[Closed] Weight Loss: should I eat breakfast before or after my morning commute?

what you eat is way more important than when you eat.

pro tip: almost everything written on the livestrong.com site is complete bollocks

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Yes

The calories in>out brigade will say it doesn't matter.

People who believe in hormones and the endocrine system will say it does.

My take is that taking in carbs/sugar will make your body burn those first. Not eating will make your body use stored fuel, which will mainly be fat.

I am not a doctor, but I am skinny and I don't eat breakfast before big bike rides.

I ride to work (7 miles) on an empty stomach and eat when I get there.
partly because I read that it teaches your body to burn fats and partly because there's more choice of breakfast at work.

well surely from a recovery point of view you really want to eat something when you get to work ?

I find i need to have "something" in my gut before i go or i end up getting really cold really quickly and the energy drains from me.

usually a cup of strong coffee & a yogurt or a banana

then breakfast at the office

Never eat before my 15 mile commute, exercise and a full stomach doesn't work for me, will drink though.

what you eat is way more important than when you eat.

I log my food/exercise and monitor my calories/macros via http://www.myfitnesspal.com

But I don't particularly eat "healthily" - breakfast at work is usually a sausage and egg roll (for carb and protein, but mainly taste).

pro tip: almost everything written on the livestrong.com site is complete bollocks

I noticed a distinct lack of tips on doping 😀

Even some of the Livestrong articles that cite proper papers seem to contradict themselves - [url= http://www.livestrong.com/article/374330-does-exercising-before-you-eat-burn-fat ]this one[/url] cites a study where men exercising before breakfast dealt with a high fat diet better, but then cites a different study where a carby but low-GI breakfast before exercise [i]"actually increased beneficial fat burning activity during exercise"[/i].

Confused!

Pre-ride breakfast is usually...

[img] [/img]

But I've recently packed in smoking, so I've effectively reduced my calorie intake by half. That's how it works isn't it?

"Event some of the Livestrong articles that cite proper papers seem to contradict themselves - this one cites a study where men exercising before breakfast dealt with a high fat diet better, but then cites a different study where a carby but low-GI breakfast before exercise "actually increased beneficial fat burning activity during exercise"."

cant see the contradiction there - looks to me like the desired outcomes are different.

i treat papers with suspision having seen the process behind them , its possible to make the data say what you want in almost all respects - guess it depends whos funding it.

Haven't commuted for 8 years now; but I would expire if I tried to commute on an empty stomach to be honest.

Breakfast has usually been the usual suspects - porridge, juice, coffee and toast - and I reckon that way you can control what you have, and set up the fuel for the commute. Otherwise it'd be tempting to arrive and pile a bit extra cereal and snack bar on your plate when you get to work.. Especially the porridge bit, would have the effect (I would have thought) of filling you up for a decent period so the risk of topping up when you get to work is small. Of course you may not like porridge :}

I am not a nutritionist though 🙂

17mile commute and never eat before it, i simply can't face eating food at that time of the morning and at that state of awakeness.

Eat when i arrive at work, usually anything that isn't nailed down. which at the moment happens to be a pile of rock. nice sugar rush to start the day.

I'm skinny and I eat like a horse before after and during rides

HTH 🙂

My current routine is ride on [i]almost[/i] empty.

I usually have an espresso (to wake me up) and a pint of no-sugar orange squash (for hydration) then hit the trail. Breakfast at work is usually a sausage and egg roll (488kcal by my reckoning), 500ml bottle of flavoured water (5 kcal), and a pint of coffee (0 kcal) 😀 (not you Callum, the other type of kcals 😉 )

I have tried doing it the other way. e.g. a bowl of porridge with sultanas before I head out, or maybe a brioche and a banana.

That worked okay too - but meant a bigger gap till lunchtime and me chewing on a mousemat.

I'm skinny and I eat like a horse before after and during rides

Hay and sugar lumps?

I ate after. But that was cos they had sausage and bacon sandwishes, it was a big long climb, so i was always going to eat after it... resistance was useless...

Strong coffee, no breky and go at the morning commute like a mad man. Then plenty of fluids at work and a good feed. Cafine fueled morning rides will burn the fat. May not work for you but works for me just fine.

