How to Lose Weight with an Underactive Thyroid?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

It’s often a struggle to lose weight when you have hypothyroidism. So this then becomes a common question….‘ how to lose weight with an underactive thyroid?’

Firstly, let’s do a quick recap of how your thyroid works…

You may already know your thyroid is one of the most important glands to regulate your metabolism.

The thyroid produces crucial hormones that are released into circulation to generate activity in every organ and body system. These vital thyroid hormones help your body use energy, stay well, keep warm, and ensure your digestion, brain, heart, muscles, and other organs keep working properly.

As these hormones spark energy production they influence your metabolism. In effect, they run how efficiently your body burns calories for energy.

Your Thyroid Could Be Slowing Your Metabolism

Your thyroid is your metabolic control center. When your thyroid is working below par your metabolism slows down. It then becomes extremely difficult to lose weight. You may even feel too tired to even try. And as your energy dips you could also start to crave sugary foods for energy.

A sluggish thyroid may also lead to a long list of symptoms such as fluid retention, mood swings and an overwhelming feeling of being exceptionally run down.

Triiodothyronine (T3) + Weight Loss

When it comes to weight gain T3 deserves a special mention. T3 is your most potent thyroid hormone.

T3 is the thyroid hormone that really revs up your metabolism. In fact, far greater amounts of T3 are converted from thyroxine (T4) when your body wants to step up metabolism.

Low T3? You will continue to find it hard to lose weight…

For many people with a low thyroid the body is not properly converting T4 to T3. Only a check of both free T4 and free T3 will reveal if this is occurring.

The standard reference range for free T3 is 4.0-8.0 pmol/L. This provides a very good clue that you ideally want to see your free T3 test result above 4.0 pmol/L. If your free T3 is below 4.0 pmol/L you are more likely to find it hard to lose weight.

How to Lose Weight With An Underactive Thyroid

First and foremost it’s very important to get your thyroid checked properly to gain a better understanding of how your thyroid is functioning.

I recommend getting the top 5 thyroid blood tests done. Here is a quick checklist of the most important thyroid tests; thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and your thyroid antibodies. If your doctor won’t do comprehensive testing, consider finding one who will.

Secondly, once you have these results it’s very important to investigate WHY your thyroid is not functioning properly.

Once you discover why you have a thyroid problem you can start to solve it. This could save you years of suffering and heartache.

A holistic perspective seeks to find the underlying root causes and then treats all aspects of your health. Rather than simply treating your thyroid symptoms, an individualized treatment plan will help you get your health back on track.

As your thyroid recovers your metabolism will pick up. This will help you lose weight, and you will finally begin to live with vibrant health and vitality.

Watch these 2 video clips – How to lose weight with an underactive thyroid & 5 weight loss tips for people with an underactive thyroid

Read the following related articles:

10 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil for Thyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Skin Deep. Do Cosmetics Harm the Thyroid?

What is the Best Way to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Can Basal Temperature Testing Help Diagnosis A Thyroid Problem?

Should You Get a T3 Test If You Find It Hard to Lose Weight?

Why Knowing How to Calculate Your Reverse T3 Ratio Helps to Assess Overall Thyroid Health?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Why Knowing How to Calculate Your Reverse T3 Ratio Helps to Assess Overall Thyroid Health?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

When compared to thyroxine (T4) the thyroid hormone known as triiodothyronine (T3) is much more potent.

T3 helps ‘rev’ up your body. It increases the rate at which you burn calories for energy.

Under normal conditions T4 converts to both T3 and ‘reverse T3’ which is the inactive form of T3. The body maintains a healthy T3 to reverse T3 ratio to control an optimal metabolic rate. Reverse T3 is quickly eliminated if it is not required to slow metabolism.

What happens when too much T4 is shunted towards production of reverse T3 and this thyroid hormone pools in the body?

Excessive amounts of reverse T3 will block the effects of active T3. Ongoing excess production of reverse T3 leads to a low thyroid disorder called ‘reverse T3 dominance’. Reverse T3 dominance is associated with many of the typical symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Testing for reverse T3

Only a specific blood test for reverse T3 (rT3) will identify high levels of this inactive form of T3. Most importantly, an assessment of reverse T3 takes on far greater meaning when the total amount of reverse T3 is compared to the total amount of ‘free T3’. A drop in free T3 can be accompanied by an increase in reverse T3.

