Hyperthyroidism can cause a ton of issues. It can cause tremors, arrhythmia, and more. However, its weight implications aren’t too understood. For some, it causes weight gain or loss. So, let’s see what happens between hyperthyroidism and weight loss.
After all, there’s a reason the thyroid hormone is a crucial weight loss hormone. Moreover, it has considerable metabolic implications. Therefore, we can’t merely ignore it. Sadly, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
So, allow me to set the record straight.
What exactly is hyperthyroidism?
Essentially, hyperthyroidism is an excess of thyroid hormone. You may have also heard others refer to it as an overactive thyroid. Essentially, hyperthyroidism boosts your body’s metabolism.
Sure, that means it’s easier to lose weight. However, it can also cause a plethora of other symptoms. Some of them include hand tremors and heart rhythm issues.
As usual, the thyroid hormone is all about balance. Too much and too little make things go south. Luckily, most cases resolve with medication to slow down the thyroid. Yet, some situations require surgery. Also, the surgeon may remove parts or the entire thyroid gland.
Lastly, some cases resolve purely on their own.
What’s the link between hyperthyroidism and weight loss?
As I mentioned, the thyroid hormone regulates your metabolism. More of it speeds things up, and less slows it down. Therefore, hyperthyroidism and weight loss tend to go hand-in-hand.
If you don’t know what’s your metabolism, let me summarize things. Essentially, your metabolism dictates how much energy you spend. It increases with physical activity since we need more energy. But, there’s also a resting metabolic rate.
The thyroid hormone increases your resting metabolic rate. So, you burn more energy without increasing your activity.
Nonetheless, some people might experience weight gain. In those cases, it’s paramount to ask your doctor. Your hyperthyroidism treatment might be causing that gain. On the other hand, hyperthyroidism tends to increase your appetite. So, you might have to watch your eating habits.
The conflict regarding hyperthyroidism and weight loss
Everything I’ve covered so far makes sense, doesn’t it? Well, there’s conflicting evidence about hyperthyroidism and weight loss. Some studies have found lacking difference between hyper and hypothyroidism patients.
Of course, I’m talking about weight or BMI (Body Mass Index).
At a baseline level, both conditions might look the same at times. Yet, a study found that weight changes could be negligible.
Nevertheless, that’s more prominent in untreated, compared conditions. Said study did find a considerable weight change with treatment. As such, we can’t neglect the conditions’ effects on body weight,
What about hypothyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism makes you lose weight most of the time. Then, its opposite, hypothyroidism, makes you gain weight. I’ve covered the condition’s implications already. But, let me sum things up here for brevity.
Lacking thyroid hormone levels lowers your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate). That’s the same as your resting metabolic rate. As such, it’s easy to infer it makes you gain weight. But, like its opposite, that weight shift varies.
Hypothyroidism severity dictates how much weight you gain. Yet, it’s worth noting one thing. The weight gain with this condition isn’t equal to hyperthyroidism’s losses. In other words, the weight alterations are more modest.
The holistic takeaway
Your thyroid is very close to your metabolism. The higher your thyroid hormone levels, the faster your metabolism. Therefore, your thyroid’s activity relates directly to your weight. So, make sure you see your doctor if you suspect thyroid dysfunction.
If your goal is to lose weight, then I have a great tip. HB5 is a weight loss supplement entirely focused on hormones. It’ll help you normalize 5 crucial hormones to help you lose weight. Naturally, it’s also great if you’re losing more weight than desired.
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