I’ve been doing IF for about six months. Usually 18:6 but sometimes 20:4. Eat whole foods the rest of the time, nothing processed, mostly grain and dairy free, always sugar free. Earlier this year it was determined by a nutritionist that I should be aiming for 1200-1400 calories a day so I’m usually in that range. I went a bit above it in case I was restricting too much, nothing happened. I went a bit below, nothing happened. Light exercise; I can’t do any cardio otherwise my autoimmune issues flare up, but I walk a lot, do yoga and a bit of weights. I get as much sleep as I can manage, my blood labs are in range. I drink tons of water.
My progress? I’ve actually gained seven lbs. Went from almost-overweight to definitely overweight. I’m about to throw myself a pity party here. People say thyroid issues are just an excuse, but I never had these issues before my thyroid decided it didn’t like me.
So what do I do now? The nutritionist basically shrugged and said I must not be sticking to the plan, but I definitely am. I don’t want to give up, but not sure where to go from here. What comes next?
What does your endocrinologist say? I’m Graves (opposite side of the spectrum from Hashimotos) and we’ve learned my “numbers” aren’t the entire story. We’ll adjust my meds if energy and/or weight gain/loss become an issue. I’m also the first to admit I’m SUPER lucky to have a doc that looks at my entire quality of life, not just numbers. Maybe a convo there will help?
I’m not remotely a nutritionist or an expert in anything really, but this worked for me in the past:
First, I should say I have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, PCOS and psoriasis - all the fun things to try to lose weight with.
IF 16:8 / A mix of pu’erh, black and oolong tea in the morning / A small lunch / A snack protein bar / A protein (chicken breast, steak, or pork) and a veggie for dinner / Cardio (elliptical) 3x/week / Strength training 3x/week / A cheat day each week
It got me out of a rut I had been in. I didn’t intentionally plan this out, I just fell into it gradually. My doctor didn’t love it, but I was losing weight, my energy levels were up and consistent, and my mind felt clear.
I have Hashimoto’s. I have had IF and keto work. I have also gained weight. When I gained, I found a couple of things that affected this negative change:
One or several of these could be it for you. It is not an easy journey, and SO MANY PEOPLE want to tell you that it’s your fault.
Ease up on yourself. Get some nutrients. Know that there are others here with you!
Thyroid issues are not an excuse, they will legitimately stop progress. Most of them can be treated though. The two things I would do would be to talk to a doctor about the thyroid issues and to do a oxygen conversion resting metabolic test. My thyroid is fine but my rmr is 500 cal lower per day than what a nutritionist would suggest, so my “lose one pound a week “ calories would be a stalemate. One other thing if you haven’t done it , cut way down on sugars and artificial sugars in your eating window
“I eat mostly grain” — ding ding ding, there’s your problem, most likely.
Keep your schedule and get rid of all processed foods, grains, potatoes, and rice. So that’ll leave you with meat, non-starchy veggies, and healthy fats. Eat those things only, and you WILL get down to your ideal body weight, regardless of how much you eat. You don’t have to track anything if that’s all you are eating. If you bring in the sugars and starches, it becomes harder to track things. It can be done, of course, but it sounds like you are having issues with it.
If you’ve really been consistent that long and only gained weight, I’d say ditch the IF and just do 1200 calories a day. Just make sure you’re accurate with portions. The “Lose It!” app is great in my experience.
Are you clean fasting? https://www.ginstephens.com/all-blog-posts/does-a-clean-fast-really-matter
Calorie restriction may have lowered your metabolism
https://www.thefastingmethod.com/blog/2021/11/22/weight-loss-hormones-vs-calorie-counting-
So I’d use a calorie calculator to determine what your calories should be for your height and activity level. Then religiously measure and weigh your food for a few weeks to be sure you’re staying at a calorie deficit. It’s been my experience that most people totally underestimate how much they are eating. If you find you are eating at a calorie deficit, then I’d see a dr for thyroid testing, etc.
Most likely there is a hole in the diet. For example, people will put a table spoon of oil to make some eggs, which is 100-120 calories by itself, but forget to count that, along with salad dressings and other condiments. This is a difficulty that comes up when not throwing in exercise to buffer dietary fluctuations. It becomes difficult to handle holes in the diet and very strict calorie counting becomes much more necessary, eyeballing portions is not going to be good enough, especially if you want to get into the 1lb/week range of loss.