Thoughts on NOT eating before a morning workout

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Replies

  • waterwing
    waterwing Posts: 214 Member
    I get up crazy early and so don't want to get up any earlier to eat. I find it really easy to work out on an empty stomach. Lately however I have been drinking a glass of hot/warm water with a squeeze of lemon. Apparently it's good to start hydrating right from the beginning.. and I've noticed it's actually rather nice.
  • enyo123
    enyo123 Posts: 172 Member
    I usually workout really early in the morning (like 4-5am) and if I eat that early I'm just setting myself up for crawling back in bed.

    That's pretty much my thing. Baby wakes up for food somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30. I feed baby, get kid back to sleep, and then do my workout. If I ate that early, I'd want to go back to bed. But when I was doing a 9 am stroller fitness boot camp a couple of years ago, I always ate a small breakfast. It just depends on the time of day for me.

    Either way, though, I'm ravenous when I finish. I figure I might as well save the calories and eat afterwards.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    I've started working out before I eat, but I drink water before my workout. Dr. Oz says to eat after your workout, because your metabolism will be functioning more efficiently (something to that effect, anyway). I'm a breakfast person, but it's worked out well for me. Drinking water is essential before my morning runs. I get weak and light-headed if I'm not hydrated, and that's a problem if I'm on the road and still several miles from home. As the weather gets hotter, I'll have to learn to carry water.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    It is best to eat something before you workout. I eat a tangerine or banana before I workout and I do pretty intense cardio to include the elliptical, cross fit and running. You don't want to have your body in starvation mode because it has not had anything to eat while in its resting stage. A small snack will not hurt you and may improve your input.

    Your body doesn't go into starvation mode "just like that". Your metabolism won't show ANY sign of decreasing up to several days after you stop eating. You'll be okay.

    It take 3 days of fasting before your metabolism slow down. We are NOT that fragile.
  • almc170
    almc170 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I usually don't eat before working out. Just can't deal with food at 5am.
  • SizeHealthy2
    SizeHealthy2 Posts: 13
    Your body will go into starvation mode if when you workout you don't eat or your only eating one meal a day. Most people think if they don't eat they will lose when in actually they are making the body go into the reservoir for food. That is starvation mode.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Your body will go into starvation mode if when you workout you don't eat or your only eating one meal a day. Most people think if they don't eat they will lose when in actually they are making the body go into the reservoir for food. That is starvation mode.

    Umm...I'm not quite sure what it is you were actually trying to say, but I don't think I agree.

    The precursor to starvation mode is your metabolism slowing down. This is impossible to MAKE happen in a 24hr period. In most studies, this doesn't begin to happen for about 72hrs with no food. If you're eating anything at all...it extends that window...but will eventually come back to bite you if you keep it up.
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    Your body will go into starvation mode if when you workout you don't eat or your only eating one meal a day. Most people think if they don't eat they will lose when in actually they are making the body go into the reservoir for food. That is starvation mode.
    LOL!
  • mikes99mail
    mikes99mail Posts: 318 Member
    I wish I could work out before eating, I've tried for years of rowing (crew) swimming and cycling - I just cant get beyond about 30 minutes of hard work before my body is crying out for fuel!

    now I have a handful of almonds or a banana, a strong coffee and a pint of water, and try and go easy for the first 5 minutes or so...
  • Kidsrn23
    Kidsrn23 Posts: 45 Member
    You actually burn stored fat if you work out without eating breakfast first (ie.in a fasted state). Starvation mode takes days and very low body fat percentage too achieve. Eat or don't eat it all depends how you feel physically.
  • Dreamweaver_5107
    Dreamweaver_5107 Posts: 36 Member
    Fasted training is used by many in my sport, I love my fasted training sessions. I am stronger and more focused. It's on of the really neat tricks you can use to attain a lean hard body trust me... or not ...:)
  • Dreamweaver_5107
    Dreamweaver_5107 Posts: 36 Member
    You actually burn stored fat if you work out without eating breakfast first (ie.in a fasted state). Starvation mode takes days and very low body fat percentage too achieve. Eat or don't eat it all depends how you feel physically.

    Exactly :)
  • Dreamweaver_5107
    Dreamweaver_5107 Posts: 36 Member
    Your body will go into starvation mode if when you workout you don't eat or your only eating one meal a day. Most people think if they don't eat they will lose when in actually they are making the body go into the reservoir for food. That is starvation mode.