There is a simple equation to work out your reverse T3/T3 ratio. You will need your blood test results for both free T3 and reverse T3 to do this.

Watch this Video Below Here – Understanding Thyroid Function Tests

How to calculate your reverse T3/T3 ratio

To work out your reverse T3/T3 ratio divide the total free T3 by the total reverse T3 and multiply this by 100.

As of July 2016, Australian pathology labs are using a reference range of 1.200 – 2.200.

If your reverse T3/T3 ratio is at the lower end, or below this range it indicates you have a thyroid hormone imbalance.

Your thyroid blood results can be a little confusing. Here is a real example to help explain how you can calculate your own reverse T3/T3 ratio.

The free T3 test result is 4.3 pmol/L and reverse T3 is 704 pmol/L. To work out the reverse T3 ratio divide 4.3 by 704 then multiply this by 100. The result is 0.610 which is well below the healthy range, and indicates this individual is dealing with reverse T3 dominance.

Watch this Video Below Here – Thyroid Lab Testing - Thyroid Lab Ranges - Hypothyroid Patterns

Is single T3 thyroid medication ideal?

There is no one size fits all approach to reducing high reverse T3 levels. A combination of T4/T3, or a single T3 medication may be appropriate for you. It is important to work with a healthcare practitioner who understands your thyroid issues.

Care needs to be taken with taking too much T4 as this provides the body with a greater amount of T4 with the potential to create even more reverse T3. This can perpetuate the cycle of reverse T3 production.

Thyroid medications may take a little while to work as it takes time for the excess reverse T3 to clear from the body. To properly treat reverse T3 dominance it is very important to look at the individual factors that are causing this thyroid disorder.

You can read what causes high reverse T3 on thisblog post.

Read the following related articles:

10 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil forThyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Skin Deep. Do Cosmetics Harm the Thyroid?

What is the Best Way to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Can Basal Temperature Testing Help Diagnosis A Thyroid Problem?

Should You Get a T3 Test If You Find It Hard to Lose Weight?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Should You Get a T3 Test If You Find It Hard to Lose Weight?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

Triiodothyronine (T3) and weight loss are often discussed together for good reason!

T3 is the most potent thyroid hormone that naturally revs up your metabolism. Far greater amounts of T3 are converted from thyroxine (T4) when your body wants to step up metabolism. Low T3 is associated with sluggish metabolism and many of the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Adequate T3 assists fat burning which is important for weight loss. It can also reduce many of the other symptoms of an under active thyroid. This thyroid hormone is also involved in stimulating energy production and protects against heart palpitations.

In fact, low T3 can have far-reaching effects in the body. Reduced T3 activity is often associated with a slow heart rate, lower than normal body temperature, thyroid hair loss and chronic fatigue.

A single T3 test of your T3 level therefore provides the best clue as to how your thyroid is working.

If you are finding it hard to lose weight it is a good idea to discuss doing a free T3 test with your health practitioner.

Should you get a T3 test?

Getting a diagnosis of hypothyroidism has sparked an ongoing debate on what thyroid hormones should be tested and the levels that will reveal a thyroid hormone deficiency.

A single test of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is often the preferred test used by medical practitioners to diagnose a thyroid disorder.

TSH is not actually produced in the thyroid. It is a hormone made by the pituitary gland which is located in the brain. When the pituitary releases TSH this hormone travels to the thyroid to stimulate the release of the thyroid hormones. The thyroid responds by getting busy making your thyroid hormones.

When TSH is high this indicates the thyroid is functioning below par and therefore requires more stimulation than usual.

The problem lies in defining a ‘normal’ range for TSH. I have found that even when TSH is considered ‘normal’ many individuals experience symptoms of hypothyroidism. A TSH test result should ideally be less than 2.0 mIU/L.

Watch this Video Below Here – Interpreting Thyroid labs, part 1.Low TSH. Saul Marcus Naturopathic Doctor

An accurate assessment of thyroid health can only be achieved by testing 5 key thyroid hormones. A measure of both T4 and T3 along with TSH is therefore essential.

When discussing a T3 test with your doctor it is best to specify testing free T3. The majority of T3 in the blood is carried by a protein compound called thyroxine binding globulin. A small amount of T3 is unattached and ‘free’ to do its job. A T3 blood test usually measures both bound and free T3. When you test free T3 you are measuring the active component.

