How Your Thyroid Affects Your Metabolism And Your Weight Loss

I am certain that you have heard Oprah discuss her weight loss struggles several times and how her thyroid problems pushed her further from being able to achieve her weightloss goals. Thyroid problems are very common in the US and this article discusses how your thyroid affects your metabolism and your weight loss.

What is Metabolism?

Your metabolic rate is determined by a combination of hormones, molecules and brain, gut, fat cell messenger chemicals that determine how many calories you shall burn a day.

Some people have a fast metabolism which allows them to maintain a lean figure and some have a slow metabolism rate that causes them not to burn as many calories a day and therefore add more pounds to the scale depending on their diet and exercise or lack thereof.

The important thing to note regardless of your rate of metabolism is that making a change to your diet and lifestyle, as well as adding exercise can significantly boost your metabolism and cause you to burn more fat and lose weight.

The Thyroid Hormone

The butterfly shaped gland located just below your Adam's apple and just above your collarbone is your thyroid gland and from this, the thyroid hormones issue.

Thyroid hormones help to control the amount of oxygen that each body cell uses, your heart rate, the calories burned per day, growth levels, fertility, body temperature, mood, etc.

The pituitary gland creates the thyroid stimulating hormones which kick start your thyroid. Iodine in your blood is then turned into thyroid hormones by the thyroid gland. The largest thyroid hormone produced is T4 a portion of which is converted into T3 which is the metabolism boosting thyroid hormone.

The amount of conversion if any is dependent upon various factors such as stress, illness, diet components (both good and bad), environmental toxins contained in your body, medication, aging, pregnancy, etc.

One way that your metabolism can be reduced leading to less calories being burned and weight gain is when your calorie intake per day is not adequate. This will cause the pituitary gland to reduce or stop producing thyroid stimulating hormones which leads to less T4 hormones being produced by the thyroid. Less T4 means less T3. Less T3 leads to a slow metabolism and weigh gain and the vicious cycle continues.

An under active thyroid or hypothyroidism will lower your energy and you shall start to gain weight because hypothyroidism slows your metabolism. The opposite problem - hyperthyroidism - is an overactive thyroid which leads to a racing heart, intolerance of warm temperatures, weight loss, fatigue, etc.

To prevent these problems, it is important to have your thyroid tested and medication may be prescribed or other tips given to you to properly manage your thyroid. A properly managed thyroid will boost your metabolism and you shall experience proper weight loss. You do not want to experience a hyper or slow thyroid if you intend to lose weight the healthy way.