Is it really a good idea to excerise BEFORE breakfeast?!

PoAer

Ok so I was watching a morning tv new program, and Dr.Oz was on on it. To sum one of the topics up was he suggested to excercise 30 minutes after you wake up and before breakfeast to burn more fat. My question is, is this wise and a healthy thing to do? And does it really work?

sandram82

I do it after day!!!

royam01

I have always felt way to weak in the morning to do that. I need a little something in me... and a little coffee or else I will not be keeping up with that workout. I think its a personal choice. If you can do I say go for it. Probably would not hurt

jessicavsjessica

it works for me - 9lb down after 8 weeks of pre breakfast gym sessions... plus when i get to the office i feel very smug )

DEE4560

It's tough to do excersise in the morning if your not a morning person.

kswizzy

I'm a runner and I've definitely done it... a lot. I try not to work out on a completely empty stomach, but for sure I would get up and try to eat half a banana or a small piece of a granola bar ... and then go to the gym or out for a run.

There have definitely been times I've gone without even that little bit in my stomach.. many times. I dont think there is anything wrong with it. Unless of course you are HUNGRY when u get up - that could get distracting if your stomach is growling. My suggestion would be to eat something very very light and small... just so that ur stomach doesnt growl or if you intend for your workout to be very intense, so you dont pass out.

knelson422

If I am working out for more than an hour, I eat half a whole wheat mini bagel with PB and 1/2 a sliced banana on it. If I have a shorter work out, I don't eat anything. Seems to be working so far.

kswizzy

also, sometimes I may just have a little coffee rather than food.

kpower1983

I started it this week, just a 20 min run before breakfast, I'm loving it!!!!!

Kforest0714

I prefer to work out before breakfast because im not a bteakfast person...but I notice after I work out I get hungry so it actually helps me eat breakfast.

erickirb

This burns more fat, but if you goal it to increase performance i.e. training for a race it is best to eat prior to training.
Fat loss, eat after
increase performance, eat before.

Drunkadelic

Hasn't Dr. Oz also suggested the "fake being pregnant" diet? Where you shoot hormones into your body and only eat 500 calories a day? Doesn't seem safe to me...

Everything I've ever heard/read is that it is really important to eat as soon as you wake up in order to kick-start your metabolism first thing. But I am neither a nutritionist or a trainer so I'd do your research

psugirl

I don't see any reason why not - as long as you are providing your body enough fuel every day, you should be okay to wake up and exercise (i.e. you should have enough energy stored up that your body is not dependent on your breakfast for immediate energy). I do morning workouts often, and I never eat or drinking anything before because it upsets my stomach while I'm working out. I do try to drink 2-3 glasses of water right before I go to bed as I find this helps me stay hydrated through a morning workout, and immediately after I'll have another glass or two. I am also more motivated to eat a healthy breakfast since I don't want to "waste" the workout that I dragged myself out of bed for....

ashley0616

I actually am hypoglycemic and I have found that for some reason I do better working out first thing int he morning on an empty stomach rather than later in the day a few hours after eating. If I eat right before I work out, I get cramps; if I don't eat, I get lightheaded and shaky due to blood sugar levels. I don't know why, but working out first thing before I eat anything just seems to work. I do sip water during my morning workouts (unless I am running) and have a protein recovery shake immediately afterwards. I lost the most weight while I was consistently working out in the mornings. HTH.

4theking

Its usually 16-20 hours since my last real meal when I workout. I just have a protein shake prior to. Strength continues to increase while I lose fat.

aeryn69

I can't exercise after I eat, if I do I feel sick. If I don't exercise first thing in the morning then I have to wait at least 2 hours after eating.

linemansgirl

I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to put my all into my workout, so I would be defeating myself. I have low blood sugar and blood pressure at times, which leads to dizziness. It would just be a bad idea all around for me!

mamara79

I used to be in the Air Force, and they reccomended it for ultimate fat loss. My suggestion tho, is not to do a Heavy duty work out in the morning........walk, swim, ride a bike for a bit........just some easy going cardio.

