A common concern for those of us living with thyroid disease is weight gain and this can be particularly the case for those of us with hypothyroidism. Whilst we know and have discussed that hypothyroidism can make being active much more difficult, we also know that being physically active and following an evidence-based weight management programme can help us manage our weight successfully and become more healthy.
Being more physically active, either through sport or exercise, or reducing sedentary time, means we are forcing our muscles to use more energy. Every day we consume calories through carbohydrates, fat, and protein. We use carbohydrates as our main source of fuel and fat is our secondary source of fuel. We rarely use protein as energy even though proteins have many calories.
When we become more active, we use more of the energy that goes into our bodies from food. By changing our behaviour and eating less food and moving more, we can manage our weight much more efficiently. By eating foods which are high in fibre, having plenty of vegetables, and avoiding foods that are high in fat and sugar, we will consume less energy. If we also use up more of that energy through physical activity, we can lose weight healthily in the long-term.
This is known as a negative energy balance. If we eat less energy than we use in daily activity we will use stored fat instead and this results in weight loss. If we eat more energy than we need for daily activity, any spare energy is stored as fat and this leads to weight gain. It is very difficult to lose weight with only physical activity or diet changes alone. So to give ourselves the best chance of doing so, we must be as active as possible. This encourages the body to use up both the limited energy we eat and the fat stored on our bodies.