Not eating past 7 pm, not much energy working out in morning!
I always have to have some small snack before I work out or else I get too tired. Of course, if I eat too much, I get cramps as well.
I find a small handful of peanuts or a couple crackers and veggie turkey slices (vegetarian) help me get through it. Just eat something small enough to satisfy your hunger. You really ought to eat at least something when you first get up in order to jump start your metabolism and make your body more efficient for the rest of the day.
Another sign your about to drop is the body fat becomes soft, it emulsifies and prepares to be converted into fuel. Your skin can get baggy too. The body corrects most of these symptoms over time. Hang in there your doing fine.
Last thought, are you going to be early and sleeping ok? If not, start there and see how you feel.
M
Yes, I try to get 7 hours sleep- go to bed 10:30, up at 5:30. Thanks for the great tips! It is hard enough to get to the gym... so hopefully my body will acclimate.
Eating before bed (provided its not a huge meal) is fine, if you stay within your calorie limit it really doesn't matter when you eat. And you should definately eat something before workout, doesn't have to be a whole meal if it bothers your stomach but a snack at least.
http://www.fitnessguru.org/nutrition/articles /workout-meals.php
I used to eat a fruit before working out for 1.5 hours in the morning but my latest energy recipe is:
2 oz baby carrots and my multivitamin tablet for the day
I don't have a growly stomach and tons of energy
No idea why this works so well but maybe that would work for you also.
You will workout harder, and better, if you have more energy during your workout, and if you're not getting up early enough to eat something before your workout then why not go back to your old routine? Sounds like this one isn't working for you.
Just stay away from carbs and have a small portion of PB or fruit in the morning. I love the coffee, especially for running. It boosts my adrenaline and I have more energy, but if you think you might be in ketoisis then stay away from any diuretic (caffeine). Ton's of aqua.
No eatting past 7 are you kidding! That is my hang out and veg time, I always leave some cal's for that time. Why don't you eat after 7....I would think it just SLOWS your metabolism to a scratching halt....for so many hours without food.
Personally, I also love to work out first thing in the morning with only water and coffee in me.....I don't feel all that hungry than but have energy for the workout.
If you are bent on the no food after 7.....I would atleast eat something VERY light befor the workout....you need a pick me up of something your fuel tank is way below empty!
When I first started changing my diet, I had a very difficult time sleeping though the night. Without fail, I would wake up at 4:30 and feel itchy. After talking it over with my dietician, she asked my why I wasn't eating anything after 7. She speculated that I was experiencing a blood sugar drop. I was under the impression you weren't supposed to eat at night. Apparently, this is just fad-diet thinking and has no scientific basis at all (I am looking right at you, Oprah). She recommended that I save 150 calories or so for right before bed and have a serving of whole grain cereal or a cup of yogurt (non-fat, plain greek with honey! Yum!). It worked like a charm and the side benefit was I have much more energy when I first wake up.
I also agree with the commenter above who says to eat a hand full of peanuts. I try to eat 1 Tbs of peanut butter before I begin. It's about 100 calories, feels weightless, and gives me just enough of a push to get going (Justin's makes little 100 calorie packs of peanut or almond butter). I am not an advocate of working out on an empty stomach or feeling deprived while exercising. Talk about making it more difficult than it needs to be!
I don't eat in the evenings either and am usually really hungry before my workout. What I do is eat a Zone bar as soon as I get up while I am getting dressed to go to the gym. Then I brush my teeth and drink some water before I head out. Doing this usually gives me 20 mins before I hit the weights or the cardio workout and gives me energy for the exercise. If I don't eat before, then it will be at least 2 hour or more after I get up that I eat and that is a metabolism killer. Eating a Zone bar gives me 200 cals for the workout and I don't burn out or find my strength zapped from hunger.
I don't subscribe to the ignore your hunger advice. It's the same as saying to ignore the low fuel light in your car. The hunger is there to tell you that you need fuel before you burn out. Just a handful of almonds or walnuts and a glass of milk will work as well.
Maybe stopping eating that early isn't working for you. They say that we should eat every few hours to keep blood sugar levels balanced. We fast while sleeping for 8 hours, then it's time to refuel again. You are going 11 hours not eating anything, that's nearly half a day, and then expecting your body to preform at it's best. I'm not surprised that your workouts are sluggish. Chances are that you are burning less calories during them. Studies show that sluggish people don't exercise at the same intensity that energized people do. Also, no fuel makes metabolism drop, thus less calories burned. If I were you, I'd find some sort of healthy snack that you can have before your morning workout that will give you some get up and go, but be easy on your tummy. You might also try a small, planned for snack sometime in the evening.
BANANAS!!!!!!!!! eat them right before you work out. I eat them before every marathon I run. They usually pack about 100 calories but they are complex carbs that take much longer to break down than whole grains and other fruits. Protein generally helps build muscle AFTER a workout....so don't pack it on before your workout b/c it won't really help with energy.
