I think fasting until 1pm is a very bad idea.. unless you're sleeping until 12! If you go for that long after you wake up without eating it will slow your metabolism rather than help you lose fat, not to mention you'll probably be too exhausted to make it through the cardio session. So.. if you can't do cardio until 1, just eat a very low carb breakfast, have a cup coffee (try to omit the cream) before your cardio, or a caffeine supplement then eat afterward.


take care,
Meg

Wow this is great info, when it's warm enough I will do my daily brisk walking as soon as I get up - right now it's too cool that early in the morning.

I just read this entire thread and I am so thrilled. I have been doing early morning exercises for a week, just because it is convinient. I have two questions, since I am new at this.

1) I do Walk Away the Pounds is that cardio enough? I will do either the thre mile walk (45 minutes) or the 2 mile 1/2 hour with 2.5 pound weights on my ankles. Is that cardio enough?

2) is it best to do the cardio first to stretch and then the weights?

I appreciate any help.
Thanks, I love this site, so informative and helpful

Hello?????

I used to always do my workouts in the morning, but due to a schedule change I only did a few light things this week. This was my first week seriously going low carb and I have lost a few lbs. I feel pretty good, I'm adjusting. Anyway, I went for my first heavy hike today---I thought I would die for the first 15 min. That isn't typically like me. I did perservere and mangaged to keep going for another 45 min to an hour. Is it just by body adjusting to low carb or what?? I've always been a morning workout girl, but I've never really been in Ketosis...etc.. Will my body adjust.? My goal is to hit the gym hard for 6 days every morning this week..but today was a little scary at how exhausted I was... Any experience with this...??? Thanks !! Wish me luck...

Yes, most definitely! I've found post after post with people complaining of the same thing. Guess it has to do with glycogen stores in muscles are depleted from low carb intake. The only solution I can think of (that I've been struggling with) is to up carb intake until I have more energy for w/o's. Scary thought, tho, that's why I'm struggling with the decision...

Doubt this helped much, but at least you know you're not alone.

N.

This thread is rather long and I haven't had time to read it all, so please excuse me if this has been addressed before.

I would like to exercise before breakfast but I find, recovering procrastinator that I am, I end up eating my breakfast at noon. Which leaves me eating more towards the end of the day. Not good.

The most important thing I learned from my stint at WW was the importance of breakfast.

Getting up an hour early is often not an option for me because I usually get up with my husband to make his breakfast and prepare his lunch. This can be as early as 3 AM at times but is usually 4:30 or 5:00 AM. I need to go back to bed for an hour or two between the time DH leaves and the kids have to be gotten off to school. Or else I have to start going to bed at 8:30 PM which isn't really practical with kids who would stay up all night given the opportunity.

My ideal exercise time is between 9 AM-noon, after I've seen the last child out the door. Guess I just have to work out for myself whether the drawback of eating a later breakfast (10 AM?) is worth the benefits of a pre-breakfast workout.

Any suggestions would be appreciated,
amieK

glo



Depends on how often you do it. I would think it's enough if you are doing it at least 3X per week with strength training in between. Otherwise you might want to opt for 4 or 5X per week.



Yes, that is what I like to do. I've had 2 personal trainers tell me that you should do 10 - 15 minutes of cardio minimum as warm up before hitting the weights. Stretching is recommended between sets and after weight workout. Or after a cardio session. Stretching should only be done when you're warmed up.

HTH,
amieK

I've tried doing the heavy weights first and then cardio after (read on here to do weights then cardio) but I had DOMS like you would not believe!!! I couldn't go back to the gym for 3 days. When I did go back, tho, I did cardio first then weights and only had very mild DOMS, and back to gym for cardio-only the very next morning. I would strongly recommend doing some warm up cardio, then weights, and maybe cooldown cardio after that??

Just my opinion, of course!

Nicole

AmieK, I think the breakfast thing would depend on how you feel. You're awake for quite some time doing activities before you actually get down to exercising. If you find you're too worn out, or hungry then have something small as soon as you get up for the 2nd time to get the kids ready. Or.. maybe a protein shake when you're up with your husband, with cottage cheese and whey and vanilla or something. Try out different options and see how they make you feel during your workout.

