Do you eat prior to A.M. workouts?

B

beanqueen

Cathlete
hi, :)

i was wondering what other people are doing. i used to eat something prior to my morning workouts (i.e. cracker/almond butter or cereal) but after reading BFL, where he suggests working out on an empty stomach for the purpose of 'burning fat'. i've been trying that technique. i find doing BFL type workouts it's okay w/o food. but doing cathe type workouts (ME, BC etc..) i run out of steam..and find myself eating a piece of fruit or a protein drink in the middle of the workout. i'm contemplating eating something prior to my workouts again....hmm...

what do you do? and what works for you?

thanks so much!
bq
 
Hi bq,

I usually eat before working out, but this was the topic of Dr. Weil's newsletter this a.m. Notice what he said:

"For effective weight loss, I think it is best to work out on an empty stomach. Whether it be aerobic exercise or lifting weights, exercising before you eat burns fat much more effectively than when done after a meal. For many people, the best time to exercise is first thing in the morning because an overnight fast causes blood sugar levels and carbohydrate stores to be at their lowest. Rigorous walking or weight training when you wake up causes the body to access fat for energy much easier and faster to meet the caloric demands of your workout than later in the day. If you just can’t get up for a morning workout, at least try not to exercise until two to three hours after eating.

I don’t recommend eating before a workout if you are trying to lose weight. This is a common mistake and usually is one reason why people just can’t seem to drop pounds despite expending lots of effort in the gym. Eating before a workout actually supplies the body with energy, which it uses during exercise, especially if you ingest high glycemic-index carbohydrates that rapidly turn into blood sugar. Taking in carbohydrates before a workout causes the body to use sugar as fuel, preventing the burning of any fat calories and keeping fat stores locked away. If you want to trim excess body fat, cut out carbs before you exercise and work out on an empty stomach."

Dr. Andrew Weil

This makes me want to try not eating before working out again ... that may be why I have so much trouble losing weight!

Jen
 
I use to do the samething that you are doing.I use to even do Cathe workouts without breakfast and I was fine(but I would have to have my coffee).The whole purpose for me doing this was b/c i thought I was going to burn fat.But then I read so many articles that I continously get confused.
I recently read that it doesn't matter if you eat or not b/c your body is burning fat anyway.If we eat before we workout the food is still in our system and not stored as fat yet.So we are not burning that anyway, we are still burning the stored fat that we would have been using regardless.Did that make any sense? Since then, I have been workoing out whenever my schedule allows me.I find that if I do workout early in the morning, I am hungry ALL day.
Lori
 
thanks for your responses jen and lori :)

that dr. weil article was great! very helpful! (btw, is there a website i could go to, to request his newsletter?)

thank you, again!
 
I drink a small glass of orange juice to get me going. I would eat if I could, but I get up so early to workout that I would throw up if I ate anything before I worked out. I've played around with this and this is what works best for me. I do eat breakfast right after my workout! You've gotta do whatever works for you!
:7
 
I'm an a.m. exerciser. I eat before working out, because if I didn't, I would run out of energy. I eat a small bowl of cereal. I did lose 25 pounds or so, over the course of a year.

It was more comfortable, but slow weight loss. Maybe it would have been faster without pre-workout food. I read BFL and tried it that way, but then just ate more later and felt bloated and hungry.

But the article does bring up a good point. Why not cottage cheese instead of cereal, or half cot. ch. and half cereal (tiny bowls)? I might just try that.
 
Hi Beanqueen! If I didn't eat breakfast in the AM I wouldn't be able to workout at all. If I'm weight training then I'll have a big breakfast. By big I mean a 1 whole egg + 1 egg white vegetable omelet w/salsa on top & 1 slice high fibrous bread w/water or oatmeal. Otherwise if its cardio then I'll just have cereal w/banana. Your body will lose steam & poop out in the middle of your workout as you've experienced. HTH, Kathy:D
 
I have never been able to workout am without eating first. I use to attempt to do it but I learned pretty fast that I get dizzy and sick if I don't eat. If I eat something I feel great and enjoy my workout. I usually eat a balance bar and a glass of water then workout about 10 minutes after. I love the balance bar gold. I know some people think they have too much sugar but they taste so good and have 15 grams of protein and 210 calories. It is my breakfast, easy, fast and gets me going. Then I have fruit mid morning and that tides me over till lunch.

Marci

PS, I have read it does not matter whether you eat or not before workouts and that not eating is a myth. In fact, some theories say that by eating something you turn your metabolism on for the day and by eating something small you are actaully burning MORE calories. Its is frustrating that the research on this seems to contradict itself so just do what works best for you.
 
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