Watch this Video Below Here – Interpreting Thyroid labs, part 2: T3, T4 & Reverse T3.Saul Marcus ND

Your T3 blood test result - What is considered a good number?

The standard reference range for free T3 is 4.0-8.0 pmol/L. This provides a very good clue that you ideally want to see your free T3 test result above 4.0 pmol/L.

If you are experiencing the typical signs and symptoms of an under active thyroid but your TSH, free T4, and even your free T3 appear to be normal you may want to consider checking your reverse T3.

Should you test thyroid antibodies?

A measure of thyroid antibody levels will rule out Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This is a common thyroid autoimmune disorder that tends to run in families and affects women more than men.

If you have swelling or discomfort around your throat your healthcare practitioner should also perform a physical examination. If required a thyroid ultrasound will provide a more in depth investigation of your thyroid.

Read the following related articles:

10 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil for Thyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Skin Deep. Do Cosmetics Harm the Thyroid?

What is the Best Way to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Can Basal Temperature Testing Help Diagnosis A Thyroid Problem?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Why Low T3 + T4 Can Trigger Thyroid Hair Loss?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

Your hair is an excellent barometer of how well your thyroid is working.

If you are concerned about your hair getting thin, or are noticing a greater amount of hair loss the root cause could be your thyroid.

Thyroid hair loss is one of the most common and distressing signs of a low thyroid.

Hair loss linked to an under active thyroid causes hair loss from all areas of the scalp. It may even lead to noticeable thinning of the hair, and bald patches in extreme cases.

You should also check in the mirror to see if the outer third of your eyebrow is missing. It’s a classic hypothyroid sign practitioners look for.

Why does your hair fall out?

The thyroid hormones fuel day to day function of the hair follicles. This means a drop in thyroid hormone levels can trigger a significant amount of hair loss.

A landmark study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism established this important link between thyroid health and hair loss.

The researchers studied human scalp tissue taken from people who had undergone recent plastic surgery. They investigated how the key thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) directly target the hair follicles.

The research revealed the thyroid hormones play an important role in regulating the natural growth and shedding cycles of hair. Most importantly the thyroid hormones slow the release of hair from the scalp and activate the growth of new hair.

If you have experienced a drop in your thyroid hormone levels a return to healthy levels of T3 and T4 will help revitalise the hair follicles. Over time this will put a halt to thyroid hair loss.

Stress and chronic illness triggers greater thyroid hair loss

We all know stress is not good for overall health. When it comes to thyroid health, too much stress slows thyroid function. Many individuals suffer sudden, or greater thyroid hair loss soon after experiencing high amounts of stress.

Extreme emotional stress, childbirth, surgery, or severe infections are just some of the stresses that can have a negative impact on your thyroid. A drop in circulating thyroid hormone levels can set off a range of hypothyroid symptoms.

Early greying of hair is also linked to low thyroid hormone activity

It may surprise you to learn that premature greying of hair also indicates low thyroid hormone activity.

The thyroid hormones stimulate melanin production within the hair follicles. Melanin is naturally produced to give colour to both your skin and hair.

When melanin levels drop it causes the hair to turn grey. The connection between a drop in thyroid function and early greying of the hair is often missed.

Why female pattern baldness is different to thyroid hair loss

Hair loss associated with low thyroid hormone activity is different to female pattern baldness.

Female pattern baldness usually starts on the crown of the head, or there is noticeable thinning on the top of the scalp.

This type of baldness is due to a hormone imbalance. There is usually an increase in androgens, the male type hormones that should only be present in small amounts in women.

When women have excessive levels of androgens it stimulates male type baldness. This is the type of baldness commonly seen in men.

Putting a halt to hair loss

If you are worried about hair loss it is important to discuss thyroid testing with your healthcare practitioner.

The top 5 thyroid tests I recommend include; thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4, free T3, reverse T3, and a measure of thyroid antibody levels.

Checking your free T3 levels is particularly important and I recommend you take a close look at your T3 levels. You want to see this thyroid hormone in the mid, or upper level of the healthy range.

