[addy]

Hi again,

I heard sumwhere that when you are looking to burn off weight, when you wake up in the morining is the best time to work out because it will burn the storred energy form the night or weeks before.But whenever I went to track in the morning our coaches always told us to eat first.So, in losing weight, should I eat before or after?

[shygrneyzs]

You do not eat before you run. There are several studies that state working out on an empty stomach in the morning burns a much higher ratio of fat than other energy sources. If you do eat before you jog, eat at least an hour before jogging.

You will most likely start cramping and possibly vomit if you eat before exercising. Eat after doesn't mean you gain weight back but look at it like a car: a car takes gasoline to go from one place to another but after that trip you need to refuel. Same with humans, we need to refuel after workouts. After working out eat foods that will continue burning fat like veggies and fruits. Most of those foods require more calorie to digest then what they contain.

Hope this helps.

[CaptainRich]

Hi shy,
If we take the car analogy a little further, is it OK to assume that since our cars require more fuel to operate when cold, then we would require more calories when exercising while the body is cooler? When I was in the military, we would go to PT early, VERY, early in the AM. Right after , we'd eat!
And I agree with fruit and veggies theory. I saw a list of what burns how much sitting still kind of list... somewhere, I'll look for it. Maybe someone else has seen it...

[lovelesspa]

When you expend energy (exercising), you need to consume extra energy to fuel the execise, your body burns about 100 calories at rest, or sleep. When highly active you can upset this balance if you don't eat in the AM and cause energy high and lows. If you skip a meal before a workout you put your body in a state of delpetion, especially after sleeping all night , for instance. Eating 1-3 hours before you run, a very "light" meal, 2-3 oz of protein, or some toast, yogurt, some fruit or juice will give you the energy and nutrition you need plus give your body the time necessary to digest.