Why don't you just test strategy A for a month, then test strategy B for the month? Then you will know if A or B works best, or whether it makes no difference.
Probably more effective than several pages of STW expert advice on diet.

see id ditch the sausage and egg roll for a soft boiled egg and a slice of whole meal toast but thats just me.

current breakfast of choice is all bran and natural yogurt

i do the bacon and black pud roll from the canteen as a treat on a friday.

your sausage and egg roll will be almost calorie neutral with your ride - hardly an ideal situation really ?

so really it is a case of move more eat less ....

I knew my username would come in handy eventually 🙂

My personal preference is to eat both before and after, I have a packet of oats so simple first thing in the morning before exercising, then a bowl of home made muesli when I get to work.

Doing anything else leaves me without energy for whatever exercise I am doing, or leaves me hungry through the morning and therefore more likely to snack. Although I tend to run or swim in the morning, I wouldn't be so fussed if I was cycling to work, its a fairly easy 7.5km bimble along fireroads.

12 mile morning commute here, coffee before and brekkie when I get to work. Eating an hour or so later just makes me less prone to snacking through the morning.
Seems to make bugger all difference to my weight though.

the main mechanism for fat storage
-blood sugar goes high
-body releases insulin
-stores as fat

If you want to lose weight quickly then follow a diabetics diet, eat as much as you like, you will still lose weight.

When you eat non processed fat the body doesn't need to store it and it doesn't. You don't gain weight.

Eat when you feel you need to but eat far less carbs.
Google 'what if its been a big fat lie?'

But I don't particularly eat "healthily" - breakfast at work is usually a sausage and egg roll (for carb and protein, but mainly taste).

As someone mentioned earlier, high fat meals are better for fat loss because they are less insulogenic and therefore promote fat-burning rather than fat storage. Carbs are still important, of course, but how much depends on the individual and your level of activity (and will no doubt need some personal experimentation).

FWIW I usually skip breakfast and don't eat until lunch.

what is non-processed fat? what is processed fat?

see id ditch the sausage and egg roll for a soft boiled egg and a slice of whole meal toast but thats just me.

Good god man. Would that keep you going till lunch??
I'm just about to go for lunch and feel shaky as it is 😕

your sausage and egg roll will be almost calorie neutral with your ride - hardly an ideal situation really ?

Hmm.. I thought that [i]was[/i] ideal? 😳 Not sure I'd want to spend the whole morning with a calorie deficit.

My MFP calorie goal is 1920kcals a day. (I'm 188cm and 92kgs).
I usually award myself another 450kcals each way for the commute (overruling the 750-odd that MFP reckons I earn).

I rarely eat all my calories on a commute day.

I'd suggest you need to reduce your calorie goal.
2,000 calories is a normal intake.

"Not sure I'd want to spend the whole morning with a calorie deficit."

not sure you'll lose any weight then.

you eat lunch late.

i get up at 5.30 , ride at 6.20 - get to work about 7.30 , shower , eat breakfast about 8.30 a banana or apple the back of 10 and lunch at 12. Peanut butter sarnie the back of 3 and ride home at 4.30

I'd suggest you need to reduce your calorie goal.
2,000 calories is a normal intake.

For who? he already stated he is above average height and weight.

also its not all about calories , yes its a guide but the types of food we eat are more important than the calories.

I'd suggest you need to reduce your calorie goal.
2,000 calories is a normal intake.

Hmm... by how much do you reckon?

1920 was the recommended value that MFP set, for me to lose about 1lb a week. I've lost around 15 lbs since starting it in June so that seems about right?

My macros are also set at the values MFP recommended:
55% Carb / 30% Fat / 15% Protein

I'm loathe to change too much as it seems to be working so far.

eat when I get to work so that I get paid to eat

Ridign on an an empty stomach ****s up my blood sugar levels and leads to binging afterwards. NOt good, for me.

you eat lunch late.
i get up at 5.30 , ride at 6.20 - get to work about 7.30 , shower , eat breakfast about 8.30 a banana or apple the back of 10 and lunch at 12. Peanut butter sarnie the back of 3 and ride home at 4.30

Blimey! My day is a bit later.

