To eat or not to eat that is the question.

victoryismine · June 2009

I have been told that you should eat with in the first 30 minutes of waking every morning. This kick starts your metabolism, but I was told by a good friend that her dr. told her not to eat before you exercise. Well I exercise with in the first 30 mins that I get up in the morning. Does anyone know for sure which to do, to eat or not to eat. I'm not knocking any dr. But I have seen enough to know that they all tell you something different.
Thanks

junkgypsy · June 2009

I myself always make sure to eat SOMETHING as soon as I can stomach it after waking up. I usually chug at least 8 oz. of water and have a banana or piece of wheat toast or something to jumpstart my metabolism...

If you are going to work out after I wouldn't recommend you eating a full, heavy breakfast before working out, but do try and have something.
:flowerforyou:

Johnnyswife · June 2009

I've heard its better to excercise first, because while your sleeping through the night, your body is buring calories. When you wake up and excercise, your body is still in fast mode, and you'll burn off calories you haven't eaten yet.
I've always gone to the gym before eating, just because I get cramps if I eat or drink anything and than work out.

angelajiniel · June 2009

When I used to work out in the morning at the gym, I would have to eat something before or I would feel sick. Usually something small, like an applesauce snack pack or 1/2 a banana or something like that. And then eat more when I was done.

Now the only thing I do in the mornings is a pilates workout. I don't need to eat before that and actually prefer not to with all the bending, etc. But anything really aerobic, I needed something.

laddyboy · June 2009

Here's the deal. If you walk or workout on an empty stomach your body will need to pull energy from somewhere.....Fat Stores. If you eat something, your body will use that food as fuel. So when you workout on an empty stomach you will benefit and then eat within the hr afterward and the increased metabolism you just ramped up will burn the food off faster. Double bonus. This is what I've been doing for the last 4 months and I've lost a total of 55 lbs. It works. Also, go to bed on an empty stomach (last meal at least 3 hrs b4 bed) and if you can get a quick 30 minute walk, run, jump rope, climb stairs), you go to bed with an increased metabolism.

Sebidian · June 2009

I suggest you google your question and research this issue. I have found that most Dr.'s, nutritionists, and fitness experts by a very large margin agree that you must eat before exercise. What to eat, and the amount to eat, depends on what type of physical activity you are going to do, and the amount of time before exercising.

xsargex · June 2009

I agree. All the branches of the military conduct their morning PT (Physical training - exercise) before Breakfast chow time. 0500 wake-up.

If you were to eat before morning workout. Not only would you be full and sluggish. You'd have to wait an hour to digest. People gotta get to work.

JoyousMaximus · June 2009

Here are a couple articles about eating before you exercise:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0KGB/is_1_5/ai_n6097710/
http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100146039#

It essentially says you should eat something REALLY small that is primarily carbohydrate based before you exercise in the morning. It even gives a couple suggestions like a small banana or even a glass of orange juice.

I wasn't able to find an article written by reputable source that said not to ingest any calories before working out in the morning. Most seemed to say have something small so you increase your blood sugar but not enough that you slow yourself down.

chgudnitz · June 2009

Here's the deal. If you walk or workout on an empty stomach your body will need to pull energy from somewhere.....Fat Stores. If you eat something, your body will use that food as fuel. So when you workout on an empty stomach you will benefit and then eat within the hr afterward and the increased metabolism you just ramped up will burn the food off faster. Double bonus. This is what I've been doing for the last 4 months and I've lost a total of 55 lbs. It works. Also, go to bed on an empty stomach (last meal at least 3 hrs b4 bed) and if you can get a quick 30 minute walk, run, jump rope, climb stairs), you go to bed with an increased metabolism.

I just want to pose the counter point to this one. When you are empty and your body needs fuel, the first thing it goes to (barring any food in you) is your muscles, not fat. It is easier for the muscles to be broken down and turned into energy than it is for fat. If you google the question, there is plenty of evidence to support.

Do yourself a favor and eat something first, and if you choose not to make certain to heavy load on the protein when you are finished. Either way its better than not working out at all, lol.

00Angela00 · June 2009

I've heard its better to excercise first, because while your sleeping through the night, your body is buring calories. When you wake up and excercise, your body is still in fast mode, and you'll burn off calories you haven't eaten yet.
I've always gone to the gym before eating, just because I get cramps if I eat or drink anything and than work out.

My opinions the opposite haha, My understanding is that you want to at least have some snack in the morning before exercising because you want to have energy in order for your body to burn. I thought your system shuts down at night, which is why you shouldn't eat close to bed because your body won't work out those extra calories. I usually feel like I have more energy if I have a snack before exercising.

