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Hi, I joined Nutracheck after trying to lose weight unsuccessfully for many months. I have a recently diagnosed under active thyroid, which I know doesn't help, but I am taking my medication and I am exercising about 4 times a week.
Despite watching my calories carefully since joining a few weeks ago, I haven't lost anything and I'm very disheartened. I eat a lot of fruit and veg, salads and lots of yoghurts. I snack on cereal bars and mini choc bars, but I really feel that I could really do with some help!
Our expert says...
Hi and welcome to Nutracheck!
Well, you are definitely on the right track now - watching your calories, exercising regularly and taking your thyroid medication. All these things are necessary if you are going to lose weight in a sustainable and healthy manner.
The fruit, vegetable and salad content of your diet sounds good, but I wonder if you are eating enough complex carbohydrates e.g. wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta and brown rice? These are important parts of a balanced diet, which will fill you up and provide valuable vitamins, minerals and fibre. I would also issue a word of caution about sugar. It is a common mistake amongst dieters to concentrate on taking fat out of the diet. Apart from the fact that we all need some fats to function, this often leaves the diet high in sugar as sugar is often used as a replacement.
Sugar provides 'empty calories' of no nutritional value, causes blood sugar dips that lead to cravings and hunger and, when there is excess glucose in the blood stream, it is removed by insulin and stored as fat. Take a look at the sugar content in fruit yoghurts and cereal bars and you may be surprised by what you see! So, I would recommend eating plain, bio-yoghurt with fresh fruit in place of fruit yoghurts and sugar-free snack bars from health food stores or supermarkets (these are normally sweetened with apple juice) in place of cereal and mini chocolate bars .
Also, it is worth considering that your thyroid medication may not be at the right level yet. It can often take some time to get this right for each individual. If you are still not losing weight when you next see your doctor, tell him what you have been doing and ask his advice.
Finally, don't give up! It's very early days and I'm sure, if you persevere, you will get there.
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