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Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid) is a very common weight loss problem (10 times more common in women than men).
Losing weight can be tough with thyroid disease. In particular, losing weight with thyroid disease is almost always a slow process, due to a fundamental change in your metabolism.
There are many women who have an under-active thyroid and although most succeed in losing weight, their weight loss can be slower than normal.
Many hypothyroid patients struggle with an inability to lose weight. At first, if you'd gained weight before your thyroid problem is diagnosed, you were probably told you'd be able to lose it more easily -- or perhaps you were even told you'd lose all the extra weight -- once you started on your thyroid hormone replacement.
Even while on medication, overweight people with hypothyroidism may experience difficulty with weight loss. In this case, close attention to diet and exercise - as well as maintaining correct medication dosage - should prove effective in helping to lose weight. Exercise is especially important for weight loss among hypothyroidism sufferers.
What thyroid patients need to know more about are three factors that are likely at work for many of us with a difficulty losing weight -- a changed metabolic "set point," changes in brain chemistry due to illness and stress, and insulin resistance. You may feel frustrated that there's nothing left to eat. But you need to rethink your eating habits, shifting to a diet of chicken, turkey, fish, non-starchy vegetables, legumes, and certain grains. And for those who are insulin resistant, once you start eating this way, you'll find it easier, as your carbohydrate cravings will subside dramatically.
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