Treating an underlying thyroid disorder is an important step to improving your hair health. As thyroid hormone activity improves, especially T3 it is usual to see improvements in your hair health. This means you should see improvements in both the appearance of your hair and less visible hair loss.

A nutritious diet, specific nutrients and lifestyle modifications can greatly assist healthy thyroid function. You may also need to speak to your doctor about taking a prescribed T4/T3 thyroid medication.

Note: There can be other reasons women shed hair more than normal. It may be best to discuss your concerns with your healthcare practitioner so they can investigate further.

Watch this Video Below Here – 10 Ways to Cure Thyroid Hair Loss

Read the following related articles:

10 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil for Thyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Skin Deep. Do Cosmetics Harm the Thyroid?

What is the Best Way to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Can Basal Temperature Testing Help Diagnosis A Thyroid Problem?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com

Can Basal Temperature Testing Help Diagnosis A Thyroid Problem?

Click HERE to Find Out How You Can Achieve Thyroid Levels within a Short Period of Time

Did you know your thyroid hormones regulate your body temperature? When your core body temperature is consistently low it’s a strong signal your thyroid is working below par.

What is an ideal body temperature?

Your body works best within a very narrow temperature range. Enzymes, hormones, vitamins and minerals work best between 36.5 – 37.5 degrees Celsius (97.8 – 99.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

A colder body temperature can indicate you are experiencing reduced metabolic activity due to low thyroid hormone activity.

Testing your basal body temperature is therefore a simple way to assess your current thyroid health.

How to do your own basal temperature testing

Basal temperature testing is a simple, at home test. All that is required is a good quality thermometer. Here is what you need to do;

Place a digital thermometer by your bed before going to sleep at night. This will make it easy to grab in the morning.

As soon as you wake up and before you get out of bed place the thermometer in your mouth. It is important to make as little movement as possible. Lying and resting with your eyes closed works well.

Read and record the temperature and date. Do not get up until you have this temperature result. When you get up and move around your temperature naturally rises.

Perform this test on at least five mornings. If possible do this test around the same time each day.

Note: Menstruating women should avoid doing this test around the middle of their cycle as body temperature naturally rises at ovulation. Men and non-menstruating women can perform the test at any time.

Watch this Video Below Here - Thyroid Problem or Adrenal Problem - Thyroid Basal Temperature Testing - Self-Test

Even a small drop in body temperature is significant

There is a strong correlation between your waking, or ‘basal temperature’ and how well your thyroid is functioning.

Under normal conditions the body is able to maintain a fairly steady core body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). If your temperature appears to be consistently below 37 degrees Celsius (or 98.6 Fahrenheit) you should discuss your findings with your healthcare practitioner.

Basal temperature testing is not usually used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool. Your basal temperature is considered along with other signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid.

To provide some perspective on how significant even small changes in body temperature can be let’s take a look at two potentially dangerous situations.

Hyperthermia occurs when the body’s core temperature gets too high due to fever, vigorous exercise or heat stress.  When the temperature climbs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) it is considered life-threatening

Conversely, mild hypothermia occurs when the core temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). In severe hypothermia, the core body temperature drops to 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) or lower.

As the core body temperature cools the vital organs produce less heat which in essence causes a protective ‘shut down’ of the body to preserve heat and protect the brain.

Low body temperature slows brain activity, breathing, and heart rate. Many hypothyroid sufferers would be familiar with these symptoms!

Read the following related articles:

10 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips to Help Heal Your Thyroid

Warnings: 4 Types of Toxic Cookware to Avoid & Why

What is really The Best Cooking Oil for Thyroid Health?

5 Important Steps for Hypothyroidism Treatment Success

Hormone Problem? Here’s Your Hormone Imbalance Checklist

Are Iodine Supplements For Thyroid Health Really Safe?

What is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis?

Skin Deep. Do Cosmetics Harm the Thyroid?

What is the Best Way to Diagnose Hypothyroidism?

Author Bio:

Louise O’ Connor, the author of The Natural Thyroid Diet –The 4-Week Plan to Living Well, Living Vibrantly, who is a specialist in Thyroid Health. She is a highly regarded Australian Naturopath and founder of Wellnesswork.

The Natural Thyroid Diet goes beyond diet advice and offers practical and effective ways to achieve healthy thyroid levels within just a short period of time. For more details, Click on The-Natural-Thyroid-Diet.com