exercise before breakfast

i was wondering if anyone exercises before breakfast?

how long do you guys go for? 

is it true that if you go before breakfast you'll be burning way more fat than if you go after eating? 

i've tried... and failed. i never seem to be able to keep going to more than 20 minutes before feeling ravenous! 

so i was wondering if anyone could tell me about their experiences :)

I do calisthenics before breakfast, but usually do some cardio exercise (see also: cycling) afterward or else I bonk in the middle of my rides, which is never fun. I don't bonk terribly, but it kind of feels like all the sudden my legs go from 12 mph powerhouses to jello, and it happens quicker if I don't fuel my body at least a little before the ride (I bring a small snack like a nutrigrain bar for that extra blood sugar kick on the way home)

Don't worry much about the timing of your exercise as much as your caloric budget for the day. Energy In VS Energy Out, make a good squared away deficit of around 600 cal and call it a day. Work out when it works best for you.

Original Post by happytreefrog:

is it true that if you go before breakfast you'll be burning way more fat than if you go after eating? 

If you're doing the same exercise at the same intensity, you may burn a little more during the exercise if you have an empty stomach, but the total fat burned during the day isn't going to be any different.

Original Post by happytreefrog:

i've tried... and failed. i never seem to be able to keep going to more than 20 minutes before feeling ravenous! 

If being on an empty stomach is negatively affecting your workout, then you aren't doing yourself any good by not eating first. 

I exercise every morning before breakfast ... a bit of water with my vitamins and that's it.  Six days a week I run six miles before breakfast;  on Saturday mornings I do a 75 minute Hatha yoga class before breakfast.  It works for me.

I've been going to the gym before breakfast so I could get it out of the way before classes. Most of the time it works out fine. Today I simply couldn't get out of bed at 6 am. I was so tired. But if you can handle working out before breakfast, there's nothing wrong with doing so.

I usually have something before going for a morning workout.  A glass of milk, a piece of fruit, etc.  Nothing too big though, either.  I'd have my main breakfast after working out.

Clint

God, working out in the morning at all isn't an option for me, let alone before breakfast.

Nope, I workout in the evening, and as sully said - the best thing for fat loss is to workout whenever is best for YOU.

I live almost an hour away from my work, and I have to be up by 5 each morning to get ready, so working out that early is definitely not an option for me. I tend to have more energy later in the afternoon, so I have no issues with working out after I get home from work. I can take my time on my workout and not have to rush around as I would in the early morning.

It works for some, but not others.  And in the long run, I don't think it makes much difference *when* you workout. 

I've tried morning workouts, and I just can't give it my all.  I have a sub-standard workout, and then I'm tired cranky and HUNGRY all day long. 

If I work out in the early evening I have a much better workout, and it helps get rid of the stress of the workday. 

I work out before I eat in the mornings simply because I've found that I'm always really hungry after my workout, whether I eat before it or not. If I eat an extra hundred calories in the morning before hitting the gym, I don't have them for later and that kind of sucks, and it's not like it's satiated me at all.

I find the hunger subsides after about 40 minutes of being awake or once I start concentrating on my workout (I take the subway to my gym near my office, so I have about a 40 minute waking up period before I get into my workout).

I was curious about this as well, though.

Different strokes for different folks. Some eat breakfast before workout, some eat after. Which ever way is better for YOUR routine is basically best for you. I personally prefer to eat before working out. Just my preference.

I do every MWF. For about an hour. If I eat breakfast first, the I don't feel like working out after.

Also, many ultra runners will sometimes skip dinner then run the next morning to train their bodies to use pretty much only fat as fuel. Though, they usually hit a *wall* around 5 miles. Which is what they are training for.