Wow! I am so excited about the reponse and support I have gotten so far. So many friends have offered positive advice and words of encouragement. It's definetly motivating me even more so THANK YOU everyone .
Part of my Blog is going to be about struggles that I have had and continue have on my weight loss journey.
Today I want to address HYPOTHYROID.....yeah try and say it three times fast. This diagnosis has been part of my life since I was 11 so I'm pretty used to it by now.
As an 11 year old I weighed about 190 pounds.....yes even more than I do now at 29 and 5 foot 9 inches. So as you can imagine I was not a cute kid at that age. My parents would try and make me exercise and my mother would even take me to her step aerobics class ( step was really big in the 90's) but I couldn't seem to lose any weight.
Finally, my mother dragged to me to the pediatrician and forced them to run a TSH test. Both my mother and grandmother had Hypothyroid and my mom was convinced that this could be part of the problem.The doctor protested and basically said that I was a lazy child who was eating to many cookies and watching to many episodes of the smurfs! Despite her protest she finally relented and gave me the test. The results came in a few days later and proved that I was extremely Hypothyroid which means that my metabolism is three times slower than a normal person! I was immeadiatly prescribed synthroid and still take this pill every day.
So you may be asking yourself ......what is Hypothyroid ? Well here you go:
Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone.
(This is the scientific term.....as a child I thought of it a stupid disease that was making me FAT ! )
It took me years to realize that if I took my pills daily my thyroid would regulate. However, I was always going to have to work out and eat right otherwise the other symptoms of the condition would indirectly cause me to gain weight and gain it fast.
Symptoms
Early symptoms:
- Being more sensitive to cold
- Constipation
- Depression
- Fatigue or feeling slowed down
- Heavier menstrual periods
- Joint or muscle pain
- Paleness or dry skin
- Thin, brittle hair or fingernails
- Weakness
- Weight gain (unintentional)
Late symptoms, if left untreated:
- Decreased taste and smell
- Hoarseness
- Puffy face, hands, and feet
- Slow speech
- Thickening of the skin
- Thinning of eyebrows
Some of these symptoms are worse than others for me. Really the worst symptom on the list is the weight gain follwed closely by the sensitivity to cold temps ( i'm always cold).
The purpose of treatment is to replace the thyroid hormone that is lacking. Levothyroxine is the most commonly used medication. Doctors will prescribe the lowest dose that effectively relieves symptoms and brings the TSH level to a normal range. If you have heart disease or you are older, your doctor may start with a very small dose.
Lifelong therapy is required unless you have a condition called transient viral thyroiditis. Yes LIFELONG- this is never going away :(
You must continue taking your medication even when your symptoms go away. When starting your medication, your doctor may check your hormone levels every 2 - 3 months. After that, your thyroid hormone levels should be monitored at least every year. ( this means routine bloddtests :( )
Important things to remember when you are taking thyroid hormone are:
- Do NOT stop taking the medication when you feel better. Continue taking the medication exactly as directed by your doctor.
- If you change brands of thyroid medicine, let your doctor know. Your levels may need to be checked.
- Some dietary changes can change the way your body absorbs the thryoid medicine. Talk with your doctor if you are eating a lot of soy products or a high-fiber diet.
- Thryoid medicine works best on an empty stomach and when taken 1 hour before any other medications. Do NOT take thyroid hormone with calcium, iron, multivitamins, alumin hydroxide antacids, colestipol, or other medicines that bind bile acids, or fiber supplements.
So there it is .....Hypothyroid in a nut shell. Basically, I have to be extra carefull with diet and exercise and get routine bloodtests to check my levels.
Hopefully, this information will help some of you self diagnose. If you think you have Hypothyroid you should talk to your physician and ask for them check your TSH during your next routine blood test.
