There's a simple test you can do at home to discover how your thyroid gland is doing. All you need is a very accurate clinical thermometer - ask your chemist for an ovulation thermometer. You need to take your temperature for at least three days at the same time every day. It's usually best to do this when you first wake in the morning, as it will only be accurate if you are completely rested during the test and for at least an hour before. So make sure to 'shake down' the thermometer the night before, so that you move as little as possible to take the test. Now, on waking place the thermometer in your armpit for a full ten minutes. Then make a note of the temperature and the date. Pre-menopausal ladies should take the test on the second, third and fourth days of menstruation.
Having taken this test for a minimum of three days, you should now have a record of your basal body temperature. If your thyroid gland is working normally, the temperatures you have recorded will be between 36.4°C (97.6°F) and 36.7°C (98.2°F).
If your basal temperature is below 36.4°C then your thyroid is underactive and you have discovered why you're overweight. The thyroid hormone regulates your metabolism, and your metabolic rate determines the speed of your digestion. A shortage of thyroid hormone slows your digestion, giving the liver time to extract all the spare energy from the food you eat and store it as fat.
If the thyroid is overactive then the reverse is true; the basal body temperature will be above 37°C, your metabolism will be very fast and you'll 'burn off' every spare calorie you eat without storing body fat.
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