When is the best time to exercise

JennFraley8501

I have been working on loosing weight for 7 months now. I have lost a total of 50lbs so far. But I seem to have hit a wall. I've been stuck at my current weight for about a month now. Is there a better time of day to exercise. I usually do about 3-31/2 miles on the treadmill along with some other exercises as well. Is it better to start first thing in the morning before food, or in the evening when I'm done eating for the day? Any advice please.

IveLanded

A lot of folks, including me, tend to hit that big plateau after a big loss. I would think you're just at that point. I hit mine around 30lbs. I would bet that time of day doesn't matter so much as maybe you need to change things up. I broke my plateau by pretty radically changing my work outs. I stopped all the classes I was taking, started TOTALLY new ones, and completely changed my focus from cadio-heavy to weights. From reading about other people's experiences, I think that big change is what helped kick me over that hump. I did also refocus my diet......as I lost weight, I did get a little looser with my diet and when I got back to basics and eating cleaner, I also started losing again.

Sweetsugar0424

A lot of folks, including me, tend to hit that big plateau after a big loss. I would think you're just at that point. I hit mine around 30lbs. I would bet that time of day doesn't matter so much as maybe you need to change things up. I broke my plateau by pretty radically changing my work outs. I stopped all the classes I was taking, started TOTALLY new ones, and completely changed my focus from cadio-heavy to weights. From reading about other people's experiences, I think that big change is what helped kick me over that hump. I did also refocus my diet......as I lost weight, I did get a little looser with my diet and when I got back to basics and eating cleaner, I also started losing again.

This^^^

Time of day is not important, you need to work out when it's best for your body. I will NEVER be able to wake up early and hit the gym before work. I am not built that way so I wouldn't even try. To be a plateau, you need to do as the PP suggested...switch up your workout (you should be doing this every 6 weeks or so). If you are lifting weights, change the routine, if you're just doing cardio, add weights and so on. When I find myself stalling out, I will either take a week off of weights and just do a week of aerobics classes or I'll increase the intensity of my workout.

kgool

Routine is the key here. I was working out on the elliptical every morning at 5am for months and started sleepwalking through it literally and figuratively. Now I mix it up, I will still love 5am but get in a lunch workout now and then and a night work out fairly often as well to keep my body guessing and do all sorts of different free weights, cardio, running, Crossfit type stuff, and functional training. I feel (too lazy to research it) that the 5am stuff, especially weights, requires more deterministic stretching and warm ups because your body has had little natural kinetic activity prior. I also have heard that if you have gone a substantial time since your last meal that morning exercise will burn more stored fat if you don't eat prior, I have also heard that does not matter. That's the thing about many facts, you can find them for both sides of an argument. Just remember for most people that the rest days are as important as the exercise days. I know for men too that testosterone levels drop during the day, so weights at night especially for older dudes like me are less effective but I guess that's not an issue for you. Good luck!

kgool

I guess I should have started with "Breaking routine is the key here"

JennFraley8501

Thanks for all the input. I will def. try to change things up and see if that helps