thyroid and weight loss

Question
Hi,
I am 24 years old and last year I had graves deases. It was a very severe case which the doctors corrected with radioactive iodine, which caused me to no longer have a thyroid. the doctors put me on synthroid to reculate my weight, but before the right dosage was found i gained 60lbs. the doctors say i am now on the right level of syntroid, but i still have trouble losing weight. i joined a gym and have been working out for 2 months, i added lots of water to my diet and cut out all sweets and pop(i do drink diet pop) i don't know what to do i keep gaining weight. My throid speciallest is a 2 hour drive away and i can't see driving that far just to ask a few questions. i guess my main question is , all the diet plans i've heard over the years all involve ways to speed up your motabolism, how does that work for me, considering i don't have any? Can you suggest anything to help me out?

Answer
Hello Theresa!


   Thank you for your nutrition question. The following are different tips to help you boost your metabolism.

1. Get active - it's a sure-fire way to increase the amount of muscle you have, which in turn will speed up your metabolism. Do a mixture of aerobic and light weight lifting for best results.
 
2. Eat little and often - there's evidence that eating mini meals throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals, may help to keep your metabolism ticking over. Surprisingly, around 10 percent of the calories we use each day go on digesting and absorbing food - so the more times you eat, the greater this effect is likely to be.
 
3. Eat plenty of protein-rich foods - research shows that around 25 percent of calories in a protein-rich meal may be burnt off. But make sure you choose low-fat protein foods such as lean meat, skinless chicken and low-fat dairy products.
 
4. Spice up meals - Spices like chilli are thought to raise metabolism by up to 50 percent for up to three hours after eating, due to increasing your heart rate. But before putting the local Indian takeaway on speed dial, work out which curries have the lowest calorie and fat content.
 
5.Swap you daily cuppa for green tea - there's evidence that it contains antioxidants that speed up metabolism.
 
6. Try Juice Plus  - This whole food nutrition supplement contains the nutritients from fresh fruits and vegetalbles to help boost metabolism.  You can purchase it at www.juiceblend.com
 
 
7.Have a sauna - being very hot is also thought to boost metabolism by about 20 percent (but check you don't have any underlying medical problems that mean you shouldn't go in saunas or steam rooms).

For more answers to your nutrition questions check out "Ask the Nutritionists" by George Rapitis at www.authorhouse.com

-George Rapitis, Bsc. Nutritionist

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