No matter how many times that personal trainer with 1M followers tells you that it’s all about calorie deficit, it’s much harder to lose weight if you are hypothyroid. Just like it’s unlikely you will have great energy, regular bowels, a great libido or thick luscious hair. Your thyroid secretes hormones that regulate almost every cell in your body, so it’s kind of important.
Don’t fall into the trap of being told “your thyroid is fine” when your TSH is >2.0. We have a reactive healthcare [sickness care?] system in the West, where help is available once you are seriously unwell, where in this case, nutrient deficiencies and even thyroid damage can be occurring over years [or even decades].
In addition, please don’t let anyone tell you “your thyroid is fine” by only testing TSH. Don’t get me wrong, TSH is relevant, but 1) the standard reference ranges are appalling, with some labs accepting as low as 0.4 and as high as 5.5 [optimal is 1.0-2.0 mIU/L for non-pregnant] and 2) there’s so much more to thyroid health.
Without testing FT4, FT3, thyroid perioxodase antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies, you have just one piece of the puzzle. I would also argue that urinary iodine is of equal importance. More on this to come.
A proactive approach is to identify a sub-clinically elevated TSH and/or antibodies and sub-clinically low FT4 and/or FT3, and support the thyroid back into balance with nutritional and lifestyle interventions.
Learn more in my latest masterclass – Understanding Low Thyroid – Root Cause, Autoimmunity & Pregnancy. I hope to see you there.