Is your weight currently at a stalemate?

Metabolism and thyroid levels

A study has shown that even slight weight loss affects the thyroid hormone activity in the body, making it harder to continue losing weight.

This is according to researchers at the National Institute of Health (NIH). In their study, they found that overweight people who lost between five and 10% of their body weight over the course of a year, had a decrease in serum T3 levels.

T3 is what fires up your metabolism. It's the body's “active” form of your thyroid hormone.

Is a replacement hormone necessary?

According to Francesco Celi, MD, lead study author and an NIH clinical investigator, this could help explain why you might have hit a stalemate, when you previously and gradually lost weight.

However, he explains that getting thyroid medication might not be helpful. “It's not clear that it would be helpful in this sort of case, and I am concerned that it could be harmful. Over treatment with thyroid hormones can suppress normal thyroid function and cause cardiac problems and bone loss.”

In his research, the people he studied had lower T3 levels, but they were still within a low-normal range so it wasn't necessary to consider thyroid medication.

Before you think it's your thyroid

If your weight has come to a standstill, don't automatically think that it could be a drop in your T3 levels.

Instead, Dr. Celi advises being careful about how much food you're really eating.

For example, ask yourself how many portions of carbs you eat each day. Cereal for breakfast, crackers for snacks, a sandwich for lunch and pasta for supper? That's too much.

Make small changes

Stick to one portion of starch per day for your main meal and a snack.

Also, visualise your portions properly. A serving of cheese is around the size of three dominoes and a serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.

Find ways to control your portion sizes healthily; stick to good fats and be more active throughout the day, and you should begin to see your weight gradually shift down again.

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