4 replies to this topic

[pseudo-princess]

I'm beginning to think that I have hypothyroidism, as I'm experiencing some of the symptoms (fatigue, increased difficulty losing weight, rough pale skin, cold intolerance, menstrual irregularities)

I've been practicing calorie restriction for about two years now. I lost about 10 lbs doing that, but am still approximately 20-15 lbs overweight (BMI 23) with the excess weight primarily around my middle. This seems strange to me, since I eat about 1400 calories per day (5'4", female) and most of these calories come from low-fat protein and raw vegetables.

Before I go to a doctor about this, I was wondering if I should actually want to maintain an underactive thyroid for the slow-metabolic purposes of CR?
What do you guys think?

[Shepard]

I'm beginning to think that I have hypothyroidism, as I'm experiencing some of the symptoms (fatigue, increased difficulty losing weight, rough pale skin, cold intolerance, menstrual irregularities)

This seems strange to me, since I eat about 1400 calories per day (5'4", female) and most of these calories come from low-fat protein and raw vegetables.

Calorie restriction is going to lower T3 concentration, but should not lower T4 or TSH. I don't know why anyone would want to have hypothyroidism in the hopes that it will extend life.

If you do have a thyroid issue, you might want to rethink the raw vegetables in case they are interfering with iodine uptake. How much fat do you get in your diet?

[pseudo-princess]

I get about....15g-20g of fat a day, mainly in the form of olive oil, flax seed oil, and fat from fish, chicken, or eggs.

Yeah I read how raw vegetables (such as kale and broccoli, my favorites) can be harmful in regards to the thyroid which is really sad for me, but I guess I'll have to find something else.

I really should read about the cellular mechanisms of calorie restriction versus hypothyroidism, I suppose. It just seems to produce some of the same affects, such as lowered body temperature and slow metabolic rate, so I was wondering if that actually had any benefits.

[Shepard]

You're looking at less than 15% intake from fat. If it were me, I'd try upping that a good bit and seeing what changes.

[pseudo-princess]

Thank you!!