Does Hashimoto’s Cause Weight Gain? All Your Questions Answered

If you have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, you probably have to deal with a variety of symptoms. These may include:

• Fatigue
• Joint and muscle pain
• Constipation
• Decreased heart rate
• Dry skin
• Dry and thinning hair
• Irregular or heavy menstrual periods
• Fertility issues
• And more

But does Hashimoto’s disease cause weight gain?

It does! In fact, this is one of the most common symptoms of the condition.



We’ll fill you in on why Hashimoto’s disease causes weight gain, how much you can expect your weight to go up, and lifestyle changes you can make to combat this and possibly reverse your condition.

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Hashimoto’s disease is a common condition wherein chronic inflammation can damage the thyroid and hinder its ability to produce hormones, resulting in hypothyroidism. Hashimoto’s affects more women than men and is known to result in weight gain for most people who have it.



If you’re experiencing weight gain caused by Hashimoto’s disease, HealthierU would like to help. Why needlessly endure symptoms that make your life difficult when you can use holistic nutrition to improve and even reverse your condition? Contact us to find out how we can help.

One of the big jobs of your thyroid is to help control your metabolism. It also regulates your appetite. When your thyroid is underactive and hormone levels are too low, the metabolism slows and you burn less energy. Your body also becomes less likely to burn fat for fuel. All of this can lead to weight gain.

Another frequent issue that those with Hashimoto’s disease encounter is fatigue. This often leads to less physical activity, which in turn can also cause weight gain.

Most people who experience weight fluctuation due to Hashimoto’s disease gain about 5-10 pounds. So while it’s annoying to have unnecessary weight gain due to your body’s systems not functioning properly, the issue isn’t insurmountable!

Hashimoto’s Belly refers to people who have this disease experiencing painful bloating, usually caused by the GI tract filling with gas. It may be confused with weight gain, but the bloating can eventually go down on its own.



The cause of the bloating isn’t always clear, but there are a couple of different conditions related to Hashimoto’s that may cause it.

One example of slower gut motility is gastroparesis. With this condition, the stomach can’t process food the way it normally does — basically, it doesn’t empty correctly. This can cause:

• Bloating
• Nausea; and
• Bowel blockage



Other Hashimoto’s patients may experience constipation. The longer stool stays in the gastrointestinal tract, the more time bacteria have to ferment. This can lead to excessive gas and bloating.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) happens when too many bacteria from the large intestine migrate to the small intestine. They feed off the carbohydrates and simple sugars you consume, then emit excess gasses that build up in the small intestine. This can lead to a large amount of abdominal pain.

If you have gained weight because of your Hashimoto’s disease, getting rid of it can be hard work. But if you’re determined to make some diet and lifestyle changes, you can shed those excess pounds and also help manage your condition.

How much weight you gain can depend on the severity of your Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism. If you don’t feel like you can meet the challenge on your own, you should find someone to help you.



Request a nutrition consultation with Dr. Donna Sergi at HealthierU to get the guidance you need. As specialists in women’s health and wellness, we can identify and permanently alleviate your health-related symptoms — whether it be from Hashimoto’s disease or some other condition — using nutrition guidance and natural remedies. 

If you’re ready to lose the weight you’ve gained due to Hashimoto’s disease, here are some practical lifestyle changes you can implement that should help.

Not only can too much sugar cause you to gain weight, but it also leads to inflammation and all the issues that come with that. 

Simply carbohydrates such as sugar quickly break down into glucose, which your body uses as fuel. But when you eat more than you can burn, the excess glucose turns into fat.



If you have Hashimoto’s disease and are trying to lose weight, try to only have simple sugars as an occasional treat and stick more to complex carbohydrates, which your body metabolizes at a slower rate. 

A holistic nutrition plan, as we suggest at HealthierU, is a great one to follow when you’re dealing with Hashimoto’s disease. This type of diet may help you:

• Avoid processed foods
• Reduce junk food; and
• Cut back on sugar

But you also want to try to stay away from any type of food that will lead to inflammation. Here are our recommendations for what to avoid and what to eat on a Hashimoto’s disease diet plan.



Remember that you should always discuss your diet with your doctor or another healthcare professional.

Some foods that cause inflammation for Hashimoto’s patients contain soy, gluten, or dairy, so it’s best to stay away from those if possible.

Other foods that you may want to eliminate from your diet include:

• Alcohol
• Alternative sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Dried fruits
• Nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers)
• Nuts and seeds
• Simple sugars



You may want to experiment to see how cutting out certain foods works best for you or eliminate one food group at a time to determine how your body responds.

Increasing numbers of health professionals are recommending the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) diet for Hashimoto’s disease-related weight loss. This eating plan is similar to paleo but somewhat stricter.

The AIP diet recommends eating foods shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. These may include:

• Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, kale, and cabbage
• Green tea
• Lean proteins like beef, eggs, pork, poultry, and seafood
• Non-dairy fermented foods (kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut)
• Some fruits, honey, and maple syrup
• Sulfur-rich vegetables such as garlic, leeks, and onions
  

Not only can regular exercise help you burn excess calories and lose weight, but it can also:

• Boost your energy levels
• Help fight depression
• Help reduce joint pain; and
• Increase your self-esteem

And you don’t have to endure an intense workout session every day to reap its benefits. Light activities even three times a week can help with weight gain and other symptoms.



Over time, you may want to increase the frequency and intensity of your workouts as you can. Be sure to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.

You know sleep is important, but you may not have known that it can affect your weight. Studies have shown that people who are sleep deprived eat more calories, which leads to weight gain.

Lack of sleep can also raise your stress levels, and an increase in the stress hormone cortisol can supercharge your appetite.

To help yourself get more and better sleep, try these tips:



• Avoid screen time right before bed.
• Establish a soothing bedtime routine.
• Keep your room and bedding cool and wear light clothing.
• Consider taking supplements such as melatonin.
  

Alcohol can not only add a lot of calories to your diet, but it can also negatively affect your sleep and slow down your systems which are already sluggish due to Hashimoto’s disease.



Cutting back on how much you drink may improve your energy and sleep and eventually lead to weight loss.

If you’re doing everything you can to address your Hashimoto’s disease and aren’t having success, you may need to consider the fact that environmental factors could be at play.

For example, if you’re exposed to unhealthy levels of mold, it can impact your hormones and stress your adrenal glands. This can lead to higher cortisol levels and impact the thyroid hormones, all of which can cause you to gain weight.

Other environmental factors that may trigger Hashimoto’s disease include:



• Bisphenol-A (BPA)
• Insufficient sun exposure
• Irradiation
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Some synthetic pesticides
  

Since bloating leads to Hashimoto’s belly and can cause extra discomfort caused by weight gain, some people have tried natural remedies to help combat these symptoms.

Many have found success with alternative remedies such as:



• Activated charcoal supplements
• Apple cider vinegar
• Chamomile
• Cloves
• Ginger; and
• Peppermint
  

If you’re dealing with Hashimoto’s disease and subsequent weight gain, contact HealthierU for a free consultation. We believe that, with a holistic program of proper nutrition and natural remedies, you can help reverse your condition and the symptoms that come along with it.

The journey toward a healthier you starts here. Contact us today to get started.