For those of you who work out in the morning..

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AshleyNicolexo_
AshleyNicolexo_ Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
..i'm gonna try to start doing this because i always feel great through out the day if i work out before work. unfortunately though i would have to get up at 5am because i have to be to work at 7:15. which will be kind of hard for me because i'm not a morning person lol

but anyway, i need some advice as far as when to eat breakfast.

i know you should have a small pre-workout snack and also a post-protein snack which in my case would be a whey protein shake/smoothie or 8oz organic chocolate milk. i read online somewhere that you should eat breakfast soon after you work out.

so i was thinking that maybe i should eat my breakfast after i shower after my workout and then take my protein shake to go while i drive to work?

how do you guys work your snacks/breakfast in?

Replies

  • Determinednoob
    Determinednoob Posts: 2,001 Member
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    While not detrimental, you don't NEED a post w/o of any kind in particular any kind of liquid if you have eaten beforehand. If you are hungry after then eat. You probably do need to have at least a little something before so that you have energy to have a good workout, but in general nutrient timing is irrelevant. Hit your macros for the day some time during the day. More info on the nutrition stuff along with pretty much anything a beginner needs for losing fat and gainung muscle can be found here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    i tried running yesterday in the morning with only 3 glasses of water in me ( i am not a morning person and usually cannot handle food within 2 hours of waking up) this taught me that morning exercise is not for me. i went out and got a light, so i can go running at night instead.
    as for eating, if you just have a snack beforehand (figure out how much you need & can deal with) then the protein shake after could turn into your breakfast, or you can just add extra protein to your breakfast and not make it two meals (a protein shake always feels like a meal to me), or have a second breakfast a while later.
    figure out what works for you. just making yourself eat too much at a specific time that doesn't feel right for you, makes no sense, no matter where you read about it.
  • NoxDineen
    NoxDineen Posts: 497 Member
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    I run 4-5k most mornings with no snack/breakfast beforehand (I'm not waking up even earlier to eat and then digest). I do snack on almonds or a protein shake in the evenings though.
  • tehzephyrsong
    tehzephyrsong Posts: 435 Member
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    If you, like me, are one of those people who has to eat soon after waking up, then you should definitely eat something before your workout. Something small - a handful of nuts, a piece of fruit, a granola bar, something to get you going. Bananas work well for me, personally; if I don't hydrate and put something in my belly before leaving for my walk or bike ride or whatever, not only do I get irritable as hell, my already-low-because-i-haven't-eaten-in-about-12-hours blood sugar drops further and I start to feel really sick.
  • Meikmeika
    Meikmeika Posts: 108 Member
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    I can't even look at food before 8am and my workouts are at 5am........
  • gxm17
    gxm17 Posts: 374
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    I work out in the morning and always eat afterwards.
  • Dee_84
    Dee_84 Posts: 431 Member
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    I get up, get dressed, eat half a banana and then I go on a 3 mile run/walk. I have breakfast afterwards and make sure it includes some protein like milk, yogurt, protein powder...

    I can run on an empty stomach but I noticed that I perform better when I get some kind of sugar in my system first.
  • AshleyNicolexo_
    AshleyNicolexo_ Posts: 27
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    thanks for all the suggestions. i am one that likes to eat right when i get up and i cant ever work out on an empty stomach so the pre-snack would work well for me.. but the whole protein shake after eating breakfast thing does sound a little cray cray to me unless like someone said, i use it as my breakfast. i don't know what i was thinking.. i guess i was just thinking the more protein the better but that's just an extra meal that i don't need.
  • mtoon66
    mtoon66 Posts: 3 Member
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    ashley, i, too, have to eat something before i exercise in the morning. i usually have either a box of raisin, or 1 oz. of goat cheese, or maybe 1 cup of pineapple juice. it's just enough to get me through my workout then, i eat my normal breakfast after i shower. hope these suggestions help.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
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    I never eat before I workout in the AM. Even if leaving for a 20 mile run, I may drink a cup of coffee I don't eat prior to exercise. I get up at 4:30 to exercise - workout about 60-90 minutes (longer on run days) and eat along my run, but at the end, I drink water. Then about 7:30, I make my breakfast and head out the door for work. It's never been a problem for me.
  • Slimjem55
    Slimjem55 Posts: 2
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    I get up at 4:15 and do yoga stretches for 30 to 40 minutes. Take my shower and then eat my breakfast of eggs, kale, and a fruit. I don't get hungry until 9:30 or 10am and then have a snack. It's hard to get going in the mornings, but once I turn on the music and get started, it's so worth it! I don't like to eat before I exercise, but you have to listen to your body! So if you have to have something to jump start you, I say go for it!
  • betrayalunknown
    betrayalunknown Posts: 63
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    I work out from 6:30AM to 8:45AM. My workouts consist of one and a half hours of cardio, and the rest is strength training (and rest periods, of course).

    I have been working out like this for two months now. And I have noticed that if I have something to eat prior to a workout, I am able to exert more energy on the stairmaster and elliptical. Nothing to call home about, but I do burn at least 80-100 more calories per cardio workout when I have at least 60-100 g. of carbohydrates prior to my morning workout.

    This first breakfast will consist of 500g. of cold watermelon (it is A LOT of watermelon. I love it because it is good in fruit sugars and hydrates me in a delicious way... (I hate drinking water in the morning, and I barely drink water throughout my workout) )

    or

    A large apple (sometimes two) equaling 350-400 g.

    Sometimes... not often... I will eat a banana. I only crave bananas occasionally. They are high in carbs as well.

    Protein shake is mid-after my workout, fyi.

    When I get to work around 9:30,10:00AM, I will have "breakfast." (Seeing as how I burned around 600-800 cals during my workout). This second breakfast will consist of some fruit again and a protein source (greek yogurt, cottage cheese)

    Basically, eating a nice amount of fruit prior to my workout helps me stay focused throughout my workout. It keeps me hydrated and the sugars react nicely to my morning hunger!! ( I wake up hungry... always, always, no matter what time!!)
  • SyStEmPhReAk
    SyStEmPhReAk Posts: 330 Member
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    I'm at the gym working out by 4:30. I used to workout on an empty stomach, but now I drink a Pre-workout drink and I drink bcaa's during my workout. While you may not need to, or want to do any of these, it gives me the fuel I need to go after it in the morning.
  • CaptainSwab
    CaptainSwab Posts: 53
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    I have a hard time workimg out on an empty stomach. I always eat when i first wake up. Before a run i will eat a granola bar just to get something in my belly and will eat my normal breakfast after the run.

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