“ NEVER GIVE UP!”

At the age of 26, I was diagnosed with Thyroid. For many years I came to an agreement with myself that the cause behind this ailment was stress. I was shielded by my work, family commitments, and other domestic responsibilities. In no time, I weighed 90 plus KGs. Denying the very fact that my unhealthy lifestyle was the primary reason for gaining weight, I got extremely furious when I was asked to work on reducing my weight. I would tell everyone that I was a mother and suffered a severe medical condition, hence gaining weight was a predominant factor and I had no other option but to live with the medication for the rest of my life.

I did not care to research the cause behind Thyroid issues. I did not try finding ways to control the malady and discover some of the best routes to lose the excess amount of weight accumulated in my body. I did not consider this illness serious until my doctor advised me on how negligent I was which had only led to all the problems I was facing, due to which my condition had gone from bad to worse, and how important it was for me to restructure my life pattern by following a healthy lifestyle.

Apparently, every 1 in 10 people face the issue of an inactive thyroid gland. The thyroid gland plays a major role in breaking down the calories, energy production, and maintaining blood sugar levels by secreting T3 and T4. Inactive thyroid or abnormal secretion of hormones leads to retarded metabolism resulting in weight gain, poor hair, skin texture, insomnia, tiredness, and lethargy.

Many assume that it’s impossible to take control over this condition but a balanced nutritious diet, an active lifestyle, and most importantly, positive and consistent effort is the key to win over this monster. Weight loss in such a scenario is always slow and tricky but one has to shift focus on getting the reports better not the scale, losing weight and inches are an outcome of patience and consistent effort.

Focus on all the macros whenever you plan your meals. A diet rich in protein, carbohydrates (complex carbohydrates like oats, brown rice whole wheat), fat, and fiber with adequate hydration is the key to success. Small portions in a gap of every 3 hours also help in boosting metabolism. Add iodine and selenium and other essential vitamins and minerals to your diet. I strongly recommend a good brand multivitamin tablet which is a great alternate. Along with nutrition, physical activity of 45 minutes should be part of the routine. Strength training, functional training, brisk walk, jogging, or aerobics are good ways to keep yourself active. Always start with an easy and less tiring workout and gradually increase the intensity of something new.

Remember! Hypothyroid is just a condition of bad lifestyle habits, if not curable one can definitely keep it under the limits by restricting it to where it started by some effective and positive changes.