How Your Thyroid Impacts Your Weight

Many of us can tell when we’ve put on a few pounds or lost a few pounds, but health experts say sudden weight change may have little to do with your diet and a lot to do with your thyroid.

Jacob Goldberger, a surgeon on the medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System, says if your thyroid isn’t functioning properly it could take a toll on your body. “Typically if your hormone is down, you have less energy, you’re sluggish, and you don’t have the normal activity tolerance.”

If the thyroid isn’t functioning properly, a person could be diagnosed with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

“Hypothyroidism is where you don’t have enough thyroid circulating in your blood. You’ll feel tired. You’ll feel uncomfortable; you’ll feel you lose normal function. You’re sluggish,” said Dr. Goldberger.

Patients with hypothyroidism often gain weight. But patients with hyperthyroidism, where they have an excessive amount of thyroid production, have just the opposite problem. “These people are underweight. They’re very trembly, shaky, and they have trouble sleeping. They also have actual heat intolerance,” said Dr. Goldberger.

While it’s not as common as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism is caused by a disease that destroys the thyroid. “It’s an autoimmune process. The body attacks the cells of the thyroid. The thyroid stops functioning. The thyroid becomes enlarged,” said Dr. Goldberger.

Both conditions develop over time and can happen at any age. If a person has hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism it’s often treated with medication or even surgery.

“The thyroid itself is a very important organ. Those organs and that particular hormone is critical for your ability to function,” said Dr. Goldberger. He says making sure patients receive the correct amount of medication to balance the thyroid hormone is important to maintaining weight and energy.

Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

[elli]

I was 47kg and suddenly I became 65kg going up to 70kg, I was always sad, tired, lack of energy, short memory and so ever. After 4 years the doctors finally knew that this was the problem and now I don't know how to lose weight 🤦‍♀️

[itsallaboutmittuschand]

Yes its true
Weight gain
Not interested in any kind of activity
Always feel tied :(
Dealing with since child

[therealzyanya]

I actually lost weight, but am fatigued and have all the other symptoms of hypothyroidism. I’ll find out tomorrow.

[InesAngelova]

Some of the comments here are very disturbing by people saying “stop being fat and lazy then and don’t use this aa an excuse” but the truth is… this for real has impact on your energy levels and body weight. I am a model and a trainer, i workout almost every day since I can remember myself and eat healthy. And I would still feel foggy and sluggish + randomly bloat and gain and lose weight randomly. I finally was enough fed up with this and got myself tested and what a relief that I was diagnosed with it after 25 years of my life. Apparently I was also born with it. It’s like the fog has been lifted off of me after I started taking my medication, I finally feel energized and awake! And my weight goes accordingly to my effort s😁

[uzmamehar]

I had it since I was 21.... Now I'm 32 and life after this horrible surgery is totally collapsed, totally ruined.... Because I was mistreat at the very 1st stage... I lost my weight. I'm now on 35kg weight and dealing with other abdominal issues... I still remember my surgery day. Its a shame but doctors here in Pakistan are very irresponsible careless and cruel. They are seriously greedy butchers not doctors.

[stephaknee]

Hypothyroid here! Been having it since I was born but doctors diagnosed me when I was 2

[cathyyearwood]

I was thin until I reached my 50’s and menopause and hypo thyroid happened and it was awful. I believe I was hypo much before I was finally diagnosed, but it was like turning 80 overnight. Horrific heart palpitations, joints hurt terribly and memory gone. Yes, I am now medicated, but there is so much more going on besides thyroid by the time most people are diagnosed and I find most dr’s do not treat thyroid patients with enough medication to help you get out of bed, let alone loose weight and exercise. If you’re not hypo, you cannot judge as you just don’t understand what it is like. I am luckier than most and not greatly overweight, even at almost 75. But it is a lot of hard work and there are so many things you learn you shouldn’t eat, like bread or anything that has gluten in it. I eat a small amount of bread or pasta and worry I will gain 5 pounds thinking about it. As for you guys in Europe, maybe they aren’t doing the crap to your foods that the U.S. is doing to food! I don’t live there any more, but most of what comes in our island comes from the U.S. and I only eat the fruit and vegetables, not the meat if I can help it. There are many reasons people can’t loose weight when they have an autoimmune disease, and normally most people that are hypo also end up with other issues like blood sugar going higher because of being hypo and adrenals not working well and so much more.

