demands for energy…you are eating more than your body actually needs to function. The body only breaks down fat when the caloric content of our diet is less than the energy demands of the body.

We Eat More Than Our Bodies Require

Many people don’t like hearing this and many people are sure that they “don’t eat that much.” Fortunately, or unfortunately…however you choose to look at it…this is just basic medical fact. It may be true that you don’t each that much, but it is still more than your body requires. I do want to mention at this point that your food choices will have some impact on body fat levels. Some food groups; like sugars and carbohydrate sources like breads, crackers and popcorn affect our body chemistry in a manner that causes the body to make more body fat. The point here is that if you combine good food choices with caloric restriction, you will achieve even better results. So in addition to caloric intake, your ratios of carbohydrates, fats and proteins do play a role in body fat levels.  One problem with reducing caloric intake is that most people don’t know how many calories they should be eating in order to create a safe and effective caloric deficit. The other problem is that most people who are overweight will not be able to reduce caloric intake for long periods of time. This is because their brain will not permit them to eat less! We have found that more often than not, this is because the brain is struggling to produce enough of the chemicals it needs to feel “satiated….to feel that enough calories and nutrients have been consumed.”  We can address this particular problem with a balanced dietary supplement program. This leads us to the 3rd problem many people struggle with and that is regulating or controlling hunger messages from the brain.

Controlling Hunger and Losing Weight with Hashimoto’s

If we need to eat fewer calories and create a caloric deficit, then we also need to set up a situation where our brain will permit us to accomplish this. Your brain is the organ that tells you when you are hungry, how much to eat and when to stop eating. For many who are overweight, the brain is struggling to produce enough of the chemicals called neurotransmitters. Unfortunately, the only solution it has is to tell you to eat more and it is NOT asking for more lettuce or celery! It wants sugar, fats, carbohydrates, and starches…comfort foods. We address this problem by providing the brain with what it really wants, the nutrients required to produce lots of these neurotransmitters. When this happens, cravings are reduced significantly or disappear and we can comfortably consume healthier foods and reduce caloric intake. This ultimately leads to safe and consistent weight loss. This piece to the weight loss puzzle is almost always overlooked, and if you suffer from this problem, you will never be able to stick to a weight loss program…you brain won’t let you!

There have been fad diets, supplements that “boost” metabolism, cleanses and detoxification programs on the market for decades. These “programs” will continue to be created and sold because there will always be a demand for quick fixes when it comes to weight loss. The only problem that these program either do not work or do not work long-term.

The Recommended Best Diet for Hashimoto’s Weight Loss

When aiming for weight loss with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a condition involving the immune system’s attack on the thyroid gland, it’s essential to embrace a diet that not only supports thyroid health but also reduces inflammation. Here’s a revised approach to a diet for Hashimoto’s and weight loss with a focus on functional medicine principles at Naperville Integrated Wellness:

1. Gluten-Free Emphasis: Many individuals with Hashimoto’s experience symptom relief and improved weight management by eliminating gluten from their diet. Gluten can exacerbate inflammation and immune responses, making its removal beneficial, as emphasized in functional medicine approaches.
2. Promotion of Anti-Inflammatory Foods: Prioritize foods known to reduce inflammation, such as fruits, vegetables, omega-3-rich fatty fish (like salmon and mackerel), nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like olive oil and avocado, aligning with the core principles of functional medicine.
3. Balanced Macronutrient Intake: Opt for a well-rounded diet comprising adequate protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, supporting muscle mass, metabolism, and sustained energy levels, in line with functional medicine’s holistic approach to nutrition.
4. Preference for Low Glycemic Index Foods: Select carbohydrates with a low glycemic index to stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent fluctuations, favoring whole grains, legumes, and non-starchy vegetables, in accordance with functional medicine’s focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods.
5. Reduction of Sugar and Processed Foods: Minimize consumption of sugary treats, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates to mitigate inflammation and maintain hormone balance, consistent with functional medicine’s emphasis on natural, unprocessed foods.
6. Attention to Supportive Nutrients: Ensure sufficient intake of nutrients crucial for thyroid function, such as selenium, zinc, iodine, and vitamin D, either through dietary sources or supplementation under the guidance of a functional medicine practitioner.
7. Consideration of Elimination Diets: Some individuals may benefit from identifying and eliminating specific trigger foods that worsen symptoms or contribute to inflammation, a strategy aligned with functional medicine’s personalized approach to addressing individual health needs.  Elimination diets such as autoimmune diets or functional medicine diets.
8. Prioritization of Hydration and Stress Management: Emphasize adequate hydration and stress-reducing practices like meditation or yoga, recognizing the impact of hydration and stress on thyroid function and overall health, in line with functional medicine’s holistic perspective on wellness.
9. Individualized Care and Collaboration: Collaborate with a functional medicine practitioner or registered dietitian to develop a customized dietary plan tailored to your unique needs, recognizing that individual variability and comprehensive care are central tenets of functional medicine.

Incorporating functional medicine principles into your approach to weight loss with Hashimoto’s can provide a holistic framework that addresses underlying imbalances and supports long-term health and well-being.  Contact us today to learn about the hypothyroidism and weight loss plan with functional medicine.

Contact Us To Chat About Your Weight Loss Goals with Hypothyroidism In 

If you’re navigating weight loss with hypothyroidism, we understand the unique challenges you face with hypothyroidism. Rest assured, we’re here to provide tailored support. For those seeking a functional medicine approach in managing hypothyroidism-related weight concerns, our team in Chicago, Aurora, Mokena, Orland Park, Frankfort, or Geneva is ready to assist. Interested in learning more about hypothyroidism vs Hashimoto’s?  We can help!  Explore how we can help you achieve your weight loss goals with hypothyroidism safely and effectively by visiting napervilleintegratedwellness.com or contacting our office today.

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