Early Workouts

Lindbergnd

Do you guys eat before or after? What do you eat? Should i have a protein shake or actual food?
I have to be out the door by 0800, so ill be up by 0700 most likely, so not much time to prepare anything.

jacqui1612

When I work out in the morning I eat afterwards. And I just have my normal breakfast (weetbix) then go about my day.

The best advise would probably just see what works for you. Try eating before and after (though it probably wouldn't be a great idea to eat a massive meal then work out. maybe try something light. A piece of fruit maybe to get your through). Try food or shakes. You will find what is best for you

mccbabe1

depends.. i exercise broken up... like a 20-25 min power walk before work in a.m.. then lunch brak 19-24 min walk then after work long walk or gym class!!... for a.m. just woke up and go walking exercise i DONT eat before... but for lunch /after work of course i have cuz in the day... sometimes before gym class i would grab a lower calorie balance bar/protein bar or half a bannana on the way to class.. .. best to have SOMETHING.. i like the "nimble" bars made by balance.. cuz not the 200 calories like so many... and yet enough to do the job and boost you a bit

Gettingbettereveryday

I tend to get up around 5 to be at the gym by 7, and have a bowl of cereal - either wholegrain cereal with milk or muesli or granola with yoghurt. I'd rather make sure I've got some sort of fuel in me - tried working out once on an empty stomach and felt decidely ill!

sagetracey

I prefer to workout before I eat breakfast. If I am cycle commuting to work, I shower and change at work and then eat my bowl of porridge.

SAGR2

I was once advised by a fitness trainer that if I were to work out before breakfast in the morning, I should always have a little something beforehand so that my body did not feel that it was exercising on empty. I rarely exercise first thing now but if I ever do I follow that advice and have something like a quarter of a banana before I start. I think it makes me do better, but I guess it could be some kind of placebo-type effect

S

anzielinger

I prefer to work out on an empty stomach; but that is only because I work out at 5am and can't imagine getting up any earlier just to eat something and then wait a few minute to let it settle in my tummy and THEN start my workout. I love my sleep too much for that! :-)

But I think you could argue both situations have advantages and disadvantages. I have heard eating before working out means you are fueling your workout and thus can push yourself harder (i.e burn more calories). Not eating means you will tap into your energy storage (i.e. fat or possible muscle) to fuel your workout. Honestly, I have no clue how accurate either statements are but its interesting to think about.

wgn4166

I get up at 4 am to work out. I leave for work around 7:30. I don't eat breakfast until about 9 am. I am not a breakfast person, so I will have a banana and peanut butter usually.

mmapags

I'll have a banana before, on my way out the door and then eat after with a mix of protein and carbs.

caseythirteen

I'm usually up by 5:45 so I don't eat before hand. In an ideal world I would get up and have breakfast and then exercise because I feel like I have more energy when I do that but it just doesn't happen.

Sarauk2sf

I usually have a latte and then nothing until lunchtime. It does not affect my persormance as long as I have eaten enough the day before. It's purely personal preference so you should do what feels best to you.