How do low calorie eating plans and the hypothyroid diet stack up to one another?
You are probably having a hard time losing weight is you have hypothyroidism.
Weight gain is the most common symptom of hypothyroidism. Although weight gain isn't the only sign of hypothyroidism, it's the hallmark of the condition.
In reality, the condition should be called hypometabolism, because a low metabolism is the end result of hypothyroidism.
If you are like the majority of people who live with hypothyroidism, you attempt to shed excess weight by dieting. The most common plan is a low-calorie eating plan.
Dieting becomes a problem when the diet is either repeated, or the diet focus is restricting calories.
This is a natural thing to do because most people believe by eating less they will weigh less, and this does happen, but only in the early stages of dieting.
Initially, the numbers on your scale change - which creates optimism.
The major issues arise when these numbers no longer drop and dieters start experiencing frustration. They are usually tempted to cut more calories from their diets.
Eventually you go OFF the diet due to frustration.
The result is a few pounds lost, frustration, and a lower metabolism or hypometabolism.
The thyroid hormone is lowered by as much as 50% when people go on low-calorie diets and this results in a lower metabolism by as much as 25-40%.
Everything is different when you stop dieting and start eating like you usually do.
At this time, dieting has slowed your metabolism. You, however, have taken up your old eating patterns. Now, you are going to regain the lost weight and some extra pounds as well.
Frustration!
It can take years for your body to resume its normal metabolism after dieting. This is the danger of a low calorie diet.
Conversely, the metabolism is optimized by the hypothyroid diet. It helps the body to start burning more calories because the body is able to operate efficiently.
If you optimize your metabolism your body doesn't store fat because blood sugar is stable. There is less inflammation because you have eliminated food sensitivities. And, your body is less burdened with toxins.
As a result, people can think clearer, they have more energy, better digestion, fewer headaches and miscellaneous aches and pains and long-term weight loss.
Instead of cutting calories to drop pounds fast, you should thing about using a program like the hypothyroid diet to start optimizing your metabolism.