Deshukel: it really takes some time for your body to adjust to lowcarb and to get back to pre-lowcarb performance levels! If taking in some pre-workout carbs is not an option because of your goals, it just takes time..your body is used to burning carbs, it wants to burn carbs and you're forcing it to learn to get energy from a new source which isn't so easily available.

Cardio first then weights? Depends on your weight training goals and the kind of cardio you do. If your cardio includes 10-15 minutes of low intensity jogging, or brisk walking then doing it pre-workout, stretching then doing weights will be beneficial...and repeating it after weights would be even more beneficial. It is always good to warm up bec=fore doing weights. If your cardio is longer, or more intense, then for better results from your weight training you might want to do it after, or maybe at another time in the day.

Take care!
Meg

This had been the most informative thread I have read since joining the forum!

I am a firm believer in the benefits of working out in the morning for optimal fat loss. After reading lots of articles and this thread I am sold on the idea.

I occasionally run in the morning. I am not a morning person and this has always been a great effort to go for a run before work.

I have to say that I find my performance better about an hour after eating though. My endurance and mood in much better.

Has anyone had a similar experience?

As I am new to LCing will a LC diet help with an early morning performance boost?

Thanks for any insights.

WOW! that is a serious thread. I have just started doing morning workouts this week. I have done it by necesity because i leave for work at 8 and get back between 7:15 and 8:30. this leaves for very little days when i have the time or energy to work out. So, i have begun working out in the mornings. I am very proud of myself because i am a big time sleaper. I would sleep until 2 everyday if i dont have work, so this is a big sacrifice. I have felt better during throughout the rest of the days than i normally do, however i do have two observations. 1) when i work out in the afternoon, I have a much better workout - meaning, i can jog twice as fast and far. I am not sure if i am getting as good a workout in the mornings because of this. 2) i have not been able to sleep throught the night since i have started doing this. I am not sure if that is because i am going to bed earlier (9:30 - 10:30 instead of 10:30 - 12) but this is kind of curious. i am assuming that i will get used to the morning workouts before long, and the sleep thing will go away.


I also have one question. I do some weight liftiing in the mornings after my run. I dont do many reps, it is just something i do after my runs and abbs. I know i cannot lift as much as i do in the afternoon, but i am just trying to help boost my metabolism. what do you all think about that - is it a good thing or bad thing.

I have also switched to an early morning routine this week!

Prior, I was walking approx. 3 miles per night. I'm now getting up at 5:15 a.m. and doing the same walk, plus following it with some lifting.

I find my energy and mood is very good during the day (especially good for the first few hours afterwards) and I get to sleep very quickly at night. I toss and turn more than usual, but I think it's because I'm trying to discipline myself to get up the extra hour earlier and not over sleep.

As you can see from my stats I've done well in losing weight in the last 16 months--down 130lbs. So I'm hoping this will help burn up more of that nasty-a** fat!

And I agree with all of you that this is an awesome thread. It's amazingly informative and a real deal considering it's FREE.

Good luck and good health to one and all...

Donald

I have a question? I have been LC'ing for two and half months and so far I lost 38 pounds, but it seem as though the inches are staying still. A family member told me that the reason could be that I am still losing water. I am not sure what it is. There are people I know that lost a lot less than me whose inches are just shrinking, and shrinking? Please explain what might be going on with me? I would really appreciate any advice.

Redd

Wow! What a great thread!! answered most of my questions perfectly, since I thought my friend was crazy when she said that AM cardio burned more fat. I prefer to work out in the mornings anyway, when the gym is quieter. Weights in the evenings though, since an hour and a half of weights is waaaay too early to do in the mornings before work!

My co-worker had a question which has only been touched on briefly. She (and I, most days) doesn't eat breakfast until about 11 AM. Most of the information seems to be geared toward EARLY morning workouts. She doesn't think she can do it that early (she swims in an outdoor pool. BRRR), so wanted to know if it would make a difference to work out later, even though she's still fasting by 11AM. Does the body "kick in" after being awake a couple of hours or would it not matter because she's still in fast?