Morning Exercisers-- Breakfast?

ebtaylor137
ebtaylor137 Posts: 32 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I currently am unemployed so my current schedule is wake up at around 8, eat a breakfast of oatmeal with berries, peanut butter, and flax seed meal and of course coffee. I do some things until about eleven thirty or noon, then I go for a run and workout and stretch and shower, which all takes a combined hour to hour and a half from the time I'm getting ready for my run, to when I'm ready to continue with my day. So I'm soon to be employed with a nine to five job. I have to leave about fifteen minutes ahead of time. I can wake up around six or so to get my workout and all in, but where does breakfast go?! I don't want to exercise on an empty stomach, but I don't think I can wake up in time to eat my normal breakfast and then exercise. Do I eat something small first? I don't understand. What do other morning exercisers do?

Replies

  • jddnw
    jddnw Posts: 319 Member
    I work out on an empty stomach and allow time to eat breakfast afterwards.
  • spulia1
    spulia1 Posts: 51 Member
    If you don't eat before working out, your body will burn muscle, not fat. Have a banana or something quick when you get up, or prep something the night before.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I've been doing early morning workouts on an empty stomach with no problem for about three years now. When I start at 5am, there's no way I'm getting up any earlier to eat something and wait to let it settle. I've tried eating small things, half a banana or whatever, and whether I'm running or doing a strength day, I'm better on the empty stomach - just some water and off I go.

    Try it and see how you do. Make sure you hydrate well the day before, and get good rest for those early days. :smile: Good luck!
  • jenglish712
    jenglish712 Posts: 497 Member
    I work out about an hour, shower and then eat by 7. On off days where I sleep in, I may drink a protein shake before working out to not get woozy
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    spulia1 wrote: »
    If you don't eat before working out, your body will burn muscle, not fat. Have a banana or something quick when you get up, or prep something the night before.

    Wha? No. You get energy from the glycogen (sugar) stored in your muscles, but that's not muscle tissue itself. That said, it's not a terrible idea to eat something substantial the night before, although certainly you don't have to "carb load" in the traditional sense.

    I *must* eat within a few minutes of waking up or I get nauseated. The best thing for me, pre-workout, is the gummy, artificially-flavored goodness of an old school PowerBar. A lot of people prefer bagels or bananas, or nothing at all.
  • ejuliano85
    ejuliano85 Posts: 43 Member
    The last two days (haven't been working out long), I got up around 5:30, ate a banana, drank a glass or so of water then work out. After my 25-minute workout (Focus T25), I make a protein shake. A few hours later I have my first snack (yogurt w/ berries), then lunch, 2nd snack, dinner.

    Hope that helps.
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
    I use to run 3-4 miles followed by 30-45 minutes of sit up/pushup/stretch in the morning when I was in the Army, approximately 90 minute workout before breakfast (if any). Now on weekends before a two hours or less bike ride, a cliff bar/bagel or equivalent and coffee. I eat more substantial for longer rides, leftovers. Fasted cardio is not that bad unless you are doing something that lead to bonking, for me three to four hour ride w/o food (I eat a cliff bar per hour after 90 minutes or so to prevent that, ymmv). I would love to eat a proper meal and have adequate processing time before exercising but I like sleep even more.

