Foods to Avoid If You Have Hypothyroidism

I am finding out that there is so much that I do not know about my thyroid condition.  I have hypothyroidism, I was diagnosed about 5 years ago and I am supposed to take Levothyroxine daily for it.  My problem is that with my new insurance I had to find a new doctor, so I have not had any of my medication for months.  My doctor’s appointment isn’t for another month. So I have been doing some research to find out all that I can about this, what I should eat etc.

I have found that there are certain foods that I should be avoiding or limiting. I am still researching this, so please don't take my word for it. Verify it! 

One of them is soy.   I don’t think that will be a problem unless there is hidden soy in the food that I am eating.  I guess I will need to check that out.

I eat a lot of veggies but found that people with hypothyroidism may want to limit their intake of broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips, and bok choy.  I love broccoli and brussel sprouts so this one may be a little more of a challenge. If you cook these veggies than it can reduce the effect that they have on the thyroid gland.  So I need to make sure to limit myself to no more than 5 ounces a day.  I can do that.  I admit this kind of confuses me so I have a lot of research to do.  Broccoli and cauliflower has selenium in it, which is good for your thyroid.  So I guess in moderation it is ok.  LIke I said I am still learning about this.  :)

I have found that people with thyroid issues should limit their intake of gluten.  Apparently gluten can irritate your small intestine which can interfere with the absorption of your thyroid medicine.  Wow, I have been taking meds for my thyroid for many years and I have never been told that.  If you are going to continue eating gluten, then make sure to take your meds a couple of hours before you eat anything with gluten in it.

Did you know that fatty foods can interfere with your thyroid’s ability to produce hormone?  Some professionals recommend that you don’t eat fried food and reduce the amount of fat you eat from butter, mayo, margarine and fatty cuts of meat.

 Your metabolism is slowed down because of the hypothyroidism.  That makes it easy to put on the weight, and from experience I can tell you that it is so difficult to lose it because of the slow metabolism.  So of course, that means reducing or avoiding sugary foods, they have lots of calories and no nutritional value.  I think it is time for me to cut back on my sugar intake.

Did you know that people with an underactive thyroid have an increased risk for high blood pressure? Too much sodium from processed foods can increase that risk. So you should read the nutrition label to find food that is low in sodium.

I always thought that getting a lot of fiber was good for me. Little did I know that if you get to much it can complicate my hypothyroidism treatment. You should only get 25-30 mg each day. The amounts of fiber from whole grains, veggies, fruits, beans and legumes that are above that level can affect the digestive system and interfere with medication absorption.  Wow, another one that I have to start thinking about more.

I wasn’t very happy to find that caffeine has been found to block thyroid medication absorption. I used to take my meds with my morning coffee.  Not a great idea. People who have taken their meds with their coffee have been shown to have uncontrollable thyroid levels. So you should only take your meds with water. And it is recommended to wait at least 30 minutes AFTER you take your meds before you have a cup of coffee.

I don’t know about you but I know I have some homework to work on.  I need to cut back on my sugar intake.  If it is more than 5g per serving I am going to cut it out. I need to look into cutting back or cutting out gluten from my diet.  I’m not sure where to begin with this so I really need to start researching. AND as much as I hate to think about doing this, I think it is time to cut out coffee again or at least cut back on how much I drink each day.  Oh my so many changes, but it’s going to be all about the baby steps with this one.  Trying to make too many changes at once would just be setting myself up for failure and I truly don't want that.  Even small changes will be a help right?   A work in progress.  

I have so much research to do. :)

Thank you so much for the support and your interest in this blog!  If you haven't already please make sure t check out Darlene Caron - Team Oasis where you can find more recipes, fitness tips, motivation and information on upcoming Health and Fitness Challenge groups that I offer.

