Thyroid Health -- Check-up time!

I know it's been a while since I have been here. Just let life get in the way again (nothing too abnormal for me...).

I went to the doctor again to have a general check-up. Meaning the yearly female exam, blood drawn and check on my thyroid health as well as others. I got great news! Not only have I lost weight but the cholesterol (both kinds) and the thyriod are looking great! When you take your bad cholesterol reading and divide it by your good cholesterol reading, the number you get rates your cardiac risk. The bigger the number, the lower the risk. Mine was a 7.2 meaning that I have even less cardiac risk than the average person. :)

The thyroid levels have improved and I am now on 175 mcg -- down from previously being on 200 mcg. Love it! Still am trying to convince my doctor to let me go on Armour thyroid (natural thyroid). That is taking longer than I anticipated...but still trying.

As an update with taking the medicine everyday...I am doing MUCH better -- hey I have to be or the levels I am taking wouldn't have been reduced. :) It's still a work-in-progress...but who isn't?

Weight loss -- what a trip. I have needed to drop 45 lbs. forever (or at least since I started fighting my thyroid). I have not been exercising as much as I originally wanted to...in fact the one positive has been that I do exercise 3 times a week for about 35 minutes. And evidentally it has been enough because I have lost 20 more lbs. since my last post! I am now about 10-15 lbs. away from goal and I am feeling great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) Sorry about that. :) Here is a link to what I have been doing about the eating part of the equation (sorry -- I am a math nerd so I had to use math terminology). :) And as for the exercise, the main activities I do, I found here.

Talk at you later! :)
[sooner rather than later -- I promise!]

~Brownie

P.S. If working at home sounds like something you are interested in, please take a look at one of the things I do at the website here.

Thyroid Health

Vitamins Necessary For Thyroid Health

Thyroid Health
Vitamins

Ok. I said I'd talk more about vitamin supplements that promote healthy thyroid function, and in turn will help you lose weight. Now, just as a disclaimer, I am not a doctor and I am not stating that the vitamins will cure thyroid disease or any of that other stuff.

Now, I did find this out by initially researching on the Internet, and then I asked my doctor (just to make sure that it was ok for me to take, as I suggest everyone do with their doctor before they start any type of medication -- even if they are just vitamins) about them.

So, here is what I take and I have been taking this regimen for several months now (about 6) and my synthetic thyroid dosage went from 250 mcg and am now at 150 mcg.

Vitamins: These are the ones that are important for thyroid health

• Vitamin A 3500IU (mine has 29% as Beta Carotene)
• Vitamin C 1-2 g (most multi-vitamins have around 90 mg)
• Iodine (this is the #1 thing you need!!!) 150 mcg
• Zinc 60 mg
• Selenium 250 mcg

My multivitamin has the correct amount for all the essential vitamins and minerals but I had to start taking extra Selenium, Zinc, and C.

Well, there you have it. Like I said, with these amounts, I have reduced my thyroid dosage by 100 mcg in 6 months. As an added benefit, I have also been losing weight faster. I started a "lifestyle change" (not a diet -- diets never last nor do they really help) and exercise program about 7 weeks ago and I have lost 17 lbs so far and around 10 inches. If you are interested in the program I used to get those results, then follow this link: http://www.no-nonsense.com

Well, happy thyroid health to you all!

~Brownie :)

P.S. I work from home. If working from home is something you are interested in, then follow this link: http://www.workfromhome.com

Thyroid Health

Thyroid Health -- Hypothyroidism

Thyroid Health

Yes, the diagnosis was hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid. Ok, it was no big surprise 7 years ago (2001) when I found out. I mean, my mother and grandmother both have it, although my grandma (Nana was what we called her) seemed to swing back and forth between the overactive to the underactive. Of course, now thinking about it, I think she was messing around with her dosages, but that is neither here nor there.

So, when I found out I had an underactive thyroid, my first thought was yay! Now I can lose weight. Not such an easy task. Then my next thought was, I hate taking pills. I mean, several years ago I decided to forgo taking a daily dosage of allergy pills becuse I hate taking pills (I went with a yearly allergy shot instead).

Thus began the next years where I was not the best human in taking my pills every day. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING!!! Without proper treatment, thyroid disease can lead to heart disease. And even though some of you may be quite young still, you can have heart disease at a relatively young age. Always take your pills!!!

Next time, I'll talk about my quest to be a good girl and always take my pills every day, along with some supplements that are recommended to help with thyroid health.

Thyroid Health

P.S. I work at home. Interested in working at home? Check out what I do. http://workfromhome.com