Texas Grandma’s 253-Lb Weight Loss Journey: How She Revived Her Thyroid—No Surgery, No Ozempic
With help from a hormone doctor, Traci Day, 55, revved her thyroid gland and lost a whopping 253 lbs
If you want to slim down without weight-loss surgery or Ozempic, Traci Day might be your poster girl. When the Texas grandmother began gaining at a scary rate during treatment for severe depression back in 2004, “doctors said it was the least of my concerns. My family and I felt helpless,” she recalls. By the time she began babysitting her infant grandson, Parker, in 2022, she was over 450 pounds. “My back was killing me; I was exhausted. I cried every day,” she recalls. It led a friend to suggest the first of many little steps Traci ultimately took to revive her thyroid, reclaim her health and drop 253 pounds. “I feel strong and energized and I don’t need antidepressants anymore!” she says. Read on to discover Traci’s secrets and find out how they might benefit your thyroid and body.
Traci’s weight loss journey: Her underactive thyroid diagnosis
Even with no support from doctors, Traci periodically traded her usual burgers and pizza for fad diets in an attempt to lose weight. None helped much. “I also tried to have gastric bypass. I lost 50 pounds to prepare. Then the surgeon said I didn’t have enough coping skills for the surgery to be a success,” she shares. “I felt defeated and gained the weight back.”
What changed? Parker and granddaughter Norah were born. “I wanted to actively participate in their lives,” she recalls. “And I couldn’t do it unless I got well in every aspect of my life.” By then, her weight had passed the 450-pound maximum of her bathroom scale, she was prediabetic, had sleep apnea and her body was resisting antidepressants. A therapist suggested a hormonal evaluation. “I’d asked doctors about it in the past, but they dismissed me.” Yet tests soon showed “my thyroid was barely functioning.”
Woman's World Answers
Turns out, thyroid hormones help regulate both mood and metabolism. Traci’s new hormone specialist said thyroid meds would be a tool to help, but they’d make little difference on their own. It prompted Traci to seek out a lot of expert advice as she vowed “to become the best wife, mom and Gigi I could be.”
Is your thyroid slow?
The answer may be yes if you’re experiencing stubborn weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and/or blue moods. All are signs that, like Traci, you need thyroid TLC.
Talk to your doctor to see if meds can help. But even if your thyroid isn’t clinically low, Seattle-area women’s health expert Emi Hosoda, M.D.—who revved her own thyroid and lost 100 pounds—says tactics Traci used are healthy for almost everyone. And studies show they can help melt fat up to 649% faster!
Easy hacks to rev an underactive thyroid and boost weight loss
Dr. Hosoda agrees that these tricks Traci relied on are key:
Thyroid booster #1: Cut calories gently
When Traci confided her struggles to her friend Keri, “she told me about a phone app called LoseIt. She used it to track her calories and lose a few pounds. I downloaded it from her couch.” The app factored in Traci’s weight, activity and age to customize a calorie goal. “I started at 2,500 calories a day, which came down as I got smaller.” At first, she made choices that seemed light but tasty, like Lean Cuisines and take-out salads. “This actually was before my thyroid test,” she reveals. “But for once, I wasn’t trying to get to something unrealistic, like 1,000 calories a day. It felt doable.” She shed 45 pounds before starting thyroid meds.
Why it revs an underactive thyroid: If we cut intake too low, our thyroid slows to prevent starvation, says Dr. Hosoda. But keep calories moderate, and studies show levels of thyroid hormones will be about 66% better.
Thyroid booster #2: Get this key nutrient
Traci’s hormone doctor revealed that her body struggled to metabolize sugar and starch, a common issue for those with an underactive thyroid. So she swapped sweets and most processed food for things like eggs, chicken, salmon, fruit, veggies and nuts. Together, the foods delivered protein and fiber that brought her hunger down. They’re also all rich in selenium, a mineral that’s crucial for thyroid health.
Why it revs an underactive thyroid: Our thyroids need selenium to make thyroid hormones. In a Brazilian study, fueling up with selenium-rich foods enhanced thyroid function by 85% in mere months.
Thyroid booster #3: Add easy exercise
Once under 400 pounds, “I very gradually increased my steps,” she says. “Now I walk or swim for about an hour, five days a week. When I do, LoseIt allows me an extra 200 calories a day.”
Why it revs an underactive thyroid: While there’s evidence that strenuous activities stress the body and thyroid, easy activity improves thyroid function by up to 76% in three months, per a study in Archives of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Thyroid booster #4: Try this herb
After losing 220 pounds, Traci’s hormone doctor recommended berberine, a natural herb known to assist with underactive thyroid and weight sometimes called ‘nature’s Ozempic.’ Traci, who never took prescription weight-loss drugs, says, “Berberine got me out of a plateau.”
Why it revs and underactive thyroid: Berberine (an extract from turmeric and other yellow plants) has been shown to enhance thyroid meds. It also triggers biochemical changes to help reverse blood-sugar issues that often block weight loss. One study found folks given 900 mg of berberine a day were no longer clinically obese after just 12 weeks.
Traci’s weight loss journey: A very happy ending
Traci and her husband David have two boys, Brandon and Cameron. Cameron is a Nashville-area personal trainer who uses his mom’s success to inspire others. “When I lost 180 pounds, he made a video of me pushing a 180-pound football sled. When I lost 243 pounds, he had me pull 243-pound chains for 853 inches—1 inch for each day of my journey to that point,” she says. “I often envision him saying, ‘If my mom can do it, you can do it!’ And it’s true. There was a time when my quality of life was so low. Look at me now!”
Today, Traci is down 253 pounds and may one day have 20 pounds of excess skin removed. Once a size 6x, she now wears a 14. “I’m focused on maintaining and enjoying life. We recently took our family to Disney. I walked 20,000 steps a day!” Still on thyroid meds, her other issues are gone. “My blood work is normal. I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been!”
Her best advice to those hoping to get healthier: “Try to lose 5 pounds and then lose 5 more,” she says. “Go for small, manageable changes and goals. Do little things consistently, and big things happen!”
Your thyroid-boosting meal plan
Want to try Traci’s dietary approach for yourself? Use a free app like LoseIt to set a healthy calorie goal. Then go easy on starch and processed food while loading meals with selenium-rich eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, seafood, chicken, turkey, soy, oats, lentils, bananas, mushrooms, spinach, asparagus and nuts. Drink plenty of water. We have ideas to inspire you. Find more at LoseIt.com.
Sample breakfast: Cottage-cheese eggs
Scramble 2 eggs with 1⁄2 cup cottage cheese for a fluffy, protein-rich scramble. Add optional fruit and/or turkey sausage.
Sample lunch: Brazil-boosted salad
Jazz up your favorite salad with chicken and a chopped Brazil nut (nearly 200% of the RDA for selenium is in just one nut!).
Sample dinner: Salmon & asparagus
Salmon delivers a full day’s selenium in every 6 oz. And asparagus is also rich in the thyroid-revving mineral.
Bonus recipe: These muffins rev your thyroid!
Each tasty treat boasts half a day’s RDA of thyroid-revving selenium.
Makes 12.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe banana
- 1⁄2 cup cottage cheese
- 1⁄3 cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 cups oats
- 3 Brazil nuts, chopped
Instructions:
- In blender, blitz all ingredients except nuts until smooth.
- Divide evenly in a lined muffin tin. Top with nuts.
- Bake at 350ºF until a pick in center comes out clean, 14–16 minutes.
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