Your thyroid produces hormones that control your heart rate and body temperature, as well as how your body metabolizes carbohydrates and fats. Therefore, if the production of either hormone, thyroxine or triiodothyronine, is affected by an overactive or underactive thyroid, you may experience a change from your normal weight.
Basal Metabolic Rate
To detect problems with the thyroid, doctors once used the basal metabolic rate, or BMR, A higher BMR indicated that more calories would be burned by the body at rest. Doctors would determine the amount of oxygen used by a patient, which would indicate the level of their metabolism. A high metabolism meant that the patient also had a high BMR, and was more likely to be thin. The converse was also true. Modern medicine uses other methods to test for thyroid abnormalities because there are other problems that can affect the BMR.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism causes a higher basal metabolic rate, which can lead to weight loss. Weight loss is normally modest while the disease is not being treated, but the actual amount of weight lost will depend on the activity of the thyroid gland. Once the hyperthyroidism is treated, you can expect to gain a small amount of weight now that your body is no longer producing hormones at an abnormal rate.
Hypothyroidism
If you have hypothyroidism, otherwise known as an underactive thyroid, gaining weight is one of the symptoms. The American Thyroid Association notes that the weight gain associated with hypothyroidism is actually fairly modest, only about 5 to 10 pounds depending on the severity of the thyroidal dysfunction. For this reason, treating hypothyroidism will not result in a massive weight loss; you should only lose the weight that was attributed to the hypothyroidism once you are placed on medication.
Synthroid
Synthroid is a prescription drug used to treat hypothyroidism, but the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey says Synthroid is over-prescribed, and often provided to people who have working thyroid glands. Although taking Synthroid without having hypothyroidism will cause some initial weight loss, you will not lose fat. Instead, you may lose bone mass and lean muscle tissue. You should also note that Synthroid is not an accepted or effective treatment for obesity.
Encouraging Weight Loss
If your hypothyroidism treatment is not producing the results you seek, consider adding regular exercise to your routine. Not only can regular aerobic exercise encourage weight loss, but it can also help with depression, another symptom of hypothyroidism. Keep in mind, however, that other symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as muscle aches, sluggishness and overall fatigue may hinder your efforts, so talk to your doctor if necessary before starting an exercise program.
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