Hi, I've read about a certain method for fat loss...

Bruggush
Bruggush Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
So I'm wondering if anyone has experience with this.

From what I've read in many different articles, an effective way to lose weight is to exercise first thing in the morning when you wake up, before you eat; or to exercise on an empty stomach and then eat after exercising.
From what the articles say, you keep your daily caloric intake the same, you just eat at a different time and try to exercise on an empty stomach.

I'm just curious if this actually works, but more importantly if it does, why?

If I eat 2000 calories in a day and my BMR is 3000, and I burn 1000 from exercise, why does it matter when I burn the calories?

I tried this myself for about 2 weeks, and I actually had great results. It sped up my weight loss by a significant amount, but I'm wondering if it's just a coincidence or placebo, or if it actually works.

Can anyone else give their thoughts / advice / experience on this?

Thank you.

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    It does not work any better than any other exercise routine. A lot of people really, really, really, really want Tinkerbell to stay alive so they keep clapping, but the facts do not support it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    it does not matter when you work out or when you eat..

    if you burn 300 calories in morning or the afternoon, what is the difference? You are still burning300 calories..

    I work out in the evening after work and have had no issues, losing/maintaining/gaining etc.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It doesn't matter. I utilize roughly 2600 - 2700 calories on average to maintain my weight. If I did exercise on an empty stomach in the morning and still consumed my 2600 - 2700 calories, I would still maintain...because it makes no difference that I expended those 400 - 500 calories in the morning vs later in the day.

    If you consume a deficit of energy, you will lose...if you consume a balance of energy you will maintain...if you consume a surplus of energy you will gain...all of this regardless of when you exercise.
  • Bruggush
    Bruggush Posts: 15
    Alright, thanks guys. I was debating keeping it going or stopping because it's hard for me to have enough energy on an empty stomach, but it seemed like it was working. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me so it must have been coincidence.

    I just found another article explaining how it works, so maybe it does make a little sense but this article also shows the cons, which I didn't realize:

    Pros:

    When you exercise, the energy you expend comes from carbs. Exercising on an empty stomach means carbs will not be available, so your energy will come from elsewhere. The theory here is that the energy comes from stored fat. Exercising on an empty stomach is thought to lead to an increase in the proteins the body uses to metabolize fat. This strategy is most effective in the morning since it will have been several hours since your last meal. Because you have essentially fasted overnight no carbs will be present in your body to interfere with the metabolism of fat. Experts recommend that exercisers use this strategy only occasionally as a way to prime the body for fat burning.

    Cons:

    Working out on an empty stomach can be a quick trip to misery. The bottom line is that exercise requires energy, which your body gets from food. If you are hungry while working out, the quality of your exertion will be reduced because you simply won’t have the energy to get in the vigorous aerobic activity your body needs. Also, working out on an empty stomach may increase the likelihood of injury from falls or clumsiness related to dizziness. Finally, when you regularly work out on an empty stomach, you risk losing muscle mass, and ultimately slowing your metabolism.

    So maybe if this is true, maybe I was losing muscle mass and that's why my losses were significant? I'm not sure. Either way, it wasn't fun and I'll just eat before exercising.
  • msbardell
    msbardell Posts: 7 Member
    Hello,
    I really only work out first thing in the morning, otherwise I would make up excuses later in the day. I get to the gym 5-6 days a week, very regularly, always in the a.m. If I wait, I never make it in.
    Plus, it's a "good start" to the day. I feel more energized and have more motivation to keep my body properly fueled if I've had a good satisfying sweat (and successive shower).

    No idea if it burns "more fat" though.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I exercise after work.. have a carby snack before hand..

    I'm losing weight..

    That being said.. I do think everyone is different. It's less about when you eat and more about what works for you and what is comfortable for you.

    Try different things until you find what works. I used to exercise after work without eating prior to it. But since I have significantly increased the intensity of my exercise I was finding I was too tired to get through a workout. So I tried a snack and it works wonders. I know people who get sick if they eat before they exercise. I normally can't eat for almost an hour afterwards or I feel nauseous.

    Just make sure you are eating the right amount of calories overall.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Alright, thanks guys. I was debating keeping it going or stopping because it's hard for me to have enough energy on an empty stomach, but it seemed like it was working. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me so it must have been coincidence.

    I just found another article explaining how it works, so maybe it does make a little sense but this article also shows the cons, which I didn't realize:

    Pros:

    When you exercise, the energy you expend comes from carbs. Exercising on an empty stomach means carbs will not be available, so your energy will come from elsewhere. The theory here is that the energy comes from stored fat. Exercising on an empty stomach is thought to lead to an increase in the proteins the body uses to metabolize fat. This strategy is most effective in the morning since it will have been several hours since your last meal. Because you have essentially fasted overnight no carbs will be present in your body to interfere with the metabolism of fat. Experts recommend that exercisers use this strategy only occasionally as a way to prime the body for fat burning.

    Cons:

    Working out on an empty stomach can be a quick trip to misery. The bottom line is that exercise requires energy, which your body gets from food. If you are hungry while working out, the quality of your exertion will be reduced because you simply won’t have the energy to get in the vigorous aerobic activity your body needs. Also, working out on an empty stomach may increase the likelihood of injury from falls or clumsiness related to dizziness. Finally, when you regularly work out on an empty stomach, you risk losing muscle mass, and ultimately slowing your metabolism.

    So maybe if this is true, maybe I was losing muscle mass and that's why my losses were significant? I'm not sure. Either way, it wasn't fun and I'll just eat before exercising.

    I think the pros are a bunch of bro-science....whenever you increase energy needs - I.E workout - your body is going to reach for fat stores first to use as energy; however, it is not a 100% efficient process and some muscle is going to be utilized in the process. So you train fasted and burn 300 calories, and then go eat a 600 calories breakfast, the net result is still a 300 calorie surplus due to the food that you consumed after work...
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I do my long endurance workouts fasted, I work a lot better that way, personally. I also lift and climb much better fasted.

    If you're used to it and it works for you, do it. The food timing aspect though... unless new data has just come out, it's not going to matter.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I work out in the morning, a short time after I eat, but that's because I find I run out of gas if I try to work out on an empty stomach. Other than that, it doesn't really matter - a calorie burned is a calorie burned.
  • aluethi1
    aluethi1 Posts: 97 Member
    When I started taking classes at the gym, the first one was at 6am so I didn't eat before it. I came close to fainting because of not eating. I ate at least a little bit before every class since then and have never come anywhere close to fainting again.

    In my experience, I would never recommend someone excersize first thing in the morning without eating at least a little.
  • Polarpaly05
    Polarpaly05 Posts: 74 Member
    Talking to my diabetic friend, she says there is a pronounced drop in blood sugar and protein count during her workouts. If she doesn't eat something small before working out... it's 100% guaranteed that she will throw up and be near feinting. She's tested this 3 times and 3 times it's resulted in the same thing. And she also tested her blood sugar before and after exercising and was able to see the dramatic drop in blood sugar. So she combats it by eating a little bit of beef jerky and a cheese stick before hitting the gym.

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