I have hypothyroidism. I’ve had the condition since I was in 2nd Grade, and have been taking medicine for it since I was a wee lad. But in the last few years, I have neglected it. It just isn’t something that I ever think I need to worry about, because when your thyroid is off-kilter, you really don’t feel the effects. Its one of those things where you might feel a little “off”, but nothing worth worrying about.

But knowing how the thyroid works, and all the things that are effected by it, its usually in your best interest to have it checked by a doctor, and regulated via thryoid hormone replacement medicine.

My Situation
I haven’t had health insurance for atleast 5 years, so going into the doctor to get it checked out was never on the top of my list of things to do. I haven’t had medicine prescribed to me since my last visit to the doctors, but since the dosages haven’t changed in 20+ years, I’ve been taking pills I’ve accumulated throughout the years. Probably not the best practice, but… well… when have I ever really been one to “follow a doctor’s advice”?

That all being said, I recently got health insurance from my new employer, and thought… what the heck, I should go in and get my blood work done and get my thyroid back in order. Maybe this will help with my weight loss and get rid of my double chin… (yeah, kind of shallow, but what can you do?)

My Brilliant Thinking
So, thinking I’m brilliant, I decided to stop taking the hodge-podge of medicine that I have to treat my condition, so that when I went into the doctor, he’d have a good baseline of my condition. This has led me to really mess up my metabolism and circulation. I can feel it in my hands and I have started getting muscle cramps whenever I stretch my muscles. Yeah, probably not a wise move on my part.

After a few months of not taking medicine, I finally went to the doctor last week, he drew some blood, and gave me the results yesterday.

The Results
Basically, he confirmed my condition, and prescribed Synthroid to treat it. No suprise there (heck, I’ve been taking that same medicine for 20+ years). My blood sugars were within the proper levels as were my carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, etc. The only abnormal things (like my liver and kidney functions) were all based on my being overweight and my fat intake (and I will assume that my bad thyroid has something to do with it as well, since it is all connected).

But what I was most shocked to find was that not only was I overweight (well, duh.. I KNEW THAT..) but that I also had high blood pressure, and that my cholesteral was highly elevated. Leading my doctor to prescribe Diovan to treat my high-blood pressure. He suggested (er… more like “demanded”) that I go on a diet and get more exercise.

So, what am I going to do?
I know that once I get stablized with my thyroid, the weight will start coming down and there should be some really positive effects…

According to WebMD:

People with hypothyroidism who take thyroid hormone medication usually notice:

• Improved energy level.
• Gradual weight loss (in people with severe hypothyroidism at the time of diagnosis).
• Improved mood and mental function (thinking, memory).
• Improved pumping action of the heart and improved digestive tract function.
• Reduction in the size of an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter), if you have one.
• Improved growth, school performance, and behavior in children. Children whose growth has been delayed because of hypothyroidism start growing normally again once they get adequate doses of thyroid hormone.
• Lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

You might laugh when you hear me say that I don’t feel like I eat THAT badly. My portions aren’t any larger than most people, and I rarely eat red meat. I tend to eat lots of chicken and wheat bread… salads, fruits and veggies.. etc. But apparently my test results say otherwise. So, I’ll try to eat even better, like less fried foods and removing the skin from my chicken. Instead of focusing only on weight loss, I’m going to concentrate on trying to lower my cholesteral instead. My thought being that by trying to lower my cholesteral, the weight will follow. We’ll see how it goes.

Since moving to Hollywood, I don’t have the nice walking path that I had at my old apartment, so I really need to find an alternative. I’ve basically given up on any kind of exercise program, and that is definately not good. So my goal is to also find an exercise regimen that I can stick with. This might prove to be the most difficult part of my action plan…

Well, that, and not eating the skin on my chicken even though it is SO tasty…