When you start taking thyroid medication like levothyroxine, don't expect instant weight loss. The first barrier is getting the right dose of thyroid medication. Once you have reached your ideal dose, you may notice some weight loss after around three to six months of continuous use.
Hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid, which can cause weight gain. Taking medication for this condition may help a person lose excess weight. Treating an underactive thyroid may cause a person to lose some weight, but thyroid medication is not a weight loss drug.
Hypothyroidism: Why Weight Loss is Tough
"When your thyroid is not functioning well, your metabolism goes down and you start to gain weight," says Anne Wolf, RD, MS, a registered dietitian and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.
As with most medications, if you've gained or lost weight, you may need to adjust the dose of your thyroid medication. Your provider will calculate how much to add or take away based on your weight change and monitor how well you do with the new dosage.
So, once you start taking levothyroxine, you may lose weight as your body's hormones rebalance. Losing weight can also be a sign that your dose of levothyroxine is too high.
While undertreatment with levothyroxine can lead to weight gain, overtreatment can result in weight loss as well as adverse effects including bone and muscle loss and heart problems, especially arrhythmias. Once the excess hormone is stopped (that is, the dose is adjusted downward), the weight is typically regained.
Walking is the easiest and best exercise for thyroid patients to lose weight. It is a low-impact exercise that individuals suffering from hypothyroidism can do anywhere. Walking improves cardiac health and has potential mood-boosting benefits (including depression and fatigue).
Even mild cases of hypothyroidism may increase the risk of weight gain and obesity. People with the condition often report having a puffy face as well as excess weight around the stomach or other areas of the body.
Over-treatment may cause irregular heart beats and bone loss in elderly and under-treatment may cause symptoms like weight gain, fatigue as well as other serious health issues like higher cholesterol level, and in severe cases heart problems and even death.
There is consensus that levothyroxine should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. A pilot study showed that levothyroxine intake at bedtime significantly decreased thyrotropin levels and increased free thyroxine and total triiodothyronine levels.
“In most situations, symptoms will not change for 2 to 3 weeks,” says King. “That's important to know, because you might not feel much different for a while,” he says. If you notice rapid improvement within 1 week, it's possible that you've been prescribed too high of a dose.
Where daily hormone replacements tablets, such as levothyroxine, are prescribed for an underactive thyroid, symptoms including fatigue should gradually begin to disappear. Similarly, patients receiving anti-thyroid drugs for an overactive thyroid should begin to see an improvement in their energy levels.
After missing several doses of your thyroid medication in a row, you may start to notice symptoms of low thyroid levels. These could include dry skin, feeling cold, or having trouble concentrating. This is more likely if you're taking liothyronine, as its levels in your body will drop significantly after 2 or 3 days.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Plant-based foods are an important part of any diet, but eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can be especially helpful for someone with hypothyroidism. Vegetables are low in calories, so eating more of them can help you feel full without contributing to weight gain.
Yes, you can lose weight with hypothyroidism through lifestyle changes in diet, eating patterns, stress, and workouts. As many as 60% of people with thyroid disease don't know they have one.
People with hypothyroidism can often lose or manage weight through dietary changes, physical activity, and stress reduction. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. While a reduction in metabolism can make weight loss difficult, it is not impossible.
This can cause your T4 hormone levels to drop or fluctuate. To avoid this, levothyroxine should be taken on an empty stomach, and you should wait an hour before eating anything or drinking a caffeinated beverage.
Don't take calcium supplements or antacids at the same time you take thyroid hormone replacement. Take any products containing calcium at least four hours before or after taking thyroid hormone replacement.
Avoid taking your thyroid hormone at the same time as:
Iron supplements or multivitamins containing iron. Calcium supplements. Antacids that contain aluminum, magnesium or calcium. Some ulcer medications, such as sucralfate (Carafate)
Side effects of levothyroxine can include hair loss, headache, diarrhea, fever, weight gain or loss, vomiting, joint pain, heat sensitivity, appetite changes, menstrual cycle changes, and leg cramps.
When your metabolism slows, you aren't burning as many calories for energy. This can lead to weight gain. So yes, it is harder to lose weight when you have hypothyroidism; however, it is possible.