Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

This video will walk you through a thyroid case study in which I show you how WP thyroid lead to weight loss in a patient of mine with before and after pictures. The combination of the right type of thyroid medication, plus managing hormones leads to significant weight loss in hypothyroid patients. Many patients wrongly believe that adding in thyroid medication will lead to significant weight loss and that is rarely the cause. In this example I walk you through: - How to decide which thyroid medication is best for your body, including going over the differences between WP Thyroid vs naturethroid vs armour thyroid - How to properly evaluate your blood tests to determine what is causing weight loss resistance in your body - How to address hormone imbalances other than hypothyroidism - What supplements to use to help with weight loss - How important diet, exercise and lifestyle interventions are for helping hypothyroid patients lose weight (hint: not as important as you may think) I use the lab resul

Weight loss after thyroidectomy can be almost impossible unless you know exactly what to look for and how to treat it. It's considered "normal" to gain 20 pounds after thyroidectomy and Doctors tell patients that this is normal and in the same breath then say that the thyroid isn't causing the weight gain. How can this be? It is possible to lose weight after thyroidectomy but it takes a very different approach. Eating less and exercising more will NOT lead to significant weight loss if you've had a thyroidectomy or your thyroid ablated with radioactive iodine. Instead you need to be focusing on hormone imbalances that lead to weight gain. I've also included a diet guide to follow in addition to the following 5 tips which I explain in detail in the video. 5 Tips for weight loss after thyroidectomy: 1. Get on the right type and dose of thyroid medication - for most patients this means a combination of T3 and T4. So medications like cytomel or liothyronine in addition to levothyroxine/synthroid or th

Do you have hypothyroidism and insulin resistance? This case study is from my practice and in this video I walk you through a patient who was able to lose 42 pounds over three months using Byetta, Natural desiccated thyroid and T3 containing medication. The problem with weight loss is that most patients approach it all wrong. They believe that eating less and exercising more will lead to long lasting weight loss and it just isn't true. Instead patients and Doctors should be focusing on hormone imbalances that lead to weight loss resistance. The top three most common hormone imbalances that lead to weight loss resistance include: 1. Thyroid resistance 2. Insulin resistance 3. Leptin resistance Many patients do know that they have hypothyroidism but many miss out that they have both insulin and leptin resistance, and that's why I made this case study. The unfortunate part is that certain medications like the GLP-1 agonists can help reverse insulin and leptin resistance. These medications are prima

Are you struggling to lose weight with Hashimoto's? In this post I outline the 9 steps that I use to help Hashimoto's patients lose weight in my practice. Hashimoto's patients need to be differentiated from other thyroid patients when it comes to treatment, but also when it comes to weight loss. If you didn't already know exercising more and eating less will NOT lead to lasting weight loss in Hashimoto's patients. I discuss the 4 main reasons for weight loss resistance that patients face that most doctors aren't even looking for: 1. Body set point malfunction - hypothalamic changes that make weight loss almost impossible. 2. Low resting metabolic rate or low resting energy expenditure (AKA slow or damaged metabolism) - Your metabolism controls the majority of your calorie consumption and a damaged metabolism will make weight loss very difficult. 3. Leptin resistance - High levels of leptin tricks your brain into thinking that your body is starving even though you are overweight. 4. Gut imbalances

In this video I walk you through a patient who was able to lose 50+ pounds, reverse her diabetes and improve her energy levels within 3 months. This particular patient failed gastric bypass surgery, was suffering from chronic pain, insomnia, fatigue and of course weight gain. After adding the following therapies to her regimen she was able to lose 50+ pounds of weight, reverse her diabetes, remove her chronic pain and increase her energy: - Thyroid hormone replacement: she needed to use NDT + T3 - Testosterone replacement - Physical work - Biofeedback to reduce stress - Supplements - Fasting routine to reverse insulin resistance - Dietary changes - Detox routine with FAR IR sauna I go over her blood work and symptoms in detail and walk you through how to look at lab studies to find and treat the underlying diagnoses which lead to these symptoms. In this patient she was suffering from: - Diabetes mellitus type II - Thyroid resistance - Diastolic heart disease - Low testosterone - Adrenal issues and c

