Losing Weight with Hashimoto's: How I Lost 40 Pounds and Went from 30 to 16% Body Fat

I was a really skinny kid and then I was a really fat kid. Then, I lost some weight in middle school and stayed like that throughout high school. Then, life happened, two extremely toxic relationships, careless diet choices and extremely high stress.

Years of gluten intolerance, inflammation and being clueless caused weight fluctuations that were beyond my comprehension.

I would cut down to 1000 calories and completely ruin my health - still not losing weight. I even went vegan for 7 months, lost weight - but mostly muscle mass. So what happened?

Before we continue, full disclaimer: this is my opinion entirely based on my personal experience, a lifetime of trial and error, 8 years in the gym, and dozens of expert consultations with doctors, nutritionists and trainers.

Okay, let's go.

Don't Just Go on a Caloric Deficit

Losing weight by only going on a caloric deficit is reserved for healthy people. 

Losing 40lbs and going from 30 to 16% body fat with leaky gut and Hashimoto's has taught me the following:

• Every time I was overweight it was always followed by inflammation - ALWAYS. Breakouts, body acne, constipation, bloating, heavy breathing... Makes you wonder what causes it instead of how many calories caused it.
• Eliminating and reintroducing foods you think are giving you a hard time is the easiest way to spot what keeps you inflamed - hence, what makes you store fat.
• Those dietary triggers are probably also the reason you can't lose weight - for me, this was gluten, sugar, seed oils, and soy.
• Your maintenance calories are dictated by your BMR. Trigger foods slow down your metabolism, lowering your BMR. The result? Any calorie above will get stored.
• Remove trigger foods -> eat whole foods + prioritize protein => higher BMR, more calories and losing weight by eating the same or more. 

It's easy to say "don't overcomplicate it, just eat less." Any weightloss journey requires a personalized approach. That said...

Recognize Your Trigger Foods First

I'd say go on the AIP diet, but that'd be too much all at once for most people. Instead, dedicate a period where you'll remove common triggers from your diet and then slowly reintroduce them.

Now, I don't mean just common triggers for Hashimoto's - all common triggers.

Sugar, gluten, processed foods, seed oils first. Then, dairy, soy, and high-glycemic foods (e.g. white rice).

For me, I knew very early on I had an intolerance to gluten, white rice, soy, legumes, and sugar. The amount of bloating, week-long constipation episodes, and breakouts was enough to get me to remove the triggers.

Some actionable steps to follow: 

1. Eliminate 3 food groups at a time for 2 weeks.
2. Do this with all trigger foods, as per the autoimmune protocol.
3. Reintroduce each food - you'll know right away if it's not for you.
4. Of course, forget about that food for the rest of your life.

How Trigger Foods Increase Inflammation and Lower BMR

As i said, weight gain was always followed by inflammation, no exceptions. 

• For example, gluten causes leaky gut => thus, inflammation.
• Gluten causes constipation in those who are sensitive (e.g. me) => stored toxins, weight gain due to rare bowel movement.
• Sugar spikes insulin. Too many insulin spikes throughout the day increase fat storage. Simple.
• Seed oils => do I even need to explain? Clogged arteries, inflammation, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, breakouts, hormone dysruption, you name it. 

The more inflamed you are, the less efficiently your metabolism will operate. 

What's BMR? Your basal metabolic rate dictated by your weight, height, activity levels, and muscle mass, apart from other factors. 

At 163lbs, 5'4" training 4 times a week, I should've been eating 2000 kcal daily minimum. However, still no luck. 

You know why I was still 40 pounds heavier while eating 1300 calories a day? I was inflamed. I would eat oats with protein powder for breakfast and order some greasy Chinese food throughout the day with my then boyfriend. 1500kcal on a good day.

The Exact Steps that Helped me Lose 40 Pounds for Good

I stayed consistent with the 4 workouts per week but completely changed what I eat. I also got an Air Fryer and started getting savvy with the oven. But the exact steps?