    That is incorrect, it's a true a lot of people think that but it' takes days to reach that point. Our bodies adapted to long fasting times when food was more scarce and we were more hunters and gatherers and would eat more frequently. We need to be able to maintain our mass during times of fasting. Then we would gorge when we made a kill. Many of us really have not evovled metabolicly from that state. That's why you see so many intermitted faste protocols cropping up. Cuz they work and they work very well.
  • lissaann22479
    lissaann22479 Posts: 163
    When workig out in the AM...I prefer to work out on an emptty stomach...especially if I am trying to cut or lose weight...In the morning when you wake up your glycogen levels are high...and you will burn stored fat!

    btw...Most trainers will tell you not to eat anything anywhere from 1 to 3 hours before intense training


    This is great advice!
  • chrissy3064
    chrissy3064 Posts: 6 Member
    is your concerns with eating because you want to magnify weight loss or because of performance?

    listen to your body. everybody is different and i think you just have to go with what works for you. if you are eating well and exercising in general then you are already on the right track.

    personally, i have one big run (60 - 90mins) each week at a beach which is 20 mins away. i always eat 2 eggs or fruit if I am not very organised as i find that within half an hour of running i am starving and i find that i can run faster and longer with some fuel. also as its a 20min drive to the beach there is enough time for the eggs to settle. i have fruit immediately afterwards.

    if i am just walking first thing in the morning it doesn't matter if i eat or not. my performance is not affected but out of habit i usually have a piece of fruit.

    afternoon trainings depends on how long it was since I last ate. if its before dinner and haven't eaten since say 3pm i'll have fruit. i've also been known to eat grapes during my aerobic workout if i am peckish with no ill effects. when i was 15-20 yrs old i use to do netball trainng and run 8km after dinner, used to give me so much fuel & never felt sick.

    in terms of weight loss, I have lost 18 pounds (9kg) in 11 weeks. only 2-3 of my workouts would ever be in the morning and most are in the evening because of time & my son. so it hasn't had any adverse effect on weight loss for me.
  • SizeHealthy2
    SizeHealthy2 Posts: 13

    listen to your body. everybody is different and i think you just have to go with what works for you. if you are eating well and exercising in general then you are already on the right track.

    Thank you so much for this. The focus is the person, so if it works for you great and if it doesn't find something that you can stick with that gives you the results you desire. Just make sure it is healthy!
  • evilmonkee
    evilmonkee Posts: 55 Member
    It really depends on your body and even on the activity that you're doing. I second (or fifth) experimenting a bit if you start feeling run down during your workouts.
    I run 3 times a week, lift reasonably heavy twice a week (NROLW) , and take a 90 min kettle bells class once a week, all early in the morning. I have to eat something small if I am going to run for more than 4 miles or I hit a wall. Eating something heavy makes me sick, so I usually stick to 1/2 a banana and a splash of almond milk in 1/2 cup of coffee. On my lifting days, I lift fasted. Eating before lifting makes me feel sluggish.
    I tried going to my kettle bells class fasted or after eating 1/2 a banana couple times, and I was dragging and feeling really off. Now I make sure to eat between 100-200 calories 30-40 min before class. I don't like eating that early, but I know it helps my performance, so I force feed myself a banana and some pb or a slice of toast and some cheese or turkey the second I wake up.
  • ChristySeeksBalance
    ChristySeeksBalance Posts: 43 Member
    I've tried to train fasted, but it just doesn't work for me. I feel weak and get light headed. I've started having a small portion of overnight oats just after I get up, then it's usually about a half hour before I get to the gym and start my workout. I feel so much stronger and focused. I say experiment and see what works best for you.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Might I be compromising my performance if I don't eat beforehand? Thoughts? Ideas? Experiences?

    The nice thing is, you can test this out by trying it for a few days or a week and see if your performance changes.

    I wouldn't worry about anything outside of gym performance and behavior (if not eating before the workout somehow makes the rest of your eating habits difficult, for example).

    If you try it and like it, go at it.

    I train fasted most of the time and I love it. Some people HATE it. You'll know after a few attempts.

    As usual, Sidesteal is dead on.

    I train fasted because I puke if I don't. Apparently, I get queasy easily during workouts. No change in performance noticed yet.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Eh, you'll still have pretty much everything you ate the day before in your system. Digestion isn't instantaneous I
  • Kidsrn23
    Kidsrn23 Posts: 45 Member
    You actually burn stored fat if you work out without eating breakfast first (ie.in a fasted state). Starvation mode takes days and very low body fat percentage too achieve. Eat or don't eat it all depends how you feel physically.

    Exactly :)

    Thank you. Finally, I have someone on my side if this discussion.
  • Kidsrn23
    Kidsrn23 Posts: 45 Member
    Your body will go into starvation mode if when you workout you don't eat or your only eating one meal a day. Most people think if they don't eat they will lose when in actually they are making the body go into the reservoir for food. That is starvation mode.

    That is incorrect, it's a true a lot of people think that but it' takes days to reach that point. Our bodies adapted to long fasting times when food was more scarce and we were more hunters and gatherers and would eat more frequently. We need to be able to maintain our mass during times of fasting. Then we would gorge when we made a kill. Many of us really have not evovled metabolicly from that state. That's why you see so many intermitted faste protocols cropping up. Cuz they work and they work very well.

    Again, thank you. Most people disagree with the hunter/gatherer standpoint related to "starvation" mode. I am so glad that there are some people out there that agree with me.
  • slowly_changing12
    slowly_changing12 Posts: 192 Member
    i always eat before my morning workouts.......i like to have something to burn and i dont like feeling like i am running on empty!!
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