The first step to losing weight – check your thyroid!

Before attempting to lose weight, I suggest that you first visit your doctor and have your thyroid checked.

The thyroid regulates your metabolism. If it is not functioning then you will be wasting a lot of effort trying to lose weight.

I always use to say that I had a slow metabolism and that is why I was overweight. That was my excuse.

My Personal experience with my thyroid

April, 2012, was the beginning of the worst period of my life. My wife of 28 years told me she was having an affair and wanted to leave me.

For seven months I tried to save my marriage. All the stress must have sent my adrenalin into overload and I lost 40 pounds unnaturally.

In August I had chest pains that later I found out was a heart attack. When she left in November I was a mess emotionally.

February 2013 I ended up in the hospital with another heart attack. Then a kidney stone in April and a third heart attack in May. Then after a procedure was botched I ended up with a blood clot that went from my ankle to my waist.

After all that, my body was worn out and my thyroid apparently shut down. Within a few month I gained all my weight back and it just wasn’t slowing down, even though I tried to cut back on what I was eating as well as trying to exercise.

I noticed a lump on my neck and started reading up on the thyroid. Then I went to my doctor and asked to have it tested. The doctor was a bit reluctant but I’m glad I insisted because the test came back as I expected. My thyroid was basically not functioning any more.

Once I got on medication and my levels were good I stopped putting on weight and even lost a few pounds walking a lot before I remarried, but was still 80 pounds overweight.

Just because your thyroid is medicated doesn’t mean you will lose weight

Getting medication for the thyroid doesn’t automatically make you lose weight, but you need it functioning before you can.

You have to keep an eye on your levels as well. If you have an under active thyroid you should get it tested annually. I didn’t at first and over a couple years I noticed my weight was creeping up.

By the beginning of 2017 I was a few pounds over 290. That is when I saw a picture of myself that was so bloated I didn’t recognize myself. I said to myself that wasn’t me. At that point I became determined to make a change.

I had moved too far away to visit my old doctor and hadn’t bothered to find one, but now I was motivated to do just that.

I found someone that was highly rated and set an appointment. When we met I asked her if I could have my thyroid tested again. Once again it was high and the dosage to my medication needed to be adjusted. Now my levels are at the right level and I have them checked by her annually.

Just because my levels were right didn’t mean I would lose weight and I knew that so I asked my doctor her advice on what I could do to lose weight.

Her suggestion was to see a nutritionist. The nutritionist was a prominent person who also taught at a prestigious University, but she was so busy that there was a nearly two month waiting list for an appointment.

Fortunately, I discovered two things that helped me to lose weight while I was waiting for my appointment. These two things worked so well I decided to cancel my appointment and never saw the nutritionist. I will share what I found on my next two posts.

My advice to you is to set a doctor’s appointment before doing anything. Not only for your thyroid, but to also check your health in general. You may have an underlying condition you are not even aware you have. Have you set that appointment yet?