Smoking could affect this gland
Often the things we do have wide reaching unintended consequences. As my smokers roll their eyes and hold up their hand in that classic crossing guard stop pose, and try to tell me, don't say another word against smoking, we know we've heard it all. Smoking specifically changes your thyroid function, and to prevent weight gain after you quit (New Year’s Resolution anyone?!) we need to make sure that thyroid levels are normalized.
Relatively recently Danish researchers have just discovered that there is something about quitting smoking that raises your risk for being diagnosed with hypothyroid. It may be that thyroid function tests, including tests of Reverse T3 tests of thyroid antibodies, and an ultrasound exam of your thyroid can uncover these issues. Thyroid blood tests do not need to be done fasting, are available from virtually all labs, and are necessary to check out your gland. So don't be thinking you shouldn't quit so you won't have this thyroid issue, but be thinking: ah ha, is this why quitting smoking makes it easier to gain weight and harder to lose weight than ever before? There are many other ways to raise the metabolism and balance the effects of quitting smoking, so don’t go it alone, consult your health care provider. Maybe if we look more closely at this phenomenon we'll be able to help the newly cigarette-less get a handle on their metabolism a bit better, so it really will be easier to quit this New Years!