Underactive Thyroid?

Could Your Weight Gain be Caused by an Underactive  Thyroid?

An underactive thyroid is a common problem among women who suffer from chronic weight gain and have difficulty burning off the unwanted pounds.

And the condition, known medically as hypothyroidism, can have a variety of different symptoms.

Some typical symptoms experienced by women with an underactive thyroid include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Constipation
• Thinning hair
• dry skin,
• sore and aching  muscles
• Difficulty maintaining concentration
• Depression
• Fertility issues
• Brittle nails
• Reduced heart rate…

The most common symptom of all, however is weight gain.

Since the thyroid gland is responsible for hormones that regulate the metabolism, an underactive thyroid can lead directly to a slow metabolism, prompting your body to store energy from food as body fat.

A slow metabolism, meanwhile, can make it almost impossible to burn off the added weight through diet and exercise.

Trying to overcome a chronically sluggish metabolism through diet and exercise alone is almost guaranteed to be a losing battle…

Unfortunately, many women who suffer from hypothyroidism are unaware of their condition and mistkenly assume that their weight gain comes from some other source.

Women experience continual frustration when their good-faith efforts at dieting produce little or nothing in the way of results…

Do you feel discouraged or convinced that your weight gain is “genetic.”

Fortunately, there are a number of good options for restoring thyroid function once an underactive thyroid has been diagnosed by a thyroid test.

If you believe you may have an underactive thyroid gland, your first step is to speak with your physician to arrange a thyroid test and go over options for thyroid treatment.

These may include supplemental hormones, which must be taken indefinitely in order to avoid deficiencies.

However, hormone replacement does come with some risks, including the risk of developing an overactive thyroid, whch can result in symptoms like elevated heart rate.

For women concerned about the side effects or cost of hormone therapy, restoring the normal healthy function of your thyroid may also be possible through a combination of a good diet and supplements.

Any decision you reach should be made in close consultation with your doctor, since the thyroid is not something you’d want to tackle on your own unless you happen to have a degree in endocrinology.

Once your thyroid hormones are back to normal, (normal thyroid) whether through hormone replacement or other means, your metabolism will correct itself, and you’ll fiind it much easier to lose weight.

Perhaps you’ll also enjoy significantly more energy, which can help you stick to a new exercise routine.