JoyousMaximus · June 2009

I agree. All the branches of the military conduct their morning PT (Physical training - exercise) before Breakfast chow time. 0500 wake-up.

If you were to eat before morning workout. Not only would you be full and sluggish. You'd have to wait an hour to digest. People gotta get to work.

I hate to break it to you but I wouldn't use the military as a bench mark. I live in a military town, my dad was in the military, I work for the military, and I have never see them do something because it was a well researched expert backed idea.

P.S. Please don't think I'm bashing people in the service. I have a lot of friends in the service. The leadership can be a little off the wall sometimes.

xsargex · June 2009

First of all, the last thing I would do to find good nutritional/exercise information is randomly google and believe every piece of information that popped up.

According to your logic, no offense, that if we workout in the morning on an empty stomach then we will be breaking down muscle instead of burning stored fat? That would mean that we burn calories during sleep that would mean that we are breaking down muscle as well? So we should eat a protein bar before bed? That just doesn't make any sense.

The fact remains that we do have stored energy in the morning before a meal.

xsargex · June 2009

I agree. All the branches of the military conduct their morning PT (Physical training - exercise) before Breakfast chow time. 0500 wake-up.

If you were to eat before morning workout. Not only would you be full and sluggish. You'd have to wait an hour to digest. People gotta get to work.

I hate to break it to you but I wouldn't use the military as a bench mark. I live in a military town, my dad was in the military, I work for the military, and I have never see them do something because it was a well researched expert backed idea.

P.S. Please don't think I'm bashing people in the service. I have a lot of friends in the service. The leadership can be a little off the wall sometimes.

haha, if you've never experienced basic training or any other extended military training program for that matter...you have no idea what I'm talkin about. Yeah their are some unhealthy people and overweight soldiers in the system....only because they've found ways to get by. My point is, I've seen some major weight loss amongst my buddies. They didn't get it from P90x.

JoyousMaximus · June 2009

First of all, the last thing I would do to find good nutritional/exercise information is randomly google and believe every piece of information that popped up.

According to your logic, no offense, that if we workout in the morning on an empty stomach then we will be breaking down muscle instead of burning stored fat? That would mean that we burn calories during sleep that would mean that we are breaking down muscle as well? So we should eat a protein bar before bed? That just doesn't make any sense.

The fact remains that we do have stored energy in the morning before a meal.

know I don't choose random googled posts. I look for ones that include credentials and reputable sites. Though I realize they can lie on them, I try to find multiple reputable sites saying variation of the same point.

Most of the what I found didn't say you would break down muscle, rather that you would deplete your glycogen stores more quickly and become fatigued more quickly, as so advocated having something small that would quickly increase your blood sugar to prevent this from happening. I also found an article that said this doesn't happen to everyone because everyone has different glycogen levels in the morning but I didn't post it because I couldn't find the credentials of the author

JoyousMaximus · June 2009

I agree. All the branches of the military conduct their morning PT (Physical training - exercise) before Breakfast chow time. 0500 wake-up.

If you were to eat before morning workout. Not only would you be full and sluggish. You'd have to wait an hour to digest. People gotta get to work.

I hate to break it to you but I wouldn't use the military as a bench mark. I live in a military town, my dad was in the military, I work for the military, and I have never see them do something because it was a well researched expert backed idea.

P.S. Please don't think I'm bashing people in the service. I have a lot of friends in the service. The leadership can be a little off the wall sometimes.

haha, if you've never experienced basic training or any other extended military training program for that matter...you have no idea what I'm talkin about. Yeah their are some unhealthy people and overweight soldiers in the system....only because they've found ways to get by. My point is, I've seen some major weight loss amongst my buddies. They didn't get it from P90x.

I wasn't meaning to imply that they would be overweight or unhealthy because there is no breakfast for PT or even that not eating before is bad. I was saying that just because the military does it, doesn't mean it is the best practice. (Entering a statement of pure supposition) They probably have PT before breakfast because they are afraid of people eating a large breakfast and being lethargic, which I believe you said earlier and is not what I am advocating. I am advocating something small and carbohydrate based.

TerriDactyl · June 2009

I find it a pretty personal choice. If I eat a meal, it takes a couple of hours for my food to be digested enough to not bother me during my workout, be it cardio, weight training or yoga.

I have a friend who eats a bowl of cereal, juice and coffee within an hour of her workout with no problems.

<a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/16/9555/169555.png" /></a><p style="text-align:center;width:420px;"><small>Created by MyFitnessPal - <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Calorie Counter</a></small></p>

OK, how do I get my ticker to show up?

