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Excercise Before Breakfast

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  • johnnylloyd0618
    johnnylloyd0618 Posts: 303 Member
    @mrswizz395 I would try a bagel and peanut butter. Sounds like low blood sugar (get a test after 24 hour fast)
  • arjohnson128
    arjohnson128 Posts: 8 Member
    I think it depends 100% on your goals. For me, I need change in my daily habits to overall improve my health and get rid of excess weight. Working out first thing in the morning held me accountable to completing a workout and also motivated me through out the day. However, I wouldn't imagine that those who are trying to bulk up or improve performance would benefit from this. They need fuel for energy, not motivation.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    ccrdragon wrote: »
    I always work out fasted because I get up at o-dark-thirty to do my workouts (and I am NOT getting up any earlier to eat something prior to the workout). I have chosen to do my workouts in the morning because that is where they fit in the schedule (family, work, etc.) - if I wait until after work, then I will not make it to the gym.

    This is me. I get out of bed, have a glass of water, go for a run/the gym. I run with a club one evening a week and have a snack about the hours before that. But it's a personal preference and depends on your schedule. I think it also depends on what your 'workout' consists of.
  • BeastField
    BeastField Posts: 463 Member
    I don't have time during the day or evening (6 kids = a lot of getting people to places), so I get up at 4am. Drink a large glass of water with lemon slices, then goto the gym. I only get about 30 minutes in because then I have to start getting ready for work. Come home, eat, ready for work, kids up.... I enjoy working out early and empty - don't feel sick after, especially if I push real hard.
  • Katie_Y89
    Katie_Y89 Posts: 330 Member
    meganridenour wrote: »
    zyxst wrote: »
    I do my workout before eating simply because I don't like working out immediately after eating. It's personal preference and doesn't affect how fast weight loss happens.

    This.
    If I work out right after a meal, I will want to throw up.

    Agreed.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    When I know that my weekly work hours are to be 40, I do regularly get a 30-minute cardio workout before breakfast. I theorize that by eating my breakfast soon afterward I trick my body into thinking that I've replenished the calorie burn. In truth, I'll have the same breakfast whether I exercise or not. Has that made my weight loss journey easier? For different reasons, my focus on getting a breakfast of 600 calories has noticeably reduced the opportunities for cravings to get the better of me. A big breakfast, a small lunch, and a big dinner works for me.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Running in the morning (or a long brisk walk) on an empty stomach usually blunts my appetite for the day. If I don't start the day this way, I've noticed that I'm usually more hungry throughout the day. I also cannot run with food in my stomach without it wanting to come back up.

    I can't lift weights on an empty stomach, though. I save weightlifting for the afternoon.

    I don't think the timing of working out and eating comes down to anything more than preference.
  • topeb
    topeb Posts: 12 Member
    yes if you eat before exercise your body will burn the food for energy. if you exercise on an empty stomach your body will burn fat for energy.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Doesn't make any difference to what you burn over the course of the day or week. If you eat fewer calories then you burn, your body will have to burn fat at some point.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Running in the morning (or a long brisk walk) on an empty stomach usually blunts my appetite for the day. If I don't start the day this way, I've noticed that I'm usually more hungry throughout the day. I also cannot run with food in my stomach without it wanting to come back up.

    I can't lift weights on an empty stomach, though. I save weightlifting for the afternoon.

    I don't think the timing of working out and eating comes down to anything more than preference.

    +1

    I find it easiest to run before breakfast (also that time is usually the easiest to have available, nobody asking for anything at 5am) but find yoga and lifting MUCH easier, safer, and more productive toward the end of the day.
  • Shana67
    Shana67 Posts: 680 Member
    I don't get a good workout if I have food in my stomach. I feel sluggish and heavy. Plus I workout at 6am, get up at 5am and eating that early in the morning makes me feel nauseous.

    Also, my first meal of the day is at 1p.

    And lastly, I cannot imagine waiting to workout until after work. The only thing that I want to do at that time of day is collapse on the couch :)
  • Mandygring
    Mandygring Posts: 704 Member
    I also run before I eat. I hate feeling heavy when I run. I also if I drink too much water, that feels strange too.
  • jennypapage
    jennypapage Posts: 489 Member
    i never eat before my runs. i get this really sharp pain if i walk/run after eating/drinking. so i do it always on a empty stomach.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I am up at 2:30am, eating at 3:00, and lifting by 4:00. Best of both worlds for me.
  • chapiano
    chapiano Posts: 331 Member
    It goes against all the advice but I am an early morning runner on a empty stomach. Just works for me.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    topeb wrote: »
    yes if you eat before exercise your body will burn the food for energy. if you exercise on an empty stomach your body will burn fat for energy.

    No it won't. Whether the body burns stored glycogen or stored intramuscular triglycerides (actually a combination of both) has almost no effect on stored body fat. Body fat is gained and lost based on long-term energy balance, not on the fuel burned during exercise.

    Even if fasted cardio does burn a higher percentage of fat as fuel (based also on intensity), that does not affect stored body fat independent of calories expended.
  • MarriedToTheBob
    MarriedToTheBob Posts: 25 Member
    I like to eat a piece of fruit and drink water before working out in the morning.
  • jolive7
    jolive7 Posts: 283 Member
    I think you would find there may be a higher success rate in weight loss from those who trained in the morning because people can generally find so many more excuses throughout the day to miss it at night
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