Thyroid supplements (if used correctly) can help boost your thyroid function, help with weight loss and help you feel better. The problem comes with knowing WHICH supplements to take and at WHAT dose. It takes over 13 nutrients to create thyroid hormone, convert T4 to T3 and sensitize the cellular receptors to T3. Many thyroid supplements cram all of these nutrients into a supplement and call it "good". This is the WRONG approach to take. Instead basing your supplementation off of the needs of your body is far superior. That means using lab work and other markers to find what nutrients you need in what doses. 9 Thyroid supplements that I find most hypothyroid patients are deficient in: 1. Vitamin B12 - Thyroid hormone is involved in the proper absorption of thyroid hormone. See the video for a complete list of symptoms. Repleting low vitamin B12 is best done through sublingual or intramsucular injections. 2. Adrenal support - Most thyroid patients also have issues with cortisol dysregulation. If yo

In this video I go over the complete list of Levothyroxine side effects ranging from weight gain to hair loss and everything in between. Yes, Levothyroxine can cause hair loss and it can also cause weight GAIN. How can that be if levothyroxine is supposed to boost your metabolism? In this video I explain how the metabolism of thyroid hormone in your body from T4 to reverse T3 may help explain why many people actually gain weight on this particular medication. I also go over the recommendations I give to patients if this happens to them. I also go over how to determine which thyroid medication is right for YOUR Body and how to dose your levothyroxine. When patients have reactions to levothyroxine it's from 1 of 3 reasons typically: 1) they are reacting to a filler ingredient or a dye within the medication itself. 2) they are converting or metabolizing the thyroid hormone into by products that don't promote proper activity 3) they are getting too much thyroid hormone for THEIR body (this one is le

In this video I explain how I determine which thyroid medication a patient needs. There are basically three main choices in medications: 1) Natural Desiccated thyroid medication (including armour thyroid, naturethroid and WP thyroid) 2) T3 only medication (including Liothyronine, cytomel and sustained release T3) 3) T4 only medication (including levothyroxine, tirosint and synthroid) The question is how do you determine which medication works best for you? Patients who do well on NDT medication include: - Those who have not felt better on T4 only preparations - Those who need to lose 10-20 pounds of fat - Those who have not been on thyroid medication before - Those with Low free T3 and low Free T4 but normal reverse T3 levels Patients who do better on T3 only medications: - Those with high levels of reverse T3 - Those with leptin resistance - Those with insulin resistance, diabetes or pre diabetes - Those with a personal history of bipolar disorder or a strong family history of mental health disorders

In this video I go over the 5 main reasons that patients who switch from Levothyroxine to Armour thyroid DON'T lose weight. Many patients believe that switching from T4 to NDT will cause immediate weight loss and are disappointed when it doesn't happen. The truth is that Armour thyroid CAN help with weight loss but you need to make sure that these 5 barriers aren't standing in your way: 1. Your dose isn't high enough - Many Doctors under dose patients when converting from T4 medication to NDT by about 50%. Use the chart in this video to make sure your dose is high enough. 2. You need more T3 added to your regimen - Several conditions like euthyroid sick syndrome or tissue level hypothyroidism make it so patients need more T3 than what Armour thyroid provides. So while armour may be a step in the right direction you may need more T3 added to your NDT. 3. You are suffering from Leptin resistance - High leptin levels decrease T4 to T3 conversion and can make weight loss impossible unless it is addressed

In this video I explain how to convert from armour thyroid to levothyroxine or from levothyroxine to T3. It is based off of a thyroid conversion chart that I create which is more accurate than the traditional conversion chart used by most Doctors. If you can convince your Doctor to switch you from Levothyroxine or T4 to NDT then make sure you are getting the right dose. Many providers and patients make the mistake of lowering their total dose of thyroid hormone when doing this process and feel worse afterwards. By using the chart above you can get the proper dose of NDT, T4 or Armour thyroid when converting. Here are some basic guidelines: In these examples NDT = Armour thyroid, WP thyroid or Naturethroid 50mcg of T4 = 1 grain of NDT = 25 mcg of T3 100mcg of T4 = 2 grains of NDT = 50mcg of T3 150mcg of T4 = 3 grains of NDT = 75mcg of T3 200mcg of T4 = 4 grains of NDT = 100mcg of T3 In addition I also give some practical advice on how to switch from T4 only medications like Levothyroxine to Natural De

