Fasted morning workouts experiences?

mhlew

Hello all,

I have started working out before work in the mornings and am going to try fasted exercising (gym before eating any breakfast). My goal is weight loss (along with diet)

Has anyone done this and found success? Did it not work for any reason? Would love to hear other people's thoughts or experiences.

Regardless it feels great to start the morning off in the gym!

heatherheyns

I had trouble. If I did intense workouts early I would see spots and get dizzy. I found I need something to eat, or at least coffee with cream and sugar, to feel okay. The funny thing is that I dont normally eat until later in the day, but if I try to exercise soon after waking up and without food, it is not good.

AnvilHead

Unless you're extremely lean and trying to get leaner, working out fasted vs. non-fasted won't make a significant difference in your weight loss, but it could make a difference in your performance in the gym. Give it a try - if you can get through your workouts without feeling flat and crapping out, go with it; if not, try eating something beforehand and see if it makes a difference.

Personally, I don't like working out fasted. I definitely feel flat and like I'm running out of energy partway through the workout. I always feel better if I have a cup of coffee and eat even a small snack/meal beforehand.

Here's a great article from a reputable source which discusses the subject in more detail: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fasted-cardio-and-fat-loss-qa.html/

troytroy11

I have been doing that for years. It is just easier that way for me not to worry about what is in my gut as I work as hard as I can. Good meal the night before helps with energy levels.
Another thing is I don't have that mental battle about whether or not to skip it and make excuses. First thing in the morning and no time to talk myself out of it. Done and move on with the day feeling great.

Fantasypugs

I only have coffee and cream in the mornings and do my workouts without eating first without any trouble. My workouts are a rotation of cardio, plyometrics, and kettle bells.

Sued0nim

AnvilHead wrote: »

Unless you're extremely lean and trying to get leaner, working out fasted vs. non-fasted won't make a significant difference in your weight loss, but it could make a difference in your performance in the gym. Give it a try - if you can get through your workouts without feeling flat and crapping out, go with it; if not, try eating something beforehand and see if it makes a difference.

Personally, I don't like working out fasted. I definitely feel flat and like I'm running out of energy partway through the workout. I always feel better if I have a cup of coffee and eat even a small snack/meal beforehand.

Here's a great article from a reputable source which discusses the subject in more detail: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/fasted-cardio-and-fat-loss-qa.html/

This just about covers it

Go by personal preference. Log your calories by weight and with care and don't overestimate your gym burn

TR0berts

I used to. It was fine. Now that I'm at a gym that doesn't have a shower, I go after work - my coworkers thank me for that. There didn't/doesn't seem to be a huge difference between the two for me. YMMV.

Carnhot

I fainted. It was not Good!

Spliner1969

I've been working out more or less fasted for about a year now every morning four days a week. I get up at 5am, drink a pre-workout (has almost no calories, but has caffeine, vitamins, etc.), then drink a low or no calorie BCAA drink during the workout to help out. It's helped me get progressively leaner even though I've been at maintenance calories for over five months now. I also love getting my workout done early, and never could eat very much before working out anyway as it makes my stomach upset.

I do that Tuesday - Friday, then on Saturdays and Sundays I sleep in a couple more hours, eat some complex carbs (IE: Bran Cereal with fruit), let that settle for about 30 minutes, then drink my pre-workout and take my BCAA drink on my workout. I work out longer and harder on the weekends sometimes so that's why I bother to eat a little beforehand.

The reason for the BCAA's is energy and to avoid muscle wasting on a fasted workout.

sarabushby

I do my weekly 5k race fasted since I find if I eat I tend to feel sick quicker when pushing really really hard compared to if I have just a cup of tea in my tummy.

Try it. It's unlikely there'll be any negative consequences, as long as you are dinner the night before then your body will have plenty of available energy reserves to use up.

LiftandSkate

I always work out fasted. Not even coffee or tea beforehand. It just makes me sick to have anything on my stomach when I work out, so I skip it until usually a few hours after. I haven't noticed any I'll effects or particularly good ones, except for not hurling in the weight room or on the bike path.

Red_Pill

Yeah, I workout fasted on most days. I crush my workouts on an empty stomach. I'm actually more energetic without having a stomach full of food. Workout or not.

Spliner1969

Red_Pill wrote: »

Yeah, I workout fasted on most days. I crush my workouts on an empty stomach. I'm actually more energetic without having a stomach full of food. Workout or not.

Agreed. Food makes me lethargic. Always has. On weekends I tend to work out a bit longer so I try to eat some bran cereal with a banana in the mornings instead of doing it fasted, and I still notice it's tougher getting started because of it. But it helps me keep up energy longer. So it's a trade off on those days.

ninerbuff

Having done this for years, I've had different episodes however if regular, it's not been problematic with my performance. I eat before I go to sleep, so I don't eat again till after 12:00pm. However if I didn't eat much the night before, then it can cause me to feel a little low on energy the next morning. On days like that, I just do cardio and don't weight lift.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

RoxieDawn

I work out everyday fasted.. I am now trained to workout fasted..

Did I lose any more weight, any faster, any better? not in the least..

rainbow198

I workout every morning fasted and I have some great workouts that gives me tons of energy. I just drink a glass of water beforehand.

My morning workouts are not extreme however and I save my heavy lifting workouts for later in the day, but food in my belly seems to slow me down.

BrianSharpe

I've been working out (running, rowing etc) fasted - with the exception of my morning coffee - for years. I will, generally, eat a couple hundred calories (banana & a yogurt) before going out on my longer Sunday runs or before a brick workout (bike & run) on Saturday just because of the duration.

If you're eating a well balanced diet you should have enough stored glycogen to get you through about 90 minutes of moderate exercise.

Try it for yourself and see how you feel.......it's a matter of individual preference.

castlerobber

When my kids were young, I used to run or racewalk fasted first thing in the mornings. Worked fine for me. I wasn't trying to improve fat loss or anything, I just don't do well training with food on board at any time of day.

WickedPineapple

I eat breakfast around 8am most days. I've tried working out fasted (>12 hours) before having breakfast, but I don't do well fasted, my endurance is greatly decreased and I get dizzy and nauseous. I would probably be able to do it if I ate dinner later in the evening and had a larger meal; however, that won't work for me because I get bad heartburn if I eat dinner too late and/or eat too big a meal. I'm more of a afternoon/evening person anyway, so it's not a huge loss.

MostlyWater

Try it and see how you like it.

You might have more energy if you eat a banana first, or drink a smoothie.

mburgess458

I had been working out before breakfast for decades. Lately I have started to hit a wall after 30 minutes or so. Eating something little like a banana first (with some black coffee) seems to do the trick.

nossmf

As long as I keep my workouts to an hour or less, doing it fasted is fine for me. (Most workouts are 45 minutes.) If I go longer, I'd better have had a piece of fruit and a glass of milk before starting.