We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!
Morning workout before/after breakfast?

Macacadopai
Posts: 183 Member
Hi!
I've read a lot about not eating breakfast before working out in the morning, but I always go sleep late, around 1am-3am (i work late shifts) at night, so I wake up around 10-12. If I go running around 13:00 (have my 'morning' coffee first etc) i usually don't have breakfast til after 14:00, which feels like lunch. Is this ok since I also eat dinner later, when I come back home from work. or should I try to rewind my inner clock so I take dinner with me to work, get up a couple of hours earlier?
Does it make a difference when it comes to burning calories? Because everyone says if u work out first thing in the morning u burn the most, but I wake up so late? Sorry if this is confusing lol
I've read a lot about not eating breakfast before working out in the morning, but I always go sleep late, around 1am-3am (i work late shifts) at night, so I wake up around 10-12. If I go running around 13:00 (have my 'morning' coffee first etc) i usually don't have breakfast til after 14:00, which feels like lunch. Is this ok since I also eat dinner later, when I come back home from work. or should I try to rewind my inner clock so I take dinner with me to work, get up a couple of hours earlier?
Does it make a difference when it comes to burning calories? Because everyone says if u work out first thing in the morning u burn the most, but I wake up so late? Sorry if this is confusing lol

0
Replies
-
even though you wake up late , thats still 1st thing to you.
I work rotating shifts , so when I work nights I train on the way home from work therefore its the last thing I do before sleeping ( I have a shower etc before bed ). I also just log my food from 12 to 12 , thats me other may do it different.0 -
i dont eat until after my work out. i talked to a trainer friend of min about this once. he said its cool, as long as you gp home and eat a protein rich meal. essentially, working out while fasting, forces your body to use its fat supplies for energy, since you havent given it any yet0
-
Awesome, one less thing to stress about! Thank you guys so much for the help!0
-
Agree with molly. This is called "fasted cardio". If you are doing strength/resistance training, then you should eat some carbs and protein first. I have found that fasted cardio is the only way I burn fat. If I run later in the day, no matter how many miles or how often, I just maintain.0
-
I usually eat after the workout unless I'm planning to do something pretty strenuous. If I'm going to run, I'll eat a little protein before and a meal after. The reason I try to eat after is I'm often hungry after a workout.0
-
In an interview Jillian Michaels did, she said you should eat prior to exercising. She didn't recommend a huge meal though, I think she suggested and apple with peanut butter so your body has something to work with. Personally, I eat half my breakfast before and half after, so I'll usually have half my banana, go run on the treadmill, then add the rest of my banana to a bowl of Cheerios.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 260.4K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.1K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.6K Fitness and Exercise
- 388 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 918 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions