Is It Possible to Lose Weight With Hypothyroidism?

Losing weight with hypothyroidism can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. A balanced plan that includes thyroid hormone therapy, a nutrient-rich diet, and regular exercise can help you overcome the slowdown in metabolism caused by an underactive thyroid.

In addition to managing medication, habits like eating mindfully, staying hydrated, building muscle, and getting enough sleep all support weight loss. Working with your healthcare provider to fine-tune your treatment and lifestyle strategy is key to seeing long-term results.

Medical Management

The first step in losing weight with hypothyroidism is getting your thyroid medication and dosage right. When your thyroid hormone levels are balanced, your metabolism works better, which can help with weight loss. After that, talk to your healthcare provider about any other medicines you're taking and if weight-loss medications might be helpful for you.

Thyroid Hormone Therapy

If you have hypothyroidism, taking thyroid hormone replacement (like levothyroxine) is often the first step in managing your weight. This medicine helps bring your hormone levels back to normal, which can improve your energy and metabolism.

While thyroid hormone therapy alone usually won’t cause major weight loss, it helps your body function properly—making other weight loss efforts more effective. It’s important to take your medication exactly as prescribed and check your levels regularly with your healthcare provider to make sure you’re on the right dose.

Additional Testing

Research suggests that hormone resistance—especially leptin and insulin resistance—can make it harder for people with thyroid conditions to lose weight.

Since both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are linked to insulin resistance, it’s a good idea to get your fasting glucose and insulin levels tested.

A fasting glucose level over 100 mg/dL may signal insulin resistance or prediabetes, both of which can hinder weight loss. If your levels are borderline, cutting back on added sugars and refined carbs like pastries, fries, and chips can help lower blood sugar.

For persistently high levels, your healthcare provider may recommend a type 2 diabetes medication like metformin.

Regular Checkups

If you’re trying to lose weight with hypothyroidism, regular checkups with your healthcare provider are key. Your thyroid hormone levels can change over time, and even small imbalances can make weight loss harder. Routine blood tests help ensure your medication dose is still right for you.

Regular checkups also give your provider a chance to check for other issues that might affect your weight, like changes in metabolism or side effects from other medications.

Nutritional Strategies

There’s no specific “hypothyroidism diet,” but certain eating habits can make it easier to lose or manage weight when you have low thyroid function.

Focus on Whole Foods

Plant-based foods are an important part of a weight-loss plan for people with hypothyroidism. Eating more fruits and vegetables can help you feel full without adding extra calories, which is crucial for managing weight.

Additionally, research suggests that a diet rich in plant-based foods and low in animal products may help protect against cellular damage and slow the progression of hypothyroidism, supporting overall health as you work toward your weight loss goals.

Increase Fiber Intake

Eating more fiber-rich foods like beans, whole grains, and berries can have a number of health benefits for someone with hypothyroidism. Fiber can:

• Make you feel fuller, faster: Because it takes longer to digest fiber, you need to eat less high-fiber foods in order to feel full. This can help you lose weight over the long term.
  
• Help prevent constipation: Hypothyroidism slows down digestion, which can cause chronic constipation. Increasing your fiber intake can help keep your bowel movements regular.
• Help lower cholesterol: People with hypothyroidism can have elevated cholesterol levels. A diet high in fiber can help combat this.
  
• Help control blood sugar: Because it takes longer to digest high-fiber foods, the sugar in those foods takes longer to reach your bloodstream. This can help keep your blood sugar in control.

Limit Simple Carbs and Sugars

Whole grains like brown rice and wheat bread are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, making them a healthier choice for people with hypothyroidism. These foods take longer to digest than simple carbohydrates like white rice and white bread, helping you stay fuller for longer.

Similarly, sugars—whether in sugary drinks, snacks, or processed foods—add empty calories and can lead to blood sugar spikes, which can make weight loss more difficult. To support your weight loss goals, it’s important to limit both simple carbs and sugars in your diet.

Incorporate Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Diets rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods may help protect against hypothyroidism and support weight loss.

The most beneficial foods include:

• Plant oils, especially olive oil
• Nuts and seeds, including Brazil nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds
• Seafood, including fish and seaweed
• Vegetables
• Low-fat protein, like skinless chicken, turkey, and eggs

Each of these foods supports thyroid health while helping you feel full and nourished. The key is to aim for a balanced, varied diet rather than overloading on any one food group. For personalized guidance, consider working with a nutritionist to create a plan that fits your needs and goals.

Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated is especially important if you have hypothyroidism and are trying to lose weight.

Water supports your metabolism, helps manage appetite, reduces bloating, and keeps digestion and elimination running smoothly—functions that can be slower in people with thyroid issues.

While individual needs vary, healthy adults are generally advised to get about 11.5 cups of total fluids per day for females and 15.5 cups for males, with about 20% coming from food. That means aiming for roughly nine cups of water or other fluids daily for women and 13 cups for men.

Balance Calories and Eat Mindfully

Monitoring calorie intake is an important part of any weight loss plan. On average:

• Adult females need 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day.
• Adult males need 2,000 to 3,200 calories per day.

Your ideal intake depends on factors like age, activity level, and thyroid function. A healthcare provider or nutritionist can help you find the right target for your body and goals.

Additionally, weight loss isn’t just about numbers—how you eat matters too. Mindful eating can help you feel more satisfied with less food and avoid emotional or distracted eating.

Strategies to help you eat more mindfully include:

• Eating slowly and without distractions, such as phones or TV
• Paying attention to hunger and fullness cues to avoid overeating
• Using smaller plates to help manage portion sizes
• Avoiding restrictive diets that may lead to bingeing or undernourishment

Avoid drastically cutting calories, as this can slow your metabolism, lead to muscle loss, and deprive you of essential nutrients—ultimately making it harder to lose weight and manage thyroid symptoms. A balanced, sustainable approach is more effective over the long term.

Plan Meal Timings

When it comes to managing weight with thyroid disease, when you eat can be just as important as what you eat. Research suggests that adjusting meal timing and spacing meals more strategically may help support metabolism and weight loss.

One popular option is intermittent fasting, which can take different forms:

• Time-restricted eating: You eat all your meals within a set six to eight-hour window each day and fast for the remaining hours.
• The 5:2 method: You eat normally five days a week, but on two non-consecutive days, you limit your intake to a single 500- to 600-calorie meal.

Alternatively, some people find success with a grazing-style approach, eating small, frequent meals and snacks spaced evenly throughout the day to keep hunger in check and blood sugar stable.

Because fasting strategies can affect thyroid function, blood sugar, and energy levels, it’s best to consult your healthcare provider before making any major changes to your eating schedule.

Get Enough Protein

Getting enough protein is especially important if you have hypothyroidism and are trying to lose weight. Diets too low in protein can suppress thyroid function, potentially making symptoms worse.

In contrast, adequate protein intake supports thyroid hormone production, helps preserve muscle mass, and can increase metabolism—all of which are key for healthy weight loss.

Protein also helps you feel full longer, which can curb overeating and make it easier to stick to your calorie goals. Aim to include a high-quality protein source with every meal.

Choose these proteins:

• Lean meats like chicken or turkey
• Fish and seafood (especially omega-3-rich types like salmon)
• Eggs
• Low-fat dairy or dairy alternatives
• Plant-based proteins like lentils, beans, tofu, and tempeh

As a general guide, adult women should aim for 46 to 75 grams of protein per day, and adult men should aim for 56 to 90 grams, depending on age, activity level, and overall calorie needs.

Avoid Thyroid-Disrupting Foods

Some otherwise healthy foods can slow down your thyroid function and lead to weight gain. The culprits are compounds called goitrogens found in foods like:

• Cruciferous vegetables (such as spinach, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, and rapeseed)
• Cassava
• Lima beans
• Linseed
• Sorghum
• Sweet potato
• Soy
• Millet

You can eat these foods in moderation, especially if they're steamed or cooked. However, be careful not to eat large amounts.

Soy is a special concern. Soy contains goitrogens, but it can also block your body's absorption of thyroid drugs, making them less effective. This can pose a significant problem for someone following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet who relies on soy for protein.

Exercise and Physical Activity

Exercising when you have thyroid disease is good for your overall health and can even help support healthy thyroid function. It can also spur weight loss by boosting your metabolism, reducing fluid retention, and making you feel more energetic.

Start Gradually

If you have hypothyroidism and want to lose weight, regular physical activity can help boost your metabolism, improve energy levels, and support overall health.

The general recommendation is to aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise five days a week, or 45 to 60 minutes three days a week. Strength training should also be included at least twice per week to help build muscle and support a healthy metabolism.

However, if you haven’t exercised in a while—or if fatigue or joint pain make it difficult—start small. Begin with 10-minute walks once or twice a week and gradually increase your duration, frequency, and intensity as your stamina improves. The key is to be consistent and gentle with yourself as you build strength over time.

Strength Training

Strength training is especially helpful for people with hypothyroidism who are trying to lose weight because it helps build lean muscle mass. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, which means increasing your muscle mass can boost your resting metabolism and support long-term weight loss.

Great strength-training exercises to include in your routine:

• Weight lifting using free weights or machines
• Resistance band training for a low-impact, joint-friendly option
• Body-weight exercises such as squats, push-ups, lunges, or planks
• Heavy yard work like digging, shoveling, or hauling
• Carrying groceries, water containers, or other weighted household items as functional resistance

Even two to three strength sessions per week can make a meaningful difference. Over time, this type of exercise not only helps with weight management but also improves bone health, energy, and overall physical resilience—important factors for managing thyroid symptoms and feeling your best.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular (aerobic) exercise plays an important role in weight loss with hypothyroidism by helping to burn calories, improve energy levels, and regulate appetite-related hormones.

Moderate- to high-intensity cardio has also been shown to suppress appetite by balancing hormones that control hunger and satiety.

Effective moderate-intensity aerobic exercises include:

• Brisk walking
• Water aerobics
• Cycling, either on a stationary or outdoor bike
• Playing tennis or other active sports
• Raking leaves, mowing the lawn, or similar yard work
• Dancing, hiking, or light jogging (as tolerated)

If you are new to cardio exercises, start with shorter, manageable sessions and gradually increase your duration or intensity.

Quality Sleep

Getting enough high-quality sleep is one of the most important—yet often overlooked—factors in successful weight loss, especially when you have hypothyroidism.

Poor sleep has been linked to a slower metabolism, increased appetite, and a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Aim for at least seven hours of sleep each night to support your metabolism and hormone balance.

If you're finding it difficult to sleep well, these sleep hygiene tips can help:

• Stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends.
• Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool.
• Remove electronic devices like TVs, phones, and computers from the room.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and large meals in the evening.

Stress Management

In addition to sleep, chronic stress can also interfere with weight loss. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that can increase fat storage and cravings for high-calorie foods. People with hypothyroidism may be especially sensitive to the effects of stress on the body and mind.

To help manage stress, consider practices such as:

• Deep breathing or meditation to calm the nervous system
• Gentle yoga or stretching to release tension
• Spending time outdoors or engaging in activities you enjoy
• Setting healthy boundaries with work, relationships, and responsibilities

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If you have hypothyroidism and can’t seem to lose weight—even after eating healthy and exercising—it might be time to talk to your healthcare provider.

Sometimes, weight loss is hard because your thyroid isn’t working properly. Even if you’ve already been diagnosed, your treatment might need to be adjusted.

See your healthcare provider if:

• You're gaining weight or can't lose it, even with diet and exercise.
• You feel tired all the time or have other signs of low thyroid.
• It’s been a while since your last thyroid blood test.
• You take thyroid medicine but still feel off.

Your provider can check your thyroid hormone levels and help decide if a change in medication or another treatment might help.

Thyroid Disease Doctor Discussion Guide

Get our printable guide for your next doctor's appointment to help you ask the right questions.

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Summary

Hypothyroidism can slow your metabolism and disrupt other hormones that influence weight and appetite, making it harder to lose weight. If you're struggling, talk to your healthcare provider about testing your thyroid levels and whether your medication needs adjusting.

Healthy habits like getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating more fiber, and being physically active can support weight loss. Be cautious with diet medications, as they may interact with thyroid treatments.