Eating before or after the gym in the mornings ?

OneTwentyThree
OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
edited July 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
If you go to the gym in the morning, do you eat breakfast before or after ? Why? How many hours after do you eat again? And what are you eating, how many calories? Not looking for advice, just wondering what works for other people. Thanks :)

Edit: For those exercising on empty stomach do you ever get light headed during or after?

Replies

  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    edited July 2016
    I run in the morning, and I usually get up, have some water and a coffee and a protein bar (~200 calories), then head outside or to the treadmill for 6-8 miles. I'm good until lunch after that.

    But I'm pretty little and don't need a ton of fuel. Also, fasted works fine for me as well. It's just easier to do the breakfast thing at home and not have to eat at my desk, so I eat first.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Whatever floats your boat...

    When I ride in the mornings I ride fasted and eat breakfast afterwards...I eat around 3000 calories per day on average. I don't like a bunch of food jostling around in my stomach when I'm trying tear it up on the bike.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I run in the morning. If it's going to be a long run (over an hour), I will usually have some V8. Otherwise, I will just have water. After my run, I will have my breakfast (usually 150-400 calories). I mostly have leftovers for breakfast, so what I eat varies a great deal. About an hour after breakfast, I will have coffee with almond milk and protein powder.
  • brewcrew101
    brewcrew101 Posts: 15 Member
    I often times run around 9 in the morning. I run on an empty stomach just because eating beforehand makes me feel really heavy and weighed down and can give me bad cramps. I usually eat something light about 30-45 minutes after I get back. Sometimes I'll have a smoothie (120 cals), a hard boiled egg (60 cals), or canned pumpkin (150 cals). I'll then eat more when I get hungrier a little later.
  • ObsidianMist
    ObsidianMist Posts: 519 Member
    OneTwentyThree wrote: »
    If you go to the gym in the morning, do you eat breakfast before or after ? Why? How many hours after do you eat again? And what are you eating, how many calories? Not looking for advice, just wondering what works for other people. Thanks :)

    I make a protein smoothie for breakfast in the morning, drink about half of it, go to the gym, drink what's left of my milk 2 go sport straight after (I use a 1/2 cup of it in the smoothie), and then when I get back home I have the rest of the smoothie and then a protein bar a bit later, between breakfast and lunch. why? because I wouldn't want to try to lift heavy without any fuel in my system, but I don't want to try to do it with a big heavy meal of solid food in my stomach either. for me the smoothie is a great balance and gives me the strength I need to get through my workout and I don't feel weak or lightheaded at the end of it. the remainder of the smoothie comes about 45 minutes after my workout, as that's how long it takes me to shower and walk home. the protein bar I eat about an hour after that.

    how many calories? the smoothie is somewhere between 400 and 550 calories, depending on whether I throw a banana in it and how big it is, or if I just stick to frozen fruit. the protein bars I eat are about 200 calories, the milk 2 go including the half cup that goes in the smoothie is 200 calories.
  • Zipp237
    Zipp237 Posts: 255 Member
    I exercise first thing in the morning, about sixty minutes, and eat breakfast after.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Before and after. I can't exercise on an empty stomach so I always eat before even if it's just something small. Usually I'll have a piece of fruit or nuts before. After I'll have a larger breakfast, which is usually coffee and a bunch of fruit, smoothie, or overnight oats.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    pomegranatecloud wrote: »
    Before and after. I can't exercise on an empty stomach so I always eat before even if it's just something small. Usually I'll have a piece of fruit or nuts before. After I'll have a larger breakfast, which is usually coffee and a bunch of fruit, smoothie, or overnight oats.

    Why can't you exercise on empty stomach? Do you get light headed or feel hungry ?
  • Acidique
    Acidique Posts: 119 Member
    I drink two cups of coffee and eat my gummy vitamins before the gym. But, I get up and go to the gym at 5:30am, so I don't really want to eat that early. I take my food with me and eat at work, around 7:30am. Seems to work best.
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
    A little before and a little after. Nuts and a piece of fruit beforehand and PB or Nutella Toast and Coffee afterwards.
  • Dannigreen31
    Dannigreen31 Posts: 557 Member
    I'll have a light snack before workout. Nothing heavy. Maybe just a smoothie
  • sweetpea813
    sweetpea813 Posts: 112 Member
    I have a banana and a boiled egg in the mornings before I go to my gym class. I get light headed if I exercise that early on an empty stomach.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    sweetpea813 wrote: »
    I have a banana and a boiled egg in the mornings before I go to my gym class. I get light headed if I exercise that early on an empty stomach.