    Just do what your body tells you - eat enough (or don't) so your performance don't tank. It takes some trial and error but pretty quick to figure it out.
  • ebtaylor137
    ebtaylor137 Posts: 32 Member
    It's good hearing from all the exercise before breakfast people! I used to not eat breakfast at all in middle and high school, it made me feel nauseous and I wouldn't eat until lunch. But then I started for some reason, and now I'm stuck with the idea that you must have breakfast as soon as you wake up and not move much before then or you'll die or something? I think I'd probably be fine on no breakfast until after my workout, so I'll experiment with that in the coming weeks. It'll just be motivating myself to get out in the cold and dark that'll be the difficulty now.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    I get sick if I work out on an empty stomach. I've been on an oatmeal kick this winter - doesn't bother me at all to have breakfast and then go to the gym. If it was me, OP, I would be up in time to fortify myself.
  • skywatcher1973
    skywatcher1973 Posts: 2 Member
    What about a protein shake or meal replacement shake? It's quick & easy to make & not alot on the stomach, but fuel
  • iandrew124
    iandrew124 Posts: 170 Member
    When I work out in the morning its typically to get my body woken up and I'd call it a stretch than a workout and I tend to not eat anything. I use an app called " 7 Minute " ( find it in the app store, should pop up right away ). I then eat breakfast and get ready for college. I usually wait til later in the day to get my 1:30 - 2 hour workout.
  • ebtaylor137
    ebtaylor137 Posts: 32 Member
    I know I can't eat a real meal anywhere near when I exercise, or my stomach starts to revolt. I'll try part of a smoothie or part of a banana or something easy as recommended if the exercising before breakfast doesn't work.
  • Essencerose3
    Essencerose3 Posts: 9 Member
    It's different for everyone. I personally cannot workout within 30 minutes of eating breakfast because it makes me feel ill. I workout on an empty stomach and then eat afterwards. It's all about routine. If that means going to bed a little earlier, then that is what you have to do. If it means pushing your workout sessions to later in the day, do that. I actually sit down and schedule in my workouts (because I'm pedantic like that) so I'm held accountable for that time slot. If I did what I WANTED, I'd sleep in every morning. LOL
  • TBargar101
    TBargar101 Posts: 30 Member
    edited February 2015
    I exercise every morning before eating breakfast. I just takes some time budgeting.

    My limiting factor is the time at which I need to take my son to school (~730am). So, working backwards from that time, it takes about 20 minutes to shower, 10-15 minutes for breakfast, 5 minutes travel time from the health club home, the workouts are typically between 40 and 60 minutes, and then 25 minutes between the time the alarm goes off and when I arrive at the health club. So, I'm getting up around 530 am. Sometimes earlier if I know my workout will run longer. It is harder to get up on some mornings than others.... :) Also, Essencerose3 said something that is important - sleep. The recommendation I've often seen for sleep is 8 hours. So, I'm going to bed around 9-930pm to get the 8 hours I need.

    My breakfasts are usually something quick to prepare (smoothie, protein supplement), or are already prepared (muffins) to save time.


  • FitWarrior7
    FitWarrior7 Posts: 332 Member
    Workout on an empty stomach or eat something simple like a banana. Pack your breakfast and bring it to work. Win.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    spulia1 wrote: »
    If you don't eat before working out, your body will burn muscle, not fat. Have a banana or something quick when you get up, or prep something the night before.

    No.

    Find what works for you. I workout usually on an empty stomach (I workout later Saturday and Sunday, so I'll usually have a protein shake before). Then I'll have my breakfast a few hours later. I have no problems with it. If you get shaky or feel sick, try eating something small before. If you eat before and feel sick, try not eating breakfast. Just see what your body wants.
  • joh3092
    joh3092 Posts: 16 Member
    I usually have a light breakfast, an orange; apple; strawberries, etc. and a couple cups of coffee about 20 minutes before my workout.

    I avoid anything heavy, but prefer eating something light.
  • ryanhorn
    ryanhorn Posts: 355 Member
    Was talking to a friend in a PhD program for nutrition about this a few weeks ago actually. I don't have the specific citations, but he says that the current research shows that exercising without eating beforehand does in fact burn more fat but also more muscle than exercising after a meal; HOWEVER, the amount of fat or muscle burned is not significant.

    His recommendation: Do whatever makes you feel best and allows you to put 100% into your workout whether that be empty stomach, light snack, or full meal. It differs for everyone.
  • msoley2007
    msoley2007 Posts: 13 Member
    spulia1 wrote: »
    If you don't eat before working out, your body will burn muscle, not fat. Have a banana or something quick when you get up, or prep something the night before.

    That is so helpful to no iv bin doing it bothways and never really new witch was the right way
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    6:00 is early? Ha! I get up at 4:30 to work out every day. I have a Quest bar before, protein shake after, and breakfast an hour or two later while I'm at work (usually a banana with a serving of peanut butter on top to hold me over until lunch).
  • hdrenollet
    hdrenollet Posts: 147 Member
    I'm not a morning person at all anymore, but back when I used to workout every morning I would never eat breakfast first. It would make me nauseous if I did . My morning routine was very simple:
    • wake up
    • workout
    • shower
    • protein shake
    • go to work
  • njfitnessmom
    njfitnessmom Posts: 345 Member
    I make protein energy balls which I keep in the freezer. They're about 115 calories each. I'll have one of those or a banana when I first get up in the morning before my workout, about 15-20 min before.
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