Thyroid

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I do eat very healthy do lot's of exercise and even started writing down what I eat to have better control on the amount of calories I consume as I just cannot lose more weight. Could that be due to a hypo thyroid? Is there anything you would suggest I could do differently. I don't like any products or diets but there might be something you could suggest I just did not think about.

Thank you very much.

Best wishes,

Nadine

ANSWER: Nadine,
Having an idea of your current height and weight would be helpful (are you near your ideal weight?  Have you been losing but now slowed down?)
Writing down what you eat will be tremendously helpful.  It is possible you could be hypothyroid but only your doctor can order tests to find out if you are.
You might try dividing your meals into more frequent small ones throughout the day.  Be sure you are eating breakfast, be aware of portion sizes, and drink plenty of water!
Sometimes dieters cut back too much on their calorie level and this results in slowing your metabolism.  How many calories are you eating?  You must take in at least 1200 to get the nutrition you need!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I am 5.7 feet (170cm) and weight about 70kg (160pounds). Usually my weight is shifting between 70-75kg but never below 70 (since I am probably 18 years old). I have a hypythyroid and take medication for years (75mycrogram Synroid) therefore should not have an excuse in not being able to lose weight as it balances the level with the medication. I do alot of hiking and other exercise and try to limit my daily calorie intake to about 2500 cal. I do drink at least 3l water (no juice or soda) and eat 1/4 cup oats with nuts and fruits every morning. This is why I am at a place puzzled why I cannot lose more weight without cutting back on more calories. With cutting further calories I quickly feel my energy level dropping and running into the risk of having gravings. I don't want to lose a massive amount of weight but 5kg would be great to push me to the middle part of my normal weight.
Any help is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

Have a nice day.

Nadine

Answer
Nadine,

Thanks for the added info--that is very helpful.

Your calorie intake of 2500 is actually quite high.  It's great that you are active, and also being tall helps!  But that is too many calories for most people to lose any weight.

You can either try cutting back to 2200 calories a day (cut back a small amount) and lose 3 pounds a month, or cut back to 2000 calories (which may be quite a bit more noticeable) and lose 5 pounds a month.

I would suggest trying to eliminate 300 calories a day from your diet and setting a goal of losing the 5kg you are aiming for by June--how does that sound!

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