Cardio and HIIT before breakfast

I don't know about your specific details, but I do know that so-called "fasted cardio" has no significant benefits for fat loss, except possibly for people who are very lean and need to become temporarily ultra lean.

Most of the stuff I have read ( lyle macdonald and the leangains website ) seem to say that fasted cardio can be beneficial for helping with stubborn body fat, BUT , only when you are very lean to begin with.

I typically get a good walk in before breakfast. It has helped me as I can stretch out the time from last food in the evening to later the following morning for breakfast. Before, I found myself eating early in the morning and then being hungry again by 11

What works for me isn't based on any fact what so ever and if it had been proven by anybody to be beneficial, then everybody would be knowing it and doing it

Most of the heresay we see thrown about as fact, is just opinion , so bear that in mind

Maybe those websites might have the information you require

Do the research on fasted cardio, from mine I saw some moderate benefits, but they were outweighed by the benefit of being properly fueled. The decision imo was a personal one, it suits some people abd nostly if they believe its good for them all the better, but I didnt find anything conclusive or suggest it had significant advantages.

slowbutsure2 wrote: »

aggelikik wrote: »

You did not lose muscle and get plump from too much spinning in the morning. Just no.

lol I didn't get plump, I was already plump. I lost weight but it was muscle. You have probably seen skinny fat people, that's what it does to me. But BCAA seems to have a positive effect on that for me.

If you are losing weight, you will lose muscle regardless, its just science. You probably lost more muscle than you would like because you aren't weight training. Adequate protein intake and resistance training will help to spare muscle. Taking BCAA's alone will do nothing to spare muslce loss in a deficit.

Studies on fasted cardio show really no benefit over non-fasted cardio. Caloric burn is determined by energy use and exertion. The question is when do you have the most energy? If your energy level isn't high in the morning, you are doing yourself a disservice. If you can push yourself more later in the day or after eating, you will burn more calories.

There are so many different studies, it's hard to know which is right, but I think it varies by person. I workout first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but mostly because I workout first thing, out of necessity, because if I don't do it first thing, it won't get done.

My workouts are either: 3-mile run, 60 minute spin class, 90 minute yoga class, or various 30 minute cardio or HIIT videos. Yes, I like to mix it up.

I have a high % of body fat but I've gone up and down as much as 45 pounds the last 5 years so I've probably done a lot of bad things to my body.

Right now I'm trying to just eat in an 8-hour window. So I workout around 7am, drink a shake @11, lunch at 12, snack at 3 and dinner at 6. Try to be done by 7. Then no food again until after my workout and the next day at 7. Only been doing this a week, but so far it's doing a few things for me:

- I feel in control of my hunger when I am on those stretched hours. I don't get dizzy or lightheaded and feel a grumbly stomach from time to time, but no discomfort
- For the 8 hours I am eating, I get nice and full. I am hungry for my noon lunch, even though I just had a smoothie an hour before but that's expected. But the rest of the day I feel I am getting a lot of food in my lunch, snack and dinner. And am comfortably full at dinner.

Previously I had been eating every few hours all throughout the day, small meals and never feeling satisfied. That was when I felt it was important to "fuel the fire" and "keep my metabolism revved up"

I am not doing any weight lifting programs right now because of an injury and not sure I would be able to do an effective workout on an empty stomach, but will see when I get healed.

I also eat very clean. For example:
B: Shakeo, 1/2 banana, kale
L: protein like chicken or turkey, grain free toast, raw veggie, apple
S: protein like greek yogurt, berries, and more raw veggies
protein like pork chop, sweet potato, salad with avocado and light dressing

I'll let you know if I see any noticeable scale, inches, or fat loss after 3 more weeks.

I work out pre-breakfast and HAVE to have something in me 20-30 minutes or so before doing HIIT. I make my own protein bars at home, snack on one with some water, wait, then workout. Its not a huge amount of food but its enough to fuel me and if i am not fueled my workouts suffer.