OK, maybe I missed the answer, but reading this whole thread, I kept seeing people asking the same question again and again.

If you get weak/faint during exercise, what is the best course of action before hand? Coffee with the added cream? A protein shake? And if you do, say, have a low carb bar, doesn't this negate like half of your aerobic calories burned? (that sucks!)

Someone please respond, I want to get this straight! I guess I MUST eat/drink something before, because I get shaky. What's a really low calorie thing to eat that will keep me going?

I have coffee with fake sugar and a bit of milk. Give that a try.

Cheers,

Friday

Worldlady,
You are very close/at your goal weight so you wil not see any big difference simply from exercising with (almost) emtpy stomach. It is much more important in this maintenance phase to enjoy your training, so you can stick to it:-)))
If you get weak, faint - you will give up or shorten the exercise. So try to find what is working for YOU. Coffee with cream can be a good helper. But if you need more, go for it.
Meanhwile for many people this morning empty stomach can give a little push, but there are many who feel much better with more food or with afternoon exercise time.

Meanwhile I enjoy sunrise runs, but for example my daughter easily lost 20 lbs in 3 months, and have been maintaining her weight for months with 4x1 1/2 hour/week exercise always 2 hours after dinner between 9PM 10:30 PM:-)))
Consistency, the joy of exercise is much more imporant than to try to stick to then giving up an "ideal" time, and "ideal" routine.

hi all!

i just joined the gym and have been doing AM cardio as specified here:
45 minutes at my targeted heart rate..which is 123 i believe...and just recently bought 'The Power of 10' book. So now I have modified my exercise routine to 5 days of AM Cardio and 2 days of Power of 10 anaerobic routines...also on Induction phase of Atkins...should i not expect to see weight loss? I'm at a loss, any input would be greatly appreciated...what should i eat now that i am exercising?? especially right after my 5am exercise sessions?? HELP!

-andi

Coffee with a little cream will work, 1/2 a protein shake does it for some people ... just keep it small so it doesn't wind up affecting performance.

Here it is Divina!

Thanks Dan.

Ok here is the post......

Here is an article I read today on A.M cardio....

I'd like to see what your opinions are on this?

Here is the link to the article A.M Fat Burn ....when you have the time check it out.

LOL ... Most of the article you posted is on the first page of this one ...

I am for AM cardio ... it works like a charm for me when I need to REALLY lean out. I save it for last though, when everything else stops working ... THEN I add it in.

hehehe Yup...oh well...for those that might of missed it. (like ME ) LoL
Makes for a good read.

Hi Dan, I found this thread quite interesting. Long though. Anyway most of it seems to apply to losing body fat, though I have some to loose, I am mainly interested in gaining muscle mass.

Does lifting in the morning on an empty stomach still make sense when trying to gain muscle?

I posted the question here:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=189532

Also, for more info please check out my Gym Log to see if I'm on the right track:
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=189778

By the way mornings are pretty much the only time I can work out on a regular basis, otherwise I would work out later.

Hey M,

Lifting is an individual thing, but I find that I am stronger when I have a few meals in me. I really advise against lifting on an empty stomach ... Is there any way you can get up a little earlier and get 1/2 a protein shake in you before you go?

It is especially important to get some protein in, as the amino acids will assist in your anabolic processes.

I will cruise by your gym log and see what's going on in there. Remember, you asked for it.

Thanks for the advice!!I was really curious about that!!

In my case I find that when I run on an empty stomach my performance drops. I prefer to eat a high protein breakfast, let the food settle a bit, and then run as fast as I can without passing 90% MHR.

This thread was exactly the sort of information I was looking for. Many thanks to J.K. for sending me here. I should have looked up at sticky threads to begin with. I just did a search for "afternoon excercise" and that wasn't much help. :P

It looks as though the routine that I'm most comfortable with, of a bit of coffee and excercising before breakfast, is the way to go afterall. Now I just have to pick up the pace to something that would be considered a respectable cardio workout. An hour on the bike is good but I know I can push myself more. And I need to eat breakfast more quickly than I have been after excercising. I've been waiting for up to four hours or so before eating after working out. Not a good idea, I guess. Now I know!

Thank you to all who've contributed to this thead and a special thanks to Trainerdan for the great info and the pic of his abs. :P

I'm kinda getting started with this exercise routine.

A few years ago I used to do 50-60 mins. cardio then intensive weight machines 4-5 times per week. I used to really cheat on carbs and was a strict vegetarian. After a few months I was well defined I lost pounds and inches and had muscles that I could see.

I gained all that back +10 since then because of financial pressures to stop the gym, demotivating gyms (I can only work out in gyms that have TV's, esp. MTV) and the pressure of writing a MSc thesis and moving, getting married, moving again, finding work..

Now I'm off work for a few weeks and looking to establish a pattern I can live with. I've cut the carbs alot from my previous routine. I am going morning (fasting) AM cardio for 30 mins with a protein shake following, leading into weight machines. I am currently trying to alternate, upper, abs/back and legs on a cycle.

It will not be practical for me to do cardio and weights on different days/times once I start working again. I plan on working out on an empty stomach from 8-10 am most mornings. I couldn't eat anything before this anyways.

My question: do you think a protein shake (with milk/water added) is ok between cardio and weights or should I go the other way around? I'm torn. The cardio makes my muscles loose and gives be the drive to do the weights. I feel sluggish after I do the weights and give up on cardio if I try to do cardio afterwards. This possibly because of my old routine which worked, and I liked it.

I'd just like to clarify this. I have read all the posts on this subject but am still confused about the Weights then Cardio except AM Cardio thing....does that mean AM cardio then a shake then weights are OK? or should I go into AM weights then cardio with no shake?