Thyroid Issues and Weight Loss: What You Need to Know
It is currently estimated that over 30 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and that as many as 10% of women over 40 have a condition known as hypothyroidism, which causes fatigue and weight gain, among other things.
If you’re a woman over 40 who has been struggling to lose weight, there’s a strong possibility you’ve got a thyroid problem. So how do you know? And more importantly—what should you do about it? That’s exactly what this article is going to cover.
Access our free video training Of course, as always, anytime we’re talking about medical conditions and specific health issues, we need to start with the disclaimer that what we are going to share with you today is NOT medical advice. After reading this article, if you think it’s possible that your thyroid could be an issue, then we definitely recommend doing your OWN research and connecting with your doctor so that you can get tested and figure out a course of action.
Understanding the Thyroid
So first things first….what exactly IS your thyroid, and what does it do? It’s actually sort of a trick question, because often when people talk about your thyroid, they are referring to either your thyroid GLAND, which is a butterfly shaped gland located at the base of your throat that produces a few different hormones, or the actual THYROID HORMONES themselves, which are normally just referred to as T3 and T4.
The thyroid gland is important because it’s basically the control center for many of your body’s vital functions—including regulating your metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, and more.
When everything is working properly, the brain sends a signal to the thyroid telling it to produce T3 and T4 hormones as needed in order to maintain a balanced metabolism and keep everything running properly. This process is known as Thyroid Hormone Regulation.
Indicators of a Thyroid Issue
If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, even after adopting a healthy lifestyle, there are several symptoms that may indicate a thyroid issue, such as fatigue, dry skin, feeling cold all the time, excessive moodiness, slow body functions, joint pain, hair loss, and fertility or menstrual issues.
Understanding How the Thyroid Functions
The T4 hormone makes up about 80% of the total hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. But even though it makes up 80% of your total thyroid hormone makeup, T4 isn’t actually doing anything because T4 is actually an inactive hormone—meaning that it can’t do much on its own. Your body has to convert it into T3 in order for it to actually have any effect, because the T3 is what actually regulates your metabolism, body temperature, and energy levels.
Treatment for Thyroid Issues
Most of the time, the standard course of treatment for hypothyroidism is a prescription for Levothyroxine, (sold under the brand name Synthroid), which is a synthetic version of the hormone T4 that our bodies produce naturally. If you get prescribed Synthroid, your doctor will likely test your T4 levels regularly in order to figure out how to adjust your dose, as it can take some trial and error to figure out the right dosage for your specific needs.
