hypoglycemic and hypothyroid

[blksapphire]

I am right now hypothyroid and hypoglycemic along with low potassium which hospitalized me this week.  Please tell me there is help for me here or point me in the right direction.

I'm being told that I need to eat 5-6 small meals a day.  More protien than starches.

I'm not a big eater but I seem to retain the weight no matter what I do.  The big gain started about 2 years ago.

Any ideas on how to handle the two issues at one time.

Thanks

[blksapphire]

thank Trudie, I'll remeber that

[TrudieC]

You need to not consider it 5 - 6 meals.  Still eat 3 meals but lighten up on them.  Then have a snack between meals that might be a piece of low fat cheese and crackers, a handful of almonds, a piece of fruit, some yogurt.  The idea is to keep your blood sugar up but you don't need a lot in between.

[Barb135]

Do you have a glucometer to check your blood sugar levels?  That might be a help, as you don't need a lot to eat each time, just enough to keep your blood sugar from crashing.  

That's where eating the right foods can help too - if you eat a candy bar, cookies, etc your blood sugar will raise quickly, then crash just as quickly.  That's why eating fiber and protein will help - they will bring your blood sugar up slowly and help to keep it steady instead of letting it crash.  

Keep trying - you will get it.  

[blksapphire]

Thanks all,  Hi Chitchat....

I look foward to the challenge and I have been trying the 5-6 meals, however, I have to force myself to eat.  I rarely gets hungry.  I usually don't feel the hungry (i want to eat) feeling till around 2:00pm... and I'm not starving, I just want a little something.  This has been the way I eaten for years.  Every now and then, I start out with breakfast and eat like a normal person.

This 5-6  thing is too much for me.  The weight started piling on about 2 years ago and won't stop.

Again, thanks for all your responses.  I need all the help I can get.

[TrudieC]

I am also hypothyroid and hypoglycemic.  They hypoglycemia is the easier one to manage with the advice given above.  Never let yourself get to that hungry point where you feel like you are drained, are getting a headache and can even get a case of confusion.  By eating the small meals it will stop that and will also rev up your metabolism.  Missing meals and long times between meals slows your metabolism.

On the hypothyroid side ensure your levels are where they should be and unfortunately eating right (try the healthy cooking forum for some great recipes) and exercising is the only way to make the weight budge.  It will take longer but you will see results.  Good luck!

[ChitChatNine]

Boo .. it's me C~ as in ChitChatNine thyroid just stoppin' by to say hi!

C~

[Barb135]

The 5-6 small meals should help keep your blood sugars more stable.  You say "More protein than starches".  You do need carbs but try to go for the complex carbs that take longer to break down and simple carbs like sugar.  Fruits and veggies both have fiber (complex carb), plus there's whole wheat bread, oatmeal, cereals, etc.  

Simple carbs enter your blood stream very quickly and your blood sugar spikes, then all of a sudden it crashes and you hit rock bottom, get that weak, shaky, maybe even light headed feeling.  By staying with the protein and complex carbs, you can help avoid that.

I suggest that you do a search for foods with "low glycemic index".  Basically, you need to follow a diabetic diet, even though you aren't diabetic, in order to make every attempt to keep your blood sugar steady.  
That type of diet will also help lose the weight gained due to the hypothyroidism.  

Make sure you eat enough of all the different food groups and try to eliminate things made with white sugar, flour, rice, etc. and stick with whole grains, protein, healthy fats, fruits and veggies, etc.  

Oh, and don't forget to get some exercise every day.