You won't need discipline. You'll be fighting to stay awake as soon as you get a routine going. Remember that you're kick-starting your metabolism when you get up that early and exercise. Instead of sliding into your day, you'll be springing out of bed pretty soon.

Your body's going to get the picture pretty soon--that you get out of bed and rock! You'll find that you have more energy in the morning because your body knows you're going to need it. In fact, on the days you don't get to exercise you may feel like you're spinning your wheels. You might even feel anxious or cross.

And that's the upside!

Seriously, though, if you have to make yourself turn off the TV or the PC and go to bed now, I think it's unlikely to be an issue for long. Once you begin A.M. workouts and your body becomes a metabolic monster, you'll run out of fuel earlier and you'll get pleasantly pooped. I predict some serious pillow time in your future.

Can you tell I ran MAO this A.M.? Good luck getting started!

I usually run in the morning (before food), but after drinking between 500 - 750 ml of coffee. I love running with a good caffiene buzz.

I have read here and numerous other places the benefits of doing cardio workouts after coffee. Question tho, is this too much? Will this much coffee 'cause an insulin reaction and wipe out any benefits? The only drawback I've found so far (and I've been running this way for years) is having to pee (very inconvenient!) For this reason I often wait a half hour or so after the last swig of coffee. Is this waiting too long after the joe?

One more question, how long after the run/cardio workout should you wait before eating?

Many thanks!
Janice

hi, I've just read through this thread to try to get some advice, but I still need to ask a question. AM cardio on an empty stomach fits in with my lifestyle just right. Before LC, I used to do about 30 minutes of uphill and jogging, was pretty fit and felt like l was keeping my metabolic rate up reasonably.
Couldn't keep this going during induction, fair enough, but even now, i can't manage fairly high intensity cardio at all.
I've tried protein shakes before I go - doesn't work.
I've tried fruit juice - does work, but not LC and I don't want to tip myself out of ketosis or re-start getting insulin reactions.
I also saw Lipo's comments that your body can't oxidise fat that fast, so it can't do high intensity exercise by burning fat.
I could just walk, which I can manage, but I can't believe that's doing much for my metabolic rate, which I want up, to burn fat!
It's not doing much for my fitness either - any advice please?

I didn't have a ton of energy for this at first either, but it does seem like the body adapts to this diet pretty quick. After about a week of working up to my old routine I was pretty much back and now I don't notice any difference.

I'm running for 25 minutes uphill and then lifting some. Also, I've comtinued losing weight even though I'm past induction now and up to about 50 grams now. None after 6:00 P.M., though.

I'm developing a frightening physique at 44.

Good luck-- you'll be back in no time!

Hi JayKay

Great question, and one I have struggled with. I am no expert, but from the information I have gathered, you will increase your metoblic rate with more muscle mass, not a higher heart rate or longer cardio workout.

check this out, too.

There really is a plethora of information out there that will help you. check out the exercise forum!
good luck to you!
regards,
brenda

AM cardio is best when high-intensity, but you still reap the benefits to some extent even if you go low or moderate intensity.

Many days (recently) I do moderate intensity work. If I wake up full of energy (once in a while), I go super-high intensity.

If you need proof, look at Dankar. Up until a few months ago, he went for long walks in the AM before eating, and there is no denying his success. Of course, nutrition and weight training play huge roles in his case, but he also mentioned to me that he hardly ever misses a morning walk.

Well I'm becoming seriously addicted to my AM Cardio. I'm finding 2 major benefits. The first is that my weightloss has kicked into a higher gear and I'm finding that I don't have to be as obsessive about finding a magic number of carb grams that I can tolerate and still lose. The second thing is what I sense is an overall improvement in my metobolic rate. I have so much more energy and instead of coming home from work and collapsing into my oversized chair and watching mindless TV, I'm actually looking for things to do outside and around the house that are more productive. In fact, I'm starting to feel really slothful at work and wish I could be more active all day.

Anyway, I appreciate this thread that affirms what I've been experiencing. Next paycheck I'm sending off for the book.

Jim-
I am so glad you are reaping the benefits of AM cardio!!
Keep up the good work!

Linda

Well, I just read through this entire thread, and while my first reaction was "no way, no how," if it really does burn more fat, I guess I'm going to have to try AM cardio.

I get up at 5 am and make breakfast for DH, then go back to bed because I stay up later than DH and I need my eight hours of sleep. By the time I get up the second time I am really hungry.

I liked reading what Trainer Dan said about strong coffee being a good thing; maybe an espresso will help allay the hunger pangs.

I'll try it tomorrow!

Karla

OKwoer, glad that you got such great results from AM cardio. Good to hear.



Caffeine does for me, temporarily. When I am done cardio though, I can't wait for the protein shake (immediate) and then breakfast an hour or so later.

Well, I survived my first AM cardio workout! I got up at 7:30, drank an espresso while I did my warmups, and exercised for half an hour, and I feel great!

I do have an embarrassing confession about what I did for cardio, however. Caution, this will make any hardcore fitness
types like Nat, Dan, and Fern cringe and roll their eyes.

In my defense let me say that I get really bored riding my exercise bike, which is why there is a tv in front of the bike. I do, however, love to dance, but never seem to get around to doing that regularly. Here's the embarrassing part: I saw an ad for (oh, God, am I really going to say this?) Richard Simmons vidoes, thought it looked like fun, and ordered 3 videos that came as a set. Of course, it was 5:30 in the morning, when I am not at my most awake.

Yesterday and today I used the tape with Latin music and, no matter what anyone says about what a strange little man Richard Simmons is, it was a great workout! I liked the music and he has you moving every part of your bod all the time, which IMHO is better than just riding that stupid bike with my hands clamped to the handlebars, not using my arms.

Yesterday I did ride the bike for 15 minutes after the 30 minutes of dancing, then did my ab exercises. Today is weights day, so I just did the dancing and I'll do the weights later today.

Now you know my dirty little secret; fortunately I can't hear anyone chuckling!

Karla

I think that's cause I can't get the image of RS doing the lambada out of my head! Make it go away!!

Karla, it doesn't matter what you do, except of course that it matters to YOU and you enjoy it. Finding something that is entertaining and enjoyabout makes it that much more likely that you'll continue on with it.

Nat

Hey Karla...whatever works to keep you going I think is a good thing. You know, as hard a time as I have watching that funny little guy, I do believe he has offered hope to a lot of people who had lost their hope. Too bad he's still peddling that repackaged food pyramid he calls deal a meal.

Keep at it girl!

I have that image now in my head and can't stop laughing.

AM Cardio can be addicting. I now usually wake up 5 or 10 minutes before my alarm goes off at 5:45am. Then its off to the coffee pot and then the treadmill.

O.K. here's my funny little secret. Yesterday morning I woke up, got up, went to the bathroom, checked my bg and stared getting dressed for my cardio looked at thr clock and it was 2:00am . I had only gone to bed at 11:00pm the night before. I was out of it I guess. Good thing my dw didn't wake up or I would never heard the end of it. I quietly crawled back into bed. LOL

Bill

Ahhhh but now you've told US bill, and we've got to be worse than your dw

lol
Nat