Jump to content

Pre-workout meal... At 5 am?!?


lm11008

Recommended Posts

I run 3-4 miles 2x a week, and 7+ miles once a week. However, these runs are at 5:30 am, and I cannot fathom eating that early. To be honest, I run so early because I'm half asleep and if I realize what I'm doing, I'll probably quit (lol)

So for the 3-4 mile runs, is it necessary to eat something beforehand? I've never been a breakfast person, I've never eaten before noon before starting running.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

There are some hormonal benefits from eating something before workouts and early in the morning. A little food signals your body to release energy for the workout and food in the morning helps to get your daily hormonal rhythm in line so that cortisol is up during the day and falling in the evening to support sleep. You might try something really small and see how that goes - a boiled egg or a handful of cashews. I can eat before workouts without a problem, so I would tend to eat two boiled eggs, but different stomachs react differently to running after eating. If you find eating a bite causes trouble for you, you can run on an empty stomach. Just be sure to eat soon after you finish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try a bit of Coconut milk! In coffee/tea or just warm it up and sip. MCT's digest fast,don't get procecessed by the lymphatic system like long chain fatty acids and are used almost immediately for energy. I find that a cup of coffee with about 1/3 can coconut milk will power me up like no ones business.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I eat a hard boiled egg and half an avocado, then have a small amount of coconut milk in my coffee while driving to Crossfit. It is hard for me to eat early in the morning, but I am seeing such improvements this week in my energy and strength! On day 29 of my first W30 and I now eat at 5 am without thinking about it.

I also tend to finish up my last meal of the day between 5-6pm, so that may be why it's easier for me to get up and eat now. (No late night snacking anymore)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I too workout in the morning, despite not being a morning person. I like 3 blocks from my gym, so usually I just wake up throw on my clothes and leave. I haven't been eating before because I feel like I have no time to eat beforehand, especially since I don't have time to let my food digest before getting to the gym. it's been working fine so far. My energy isn't always that great, but I think that is because of lack of adequate sleep, now that school has started again. But I always eat right after. So typically, I'm waking up and working at around 7:50am, I work out for an hour or a little more. I come home shower and eat around 9 to 9:30am. My last meal is usually around 830 or 9pm, depending on what time I get home. Should I be eating beforehand?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I often work out in a fasted state for several reasons. The main one is that I get up at 5 am for a 5:30 workout and if I eat that close to working out, I will have reflux. But I don't do workouts that last over an hour in a fasted state. Works well for me -- I have a lot of energy and have no problem killing the workouts. I even tried a spoonful of coconut oil before working out because I had read that it would be beneficial, but I couldn't choke it down (I only like coconut oil in cooking, not alone). I guess everyone is different!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also workout early in the morning and take a pre-workout drink before that has all natural ingredients but does have added sweetner like stevia, any suggestions? I havent started whole 30 yet, I am prepping myself and getting ideas before I jump in.

This is coming from someone who has consumed/drank/tried/spent the GNP of a small nation, on every pre and post WO drinks on the market.... I have NEVER had better results, Strenght,stamina..... Then I do now after switching to the W30 lifestyle and eating only real whole foods. Granted it took a few weeks for my body to adapt but once it did I was on fire. I'm kicking the asses of people 1/2 my age!

Sooooo..... Best pre.... Small portion of good protein and healthy fat... Egg and avocado, chicken and a few cashews.... Anything lite. I just had a fried egg and coconut milk in my coffee.... Off to due a 5x5x5!

Welcome and good luck....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is coming from someone who has consumed/drank/tried/spent the GNP of a small nation, on every pre and post WO drinks on the market.... I have NEVER had better results, Strenght,stamina..... Then I do now after switching to the W30 lifestyle and eating only real whole foods. Granted it took a few weeks for my body to adapt but once it did I was on fire. I'm kicking the asses of people 1/2 my age!

Sooooo..... Best pre.... Small portion of good protein and healthy fat... Egg and avocado, chicken and a few cashews.... Anything lite. I just had a fried egg and coconut milk in my coffee.... Off to due a 5x5x5!

Welcome and good luck....

Thank you for your reply! How long do you suggest I wait until I start working out? I usually don't do well eating before I workout, but I am willing to give it a try! =)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually eat then finish getting dressed and let the dogs out, five min to the gym..... Lets say 1/2 hour.... Your body will know best, experiment, and it took me three weeks into W30 to really start getting some power, so give your body time to adjust and cut back on your WO load a bit...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I found since starting and completing my Whole30, I have fared best with these 2 different options.. If I workout early, like 5am early, I usually eat an egg and a few cashews along with Black coffee.. I am a big guy so I found that I do not need to overconsume food before my workout.. A little goes a long way. It WILL take some time for you and your body to get used to what is happening.. Headaches, muscle-aches, etc are bound to pop up and the little voice in your head will try to talk you out of everything you are trying to accomplish because it is used to so much different for so many years.. Remember, this is a Marathon, not a race.. You are starting Whole30 to kickstart a life long committment to changing your lifestyle and eating habits for the better..

