I am not able to lose weight because of thyroid. You must have heard 8 out of 10 females saying this. The prevalence of hypothyroidism is higher in women than men. The science behind this is that, women's immune responses are stronger in case of autoimmune diseases.

Hypothyroid related weight gain is very common; however hypothyroidism can also lead to symptoms such as irregular periods, fatigue, hair fall, laziness, water retention etc. After menopause, women who have hypothyroid are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and heartdisease.

Normal range of TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone)

Let's now discuss what a healthy TSH range should be. Generally the normal range of TSH is 0.4 - 5mlU/L. However, it should be below 2.5 mlU/L for healthy functioning of body. Female who are trying to get pregnant may find difficult if TSH is above 2.5mlU/L. A part from this you might have trouble losing weight if your TSH is higher than this.

That is why numerous research suggest that the ideal range for TSH should be between 0.4 - 2.5 mlU/L. Therefore, If your TSH is greater than this , you must try to lower it by adopting some healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism

As hypothyroid is lifestyle related disease, the best treatment is Diet and lifestyle modification. If you start taking medicines initially, your thyroid gland may completely stop functioning leaving you totally dependent on the medications.However, medication is the only option if you don’t follow a healthy diet and lifestyle.  

Additionally, It has been found that even after taking medication, if you do not lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle, your dosage will continue to increase and in future you can develop serious health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

Diet and Lifestyle modification in Hypothyroidism

1.    Use Iodised salt only. These days, a large number of people  suffer from hypothyroidism because they don’t use Iodised salt. They use rock salt or pink salt because they believe that white salt is unhealthy. Rock or pink salt lacks iodine and deficiency of iodine can lead to hypothyroidism. If you are pregnant, this could be even dangerous for your growing baby. Therefore, if you have high blood pressure, use less salt in cooking, but it should be iodized. Rock salt or pink salt works well in salad and juices.

2.    Take coriander seeds water & black seed/ Kalonji water daily in morning. It helps to reduce your TSH. For this soak around 2Tbsp of coriander seeds in 1 glass water overnight and drink it empty stomach in morning.  To make Kalonji water, boil ½ tsp of kalonji in 1 glass of water for 10-15 mins and drink it hot.

3.    Sedentary lifestyle is one of the main cause of hypothyroidism. Therefore you must engage yourself for at least 30 to 45 minutes of exercise 5 days a week to improve your metabolism.

4.    Avoid goiterogenic food such as Bajra or pearl millet and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. However, you can have it occasionally.

5.    Avoid junk food , packed food, sweets or food with added sugar, readymade fruit juices, cola drink, soft drinks etc..

6.    It's important to manage your deficiencies, if you don't get enough Vitamin D, B12 & selenium. You can take supplements for this with the help of doctor or dietician and include food rich in these nutrients in your daily diet.

7.    If you are taking thyroid medication, you should avoid taking calcium supplements or tea/coffee along with it. These may prevent thyroid medication from being absorbed. The thyroid medication is best taken empty-stomach in morning or one hour before taking anything else.

As Hypothyroid is an autoimmune disease, Diet has a major impact. Seek diet advice from a dietician. She will design a healthy diet plan for you based on your lifestyle and your current state of health. She will also help you in losing weight and preventing serious health conditions like diabetes, High Blood pressure and heart disease .

Sample diet plan for Hypothyroidism