Losing Weight with Hypothyroidism and PCOS

Are you a young woman, who is trying to lose weight? Are all your efforts going in vain? Did you get yourself checked up for hormonal imbalance? Many young women suffer from hormonal imbalance, which can increase the risk of infertility, obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases. This hormonal imbalance is called PCOS. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It is also known as Stein-Leventhal syndrome. In many cases, it is observed that young woman also suffer from hypothyroidism along with PCOS. The thyroid glands are the metabolism regulator of the body and if they are under-active, it leads to weight gain.

Losing Weight with Hypothyroidism and PCOS

There are three points to remember while you are try losing weight with hypothyroid disease and PCOS. The three points are, a changed metabolic set point, a change in brain chemistry due to illnesses and stress and also insulin resistance. Along with all of this, it is important for you to check, if your hypothyroidism is under-treated. People suffering from hypothyroidism find it very difficult to lose weight, due to fundamental changes in metabolism. Due to these, in spite of eating less and doing more, the person will see that he is gaining weight. Until and unless the thyroid glands receive a proper amount of hormones, the weight gain is persistent. Along with hypothyroidism, there are chances of weight change due to some other causes. PCOS can be one of the cause, along with antidepressants and certain steroids.

There are a number of diet plans, which promise dramatic results to treat problems related to PCOS and hypothyroidism. Most of these diet plans have little or no scientific backing. At the same time, a person finds it very difficult to stick to these diet plan for a sustained period of time. According to some, a low carbohydrate diet is the appropriate diet for woman suffering from hypothyroidism and PCOS, as more often than not, these women are insulin-resistant. However, research for a long period of time has shown that a low carbohydrate diet has not proven to be successful for a long period of time, to treat weight gain associated with hypothyroidism and PCOS. High amounts of proteins and fats can cause further other complications.

At the same time, low-fat diets are also not successful in the long run. People who are on a low-fat diet, tend to eat more carbohydrates and it causes levels of insulin to elevate quickly. If a person has elevated insulin for a prolonged period of time, it leads to insulin resistance. This causes the vicious cycle of hypothyroidism, PCOS and weight gain.

Tips for Losing Weight with PCOS and Hypothyroidism

If the number of calories taken are more than the number of calories burned, for a prolonged period of time, it causes the metabolic resistance to lose it strength and the body sets a higher weight set point. According to a research, the metabolic resistance can even be completely eliminated. A slow and steady approach to dieting helps in minimizing this. The best way to increase metabolic rate of the body is through exercises.

Due to hypothyroidism, the metabolism is very slow for the appropriate appetite level to be set by your brain. Therefore, chances are high that, what the brain perceives as appropriate food intake levels are in reality exceeding the body's metabolism, causing weight gain. There are several ways of dealing with changes in brain chemistry. Antidepressants are often used to deal with the problem. To boost serotonin, the neurotransmitter which tells the body the right amount to eat, aerobic exercises are of immense help.

In order to fight insulin resistance, weight loss is important. It is catch 22, as the less a person weighs, the less insulin resistance he will be, but insulin resistance makes it difficult to lose weight as well. Exercise is the best answer to deal with the problem, along with the right, controlled diet that requires eliminating the intake of sugar and starches. Pasta, rice, potatoes, white flour breads, desserts, red meat and fruit with high sugar content should be considered as your enemies. Complex grains, salads and greens are to be embraced as friends in this fight against weight loss, hypothyroidism and PCOS.

Losing weight with hypothyroidism and PCOS is indeed difficult, but if you have the right approach, it becomes relatively easier. Remember, right diet and exercise are the only way you can tackle this problem in the long run. There is no gain without pain. So let's start working towards it.