1. I ditched seed oils for good; olive oil for cooking and coconut oil for baking. Pure butter for frying eggs. 
2. I ditched gluten for good; one bite of bread is enough to ruin me. Won't go back, ever.
3. I started controling my insulin; I rarely eat more than 3 times a day. The 3 times I do, I only have carbs for one meal. Carbs, just like sugar, spike insulin. Too many insulin spikes throughout the day promote fat storage. 
4. I ditched sugar and syrups; instead, I either have dates (great for added fiber and carbs that don't spike insulin - for me at least), honey for its health benefits primarily, and newly-discovered chicory syrup. 
5. I eat 120-150 grams of protein daily; indeed. Sounds like a lot but if you overdoo it, your body actually needs more energy to metabolize excess protein, hence more calories burnt. 
6. I'm not afraid of calories anymore; I now rarely count calories. I got used to 300-500 grams of meat a day, eggs, the occasional greek yoghurt and aged cheese, vegetables, dates, and nuts. All healthy protein, carb and fat sources that fuel and nourish the body.
7. I portion control; while I don't count calories, you can't go overboard. Bringing us to my next point...
8. I eat slower now; it takes time for you to feel full even though you're full. Take some time to enjoy your food, you might already have too much on your plate.
9. I now eat enough; too little calories can ruin your metabolism and trigger your body to go into survival mode, holding onto fat for its dear life. Never go too little with calories. 
10. I ditched cardio and only weight train + go on long walks; although cardio has its benefits, I personally hate it. It also ruins my gym progress in terms of building muscle. What I have found a lot of joy in recently is reformer pilates to tighten the core. Highly recommend.
11. I stopped being afraid of fat; butter, olive oil, fat from meat... All healthy, all fuel your body and mind. Not to mention the positive impact on your hormones.

What all of this lead to is increased BMR, not counting calories anymore, and staying at 125 pounds even after recovering from major surgery.

Example: You've consistently been eating 2000kcal (maintenance) where the majority are processed foods. You've decided to remove inflammatory foods and nourish your body with 2000kcal from meat, eggs, vegetables, and other nourishing foods. The result? You'll lose fat. Simple as that. 

Jane, What about Losing Weight with Hashimoto's?

Same applies here as well. Except, you need to remove all the triggers and introduce thyroid-friendly supplements (Mg, Zn, Se, D3, Omega 3). 

You need to be aware that you either give up on these foods or you give up on your well-being, there is no nice way of saying this.

Respecting yourself enough to follow a thyroid-friendly diet at least 80% of the time is your first step in recovering, losing weight easily, losing excess fat and feeling your best.

And my biggest point here is that you don't need to cut calories to lose weight. Most of you are probably even undereating as far as I know from experience and those around me.

The thing is, if you're consistently eating your trigger foods and have Hashimoto's, even on a calorie deficit, you'll store fat and stay inflamed.

Now, speaking more long-term, a caloric deficit is completely fine but not unless you've fixed all of the other steps before that. 

How You Can Lose Weight Too

If you take one thing away from my journey, let it be this: weight loss with Hashimoto’s is not about starving yourself or pushing through endless cardio sessions. It’s about creating an internal environment where your body feels safe enough to let go of excess fat.

That means lowering inflammation, stabilizing your hormones, nourishing your body with the right foods, and giving your metabolism the tools it needs to thrive. When you do that, the scale stops being a source of dread, and your energy, mood, and confidence all start to rise.

Remember, progress doesn’t happen overnight, especially when you’re dealing with an autoimmune condition. But the good news is, every small change adds up—swapping seed oils for olive oil, prioritizing protein, eliminating trigger foods, or simply slowing down at mealtimes.

These aren’t just “diet tricks” but lifestyle upgrades that build a sustainable, symptom-friendly way of living. Your body can and will respond when you treat it with respect and give it the right fuel.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start eating in a way that actually supports your thyroid, The Hashimoto Cookbook is something I put my heart, soul and journey into.

Delicious, anti-inflammatory, thyroid-friendly recipes that make it easy to stay consistent without feeling deprived.