Should I do more cardio?

Quick question.....I have the under active thyroid problem so loosing weight is VERY hard for me.  Should I do 45 minutes of Cardio everyday instead of my usual 30 min cardio/30min strength training??

 

are you sure you have it or are you diagnosing yourself?

i dont mean to be presumptuous it just seems like you are diagnosing yourself, or else you'd refer to it as its proper name, hypothyroidism, and this seems like a question you should have asked your doctor.

also from what i can tell from your picture you're very thin. now im not assuming ANYTHING so dont get mad, i am just making a statement. when i was in the midst of my anorexia i swore i was hypothyroid too. im not saying you have an eating disorder AT ALL. im just saying, alot of times people diagnose themselves with hypothyroidism because they have difficulty losing 5 pounds. well, when you're already thin and at a healthy weight or under weight, its alot more difficult to lose 5 pounds than it is when you are over weight.

Your sweet,

Yes I have hypothyroidism (which I do know the correct term, but figured no one would know what it was).  I was diagnosed with it last year, and I have been on medication, hypothyroidism means under active thyroid.   My dosage has been changed twice since I found out about my problem.  I have gained 8 pounds since this Christmas.  My doctor along with myself feel this is a problem. 

I didn't mean to offend you by asking a question on the fitness page.  I thought it was a place to ask questions about fitness.  No worries, I am a teacher I know you are not assuming. I just wanted to know if by doing an extra 15 minutes of cardio this would help with weight loss. 

Thanks for the comment. 

Lifting weights is actually more efficient at burning fat than cardio, so you might want to think about upping your lifting instead of your cardio.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=152 6539

You need to maintain a calorie deficit to have weight loss.  The generally accepted rule is that your deficit should not be more than 1000 calories per day on average.  15 more minutes of cardio per day will not have a direct impact on weight loss, however, if you are currently running a calorie deficit those extra minutes should make your defcit a little larger.

Edit:  I assume you mean that you will do 45 mins. cardio and 30 min. weights because it would definately be a mistake to do 15 minutes more of cardio instead of the weights.

Original Post by hoolley:

Quick question.....I have the under active thyroid problem so loosing weight is VERY hard for me.  Should I do 45 minutes of Cardio everyday instead of my usual 30 min cardio/30min strength training??

 

What floggingsully said. Also, how many calories do you burn with an additional 15 minutes of cardio? 60? Cut one ricecake out of your diet instead if that's the route you're going to go. The weights are better for fat loss.

 

I have hypothyroidism as well... but it is going untreated at the moment, unfortunately. Medication usually has a lot to do with how easily it is to lose/gain weight, so I would check with an endocrinologist to see if there's another option for you. (I heard Armour is pretty good.)

Anyway, I wouldn't elongate your cardio sessions. Hypothyroidism already causes fatigue (great, huh?), so the best thing to do would be to limit your calorie intake, rather than do more exercise. Also, cardio isn't the best way to go if you're looking to lose weight. The most effective routine is to dedicate every other day to weight training, then doing cardio on the other days. Allow yourself 1-2 days of rest, of course.

If you find yourself hungry because of this new calorie limit, I suggest vegetables. Your body can be fooled by quantity, so even though veggies have less calories, your stomach will be satisfied with how much you eat. :)

Other than that, check with your doctor about vitamin supplements. Vitamin B and iron help with energy, which in turn, aids your metabolism. Fiber is a miracle worker as well (just don't consume to much).

I also deal with hypothyroidism. One of the best things we can do for ourselves is build lean muscle mass such as strength training. We also need to work out longer than the average person because our body's response to insulin and other weight affecting hormones are almost always out of whack as well.

 

Of course medication and other life factors have an effect but our building lean muscle is a must. I enjoy The Firm video series. I have tapes and dvd's that span the last 20 or so years that I have picked up very reasonably (some at a thrift store for 99 cents each).

I track my work outs using a Polar F11 HRM to ensure that I am burning enough calories to make a difference. My caloric expenditure goal for a week used to be 5600 which meant on average I lost between 1.5 - 2lbs. I have upped the goal to 7000 per week because I want to lose at least 2lbs per week and still be able to eat what I like in moderation.