Morning exercisers?

[marygrace]

Hi everyone,

I just started No S two days ago and am already feeling a lot better about my body and my approach towards food. Snacking at night was always a huge thing for me, and it often got out of control. I'm not overweight by any standards, but the nighttime eating has caused me to gain a couple of pounds that I'm not very happy with.

I usually run about 3-4 miles most mornings first thing after waking up. The one thing my old nighttime snacks were good for was that I always felt like I had plenty of energy to run in the morning before having breakfast. But now since my last meal is usually around 7-730 pm and I don't wake up to run until twelve hours later, I've found my last couple runs to be pretty tiring. I feel a lot weaker.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation, and if so, did your body adapt? Snacking at night is definitely out, but I'm debating whether or not I should eat something small, like a slice of bread or half a banana, before I run in the morning. Running after breakfast is out, as I would need to wait at least two hours to digest, which would mean I'd have to either a) get up two hours earlier or b) get to work two hours later, neither of which are going to happen!

Any input or suggestions would be really appreciated!

[kccc]

I exercise at lunchtime, and faced the same issue. My solution was to "virtual plate" lunch. I always pack a piece of fruit, and would eat that prior to exercising and the remainder after. It was light enough to not make me feel too full, but gave enough energy to continue.

Good luck with figuring it out.

[ou812]

I have read somewhere to try a glass of water with a tablespoon of honey and maybe a teaspoon of lemon juice. Gives you a little bit of energy before your morning workout. I haven't tried it yet, but I do usually exercise first thing in the morning.

Nighttime snacking kills me. I have put on the pounds that I have lost through NO-s and exercise. I need to get back to this diet because the habit works.

[SapphireNinja]

I have always eaten a few graham crackers (3-4) before a morning run. The few times I've forgotten, the run did NOT go well.

I know it's not strict No S to eat before breakfast. I basically consider it a mini-meal, and since I burn way more calories running than I take in with the crackers, I figure it's all right.

If you're running 3-4 miles, you do need carbs. Not buckets thereof, but some. And you're right, running after essentially a 12 hour fast is TOUGH.

Hope that helps!
Heather

[bonnieUK]

I have the same problem with morning exercise too, it's not that I feel tired, but I can feel very weak.

I'm thinking about splitting breakfast into 2 mini meals, somekind of quick energy food first thing (e.g. fruit or 1 slice of toast with honey), then my nut & raisin oatmeal after exercise.

p.s. What are graham crackers? Are they sweet?

p.p.s. I had a good start to the day toay...NOT just 2 hours of sleep (after a home emergency, long story!) followed by non-existent exercise, non-existent breakfast, then inhaling copioius amounts of coffee at my desk until I got heartburn. Oddly though I feel great today and more alert than ever, must be running on fumes, I'm sure it'll burn out by 3pm when the afternoon sleepies hit. Days like today are a lesson that if things don't go even slightly according to plan, it doesn't matter that much, tomorrow is another day

[marygrace]

Thanks for your ideas, everyone!

I think I'm going to first try the water with honey and lemon. If I still feel I need more energy, I'll move onto some crackers or even a mini-meal. I'll let you know how it goes!

[Betty]

You could try drinking a glass of milk before your run...

betty

[mel1974c]

or drinking a glass of juice.

-melissa

[babyprrr]

my dad runs 5 miles every morning and he has a glass of milk before starting.