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Does this sound like a familiar story to you? You exercise every day. You eat healthful meals and consume a reasonable amount of calories every day. You have tried diet after diet after diet, and... |
Does this sound like a familiar story to you? You exercise every day. You eat healthful meals and consume a reasonable amount of calories every day. You have tried diet after diet after diet, and you have varied your workout routine to try every combination imaginable. And even with all of your efforts, the scale won’t budge – and maybe your weight is even creeping up. Millions of people, especially women, find themselves facing this scenario. The good news is that you might not be doing anything wrong. The bad news is that there may be a medical reason you’re gaining weight and can’t seem to drop a pound – you may have an underactive thyroid.
Hypothyroidism – known in layman’s terms as an underactive thyroid – is a condition in which the thyroid does not function at its proper level. Your thyroid is essentially the “boss” of your body. It hands out the orders to many others systems in your body to get to work and run their processes. Most importantly, perhaps, your thyroid tells your metabolism what to do. If your thyroid is grinding along at a snail’s pace, your metabolism is doing the same thing. Your underperforming thyroid and compromised metabolic rate can lead to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
Part of the scourge of hypothyroidism is that it can be tricky to diagnose, and only recently have doctors begun to take seriously just how many people may be suffering from the condition. The symptoms of hypothyroidism are largely vague and non-specific. Weight gain is one of them – the extent of your weight gain will depend on how severe your case of hypothyroidism. Other indicators are feeling cold all the time, dry skin, hair loss and brittle hair, anxiety and/or depression, forgetfulness, “brain fog,” severe fatigue and for women, disruptions to the menstrual cycle. The reason for all of these symptoms is the slow metabolism caused by the thyroid. Your metabolism simply isn’t giving your body enough energy to function at its proper rate.
If you think these symptoms apply to you, see your doctor. Your risk of having a thyroid condition is increased if you have a family history of hypothyroidism or other autoimmune disease. Be aware that because the symptoms are so non-specific, some doctors may try to brush you off and tell you that you are suffering from stress or depression. Push the issue. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed through a simple blood test, and there is no good reason to not check it out. If your doctor isn’t sympathetic to your symptoms or concerns, find one that is.
Once diagnosed with hypothyroidism, your doctor will put you on a thyroid hormone replacement medicine and routinely check your stats to make sure you are on the right replacement level. Finding the balance may take months, if not years, and you will need to take the medicine for the rest of your life. Keep in mind that even on the replacement therapy, many hypothyroidism sufferers experience reduced metabolic rates forever. A good endocrinologist can help you find healthy ways to live with a metabolism that is less than perfect.