00Angela00 · June 2009

So I just spoke to a fitness specialist that has a college degree for this type of stuff and she basically said that if you consider you body as a machine, waking up in the morning and eating something is like starting the engine to your matabolism (so it doesn't necessary make your system excelerate like adding gas, but it starts it up so it can begin working) The problem with working out without any food is that your body is going to be tired and won't have energy to work well (personall, I don't think I could run 5 miles after waking up and nothing in my system and not pass out :sick: ).

She recommended you eat something very small and light like a hardboiled egg, apple, banana something to get your body going and give it energy. When you are working out the amount of calories you burn will be more than that small snack, so you will still be burning the extra stuff. After the workout you can have the rest of your breakfast. :drinker:

As with all things everyone system works different and you just have to figure out what works best for youl :happy:

chgudnitz · June 2009

First of all, the last thing I would do to find good nutritional/exercise information is randomly google and believe every piece of information that popped up.

According to your logic, no offense, that if we workout in the morning on an empty stomach then we will be breaking down muscle instead of burning stored fat? That would mean that we burn calories during sleep that would mean that we are breaking down muscle as well? So we should eat a protein bar before bed? That just doesn't make any sense.

The fact remains that we do have stored energy in the morning before a meal.

know I don't choose random googled posts. I look for ones that include credentials and reputable sites. Though I realize they can lie on them, I try to find multiple reputable sites saying variation of the same point.

Most of the what I found didn't say you would break down muscle, rather that you would deplete your glycogen stores more quickly and become fatigued more quickly, as so advocated having something small that would quickly increase your blood sugar to prevent this from happening. I also found an article that said this doesn't happen to everyone because everyone has different glycogen levels in the morning but I didn't post it because I couldn't find the credentials of the author

That is exactly right. During high level of activity, your body goes for glycogen, and this is stored in both muscle tissue and the liver.

http://oregonstate.edu/instruction/bb450/fall2008/lecture/glycogennotes.html

This is certainly where you get your energy from to exercise. Fat is burned while resting. Your body does not need the fuel immediately, so it pulls the energy from the fat supply, leaving the muscle tissue for the emergency situations (like exercise) where it needs to get to it quickly.

I'm not trying to argue about it, but the more info that's out there the better. I would love to read anything supporting the other way, because if there is a way for me not to break down the muscle I work hard to build, I'm in... :drinker:

chgudnitz · June 2009

You'll hear many arguments for and against exercise on an empty stomach.

In theory, because your blood sugar levels are low, exercise in a fasted state (usually first thing in the morning) will help you burn fat faster.

Critics say that exercise for more than 30 minutes on an empty stomach is unhealthy, and won't help you burn fat faster than normal. Without the necessary energy to fuel your workout, muscle protein gets burned for energy.

They also advise against weight training on an empty stomach. Because a lot of energy is required for this kind of exercise, you won't be able to work your muscles hard enough to stimulate muscle growth.

Just a little more...

sassycat · June 2009

Here's the deal. If you walk or workout on an empty stomach your body will need to pull energy from somewhere.....Fat Stores. If you eat something, your body will use that food as fuel. So when you workout on an empty stomach you will benefit and then eat within the hr afterward and the increased metabolism you just ramped up will burn the food off faster. Double bonus. This is what I've been doing for the last 4 months and I've lost a total of 55 lbs. It works. Also, go to bed on an empty stomach (last meal at least 3 hrs b4 bed) and if you can get a quick 30 minute walk, run, jump rope, climb stairs), you go to bed with an increased metabolism.

This is good advice. I always wonder about this topic. It sounds like it is working for you!! :happy:

sassycat · June 2009

Here's the deal. If you walk or workout on an empty stomach your body will need to pull energy from somewhere.....Fat Stores. If you eat something, your body will use that food as fuel. So when you workout on an empty stomach you will benefit and then eat within the hr afterward and the increased metabolism you just ramped up will burn the food off faster. Double bonus. This is what I've been doing for the last 4 months and I've lost a total of 55 lbs. It works. Also, go to bed on an empty stomach (last meal at least 3 hrs b4 bed) and if you can get a quick 30 minute walk, run, jump rope, climb stairs), you go to bed with an increased metabolism.

This is good advice. I always wonder about this topic. It sounds like it is working for you!! :happy:

Wow! I am confused now. So it sounds like, your damn if you do and damn if you don't. (Pardon my french):blushing: I usually try to do a brisk 30 minute walk before work--so this is before eating anything or drinking a cup of joe. So I need some expert advise--should I eat something lite, so I won't burn up muscle or do I not eat anything so I can burn up fat???

To eat or not to eat that is the question.

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