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11-22-06// Thyroid Surgery
How do I boost my energy levels after thyroid surgery?

Chris:
I am a 35 year old female who recently had thyroid surgery. Most of my thyroid was removed and even with medication I am left felling exhausted. One of the effects of the thyroid surgery is weight gain. Unfortunately, I am now 20 pounds over weight. The surgery has also made it difficult for my body to metabolize food. I try to workout a few days a week however my energy level is so low that it is difficult to attain any results. I have tried to find a low impact workout that my body can handle but so far have had little success.

My workout usually begins with stretching for about 15 minutes, I then do 15 minutes of cardio, and I finish with 15 minutes of cool down stretches. I try to practice good nutrition before I workout so I eat about 2 ½ hours before my workout. My meal usually includes tuna fish and a salad. I try to keep the carbs low so I don’t gain anymore weight. What can I do to change my results? How do I boost my energy levels to be able to get good workouts? The medication I am taking is not sufficient by itself. Do you think working out will help me achieve a better quality of life? Thank you.

Ashley

Ashley:
You will never get the results you want by limiting your workout to cardio and stretching. Don’t get me wrong cardio is an important piece of the puzzle however it’s much more effective if combined with a weight lifting program.

You see cardio works great as long as you are burning more calories than you are consuming. After all it’s a simple mathematical equation. If you consume two thousand calories and you burn off twenty-five hundred calories you will loose weight.  The problem is as soon as you slow down on the cardio the weight will come back faster than a bounced check.

Weight training is different because it helps you burn calories even when you’re not working out. This is because weight training converts your body mass from fat to muscle. The more muscle your body has the more calories it will burn. Let’s not forget muscle also looks a lot better than fat. Since your condition makes you tired fast it only makes sense to get right to the point. Limit your stretching to 3-5 minutes at the beginning of your workout. Start by spending about 20 minutes lifting weights. Finish your workout with 5-15 minutes of cardio depending on how much energy you have left. In time you can increase the cardio as you feel more capable.

I believe there are a couple of things you can do to increase your energy level. First try working out early in the day when your energy level is at its peak. Even if you are not a morning person your body will be well rested and fresh in the morning. This will give you a chance to get your workout done before your body has a chance to get tired.

Secondly eat a pre workout meal. Try and time it so that your body is getting the nutrients it needs right in the middle of your workout. Since it takes about 3 hours for your body to digest food it makes sense to eat 60-90 minutes before you plan on working out.

Last but not least eat the foods that will give you the fuel to get a good workout. The plain simple fact is tuna fish and salad will not do the trick. You will need to eat a good low glycemic carbohydrate to accomplish this goal. Foods like yams, bananas, oatmeal, whole wheat pasta or whole grain bread will give you long lasting energy without causing you to get fat.

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