How to Lose Weight With Underactive Thyroid

The thyroid is a small gland located in the front of your neck that is responsible for regulating a number of important functions, including heart rate and metabolism. An underactive thyroid can impair your weight-loss efforts, as a sluggish metabolism reduces the number of calories you burn throughout the day. Fortunately, there are simple diet and exercise tips you can use to boost your metabolic rate and thyroid function, allowing you to shed those unwanted pounds.

Instructions

• 1

  Eat plenty of foods rich in iodine and selenium, such as spinach, carrots, asparagus, avocados, whole grains, bananas, seeds, seafood, sea salt and seaweed. Increasing your intake of selenium and iodine can help stimulate thyroid function.

• 2

  Avoid the following foods, which could potentially interfere with this process of iodine absorption: cruciferous vegetables (which include cabbage and broccoli), peanuts, soy, yams and lima beans.

• 3

  Change your daily diet to include six smaller meals per day (as opposed to three larger meals), making sure each meal is nutritionally balanced and contains a lean protein source, a fruit or vegetable, and a whole grain.

• 4

  Increase your frequency of exercise to at least once every other day, performing moderate-intensity exercise for 30 to 45 minutes per day. Increasing your level of physical activity can help boost your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories even with an underactive thyroid.