Exercising on an empty stomach first thing in the morning MAKES your body use your fat reserves instead of calories already in your sytem from any food.

Also, it boosts your metabolism the whole day! Wait 1 hour AFTER exercise for ultimate fat burning.

Also, if you exercise first thing in the morning...........you're good for the whole day! You may add another weight lifting or circuit training after work or whatever, but even if you are tired, sore, whatever, and don't feel like exercising, you've already done something that day!

If you really NEED something on your stomach........drink a glass of milk.

PoAer

OK thanks a lot you guys I have a couple of day before my springbreak ends, and I will try this method to see if it works for me. I'm excited to see if it's for me, haha we'll see.

afteil

I work out at 5am and definately do not eat before hand- i find that i usually feel heavier and nauseous if i eat early. Normally I drink about 1.5 L of water while working out and eat breakfast after.

erickirb

I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to put my all into my workout, so I would be defeating myself. I have low blood sugar and blood pressure at times, which leads to dizziness. It would just be a bad idea all around for me!

Which is why your performance won't increase doing it that way. Try running a 5K without eating one day, then do the same thing about 1.5-2hours after you have eaten. Your times should be much better after you have had some food.

linemansgirl

I wouldn't be able to do it. I wouldn't be able to put my all into my workout, so I would be defeating myself. I have low blood sugar and blood pressure at times, which leads to dizziness. It would just be a bad idea all around for me!

Which is why your performance won't increase doing it that way. Try running a 5K without eating one day, then do the same thing about 1.5-2hours after you have eaten.

So maybe I will have to give it a try and see what happens!

BigBoneSista

From my understanding if you are doing cardio (treadmill or elliptical) you particularly don't have to eat anything before but if you are strength training you should eat a least a piece of fruit. I wasn't eating anything before when I was just doing cardio but now that I've started strength training I eat a banana before I go.

lovetowrite73

I'm up at 4 a.m. to workout so there's no way I'm eating prior to exercising. I'm doing Insanity and so far (only on day 4) have not struggled at all through my workouts.

PoAer

I love this because I need to do strength with cardio to tone while I lose weight, and I love bananas

audjrey

If I've eaten a large late-night meal, I almost invariably wait 1-2 hours after waking to eat simply because I have no appetite and the sight and smell of food makes me physically ill to my stomach. Mostly I avoid this by eating no later than 3 hours before bed so breakfast is very important to me. However, as a former long distance endurance runner, I often drank a cup of coffee and went for a 3K run, but I would never even consider trying to run anything beyond 3K without food in my system for the simple reason that acids build up in the stomach and you're setting yourself up for gastritis in the long run (which I might add actually happened to me).

I don't run anymore but I am heavily into weight training, walking, skipping, cycling and High Intensity Interval Training. Yet even then I allow for the same cardinal rule. If I've eaten a large meal or a late meal the night before and have no appetite, I will simply have a cup of green tea and exercise LIGHTLY for 30-45 minutes. Then I'll eat, rest for a minimum of 10-15 minutes and do another 30-60 minutes really hard either right away or later that morning.

Personally, I have always loved to exercise before 10 o'clock simply because then I know I've got my 'prescribed" exercise in. Any exercises I do after that is a bonus to my diet, health & fitness plan.

edorice

I exercise EVERY SINGLE MORNING before breakfast. What is important is to find a time that you can commit to. What is not healthy is NOT doing it at all.

FearAnLoathing

I used to do it all the time,and still would if it was possiable.I never noticed any adverse reactions to it

FaithandFitness

I usually hit the gym in the morning, getting the workout in before the children wake up is pretty essential to my day. I never eat before, but do protein shake afterwards. I might start eating something like a banana before, since sometimes I do a Heavy weight day. I find a mid afternoon workout is okay, but saving my workout for the night when I am drained is not usually very effective for me.

kcmomof2

For the last 5 months I have been working out (doing Insanity) before breakfast at 5:30am. I would get sick if I ate before then. I eat breakfast immediately afterwards.