Diet with early morning workout?

[returnofthdragon]

It seems like every diet plan I read accounts for a workout in the afternoon or evening. I have multiple jobs that keep me busy from at least 8-6 then I have kids and a wife that keep me busy after that. All my weekday workouts are in the morning at around 5-5:30 AM. I don't like it, but that's the way it is. How can I adapt my diet to this? I can't really do a pre-workout meal unless it's right before I head out.

What I usually do is make a protein shake with 1/2 cup of ground oats in it and drink 1/2 before I go and 1/2 when I'm done. When I get home I I eat a few egg whites, then about an hour later before I head to work I eat a 1/2 cup of oats for breakfast.

[gbrice75]

Welcome to the board. I have the same issues as you and my workout begins at 5:30am. You really do need a preworkout meal, its extremely important - you need to break that fast, and fuel your workout. I'm up at 4:30am 5 days a week with eggs cooking in the pan, oats in the microwave, etc. My meal is:

3 whole eggs (fried in PAM spray), 1/2 cup of oats cooked in the mic, and another 1/2 cup of oats mixed (not blended) right into a protein shake. Works well for me!

[returnofthdragon]

Welcome to the board. I have the same issues as you and my workout begins at 5:30am. You really do need a preworkout meal, its extremely important - you need to break that fast, and fuel your workout. I'm up at 4:30am 5 days a week with eggs cooking in the pan, oats in the microwave, etc. My meal is:

3 whole eggs (fried in PAM spray), 1/2 cup of oats cooked in the mic, and another 1/2 cup of oats mixed (not blended) right into a protein shake. Works well for me!

So we are similar minus the eggs and timing. I can move everything up. What do you do post workout and when is your next meal?

[NBRD1808]

i used to work out first thing in the morning around 5.30am. To ensure i got a pre workout meal in i would wake up about 4.45 grind up a cup of oats and add in some whey and drink it, even used to add in some coffee too. My PWO meal would be the same or if i had time before work i would eat a full meal eg. chicken and rice, ground oats and chicken breast

[returnofthdragon]

Any other ideas?

[gbrice75]

So we are similar minus the eggs and timing. I can move everything up. What do you do post workout and when is your next meal?

My PWO is 2 scoops of whey in 1 cup of water + 1 cup of skim milk. I dump 1 cup of oats right into the shake and chew em up.

My next meal is 2 hours later (should be sooner, i know) - a medium sweet potato (about 50g carbs) and 6oz chicken breast.

[steakline]

Hey so working out on an empty stomach is not a good idea? I have read you will burn more fat, but I have also read the opposite you will burn muscle. I am just getting back in the gym. What I remember from the past is in fitness and diet is you usually find people who believe the opposite.

[cybernox]

Hey so working out on an empty stomach is not a good idea? I have read you will burn more fat, but I have also read the opposite you will burn muscle. I am just getting back in the gym. What I remember from the past is in fitness and diet is you usually find people who believe the opposite.

Basically it burns everything lol. Seriously, you want to gain quality muscles then you need a PWO and fuel up before gym.

[gbrice75]

Hey so working out on an empty stomach is not a good idea? I have read you will burn more fat, but I have also read the opposite you will burn muscle. I am just getting back in the gym. What I remember from the past is in fitness and diet is you usually find people who believe the opposite.

Doing cardio on an empty stomach is something alot of people agree with, particularly on this board.

Weight training on an empty stomach is counter productive and a big no no - firstly you need food to fuel the workout and help you make/keep it intense, and secondly on an empty stomach, you run a much higher risk of actually burning muscle.

[cybernox]

Doing cardio on an empty stomach is something alot of people agree with, particularly on this board.

Weight training on an empty stomach is counter productive and a big no no - firstly you need food to fuel the workout and help you make/keep it intense, and secondly on an empty stomach, you run a much higher risk of actually burning muscle.

If you want to gain muscles you shouldnt do anything empty stomach - not even cardio.

[YoungGunsNY]

If you want to gain muscles you shouldnt do anything empty stomach - not even cardio.

Oh geez - here we go again.. this was debated many times on this board .. and throughout those debates I came to the conclusion fasted cardio is very good to promote fat-loss. Maybe some bcaas before to help out.

[cybernox]

Oh geez - here we go again.. this was debated many times on this board .. and throughout those debates I came to the conclusion fasted cardio is very good to promote fat-loss. Maybe some bcaas before to help out.

Yup. Atleast BCAA should be added to help out muscles. But if you are a BIG FAT GUY then fasted cardio is good enough. But I remember a few people feeling Dizziness and even vomiting. So I dont really advice working out empty stomach.

[gbrice75]

If you want to gain muscles you shouldnt do anything empty stomach - not even cardio.

I hear you. As YG said, this was a hot topic many times on this board. It's great for fat loss but something has to give. If fat loss is your primary goal, do it but expect higher chances of burning LBM.

If I were 10% - 12% bodyfat i'd never do cardio on an empty stomach.

[steakline]

ok thanks, I am heavy so wake up do cardio and do weights later. cool.

[returnofthdragon]

Yup. Atleast BCAA should be added to help out muscles. But if you are a BIG FAT GUY then fasted cardio is good enough. But I remember a few people feeling Dizziness and even vomiting. So I dont really advice working out empty stomach.

I believe this feeling happens to people who are either not used to, or not good at burning fat for energy. Your body will always want to burn carbs first, then fat, then protein. Protein is much more difficult to burn than fat. According to some research (I don't remember where I read it) if doing cardio or weights in the early morning after fast you are likely to feel the difference when your body runs out of glycogen and has to start burning fat for fuel. Tolerances are different for everyone.

I've been experimenting this week with having just protein before and having breakfast before going to the gym. The intensity difference between the two was marginal. I think lifting w/out eating carbs before my workout for the past 3 years has made me burn the fat more efficiently. I think as long as my BF remains high (23%) I'll keep this up. When it gets much lower, I'll switch.

[Jadam]

I've been trying to work out in the morning and usually don't eat anything before hand. Based on this thread, no idea if that's the best way. But, since my BF is very high, I think any kind of exercising is good at this point.

[gbrice75]

I've been trying to work out in the morning and usually don't eat anything before hand. Based on this thread, no idea if that's the best way. But, since my BF is very high, I think any kind of exercising is good at this point.

Based on this thread, you didn't conclude that it's a terrible idea?

[steakline]

I've been trying to work out in the morning and usually don't eat anything before hand. Based on this thread, no idea if that's the best way. But, since my BF is very high, I think any kind of exercising is good at this point.

Well with high BF anything is good, till you stop making progress. Then you change it up till no more progress then change up again and again and again. Then do AAS. lol