Day: May 17, 2010

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dieting exercise weight loss

Thyroid Disorders And Weight Loss

Thyroid Disorders And Weight Loss

Weight loss can be as easy as eating better and exercising more, but sometimes other problems get in the way. If you are trying to lose weight and it just seems impossible, don’t be angry at yourself or give up – find out if you have a condition that is interfering with your regimen.

Thyroid disorders are near the top of the pile when it comes to common conditions that can get in the way of your weight loss plan. 27 million Americans suffer from some sort of thyroid problem. Hypothyroidism accounts for about 80 percent of all thyroid disorders and occurs most frequently in women. Hypothyroidism can make you feel sluggish, achy, and lead to difficulties in dropping weight. It can also cause weight gain.

The biggest issue in dealing with hypothyroidism is that so many people do not realize they have the problem. After all, the symptoms read like sort of a bad day. But over time if these symptoms cannot be shaken off, it is wise to get tested for hypothyroidism and determine if your thyroid is producing enough of the necessary hormones.

Luckily, getting your thyroid checked is easy – you can even do it at home. From a small sample of blood your TSH levels can be determined. TSH is not actually produced by the thyroid – the pituitary gland releases it. However, the thyroid gland relies upon the level of TSH to “know” how much hormone it should be producing – so if your TSH levels are out of whack, your thyroid will be out of whack as well.

Treating your thyroid disorder is generally easy as well. Medication is available and not overly burdensome. When treated, it is likely that not only will weight loss be easier for you, but everything else will too, as common symptoms like fatigue and depression will also be addressed by better thyroid management.

If you’re finding it difficult to lose weight, be sure to be proactive and make sure you are not being held back by an undiagnosed thyroid problem. There’s no reason to be held back from the life you want by something as treatable as hypothyroidism!

Robyn Schelenz is a writer for the online home health business Home Health Testing. You can learn more about testing for a thyroid condition by visiting their home thyroid test page.

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Why Running On A Treadmill Can Be Beneficial To Your Health

If you are out of shape and overweight, do not always think that you have to starve yourself to drop those extra pounds. The equation to remember is you need to burn at least as many calories per day as you consume. So you can reduce the number of calories you eat, or you can make sure you burn off all those calories you ate during the day. It is highly recommended to reach a good balance between exercise and healthy diet.

A great way to exercise is running on a treadmill. If you are a little sensitive about your weight, you might not want to go running outside, thinking that people will tease or make fun of you. Actually this doesn’t happen very often, and all you need to do is ignore it. Nevertheless, a running machine at home is an ideal solution. A separate benefit to running in the great outdoors is that you can run all year round, and you do not need to get psyched up for it. Just get on for five minutes at a fast walking pace to warm up; get off and gently stretch your warmed muscles; another five minutes at a brisk walking pace to get your pulse up to “exercise mode” and then speed up and do a 20 minute jog. Follow this by a brisk walk for five minutes and then stretch out again at the end.

A simple routine like this five days a week, with a couple of rest days will enhance your fitness and over time, if combined with some sensible reductions in calorie intake, will make you feel much better and healthier.

A second distinct advantage of running on a treadmill rather than down at the local park, is that most running machines have dampers under the deck, which are great for helping to absorb shock when you run. This will help to protect your joints against the pounding they would otherwise take running on a hard paved area. And this is even more important if you are overweight and have led a pretty sedentary lifestyle for the last few months or years, as it has been shown that bone density increases in the leg bones of people who run. Each stride produces an effective weight of 3-5 times your own body weight, and this is beneficial. If you are both overweight and your bones are less strong, then running without some extra shock absorption can lead to problems. So a treadmill is a great way of avoiding injuries at the beginning of a weight loss program.

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