Do you eat...

[GlamourGirl827]

...before you workout?

all last week I was waking up and going right to the gym with out breakfast (just a coffee and a water), then drank another water at the gym and made breakfast when I got home. No problems...
Now the past two days I feel tired and weak. My stomach was growling today and I ended up having a pathetic, barely there workout.

I figured I'd start having a yogurt with my coffee. Its just that I know that in the morning, when glycogen stores are depleated, that's when the body does a better job at burning fat. I feel like eating in the morning will defeat that, but being to tired and weak to get a good workout is no good either. Also, I don't want to eat too much or I'll feel nausous during working out.

[Emme]

I have to eat before I workout otherwise I am famished immediately after exercising. Plus, your body needs fuel to get it going before working out, so if you are waking up and going right to the gym without eating, it might explain why you are exhausted.

[berryblondeboys]

Skipping breakfast is never a good idea - period. Eat a yogurt, drink a protein shake, something small, but eat SOMETHING. Remember, your body hasn't had fuel for hours and hours and it's not used to going straight to work without something to work with.

[Bac0s]

It depends. If I get up and workout before having to get the kids going, I don't eat. If I have to wait until after my oldest is on the bus and youngest is dropped off at preschool, then I have my Fiber One bar about 30-40 minutes before working out.

[uncontentgirl]

my biggest meal is breakfast. i read a jillian michaels quote somewhere and i swear by it:

"eat breakfast like a queen, lunch like a princess and dinner like a pauper."

i usually try to keep my breakfast in the 300-350 calorie range and want most of it to be high-fiber and high-protein.

however, i do not work out in the mornings. if i did, i would keep my breakfasts a little lighter until after my workout. maybe some coffee, a banana and a tablespoon of natural pb. or a yogurt and apple slices. you need energy to have a great workout!!

[Tomato]

I never eat before my early a.m. workouts. I can't. For example, I get up at 5:30 to to be at a spinning class at 6:00 am. I just drink some water (because I am naturally thirsty every morning, exercise or not) and head to the class. I sip water during the class and I don't eat until I get back home and shower, around 7:30 a.m. It's a very personal decision. Some people feel they need to have a least a little bit of something in their stomach prior to exercise, others can't. I feel like the food weighs me down or something like that.

[tocrfl]

I get on the treadmill @ 4:30am. I can not eat that early. I drink water right after then get ready for work then I eat breakfast.

[Eliana]

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

Skipping breakfast is never a good idea - period. Eat a yogurt, drink a protein shake, something small, but eat SOMETHING. Remember, your body hasn't had fuel for hours and hours and it's not used to going straight to work without something to work with.

I agree with this to an extent, but disagree with regard to early morning workouts.

I have done both and there is debate as to which is better for fat burn.

I have also switched from eating to not eating pre-workout in order to break a plateau and it has worked. I think it's just the change that does it.

Basically, I say do whatever feels best. If you're hungry, grab a banana. If you're not, don't worry about it.

I do not eat well first thing in the morning though. I never, ever have. So getting up, immediately hitting the gym, and THEN sitting down to breakfast works great for me. Otherwise I gag on my breakfast...unless my body is hungry that is. So again, I say do what your body is asking of you.

[beerab]

If eating before helps then do it- everyone is different. I personally try to get in something before I'm up for two hours to get my body going

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by GlamourGirl827

...before you workout?

Its just that I know that in the morning, when glycogen stores are depleated, that's when the body does a better job at burning fat. I feel like eating in the morning will defeat that, but being to tired and weak to get a good workout is no good either. Also, I don't want to eat too much or I'll feel nausous during working out.

Maintaining intensity in a workout depends on glucose availability so if you're planning on high intensity eating before is a good idea. Quick digesting meals should be eating 30 minutes before and slower digesting meals need an hour.

In the context of losing weight if you're in a deficit it doesn't matter that the body does a better job of burning fat when in a fasted state due to insulin levels being so low. What matters is your energy balance for the day. At a certain point when you're very lean fat can be difficult to mobilize but that only applies to a very small percentage of people. (Not you or me!)

Originally Posted by berryblondeboys

Skipping breakfast is never a good idea - period. Eat a yogurt, drink a protein shake, something small, but eat SOMETHING. Remember, your body hasn't had fuel for hours and hours and it's not used to going straight to work without something to work with.

I have to disagree. You can workout in a fasted state and I usually do so unless I'm planning on a high intensity cardio workout. This is a big topic and not one we can cover here but the simple answer is you can skip breakfast before your workout because your body has plenty of fuel on board in the form of fat and glycogen.

To take it a step further I don't eat anything before noon and typically wait till 1 or 2 PM. This is a practice known as intermittent fasting which I've been doing for over a year now. There is nothing detrimental to ones health by not eating breakfast.

[beerab]

Originally Posted by JohnP

To take it a step further I don't eat anything before noon and typically wait till 1 or 2 PM. This is a practice known as intermittent fasting which I've been doing for over a year now. There is nothing detrimental to ones health by not eating breakfast.

Yes but studies show one thing that almost all overweight people have in common is they don't eat breakfast.

[niafabo]

I find that I need to eat before I work out otherwise I get sore a lot more easily and have far less stamina. Every once in awhile I forget that fact and I end up paying for it later. You should definitely try and eat something first otherwise you won't get the most benefit from your workout but not eating ahead of time once in awhile won't kill you. Your body eats up mostly carbs when you are first working out but if you don't have enough in your system it will rely almost entirely on fat and muscle which will definitely make you woosy.

[joyfulloser]

^^ Good Point Beerab!

For me, I have to eat IMMEDIATELY upon waking up in order for my body to start functioning (I can barely find my way to the bathroom before breakfastlol). If I don't eat before working out...my stomach actually hurts like someone donkey kicked me square in the gut...my performance stinks...and I feel light headed and nauseous!

Now that I think about it...I don't do well with hunger...when I'm hungry....I MUST EAT!!!

[Eliana]

Originally Posted by JohnP

To take it a step further I don't eat anything before noon and typically wait till 1 or 2 PM. This is a practice known as intermittent fasting which I've been doing for over a year now. There is nothing detrimental to ones health by not eating breakfast.

I always feel like I'm doing something "bad" when I do this, but this describes my typical lazy Sunday. I do not get hungry until I take that first bite. Fasting is not a problem for me. I'm glad to know someone else does this, though I wouldn't recommend it, mainly for the reason Beerab stated.

[Bac0s]

Originally Posted by beerab

Yes but studies show one thing that almost all overweight people have in common is they don't eat breakfast.

I'd be really interested to see a link about this. I find it fascinating.

I know plenty of thin people who skip breakfast. I got up to 267 pounds eating breakfast everyl.single.day.

The plural of anecdote is not data, I get that. But your mileage may vary. Eating breakfast right away doesn't work for me. I don't skip it, but I eat it later. I've lost about 65 pounds doing just fine not eating (most of the time) until after I've worked out. If I don't work out, I often don't eat until I've been up for nearly 2 hours. If I start eating early, I get hungrier during the day. The most important thing here is to find what works for you (you in general) and do it.