F.L.Y. into your new life! <3

Hypothyroidism and Losing Weight with Beachbody

They say that if you have hypothyroidism that you CAN'T lose weight!  For so many years I would use that as my excuse of why I was gaining weight.  My thyroid is bad, my metabolism is so low that I have no control over it.   Some doctors have told me that it is almost impossible to lose weight if you have hypothyroidism and you are not taking your meds every morning on an empty stomach.  I have found that I CAN lose weight and NO, I am not taking meds anymore.

Am I losing weight?  You betcha!  Has it been easy?  No, but I am doing it!

For a while I was like a yo yo.  I would lose weight, then I would gain it back, then I would lose again.  Now I am actually losing and keeping it off.  Why?  Let me back up a bit.

In October, I really slacked with working out and my eating habits.  I spent quite a bit of my time at the hospital with a loved one.  It was a very stressful time and I ate my emotions.  I did not workout for the entire month, I did a bit of walking here and there but nothing major.  I gained almost 15 lbs in one month.  Nothing that I am super proud of! :(

I decided to start a round of PiYo in November. I struggled with getting my eating back on track.  I felt like I was hungry all of the time and I was so depressed.  I had no energy and was tired ALL of the time.  I was losing my hair.  I honestly felt like it might be time to start taking my levothyroxine again to help with the depression.  Instead of taking the meds, I put as much energy as I could spare into my workouts.  Pushing play was so hard each and every day but I did it, for the most part.

As you can see by the photo I did see some results with PiYo.  This was a battle between my thyroid and me.  I fought hard for every inch AND every ounce of fat lost. :)

I finished PiYo on December 28th.   As you can see by this chart my body fat and weight was up and down through out this program.

I started the Master's Hammer and Chisel on January 4th.  I couldn't believe that from Dec 28th to Jan 4th with zero working out and really not watching what I am eating, I had gained most of what I had lost back.  :(

I truly wanted to give up at that point but I had promised my daughter that I would do Hammer and Chisel with her.   I mean I had gained back 6.8 lbs in a week!   I had also gained 3.75 inches around my waist.  Seriously???

I really wasn't drinking my Shakeology either.  I was lucky if I was having 3-4 shakes a week.  I knew they were good for me but if I got busy, whatever, I went without.  Wrong answer!

I realized on January 4th that I would always be in a battle with my weight.  I would never get to the point where I could just sit back and not worry about gaining it back.  I couldn't think of this as a diet, or a short term program.  This was going to be a lifestyle change.  I was going to have to workout and eat healthy for the long term.

With that in mind. I started drinking my Shakeology EVERY morning.  I have not gone a day with out it since the 4th of January.  It IS the healthiest meal of my day, every day!  I have NOT missed one Hammer and Chisel work out.  I have made a habit of getting up every morning between 5 and 6 to work out.   I have been making sure that I eat 85% clean each day.

I truly believe that drinking Shakeology every morning, watching what I eat, using the 21 Day Fix containers/meal plan AND lifting weights and doing cardio with the Master's Hammer and Chisel program has made a huge difference with losing the weight and keeping it off.

 Looking at my chart now the numbers are going down, the scale may show some up and down but the fat loss and muscle gained is going in the right direction each week.  I am still medication free!

Twenty eight days into Hammer and Chisel and I am finally back to where I was at the end of PiYo.  I am actually doing better.  I am the same weight now as when I finished PiYo but my body fat % is 2% lower, and I am 2.95 inches smaller!  So it is working!

I believe that for ME to lose weight and tone up that I need that balance of cardio and strength training.  Hammer and Chisel has been the best thing to happen to me and I am so thankful to Carl Daikeler, Autumn Calabrese and Sagi Kalev for this program.  Is there a Hammer and Chisel II in the making?  Please tell me it is so!

Thank you so much for the support and your interest in this blog!  If you haven't already, please make sure to check out my DarLeanFitness Page where you can find more recipes, fitness tips, motivation and information on upcoming Health and Wellness Accountability/Challenge Groups that I offer.