Morning Workout. Food?

Johnny760

I normally work out in the afternoons either before or after dinner. But the last couple weeks I decided to take my dog for hikes on Saturday or Sunday mornings. But I have two problems.
One, I normally don't eat a big breakfast (normally oatmeal w/ milk and toast). But shouldn't I have something to keep me energized through out the hike? The first couple times I went I didn't feel hungry but about halfway into my hike yesterday I started feeling really hungry. What do you eat before a morning work out? Or do you eat after the work out?
Second, I burned about 1000 calories in my hike, so MFP added 1000 calories to my allowed calories for the day. But I feel that shouldn't eat 2400 calories between lunch and dinner when I worked out in the morning. Shouldn't I burn the calories after I actually eat them?

cherryvee

I don't tend to eat before a morning workout either and like you I feel like I'm starving hungry about half way through, or at least by the end. I usually make sure I drink a large glass of water before the workout, you could be mistaking hunger for thirst? Also, as you've probably not eaten since the previous evening's meal it might be a good idea to have a banana or wholemeal toast with peanut butter before the workout - maybe about an hour if possible, but at least 30mins prior if you're short on time. I did this in the past, my slimmer days, and it sorted out those niggling hunger pains. Let me know if it works and be sure to take something to drink when you go on your next hike!

As for the added calories... I guess it's telling you that you can eat the amount you've burnt off. Depends what sort of weight plan you're on, but I reckon eat less and exercise more in the way forward. Surely, if you stick to the original set of calories allowed you'll lose weight quicker? If you're sustaining then you can have the extra calories... Not sure if that's right, but that's how I think it works.

IngeborgB

I am interested in tips on this also. I try to get some morning walks or runs in every once in a while, and never know what to eat. I can't eat a full breakfast cus I will be full and bloated and heavy. But if I don't eat at all, I tend to get almost light headed, and don't have the energy to push al the way through.

I always drink a glass of water before going out though! Sometimes I do a fruit, or a small protein smoothie. Maybe that can help?

heathersmilez

You haven’t eaten in 8-12 hours so it’s a good idea to put something into your stomach. Try slices of apple and almonds then have a protein-filled breakfast when you return. Oats with ½ scoop of protein powder and some fruit is delicious if you like oatmeal for breakfast and don’t want a smoothie daily.

As for eating back your exercise calories, please read the FAQ's. Yes, should be eating most of them. Some people don't and are successful (generally very petite people where their regular 1200cal limit is high for them) and others go into starvation mode and wreak havoc on their bodies but I don't want to propagate this discussion in this thread. Eat some breakfast before your work out... that is all.

SammieGetsFit

I pretty much always work out first thing in the morning. I eat a small snack (which varies) right as I get up, and I let it settle/digest while I'm getting dressed, waking up, and driving to the gym. (Usually around 20 minutes). I always make my breakfast immediately upon returning home.

Newfiedan

One, I normally don't eat a big breakfast
Second, I burned about 1000 calories in my hike, so MFP added 1000 calories to my allowed calories for the day. But I feel that shouldn't eat 2400 calories between lunch and dinner when I worked out in the morning. Shouldn't I burn the calories after I actually eat them?

ok so you are working out and not eating a big breakfast, well you are shooting your metabolic rate right in the proverbial head right off the crack of the bat there. Secondly it does not matter when you stop for gas, there are optimal times but in the overall pic if you can not stop when its optimal then you still need to fuel up regardless. I liken to driving a car which we can all relate to.
On a long drive (a workout day) we usually start out by filling up (breakfast) Now we plan on driving at say 50 mph to get to our destination. We can only drive 80 miles before filling up again (meals) and going again. The idea of exercise is to increase the speed at which we can safely drive to the destination. The exercise is not intended to burn off the fuel and dump the luggage. The key goal here is to learn how to balance the car so that it gets the best mpg and gets us to where we want to go. The same applies to the body, we need to learn how to get the best foods and diet into us for the best workouts to raise the metabolic rate. Exercise burns fat yes but the goal is raise overall metabolic rate not to burn off all the fat at the workout. Muscle we build will further aid us in that goal making the base engine stronger and going from being a prius to being a mustang.

TrainingWithTonya

I normally work out in the afternoons either before or after dinner. But the last couple weeks I decided to take my dog for hikes on Saturday or Sunday mornings. But I have two problems.
One, I normally don't eat a big breakfast (normally oatmeal w/ milk and toast). But shouldn't I have something to keep me energized through out the hike? The first couple times I went I didn't feel hungry but about halfway into my hike yesterday I started feeling really hungry. What do you eat before a morning work out? Or do you eat after the work out?

If you find that you can't eat that much before your workout but are hungry halfway through, you can always bring a granola bar or something like that on your hikes to replenish mid-way. I'd recommend it being mostly carbs (some simple and some complex) to get the most energy benefit right then.

Second, I burned about 1000 calories in my hike, so MFP added 1000 calories to my allowed calories for the day. But I feel that shouldn't eat 2400 calories between lunch and dinner when I worked out in the morning. Shouldn't I burn the calories after I actually eat them?

No, you should go ahead and eat them after you've burned them. You are replacing the muscle glycogen that was burned by eating carbs and the protein you consume will go to muscle repair and rebuilding.

cherryvee

Thanks Tonya, that's really good to know and explains a lot :glasses: