I saw this article, The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast, in the NY Times. I think it's pretty important actually. It's at least worth a read this holiday season.

HJ

Worth a try...

Given that my breakfast is usually 5:20 am, I can't think of any good reason to be up at 4:30am.

My reasons that it's bad: I've been asleep for hours. How "warmed up" can I be?!? Then, if I go out, it's a balmy 20 degrees.

I love to start the day with physical exercise - I just feel GREAT for the rest of that day. Hard to do with two small kids, though.

Could be an XLNT way to get,2 small kids!

I can say from personal experience if I ran in the morning after fasting (and I'm talking like 9am - 10am) from the night before (about 6pm), I could run farther and longer. Its not scientific, but worked for me!

Have to echo this, although our two small kids have grown up and (mostly) moved on.

In winter, it's really easy to pack on an extra 20. These days I hit the treadmill 2 times a day for 30 min ea. I first tried for one hour when I got home from work each day, but I found that if I do 30 - 45 min right after my first cup of coffee at 5:00AM. I feel great all day as a result. I do another 30 to 60 when I get home. Combined with close-to-the-Earth eating, my weight is controlled during the winter.

Interesting to see HJ's post that sheds some light on the science of it. Thanks for posting it. A few more sips of coffee and I'm heading for the basement to go nowhere fast.

I too enjoy exercising before breakfast. For me, the exercise must be right away after waking. If I get caught doing other stuff (like responding to emails or whatever) before exercising, then the whole trick falls apart and doesn't work well.

It is always "before breakfast" when I exercise, maybe just tomorrow's breakfast!

I always feel great when you guys exercise before breakfast. ;-)

The old Chinese people near my office are up hiking around the city everyday when I drive by at 6:30 a.m., decked out in heavy coats and surgical masks, swinging their arms to and fro. They all look like they're about 9000 years old, so there must be something to it.

This is similar to or approaching "bonk training." The idea is to burn off most of the available glycogen (approx. 1500 kcals). Without any other ready fuel, you body starts metabolizing fat for fuel. As long as you exercise at a rate your metabolism can keep up with, you won't actually "bonk", which can be quite dangerous. Part of the theory that's usually floated is that even after eating, your body continues to metabolize fat stores and isn't quick to switch back over to storing fat.

I'm no doctor, but I have to say that getting 500-1000 kcals of moderate exercise before eating breakfast has been one of the best fat-burning plans for me.

I wouldn't mind exercising every morning, but I wouldn't be able to convince DW of the necessity of "exercising" nearly every morning.

Zombieland Rule #1 - Cardio

then there is the SAS motto 'Run away, run away, live to fight another day'