[Isolde.rebecca]

I've had hypothyroidism since I was 8 and it's regulated now. I'm 18 and I don't have a lot of energy but it isn't that horrible. In fact I have insomnia. And I'm underweight so... My biggest problem is that I get cold very easily

[nevaehsoawesomestewart]

I went to the doctor when I was 13 in the 7th grade and she said that my thyroid levels were high after 2 years I never went back to the doctor I gained an excessive amount of weight I went to get a check up and I am now 218 lbs and I'm just so afraid for my health my family jokes about my weight I'm always tired I have a lack of energy I have trouble concentrating I'm always cold then hot I think my thyroid is out of wack

[litlit]

I’m 16 now but I been having it since 14

[Freetown]

We all used to think that my mom had covid a few months back, the doctors already told her that thyroid issues showed in her blood from blood tests, she’s 51 and the doctors told her that she will be losing weight soon and my mom is already quite skinny and she doesn’t want that to happen because she says she doesn’t want to look older while being super skinny, she’s been trying to eat more. My mom is pretty healthy so it’s sucks to see a fairly healthy person get sick with something they couldn’t prevent but I’m really hoping that I don’t get this one day as well

[sushisushitha]

I have hypothyroid but I'm not gaining any weight I'm so lean also

[crh]

I am so sluggish. I used to have a lot of energy. Even when I wake up in the mornings, I feel like I’m never rested. I’m getting a thyroid panel done soon.

[THX-]

I've just been put on this medication after almost a year on Chemotherapy. I gained so much weight that I was unrecognisable but thankfully my low thyroid showed up on a blood test. I've been feeling very nauseous and very jumpy but I hope this is only short term until I get used to the medication ^_^

[cristinacamelia]

Hello!

I was a very energetic girl and I had a lot of ambition but lately... I am literally like a sloth. I lack my energy bad even though I get all my vitamins, minerals, macronutrients...
I just don't know what is going on with my body...
I sleep 8-10 hours a day and nothing has changed...
I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism in the past but I didn't care about it...
Should I see a doctor?
I feel it's not me this new really lazy girl who has fulfilled a lot of small dreams till the day I started to feel messed up...
I feel a little bit better since I became lacto-ovo-vegetarian, but my job is very stressful and by the time went by, I ended up having these symptoms again and again...

[Chad-Giga.]

My uncle had hyperthyroidism caused by graves and he lost a ton of weight until he got the radioactive iodine treatment and now takes synthetic drugs to make up for not having a thyroid.

[jasminaassoum]

I have Graves Disease (hyper) but it has had the opposite effect and I've gained 40kgs

[gm]

I am suffering from hypothyroidism since I was a child really and only got diagnosed when I was 18 and now I’m 33. My weight stays the same unless I force myself into starvation and I am 20 kg heavier than my optimal BMI recommendation. I take 125 μg Levothyroxine but I still experience extreme fatigue mood swings hair loss brain fog, my GP is checking the TSH only and as it is at the lowest range level they take no further action, is very hard on the Uk to get a referral to an endocrinologist in order to get proper treatment

[floreskyler]

The strategy has allow me to consumed less and getting full is faster. Like coffee, green tea also has many benefits, one of them being weight loss.

[lillianskelton]

I was diagnosed with Graves Disease, its Hyperthyroidism.
I have gained so much weight, I hate it.
Im at 180 lbs and Im a very short person.
I want to lose 30lbs.