Morning exercise before or after you eat breakfast?

nilson77
nilson77 Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
I just read on a blog that you lose more fat quicker if you exercise before you eat in the morning.

It said:

"By working out first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, you force your body to tap into its fat stores (including that stubborn belly fat) much sooner than if you exercise after eating."

Is this true? I always thought that you should eat in the morning maybe 30 minutes to an hour before you workout.

Replies

  • nilson77
    nilson77 Posts: 8
    I just read on a blog that you lose more fat quicker if you exercise before you eat in the morning.

    It said:

    "By working out first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast, you force your body to tap into its fat stores (including that stubborn belly fat) much sooner than if you exercise after eating."

    Is this true? I always thought that you should eat in the morning maybe 30 minutes to an hour before you workout.
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
    I don't know I Hope someone chimes in but I have seen guys here at my command that when we work out they get really sick and it's because they didn't have anything to eat and their blood sugar is low. So I wouldn't suggest it. Just my opinion.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    If I read the same story, you can also not exercise for as hard or as long, so eating is actually more conducive to better workouts.

    All I know is, this is true for me. I have terrible workouts on an empty stomach, to the point of "bonking". . .where I can't even finish my workout.
  • katyk08
    katyk08 Posts: 302
    Same here.. I can exercise before I eat, but not near as long nor as hard as I can after Ive had something to eat. I end up getting lightheaded, dizzy and stomach cramps!
  • iluvsparkles
    iluvsparkles Posts: 1,730 Member
    i used to do a light exercise before eating in the morning..

    the reason 'they say' that it burns better, is basically just because your 'tank' is out of 'gas' and so it has to dip into the reserves to pull energy.

    This is ok if you have a fair amount of 'stores' BUT in some folks, it pulls from the most available source of calories, which is usually muscle rather than that pesky belly fat or thigh fat..simply because it is more accessible.

    Does any of that make sense? IT is theoretically true, BUT it is not suggested to do a big workout before eating in the morning, just because when you run out of gas, you are putting yourself in danger!
  • harmsway01
    harmsway01 Posts: 8
    Wake up to Water!!!!

    Then go ahead and exercise.

    It is not good to eat within the hour prior to your workout. You don't want to burn calories that you just absorbed eating. It is true that your body is more apt to burn stored calories if you do not eat before you work out in the morning. Your body will burn more fat this way.

    It is proven that water helps hunger pangs. Personally I have never had a problem working out in the morning before I eat breakfast. I usually wake up at five have some water and then start my workout by 5:15.

    Some rules to live by.
    -wake up to water
    -eat breakfast
    -eat every 2 to 3 hours
    -do not eat within 3 hours before heading to bed

    Hope this helps
    -Zack
  • sindyb9
    sindyb9 Posts: 1,248 Member
    I looked this up and found this link maybe it will help you with your question.

    http://www.enotalone.com/forum/showthread.php?t=140280
  • PedalHound
    PedalHound Posts: 1,625 Member
    There's no hard and fast answer to your question. Some people do okay working out before breakfast, some people can't do it. You'll probably find that day to day it's a little different also. It IS true though that your work out won't last as long as if you were able to eat something small and carbohydrate-dense about an hour before. And personally, if I do a work out on an empty stomach in the morning (even if I do drink a bunch of water) I get seriously light headed (I came very close to passing out a month ago when I did this, and it took an HOUR to feel fully recovered from the blacking out sensation). Listen to your body and do what feels best. And remember, anyone can post anything on the internet. Take everything with a grain of salt.
  • nilson77
    nilson77 Posts: 8
    Thanks for the info. I have been eating a lite breakfast before going to the gym....45 minutes to an hour before.... Usually cereal with soy milk and a yogurt. I always drink water, but it doesnt seem to fill me up like a bowl of cereal does in the am. After I work out.....maybe 90 minutes later ....I am hungry again. I get the shakes (blood sugar) and that passing out feeling....
  • schat049
    schat049 Posts: 5
    I try and do about an hour and a half (try being the operative) of cardio a day. This in no way means that I can do that all at once! I always do about fifteen minutes of INTESE (as in speed walking mph on the highest incline on the treadmill) cardio when I first wake up--before eating. Then I eat, lounge for about an hour, and do half an hour of cardio. I usually repeat this pattern two or three times a day (depending on how long my workouts are).

    I think working out staggered throughout the day helps get my metabolism revved up and working all day. And eating right after I work out (while my heart rate is still up there) helps me to absorb the calories quickly so I can work out again!
  • harmsway01
    harmsway01 Posts: 8
    Thanks for the info. I have been eating a lite breakfast before going to the gym....45 minutes to an hour before.... Usually cereal with soy milk and a yogurt. I always drink water, but it doesnt seem to fill me up like a bowl of cereal does in the am. After I work out.....maybe 90 minutes later ....I am hungry again. I get the shakes (blood sugar) and that passing out feeling....
    That would be about right. You need to figure out your eating schedule to prevent that.

    Example (based on what info you have provided)
    6AM - eat bowl of cereal
    7AM - workout for 60 minutes
    8AM-9AM - First Snack

    I can't say it enough, in order to get your metabolism working correctly, you need to eat every 2 to 3 hours.
  • carvan
    carvan Posts: 377 Member
    Many people say to do cardio on an empty stomach but fuel before doing strenght training, If your cardio is going to be more than an hour long, eat something before hand, like 1/2 banana.

    i personally, if I wake up hungry, will eat 1/2 a protein bar before a run. Can't have dairy, bananas or peanut butter as I have a problem with these.

    Everyone is different. I would advise eating something light, and finish off breakfast after your exercise if you tend to bonk!
  • AJCM
    AJCM Posts: 2,169 Member
    I concur with the idea of ** Morning cardio on an empty stomach to burn fat most effciently**. I've been reading about diet and fitness for around 15-20 yrs, and everything seems to indicate that this is best for weight loss (NOT for serious weight training sessions of course, but I don't think that is what we are talking about as light weights are fine on an empty stomach).

    Good luck! You might like to read Bill Phillips' writing on the subject.
    :flowerforyou:
  • alimassa
    alimassa Posts: 275
    I can NEVER eat before I exercise....morning or night. It gives me stomach cramps...empty stomach or nothing!

    Ali
  • PedalHound
    PedalHound Posts: 1,625 Member
    A good system for fueling your body and working out without getting blood sugar issues is a carb-based snack an hour before and a protein-based snack after. I do straight protein powder and water after a decent work out and it seems perfect for me. But again, try things out and you'll figure out what works best for YOU!! Happy working out! :wink:

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