by Katie Barnes
Breakfast: The Miracle Meal
Have you ever wondered about working out before breakfast, if your body “uses up more calories” and whether it’s a good idea? With so many fitness and diet “rules” yet no factual regulation on these ideas, it can be tough to sort the modern miracle from the popular myth. But you can be sure that getting in shape, losing weight and maintaining the results is always a combination of multiple factors that include nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress management and most of all, consistency in all those areas.
Waking up from a night’s sleep, your body has been without fuel for six hours or more. Many people don’t experience hunger at this time of day but breaking the “night-fast” with a small meal is crucial to preventing snacking and overeating later in the day. If your car had no gas in the tank, it would be unable to perform for you, and so it is the same with your body. It needs food energy up front in order to be productive on any level. Whether that includes running a mile or wrapping up a work project, the first meal will shape how you feel and perform for the rest of the day. It also allows better brain and muscular function, keeping the metabolism high while accessing stored fat as an additional energy source.
This is especially true if you exercise in the morning. Your body does not regulate the rate of calorie expenditure based on the clock. All it knows is being starved, satiated and physically challenged, and if it has the power to comply under those conditions. Without a good carbohydrate like oatmeal or wholegrain bread and some protein in your system, it is tough to train at any intensity that will burn enough calories to see results. Clients experience this empty-stomach state as sudden nausea or vomiting, dizziness, shakiness, poor focus, headaches and low energy, making them often unable to complete their session. Make the most of your time and money in the gym by grabbing a little good grub about one hour before you train. It will turn your workout time from one good morning into a week of really great days.
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