    Do you eat again after the gym? If not how many hours after do you eat again?
  • sweetpea813
    sweetpea813 Posts: 112 Member

    Do you eat again after the gym? If not how many hours after do you eat again?
    [/quote]

    My class usually ends at 9:30. If I feel hungry, I will have a piece of string cheese or a yogurt but I can usually last until lunch.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I run on an empty stomach at 5:45 am and eat after. But always try to eat something (and after) lifting.
  • beaglebrandon
    beaglebrandon Posts: 97 Member
    I can't do morning workouts. I'm either too hungry to workout, or need to wait at least an hour after eating. So, I work out in the afternoons 11-12:30. I eat a snack at 10:30, then lunch after working out.

    I asked my boss if I could have a 2 hour lunch instead of a 1 hour lunch. Works perfectly for me.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I run in the morning. If it's going to be a long run (over an hour), I will usually have some V8. Otherwise, I will just have water. After my run, I will have my breakfast (usually 150-400 calories). I mostly have leftovers for breakfast, so what I eat varies a great deal. About an hour after breakfast, I will have coffee with almond milk and protein powder.

    Just wondering which protein do you have with your coffee? Does it give it a weird taste?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    OneTwentyThree wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I run in the morning. If it's going to be a long run (over an hour), I will usually have some V8. Otherwise, I will just have water. After my run, I will have my breakfast (usually 150-400 calories). I mostly have leftovers for breakfast, so what I eat varies a great deal. About an hour after breakfast, I will have coffee with almond milk and protein powder.

    Just wondering which protein do you have with your coffee? Does it give it a weird taste?

    I use Vega -- either the Clean Protein or the Protein Smoothie. I don't think the taste is weird, but it is vanilla flavored. They also make flavor-free powders -- you can get almost any type of protein in a plain variety.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    OneTwentyThree wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    I run in the morning. If it's going to be a long run (over an hour), I will usually have some V8. Otherwise, I will just have water. After my run, I will have my breakfast (usually 150-400 calories). I mostly have leftovers for breakfast, so what I eat varies a great deal. About an hour after breakfast, I will have coffee with almond milk and protein powder.

    Just wondering which protein do you have with your coffee? Does it give it a weird taste?

    I use Vega -- either the Clean Protein or the Protein Smoothie. I don't think the taste is weird, but it is vanilla flavored. They also make flavor-free powders -- you can get almost any type of protein in a plain variety.

    It doesn't clump up? I remember readings somewhere people have issues with protein being gritty or clumpy in their coffees.
  • MissDeeDee78
    MissDeeDee78 Posts: 415 Member
    I swim or do an aquatic workout so I tend to eat afterwards.
  • LiftandSkate
    LiftandSkate Posts: 148 Member
    After, by at least 2 hours, usually. I prefer to work out on an empty stomach. Having anything in my stomach when exercising makes me want to hurl, and I find my performance is better when I'm in a fasted state.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    OneTwentyThree wrote: »
    pomegranatecloud wrote: »
    Before and after. I can't exercise on an empty stomach so I always eat before even if it's just something small. Usually I'll have a piece of fruit or nuts before. After I'll have a larger breakfast, which is usually coffee and a bunch of fruit, smoothie, or overnight oats.

    Why can't you exercise on empty stomach? Do you get light headed or feel hungry ?

    It makes me nauseous.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    On Saturday mornings I get up and go to the gym at the crack of dawn, then run errands afterwards. If I waited to eat, I wouldn't have as much energy, so I usually have something like a container of Greek yogurt or a protein bar. I'm going to try out a protein shake this week to see how well that holds me.
  • OneTwentyThree
    OneTwentyThree Posts: 186 Member
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    On Saturday mornings I get up and go to the gym at the crack of dawn, then run errands afterwards. If I waited to eat, I wouldn't have as much energy, so I usually have something like a container of Greek yogurt or a protein bar. I'm going to try out a protein shake this week to see how well that holds me.

    Do you eat yogurt, etc before the work out or after?
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I literally eat while I work out sometimes. Just do your thing.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited July 2016
    OneTwentyThree wrote: »
    dragon_girl26 wrote: »
    On Saturday mornings I get up and go to the gym at the crack of dawn, then run errands afterwards. If I waited to eat, I wouldn't have as much energy, so I usually have something like a container of Greek yogurt or a protein bar. I'm going to try out a protein shake this week to see how well that holds me.

    Do you eat yogurt, etc before the work out or after?

    Before. I'm usually up about an hour before my Bodypump class starts, though, so it has a little time to settle. I've eaten protein bars about 30 min before, though.

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