Are your TPO antibodies or thyroperoxidase antibodies elevated? In this video I go over 5 tips and tricks I use on patients in my practice to help LOWER TPO antibodies. 1. Get on the right diet for YOUR body - AIP diet vs Gluten free/dairy free/soy free vs elimination diet 2. Consider using DHEA and/or Testosterone - DHEA and Testosterone help lower antibody levels while boosting weight loss and sex drive 3. Consider using Zinc or Selenium - Both can improve immune function and boost T4 to T3 conversion 4. Improve gut function - SIBO causes reduced T4 to T3 conversion and increases inflammation 5. Consider using Low Dose Naltrexone or LDN - LDN is probably the best treatment for reducing TPO antibodies These 5 tips are very effective at lowering antibody levels but be sure to use ALL of them at the same time for maximum benefit. You can see the entire article here: http://www.restartmed.com/tpo-antibodies/ Leave your comments below and I will personally respond! See more from my website here: http://w

This video will guide you through how to diagnose and treat both Leptin Resistance and Thyroid Resistance. Both of these conditions go hand in hand so its helpful to look for both if you suspect you have one or the other. Symptoms of Leptin resistance: - Weight loss resistance or the inability to lose weight - Ravenous appetite even after a large meal - Slow metabolism - Cold hands/feet/extremities - Crushing fatigue - Symptoms of hypothyroidism despite being on medication - Constant weight gain Thyroid resistance is defined as low free T3 relative to Reverse T3. In order to test for this condition you need to order both tests and look at the ratio between the two. The higher your reverse T3 the harder it is for free T3 to get into your cells which leads to thyroid hormone resistance at the cellular level. Treatment usually requires T3 medication in conjunction with the 8 tips below. 8 Steps to Reverse Leptin Resistance and Thyroid Resistance: 1. Get your thyroid evaluated and get on the right type and

Does Levothyroxine cause weight gain? That is the question I am going to answer in this video today. Here is a common problem: patients with hypothyroidism present to their doctor, get put on T4 medication like Levothyroxine or Synthroid and they CONTINUE to gain weight - despite no change in their diet or exercise routine. How can this be? In this video I answer what I think is going on in many patients and it has to do with T4 to reverse T3 conversion when certain patients are given medications that contain T4 only. In the setting of inflammation, trauma, infections, liver/kidney issues, low calorie diets and nutrient deficiencies the body can take T4 and convert it into the thyroid blocking metabolite reverse T3. High levels of reverse T3 then compete for binding at the T3 cellular receptor site and put the brakes on thyroid and metabolic function. So how do you treat this condition? Most patients will need medication containing T3 like natural desiccated thyroid or liothyronine/cytomel to "flush

In this video I go over the 5 BEST Diets for patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. These diets have all been used by me in my clinic and have helped other Hashimoto's patients lose weight and feel better. With all the information out there it can get confusing on which diet you should be following... this video will help you understand which diet you should be focusing on by tailoring it to YOUR body. The diets I go over: 1. Elimination diet or food sensitivity diet - Who should use this diet? those with multiple food allergies, post nasal drip, acid reflux or history of asthma/eczema 2. The autoimmune paleo diet or the autoimmune protocol Diet (abbreviated AIP diet) - Who should use this diet? Not everyone! I recommend patients who have a personal history of multiple autoimmune conditions or those who have failed less restrictive diets 3. The gluten free diet - Who should use this diet? Most patients should at least consider going gluten free, dairy free and soy free if they have Hahsimoto's. This is

If you have hypothyroidism you know how hard it can be to lose weight. I've been helping patients with hypothyroidism lose weight by balancing their hormones and that's exactly what this video is about. I walk you through 5 step-by-step examples of how to do it. If you watched the vide these are the supplements I've referred to: Berberine: http://amzn.to/2aB79Dy DIM: http://amzn.to/2aB7eak Indole 3 carbinol: http://amzn.to/2asBLUW High quality progesterone: http://amzn.to/2aEPsDx These are the same steps I use in my practice: 1. Reverse and treat insulin resistance if present - high levels of insulin make burning fat as a fuel source almost impossible. Up to 50% of patients have insulin resistance on TOP of hypothyroidism and I've found that to be even higher in most patients I treat. 2. Treat leptin resistance and thyroid resistance if present - You need to make sure you check your reverse T3/free T3 ratio (it should be greater than 0.2), if it is lower than you have thyroid resistance and need T3. If

This podcast will go over how to lose weight if you have thyroid problems and the 5 hormones that cause weight loss resistance.