Keto with thyroid problems

natlee221218
natlee221218 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Anyone on keto with thyroid problems? Iv been reading alot about this and I think im going to try it after Christmas. But ov seen a few side effects eg keto flu, hair loss. Was just wondering if this lifestyle would be of any use to me with thyroid problems or im just dreaming lol

Replies

  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
    I have more than mild thyroid problems and the one time I tried keto I was nearly a homicidal maniac. Thankfully the gluten challenge eventually ended, and I have no problems with gluten. Now I know WHY I need carbs so badly, but even with that solved, I lose weight just fine without keto.

    Is your thyroid being treated? Do you have any comorbid issues that aren't yet resolved?
  • natlee221218
    natlee221218 Posts: 4 Member
    Yes im on medication but still not got it to the right levels.
  • procolorer
    procolorer Posts: 326 Member
    I’m hypo. I tried keto once. Got the keto flu and couldn’t break through it. Now I eat a lot of keto recipes but I don’t follow it. I get my cravings out 1-2 a week for one meal but I don’t ‘cheat’ it’s still within my macros and calories. Working great so far!
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
    You can *try* keto and see how it does for you, but thyroid disease comes hand in hand with rather a lot of digestive/gut problems. MANY (but certainly not all) thyroid patients do not absorb fats very well and end up getting... very loose stools... and others (like me) do not acidify very well in their stomach and end up with nutritional deficiencies from an inability to digest protein properly with low stomach acid. A LOT of hypothyroid people "feel better" eating a certain amount of carbs, because that is what they *can* digest easily.

    Unfortunately, thyroid problems don't all result in gut problems and definitely not in the SAME gut problems, so you won't know how well a keto eating pattern will work for you unless you've had your gut tested for other reasons, or unless you've experimented and determined that it is not for you.

    If it ISN'T for you, just know that with a thyroid problem, it likely ISN'T entirely a lack of discipline. You may have a biological reason to do better on other methods of caloric restriction.
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,416 Member
    Honestly, because this should be a *lifestyle change* rather than a crash diet, just start easing into some changes. Maybe instead of actively decreasing your carbs, work on increasing your protein while staying inside your calorie goals. If you make these changes gradually, 1) they'll be easier to maintain long term as they'll be more easy to make habitual and 2) you'll be able to evaluate each change individually to see how it makes you feel. Does it help you feel more full? Does it give you a tummy ache? Does it give you more energy? Is it a positive change in your diet that you truly don't mind? Is it a change you hate and will never maintain?

    One step at a time. Do one thing better than you did last week, and you'll always be better off than if you got overwhelmed and did nothing at all.

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