Losing weight can be a hard problem for some people but not for those suffering from hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease. The hyperthyroid condition causes loss of good amount of weight and people find it hard to stop it.
A person suffering from Graves’ Disease has lost 40 pounds before he started gaining some weight. Many people who deal with this disease have the same problem. The main aim of this article is to discuss what can people who suffer from hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease do in order to gain some weight.
At first, when a person is diagnosed with one of these diseases, he might like the idea of losing weight. Some people even do not undertake any treatment until they lose some weight. On the other side, these people who deal with hyperthyroid problems can gain some weight when taking antithyroid medication. Other people may struggle to gain some pound even during the time of medication.
Those Who Suffer from Hyperthyroid Issues Can Do These Things to Gain Some Weight:
1. Normalize The Levels of Thyroid Hormone
It’s the thyroid hormones that are responsible for the weight loss in these conditions. So, it is of crucial importance to normalize the levels of thyroid hormones.
Most of the people who suffer from hyperthyroidism also have Graves’ Disease, another autoimmune thyroid condition where the TSH receptors stimulate the TSH receptors which further cause the thyroid gland to secrete an excessive amount of thyroid hormone. Until you suppress the autoimmune component you should manage the hyperthyroid symptoms.
People usually take the antithyroid medication Methimazole. It normalizes the levels of thyroid hormone and prevent weight loss. However, one common case is that this antithyroid medication can make someone hypothyroid and thus affecting the loss of weight. Other medications, natural options are L-carnitine and Bugleweed which inhibit the production of thyroid hormone and stop the loss of weight.
There are also cases when people continue to lose weight even after the thyroid hormones are normal. In this case, they should consult the other points from this post for gaining weight.
2. Consume Nutrient Dense Food
Many people who experience hyperthyroid conditions oppose their weight loss by eating as many calories as they can. Usually, they just load up carbohydrates rather than nutrient dense food.
Chris Kresser in his book “You’re Personal Paleo Code”, lists certain foods according their nutritive-density. He lists organ meat as the food with the highest nutritive-density. Other meats are also nutrient-dense but not in the same way as the organ meats. If you are a vegetarian, seeds and nuts will be on the highest place on your list. Other nutrient-dense foods include: collard greens, avocados, spinach, kale, radishes, arugula and carrots. Eggs is also an important type of food. Those having gut problems, should avoid eating seeds, nuts, legumes and beans. This is due to the phytic and lectins acid in these foods that make them difficult to digest. You can reduce these anti nutrients if you soak them in water although it won’t eliminate them completely.
3. Consume Some Smoothies Every Day with Some Added Protein
Along the nutrient dense food, you can drink one or two smoothies every day. Add some avocado, kale or coconut oil in the smoothie in order to enrich its content. In addition, you can also use some extra protein in the form of whey protein, a great source of glutathione. If you try to avoid dairy, use some pea or rice based protein powder.
4. Correct Any Malabsorption Problems
Malabsorption often comes with hyperthyroidism, which is an affected absorption of nutrients. There can also be other factors that affect these problems with absorption. People with Graves’ Disease have increased intestinal permeability which causes problems with the absorption of nutrients. Also, certain pathogens can cause problems with the absorption and it a good point to have a stool panel that detects the presence of pathogens.
Other factors are problems with gallbladder. In some cases people take other medications than beta blockers and antithyroid drugs which affect the nutrient absorption.
Also, oral contraceptives affect the absorption of numerous vitamins and minerals.
5. Do Some LIGHT Weightlifting at Least 3 Times a Week
Because hyperthyroidism reduces the muscle mass and affects the bone density, you should do some weightlifting at least 3 days a week. Instead of losing weight and eating more calories, try doing some light weightlifting and it will help you to gain weight. A study conducted on 16 patients with hyperthyroidism showed that resistance training increases the recovery of skeletal muscle function and promotes weight gain. If haven’t tried some lifting weights before, try working with a personal trainer.
To conclude, when you experience hyperthyroidism it might be challenge to gain weight. In this case, the key point is to normalize the thyroid hormone for weight loss. Also, the nutrient dense foods and light weightlifting can help you gain weight. If some other condition affects the absorption of nutrients (intestinal dysbiosis, leaky gut syndrome or gallbladder problems) this needs to be addressed.
Via Natural Endocrine Solutions