Do any of you suffer from this?

I have friends who have a ton of energy and can't understand that sometimes, my energy just runs out and there is nothing left to give. They seem to go and go like an energizer bunny while I need to lay down.

I didn't know that I had thyroid problems until after I had my third son. I was 33-years-old. I was at a doctor's office filling out forms for my oldest son who was 8 at the time. He was having allergy problems and there were categories on the questionnaire with symptoms associated to glands and organs. I was reading and filling out the form for him, while saying to myself, "Hey, I have all the symptoms of a thyroid problem!"

I found an "old school" endocrinologist in Beverly Hills who looked at many symptoms — not just a blood test to determine that I did indeed have low thyroid. In my case, I was diagnosed Hashimoto's. He felt my elbows to see if they were dried out and he made me do an ultrasound on my thyroid to see if it was enlarged, which it was with nodes. He also made me hold out my hands flat, palms up (like you were going to feed a horse) and looked at the length of my pinky fingers compared to the ring finger next to it. Both of my pinkies were shorter than the joint on my ring finger. (I can see you checking yours right now!) He said that a pinky shorter than the joint of the ring finger may mean that thyroid runs in the family on one or both sides …

I started to take thyroid hormone and have been on a roller coaster going on and off of thyroid hormone for 20 years now. I even wrote an e-book about my "struggle" called My Thyroid Journey.

I know many of you have thyroid issues and would love to know what others have learned. I tried a couple of different medications for my hypothyroidism and decided that I felt better on Armour thyroid instead of the synthetic hormone. The synthetic claims that the dose is more accurate than Armour but it only helped me feel better for 3 weeks and then didn't seem to work for me anymore. I wanted to be as natural as possible so I went back to the Armour.

As I aged more, I found that the thyroid alone wasn't enough and looked to my medical doctors who practiced using more natural ways, to find out what my problem was. I was put on elimination diets and anti-inflammatory diets to calm my system down. I had run a marathon in New York when I was 46 and GAINED about 15 pounds while training, instead of LOOSING weight. I had to find answers not only to feel better and have energy but also because I wanted to look my best.

So, enter cortisol levels. After asking around and doing a lot of research I found that it was high cortisol levels that probably had me gaining weight from too much running (stress). Though I am still learning about cortisol, I know that too much of it makes you retain weight around your middle and feel drained. When I feel drained, I tend to reach for food to give me energy and make me feel better. How many of you know that can be a roller coaster ride?

I feel like I have gained and lost 15-20 pounds for the last 20 years. What worked to lose weight when I was 20 doesn't work anymore. I used to be able to go out and run 10 miles and the weight would come right off. Now, it just exhausts me and makes me feel run down so then I eat more to try to feel better. YUCK!

If any of this resonates with you, then I suggest you find a medical doctor who can run a variety of tests on your blood to see if any of your levels of hormones are off. Cortisol testing can be done over a 24-hour period using your urine or saliva. Urine may be more accurate from what my doctor said as it measures more of the cortisol in the body.

My wish is for all of us to feel our best so we don't miss any of the pleasures that this life can bring us!

To carry Kim's column in your blog, newsletter or newspaper, contact Kim at thekimalexis@gmail.com. Visit her website at KimAlexis.com

BIO: Kim Alexis is part of an elite team of models who rose to the "supermodel" status in the 1980's. In 1983 she replaced Lauren Hutton as the face of Revlon's Ultima II line, becoming one of the most recognizable faces in America. She was the fashion editor for Good Morning America for three years. She then went on to host TV shows such as "Your Mind and Body", "Healthy Kids" and "Ticket to Adventure". Her most recent hosting was for "She's Got the Look" on TV Land. She appeared in the film "Holy Man" as well, alongside Eddie Murphy. Kim authored the nonfiction book "A Model for a Better Future" and a fictional book, "Beauty to Die For". She also wrote "Modeling: How to be Discovered", "Dieting Lessons", "My Thyroid Journey", "Cheat Eat" and "Lean Clean" available on Amazon. Known for her background in sports and her healthy life style, Kim has run 8 marathons and was a spokesperson for the New York City Marathon and the More magazine half-marathon. One of her greatest goals is to encourage other women to be their best in all areas of life.

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