Thursday, April 6, 2017

Cortisol and the Thyroid

Almost three weeks into my Cathe Challenge and I'm already reflecting on things...

My weight is quickly getting out of control, despite working out like crazy (all that Cathe HIIT) and eating 1200-1300 calories a day.  

And this may actually be my problem.  My body may be producing too much cortisol because I'm stressing it out.  Too much cortisol limits the amount of thyroid hormone your body processes which means you gain weight.  If you ever need help with the aftermath of your thyroidectomy or with hypothyroidism, come to me.  I'm becoming an expert!

As a result of this cortisol build-up, people with thyroid issues are generally told to not work out at high intensities or for long periods.  Um, great.  That means I'm doing way too much high intensity cardio.  

Sigh.  I'm going to get my cortisol tested soon and my lovely endocrinologist is even willing to change my thyroid meds - from synthetic to desiccated.  (More on that later.)   We'll see, after all this labwork.

In the meantime, if you have a weight loss or working out question, or if you just like knowing about fitness in general, check out Cathe's blog.  It's great and has a wealth of information on anything related to fitness.  Just try searching for thyroid - dang!

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