Keen to lose a bit of weight and get fitter in the vein hope of keeping up with the boys (and girls) I ride with, I have been watching what I eat and have taken to running in my lunch break. So far so good having lost a stone (no… stop it… you’re too kind…). Anyway, my question is, in order to have the greatest impact: weight loss / calorie burn etc. should I run before or after I eat my lunch?

A small bit of further information
– both lunch consumption and the run (combined with a bit of general internet shenanigans) need to be completed within an hour between 12 and 2.
– the lunch is fairly light: one sandwich round, rice cakes and some fruit and raw veg
– the run is nothing special: just short of 5km on pavement (minor up and down)

Or does it really make little/no difference? Your thoughts welcomed

I can cycle on a full tummy but running just makes me feel sick.

only issue is that your stomach is more efficient at absorbing energy from food immediately post exercise (I read in stw)

Have a decent breakfast and/or a mid morning snack (banana?) for a bit of energy and run before you eat lunch. I wouldn’t want to be running straight after eating.

wwaswas – Member

only issue is that your stomach is more efficient at absorbing energy from food immediately post exercise (I read in stw)

This is true. Also exercising early in the day raises your metabolic rate for the remainder of the day, leading to more calorie burn throughout that period.

As per andyflaw above. I find excersizing before lunch helps to quell my appetite too (well it did when I used to excersize :-))

Running after eating isn’t a good idea really, something about the stomach needing a good blood supply to digest food.

I’d rather run before lunch if it was me.

You’re burning calories so I don’t think it would make any difference either way.

you don’t need to eat anything other than breakfast if you’re looking to lose weight.

run before you eat your lunch, it won’t make much difference but it’s better not to be running a short distance with a bellyful of lunch.

as you get faster (you will already be faster if you’ve lost a stone) gradually increase the distance you run so that you run for the same amount of time.

fwiw i speak from experience, i run most days, leave at midday(ish) and run up to 10k depending on how i’m feeling.

theprawn – Member
you don’t need to eat anything other than breakfast if you’re looking to lose weight.

Thats ridiculous and dangerous advice. Yes you’ll lose weight, but you’ll also run the risk of a decline in your health, muscular waste, injury etc.

You need a balanced and possible altered diet to support you health during weight lost, taking into account the extra cals your are burning with the additional exercise.

you don’t need to eat anything other than breakfast if you’re looking to lose weight.

?

This is great stuff guys, thanks. And generally its sounding like the concensus is to run and then have lunch. This suits me and is generally how I have been doing things now as it delays lunch that bit longer (otherwise waiting til 7.30 (kids in bed) for dinner is a struggle) and it subconciously feels better to run first and burn off calories/fat that is already in me as opposed to what I have just consumed – silly, I know.

Sorry to be dim, but is “your stomach is more efficient at absorbing energy from food immediately post exercise” a good or a bad thing given my aims of weight loss and increased fitness levels?

Any other pearls of wisdom…?

definitely run first, eat after.

Its simple, you put enough petrol in your car so you can drive 100 miles. Once you’ve emptied this tank it needs filling up again.

Over simplistic, but bear in your mind your body is always “using fuel” even when sat still.

The slight moderation is that what you eat before exercise and after exercise can be moderated to suit i.e. more carbs before, less carbs more protien after for recovery, – all depending on the type of sport you do.

Loads could be written on this but equally loads can be found on google.

Any other pearls of wisdom…?

Keep a food diary, if you have to write it down/log it on a phone app then you’re less likely to eat crap. I use ‘myfitnesspal’, great app, compulsive use and I’ve l0st 3.5kg in just over 3 weeks.

I dont want to get too technical about things, lets be honest we’re only talking about a 5k lunchtime trot – its no marathon or enduro event (yet). I was really just after a bit of friendly general advice and guidance. And yet again the ST Forum has delivered. Cheers guys

i always need a shit desperately within about 10 minutes if i start a run within 3 hours of eating!

Keep a food diary, if you have to write it down/log it on a phone app then you’re less likely to eat crap. I use ‘myfitnesspal’, great app, compulsive use and I’ve l0st 3.5kg in just over 3 weeks.

+1

After two frustrating weeks of no weight loss, I started a diary. Makes you really understand what a portion size should be and makes you think about what you’re eating. Everything gets weighed & measured now.

Lost 5 pounds since last week.

+1 strad

for me run before lunch, helps me to not eat too much; also energises me up for the afternoon. In fact, stuff I’ve been struggling with in the morning are dealt with quickly in the afternoon.

it’s not dangerous to eat breakfast, sit at a desk for a few hours and then go do a 4k run at midday. especially as we already know he can do the run (he’s lost a stone already).

in fact a really good way to lose some pounds and increase your metabolism is to get up, have a nice strong coffee and then do an hour on the turbo trainer before breakfast.

Run then eat, otherwise you might just feel sick and end up vomitting behind someones hedge.

Apparently eating within 20 minutes after exercise is when your body will make best use of the nutrition. Or some such.

At the end of the day it probably doesn’t really matter – you’ve changed your diet and are exercising more, so it’s very likely you’ll continue to lose weight & get fitter regardless of when you eat lunch.

in fact a really good way to lose some pounds and increase your metabolism is to get up, have a nice strong coffee and then do an hour on the turbo trainer before breakfast

Agree with this.

I used to have a bit of breakfast, then commute to work (45 minutes), then have a snack when I got to work. Nowadays I just have a mug of coffee before my commute & eat a healthy breakfast when I get to my desk.

I’ve lost weight. Even though that wasn’t my aim.