By Amy King
“It’s my thyroid!” – is a more common issue for those struggling to lose weight than you may realize.
(And yes, it’s a legit struggle.)
You’ve probably heard that low thyroid can contribute to slow metabolism.
But what does that mean, exactly, and more importantly: Are there legit ways to support a sluggish thyroid?
Hypothyroidism—a.k.a. low thyroid—is way more prevalent in women than men. In Australia it affects between 6 to 10% of the population, with up to 10,000 new cases occurring each year.
And it’s no fun: Along with a host of difficult symptoms—fatigue, low mood, constipation, dry skin, fertility issues—a low-functioning thyroid can slow metabolic rate, making it easier to gain weight (and harder to lose it).
In fact, research suggests people with mild to moderate hypothyroidism may experience a metabolic slow-down of 140 to 360 calories a day.
Which for context is equivalent to 1 Flat white at the lower end and equivalent to a small bowl of oats, with a punnet of berries and 2 whole eggs.
As if weight loss wasn’t already a pain in the glands!!!
However, if you do have hypothyroidism, it doesn’t mean you should double-down on restriction, willpower, and strenuous gym labor.
That often fails.
It’s also not an excuse to simply give up. You are after all you are more and contribute more to this world than the set of alignments you have or the other challenges your particular set of circumstances affords you.
Whether you're looking to improve your lifestyle habits, take your athletic performance or overall performance to the next level I'm here to help.
As an experienced fitness, nutrition & performance coach I work with you to optimise all area of your health & well-being.
To see how I can support your journey, why not connect with me over a virtual coffee?
(And btw, this is a good process for anyone looking to lose weight or change their body composition.)
Many people with hypothyroidism want to start with intense and specific dietary changes they’ve read about on the internet.
Like most, those with hypothyroidism though typically benefit more from simpler strategies, done with high consistency which involves:
>> Incorporating more minimally processed foods into your daily eating.
>> Undertaking regular physical activity.
>> Prioritising sleep and diligently improving the quantity and quality of it.
>> Adding mindfulness to everyday activities such as sitting down and eating slowly and mindfully at mealtimes.
If these actions sound too basic, ask yourself how well you’re doing all these things consistently now…
Several deficiencies can contribute to hypothyroidism, making weight loss—and better health overall—harder.
Some common deficiencies that contribute to thyroid function include:
Focusing on eating a variety of whole foods, and in some cases even a multivitamin, is a great place to start when attempting to fill these nutritional gaps.
Develop a crystal-clear vision of what a healthier you looks like. Then begin embodying it.
For example, if your ‘Future You’ sprints up the stairs no sweat, start taking the stairs.
Action often drives motivation, not the other way around.
Regardless, if you have aspirations to pursue athletic endeavors or not, in my opinion it is always a good idea to adopt one action most athlete’s do which is to build an “owner’s manual”.
An Owner’s Manual is a collation of your various data points such as biometrics and may include results from your regular health tests with your medical practitioner.
It can also include other data such as times of when you experience peak energy, dips, tiredness, hunger, mood and so on. The trick is to pick a set of measures you can consistently track and related to areas you wish to improve or need to see trends on.
Different measures can also be introduced intermittently to test hypotheses and you have flexibility on determining the right frequency in line with your short-term and long-term goals.
For example, whilst my bodybuilding competition prep athletes leading into comp will take and send weekly photos in the months leading into comp and then daily in the final weeks leading into comp day.
For my weight loss clients on the other hand or high-performance clients where physical body composition is less important, we might simply track body measurements and weight on a monthly basis.
Although people with hypothyroidism may have unique biological challenges that make weight loss a little harder, the process for success isn’t so different.
If you’d like help implementing tools to help create your ideal “Future You” then make sure you check out the FREE Resources tab.
Amy King is the founder of AKE Fitness & Nutrition. When she’s not serving her clients, she is pursuing her corporate career in mining, bodybuilding and spending time with loved ones. She calls Perth, Western Australia home.
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