primary reasons many people over 40 can’t lose weight.
The thyroid is a tiny gland that produces hormones that regulate metabolism, and when it’s underactive, so is everything else. Think of low thyroid as having your internal thermostat set too low.
Symptoms include feeling cold all the time, poor circulation in the hands and feet, clammy hands, tiredness and lethargy, hair loss (including eyebrows and eyelashes), and weight gain — despite real attempts to exercise and eat well.
If you suspect an underactive thyroid may be undermining your metabolism, the first step is to call the doctor and ask for a thyroid test.
Also, you should ask for further testing; there are several additional tests that many experts believe give more accurate readings of thyroid function.
3. Adjust your eating habits for maximum energy.
Your goal at this stage in your life is to keep yourself feeling full without succumbing to the temptation to eat as you could at age 20.
One strategy is to eat more frequently but to consume less at each sitting. An added benefit of eating this way is that it’s easier to keep your blood sugar steady, so you don’t have the peaks and valleys that contribute to fatigue.
Here’s the rule: Try eating five to six small meals a day, and don’t go more than three or four hours without eating. For example, you might eat a healthy breakfast before you leave for work, then have a nonfat yogurt in the late morning.
Then instead of eating a big pasta lunch and spending the afternoon in a stupor, eat a light lunch and spend the rest of your lunch break taking a brisk walk.
An afternoon snack of trail mix and an apple keeps you from needing the 4 p.m. sweet treat and makes it