Breakfast: before or after morning workout?

maggie16sweetxoxo
maggie16sweetxoxo Posts: 314 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,
My club soccer season just ended yesterday, so now I have to get back into a workout schedule!
I'm going to try to do my old schedule of a one mile walk in the morning and a two mile jog in the evening.
The question is, do I eat my breakfast before or after I go on my walk. Before when I did this plan I wasn't eating breakfast and only eating a very unhealthy 600-800 calories a day. I now eat 1350-1500 calories a day :) please help! I usually like to eat oatmeal, or something healthy, but not too large for breakfast. (Friday is my cheat day)

Height: 5'6
Weight: 150lbs

Replies

  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Eat it whenever it's convenient and works best for you. When I workout at 5am, I don't eat first, just get up and go. When I run mid-morning (now that it's finally cooler out - yay!), I eat breakfast early.

    Meal timing has no bearing on weight loss, but if you feel better or worse eating before or after a workout, plan it accordingly. :smile:
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Personal preference is personal.

    I usually work out fasted, but that's just me.
  • Hezzietiger1
    Hezzietiger1 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Fasted cardio has benefits as it relates to fat loss. You don't need food energy to walk.. I'd eat after if I were you. I do 30-60 minutes of cardio fasted 4-6 days a week, then do another workout later that morning after breakfast.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    Eat it whenever it's convenient and works best for you. When I workout at 5am, I don't eat first, just get up and go. When I run mid-morning (now that it's finally cooler out - yay!), I eat breakfast early.

    Meal timing has no bearing on weight loss, but if you feel better or worse eating before or after a workout, plan it accordingly. :smile:

    ^^
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    I prefer after, but it's up to you.
  • lgrix
    lgrix Posts: 160 Member
    Put oatmeal in microwave. Go for 1 mile walk. Come back and eat it.
  • SunnyDuckling
    SunnyDuckling Posts: 204 Member
    Good question, but I think the answer ultimately will come down to some trial and error on your part until you find what works for you.
    I have a whole lot of trouble eating right before exercising, sometimes even 90minutes before isn't enough for my stomach to digest and clear food, so I will get reflux.
    On the otherhand, exercising on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning is no picnic either! You can set out on your walk okay, and then 10-15minutes into it your stomach "wakes up" because you're moving around and you can feel faint and absolutely famished! :grumble:

    My advice is, try one way for a few days (up to a week?) eg, not eating, and seeing how that makes you feel, and then compare that to what happens when you do have something in your stomach first.

    You might find that something small and light to eat will work better than a full breakfast, like perhaps some fruit? Pears, or apples are fairly neutral. Or you might even find a liquid breakfast sits better for you. Then, when you get back from your walk, you can eat the rest of your normal breakfast.

    Good luck and keep us updated on what you choose! :drinker:
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    Nothing more than Personal Preference...... Mine is a big Breakfast an hour before I hit the gym.... Best of Luck...
  • ShellyBell999
    ShellyBell999 Posts: 1,482 Member
    Experiment and find what works for you.

    I need a small food boost before I lift in the mornings; 1/2 banana or some PB toast n honey.

    Then I'm down for a decent breakfast when I'm done.
  • JDMarlowe
    JDMarlowe Posts: 327 Member
    i never work out right after eating.... it tends to make me feel really sick and pukish feeling.. i always work out, shower, then eat. But hey, everyone has their own preference.
  • Itskaleena
    Itskaleena Posts: 157 Member
    have something small before the work out ( handful of nuts, glass of milk, toast , fruit pb) if you don't want breakfast. then have your oats. Personally I have my oats and then a small snack post work out. just find what works for you. and congrats on starting to eat healthier and eating breakfast. I know how hard it can be.<3
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    It all depends on how you feel if you do have breakfast & then work out or if you don't.

    I personally don't like to eat first thing in the morning before a work out, but that is me. Perhaps try both & see which is best.
  • majica8
    majica8 Posts: 210 Member
    Whatever works for you. It won't make a difference to your weight loss. Depends if you like working out on an empty stomach or not.
    I personally eat breakfast just after getting up, wait 30 mins to an hour then go out on my bike. Works for me, might not for you though.
    As others have said, try both and see which you prefer :)
  • maggie16sweetxoxo
    maggie16sweetxoxo Posts: 314 Member
    Good question, but I think the answer ultimately will come down to some trial and error on your part until you find what works for you.
    I have a whole lot of trouble eating right before exercising, sometimes even 90minutes before isn't enough for my stomach to digest and clear food, so I will get reflux.
    On the otherhand, exercising on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning is no picnic either! You can set out on your walk okay, and then 10-15minutes into it your stomach "wakes up" because you're moving around and you can feel faint and absolutely famished! :grumble:

    My advice is, try one way for a few days (up to a week?) eg, not eating, and seeing how that makes you feel, and then compare that to what happens when you do have something in your stomach first.
    This is a good idea, I'll try one way for a week and see what happens.
    You might find that something small and light to eat will work better than a full breakfast, like perhaps some fruit? Pears, or apples are fairly neutral. Or you might even find a liquid breakfast sits better for you. Then, when you get back from your walk, you can eat the rest of your normal breakfast.

    Good luck and keep us updated on what you choose! :drinker:
  • Kellllog
    Kellllog Posts: 81 Member
    Personally I go for fasted in the mornings I go to the gym before work; but at the weekends when I go to the gym later in the day (usually around 11) I have breakfast first.
    I don't notice any performance difference in terms of cardio. I tend to find that I can lift slightly higher weights if I've eaten tho.
  • sweet_blasphemy
    sweet_blasphemy Posts: 129 Member
    i have something small, like a luna bar beforehand otherwise i get dizzy and nauseous halfway through. then i have a protein smoothie afterward. i tend to eat light during the day and save the majority of my calories for the evening anyway because that's what i prefer, so it's really up to you.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    As others have said, it's personal preference. For me, I have to eat breakfast before or I'm going to feel dizzy and unable to push myself very hard.
  • ElizaKat001
    ElizaKat001 Posts: 28 Member
    I no longer work out in the mornings, but when I did, I would split my breakfast up. Ex: a banana or hard boiled egg before the gym, to give me the energy to get through, then some oatmeal or toast with peanut butter afterwards. It worked well for me! As others have said, it's a personal choice. Maybe experiment a bit and see what works :)
  • _sam125
    _sam125 Posts: 14 Member
    everyones different, so you just have to find what works best for you. some people cramp up very easily and have to eat at least 2 hours before doing any work out, so if thats the case and you have an early morning work out, you'll probably want to eat after so you dont have to get up really early :)

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