2nd, I also do IF (Intermittent Fasting) on certain days.. I, IF from 8pm to Noon the next day and during that time I also workout.. During my workout, I feel great! Strong as can be and 0 fatigue. I feel I can go on hours..

Doing IF is not for women, they should not attempt it.. Women are built different, much more complex beings than men, so do not attempt it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doing IF is not for women, they should not attempt it.. Women are built different, much more complex beings than men, so do not attempt it.

This made me lol (almost), because I do not in any way shape or form believe that "women are more complex beings than men." :blink: All humans are pretty darn complex...that said, I kind of agree with you: IF doesn't work well for most women, or even most men. It takes a special snowflake in a pretty ideal fitness situation before IF is worth considering, IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ Kenneth

I'm with you on IF... Now my w120 is over ( still eating 98% on plan) I am going to incorporate IF regularly.... When I have done it my fasting AM workouts have been amazing.... Our bodies can do a lot on little food as long as we are well nurished and recovered!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@ Kenneth

I'm with you on IF... Now my w120 is over ( still eating 98% on plan) I am going to incorporate IF regularly.... When I have done it my fasting AM workouts have been amazing.... Our bodies can do a lot on little food as long as we are well nurished and recovered!!

I found that 16 hour fasts are cake.. 20hr fasts are a bit tougher on the mind, I usually do 1 a week to 10 days.. 3-4 days a week I am 16-17 days IF.. I am still flasbergasted on how easy it was/ is during my 2nd half of Whole30 and beyond..

Make sure you are sleeping well in order to start, the 8 hour a night minimum is no joke..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This made me lol (almost), because I do not in any way shape or form believe that "women are more complex beings than men." :blink: All humans are pretty darn complex...that said, I kind of agree with you: IF doesn't work well for most women, or even most men. It takes a special snowflake in a pretty ideal fitness situation before IF is worth considering, IMO.

Its all good, no need to agree, you may understand, some day.. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Let me offer an important note: Doing a Whole30 and intermittent fasting at the same time is not okay. There are many physical and psychological issues at stake and so IF is out during a Whole30.

Melissa McEwen offers a good explanation of when anyone, man or woman, should not fast... http://huntgatherlove.com/content/when-not-fast

I've been doing IF and fasting between 8 PM and noon for the past 2 weeks. I have not weighed, but think I am actually gaining weight. Of course, I am recovering from hernia surgery and have not been lifting weights or doing much yoga for the past 4 weeks, so that may be the real issue. I can't fully evaluate IF until I am back in my normal exercise routine, but so far, the only real benefit I see is having more time to work in the morning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I can't imagine eating anything before a workout this early. On early workout days, I do either cycling intervals (sprints) or running intervals (sprints) running at 5:30 AM. Based on past experiences I would be ill if I tried to eat something this early and went and did any of these exercises. I try to never eat a pre-workout meal more than 1 hour out and no less than 30 minutes out from of strenuous exercise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

So glad to hear that a coffee with coconut milk is OK for pre work out, as that's what I have in the morning upon waking up, but was also thinking of having a hard boiled egg too, I get up at 5:15am for a 6am start for CrossFit. I just have a question regarding POST work out. I know the guidelines say to have an 'extra' meal for your post workout, protein and carb dense vegetables, but I really don't have time to have that extra meal. I get home at about 7:15am and I make a meal straight away and eat, but I just classify that at breakfast, not a post work out meal. Should I be cutting out the fat from my 'breakfast' as it is also my post work out meal, and according to the meal template, it says little to NO fats post work out?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So glad to hear that a coffee with coconut milk is OK for pre work out, as that's what I have in the morning upon waking up, but was also thinking of having a hard boiled egg too, I get up at 5:15am for a 6am start for CrossFit. I just have a question regarding POST work out. I know the guidelines say to have an 'extra' meal for your post workout, protein and carb dense vegetables, but I really don't have time to have that extra meal. I get home at about 7:15am and I make a meal straight away and eat, but I just classify that at breakfast, not a post work out meal. Should I be cutting out the fat from my 'breakfast' as it is also my post work out meal, and according to the meal template, it says little to NO fats post work out?

That's pretty much what I do, Rosemary: I have an egg and sometimes coffee before my workout, and meal #1 after, keeping it pretty low in fat compared to the others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...