Losing weight with hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes

January 14. 2022

Everyday stresses, the food we intake, and the lifestyle we follow can cause significant problems to our bodies. The most common health conditions they can cause include autoimmune diseases, diabetes type 2, hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroidism. These conditions can prevent some organs from doing their thing and cause hormonal imbalance, leading to weight gain. Losing weight, in this case, has to be very thoroughly planned and worked out for it to be safe for you. You can’t just follow any program you see online. Fortunately, there are many other ways. In this article, we’ll get through tips on losing weight if you have diabetes or have an under-active thyroid.

Tips on how to safely lose weight if you’re diagnosed with hypothyroidism and diabetes type 2

Cut down simple carbs and sugars

Foods with a higher glycemic load can increase inflammation in the body, so you should focus on complex carbohydrates like starchy vegetables and legumes and avoid simple sugars like candy and soda.

Eat anti-inflammatory foods

These foods can help soothe the immune system, which is often overloaded. They can also support the adequate intake of essential nutrients needed for these health conditions. Green vegetables, fish, nuts, fruit, and olive oil are good anti-inflammatory foods. This type of food also decreases the burden on the liver. 

Try a gluten-free diet

Gluten can interfere with iodine uptake in the body, suppressing thyroid function. So because there is a link between thyroid disorder and diabetes type 2 and gluten intolerance, a diet high in gluten should be avoided.

Have smaller and more frequent meals

Because these conditions slow down your metabolism and your digestive function, eating smaller and more frequent meals keeps blood sugar levels balanced and helps avoid overeating with highly processed meals. It’s also important that these smaller meals are enriched with proteins, complex carbs, and healthy fats so they can keep you full longer and cope with these health conditions.

Watch on calories

The amount of calories is directly linked to weight loss or weight gain. If you eat more than your body uses, you end up gaining weight, especially when having diabetes type 2 or/and hypothyroidism, when it is more challenging to lose a couple of pounds and keep them off. And skipping meals so you can cut down calories will do no good! So the best way is to keep track of your calories, and our next tip can help you with that. You can also try following a 2200 calorie diet plan at the beginning before you get familiar with the concept and get your own ideas.

Keep a food and weight loss diary

Tracking your daily intake, planning your meals, writing down your goals, and keeping track of them in your weight loss diary can significantly improve losing weight and keep you consistent in your journey.

Move your body

A vital component of a healthy diet is exercise. You can start off easy with daily walks and gradually add more intense workouts. Focus on finding an activity that fulfills you and that you’ll enjoy doing and not seeing it as an obligation.

Take adequate medication

These conditions require medications, so make sure you see your doctor and get properly treated. Be responsible and take the medication the right way. Never skip or change the prescribed treatment, as it can only harm you.

Better Weigh Medical has developed a supplement for you who suffer from hypothyroidism, and it’s called Activ Thyroid®. It contains natural ingredients and essential nutrients to keep your thyroid healthy and balanced. It helps produce more thyroid hormone and boost your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories and lose weight. Contact our weight loss clinic, talk to our professional staff and make this supplement a part of your routine.

Could a diet prevent or reverse hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes?

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which your thyroid gland doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormone into your bloodstream. The thyroid hormone is directly involved in controlling insulin secretion and glucose homeostasis. Hypothyroidism is associated with decreased insulin sensitivity, and it can increase the risk of getting diabetes type 2. Higher body mass leads to higher risk factors for diabetes. What also gets affected is your metabolism as well as your weight scale. Low thyroid function makes your metabolism slow down; you’d feel more tired, gain weight, and be unable to tolerate cold temperatures.
You can get your metabolism rate calculated by measuring the amount of oxygen over a particular time called basal metabolic rate (BMR). You can already guess that people who suffer from hypothyroidism have lower BMR, and that’s why they gain weight more quickly. The more severe hypothyroidism you have, the more weight you gain.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough hormone called insulin. This hormone plays a crucial role in allowing sugar into the bloodstream, which is then absorbed by the cells. When suffering from diabetes, insulin production isn’t proper, so the sugar gets stuck in the blood. So when it comes to diabetes and weight gain, insulin is to blame.

There is no cure for hypothyroidism and diabetes type 2, but with diet changes and losing weight, you may be able to reach remission and hold these diseases in balance. Healthy lifestyle changes and choices can prevent hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes, even if you have someone who suffers from them in your bloodline. Lifestyle changes may slow down or stop their progression if you’re in a circle of risk. These changes include:

• Eating healthy foods – foods lower in fat and calories and high in fiber can do good. Focus on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Being active – find an activity that you’ll enjoy doing at least three times a week, like swimming, running, or riding a bicycle.
• Losing weight – losing weight and keeping it off can delay the progression of the disease.
• Avoiding inactivity for long periods – try to get up every 30-45 min and move around for a bit because sitting down for longer can slow down our insulin production.

Final thoughts

Losing weight is never easy, especially when you have to be extra careful of what you ingest and do because of your health. It’s not uncommon you won’t see significant weight loss results in a short time. But don’t hesitate and just keep going! Hypothyroidism and diabetes type 2 can develop in your body for a long time before showing apparent symptoms.

These listed tips can help you with your overall health and can calm the effects of these diseases, but if you want faster weight loss results, some weight loss programs are safe for you, such as Lipo C injection treatment, so feel free to check them out and talk to your doctor about them.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.