Losing weight with Hashimoto's Disease

I can't tell you how many countless blogs/websites/books I've read on Hashimoto's. When I was diagnosed ~9 years ago with hypothyroidism and about a year following is when the doctor said I had Hashimoto's. For those unfamiliar, Hashimoto's disease is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system turns against the thyroid and the effect is the thyroid does not make enough hormones the body needs. There are a slew of side effects and I had every single one of them. I was put on a daily dose of Synthroid and thought that should fix the problem; I was totally wrong. It was going to take effort on my part to feel better....and I'm still working on it! About 4 years ago I lost about 50 pounds, felt great, but fell back in my old ways and gained it all back...and then some. Then this past June I finally (again) took my health into my own hands and focused on ME! I completely eliminated fast food, fried food, or any type of bread. I increased my vegetable intake and planned every single meal for 2 months....and lost 20 pounds with VERY minimal, if any, exercise. So now, I've gotten back into Zumba, joined a weight training class, and experiment with different types of "whole" foods. As a result, I have felt so much better, but like I said....I am still a work in progress. If you have Hashimoto's and struggle with having motivation to do anything, I TOTALLY get it! There are days I go home right after work and go right to sleep because I'm so tired. Just know you aren't the only one out there and there are things you can do to start feeling better, other than relying on your daily thyroid medicine....It's just going to take effort on your part, but it is possible and I'm living proof :)

Karina v.

11/03/2016 3:03PM

Hi Amanda, thank you so much for this post. I am in the same boat. I've been diagnosed about 3 years ago, but the doctors tell you so little about this disease, its a scandal. I only found out recently how much you can do with the right diet by reading books and blogs. I cut out gluten about 4 weeks ago, and boy did I have side effects. For about 10 days I felt like s**t. If cutting out something from your diet gives you so many side effect, there is definitely something wrong. I also cut out dairy for the most part (I do eat goat cheese from time to time). I know I have a long way to go, and its really hard to adjust to the new life style, but I can already feel the improvement. I agree, its a lot of efford, but in the end it will be worth it. All the Best from Germany! :)

Amanda C.

Hi Karina! You're right, the doctors only look at the numbers so they can adjust medication :(. I also cut out gluten about 2 months ago and even stopped eating gluten free bread. I can honestly say I do feel much better....and when I do have gluten I feel extremely bloated. I am cutting out dairy as well, but that's a hard one (harder than gluten for me!). I will also have some cheese, but I really cut back. Thanks for commenting and best of luck!!!!!! :)

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