I'm awake around 6:30, shower, get toddler ready, coffee, out the door 8ish, arrive at work 9ish, breakfast, lunch at 1ish, head home about 6, home at 7, eat, get toddler ready for bed, hour of tv/reading, go to bed.

I just have some porridge before i cycle in (13 miles), otherwise i'm restricted to unhealthy breakfast options.

I eat after.

If I eat before I will still eat afterwards.
Have a mug of tea or squash before you set off instead.

i think food type is more important than timing.

in an ideal world, black coffee, ride in, quality breakfast.

in reality, porridge, ride, work - as the alternative is to get breakfast from the shop, so haribo or an overpriced sandwich

When you eat, insulin is released into the blood stream. If you consume something which is high GI, or has a high glycemic load. Then more insulin is released than if you eat something with a low GI value. Higher insulin levels will take longer to return to [i]normal[/i]. I've read that while there are elevated insulin levels in the blood, the fat cells will not release fats into the blood stream (thats the basic description).

Your body is usually burning a bit of carbohydrate and fat, but depending on intensity of the activity and what you have consumed. The amounts of carbs and fats being used for energy will change.

I commute on a glass or two of water. Therefore, so long as I keep my pace at easy to moderate. My body will use its glycogen stores and fats to provide energy for movement. If I got dehydrated during the ride, or if my commute was further. I'd take a water bottle as I do for my longer weekend and evening rides.

At the moment I do not take breakfast, but if I did, it would be something like eggs, meat, etc. I don't want to induce a higher insulin response after the commute as I still want my body to run on as much fat as possible.

If you're one of those people who can only ride at maximum, then I'd suggest some carbs for your WR attempt for getting to work.
😉

If you're one of those people who can only ride at maximum, then I'd suggest some carbs for your WR attempt for getting to work.

Pffffffffffffttt.. I think you missed the bit where I said an 11 mile commute took me 45 to 50 minutes! I'm not exactly Wiggo here 😀

"If you're one of those people who can only ride at maximum, then I'd suggest some carbs for your WR attempt for getting to work."

waving 😀 - thats me ....

[i]Pffffffffffffttt.. I think you missed the bit where I said an 11 mile commute took me 45 to 50 minutes! I'm not exactly Wiggo here[/i]

I'm with you. Don't get me wrong, I like a good sprint or higher pace ride, may be once or twice a week. But I know folk who, whenever they get on their bike. Have to go Max-attack. I guess they can't help it.

To meet the demands of sustained, higher intensity exercise, the body will release other hormones and will need carbohydrates to fuel the activity. In those situations, if you haven't carb'd-up correctly, then things might not turn out as expected.

🙂

To be fair, 45 mins [i]is[/i] me pushing myself 😳

I'm loathe to change too much as it seems to be working so far.

if it's working then just ignore me 🙂

I'm using the MFP app too (it's really good isn't it) and it suggests that my calorie goal is 1,270 per day (including 10 hours of exercise a week) and I'm a bit shorter and lighter than you. But my weight goal is to be achieved in 5 weeks so I guess it stands to reason that you can eat more than me you b****** 🙂

1,270 per day

😯

Try just eating breakfast during your commute; Cornflakes and milk followed by boiled egg and soldiers. I think that would guarantee more weight loss. 😀

Eat before, and limit yourself to a black coffee or similar when you get to work. If you eat after you'll eat twice as much.

Personally I don't need to eat after 11 miles, it's not that far!

I'm using the MFP app too (it's really good isn't it)

Yeah it's helping me lose weight - ergo I like it 😀

I even got to see my own nob yesterday [i]without[/i] using a mirror. Not all of it mind, but it's a start 😉

(it hasn't aged well though 😕 )

t suggests that my calorie goal is 1,270 per day (including 10 hours of exercise a week)

I don't think it includes the exercise goal you set in your calorie goal. Your 1270 should be a baseline which you add exercises calories to as you earn them.

The exercise goal just seems to be there to keep you on target - changing it doesn't alter your calorie allowance.

my weight goal is to be achieved in 5 weeks

Oooof!

Yeah I'm looking for reasonably slow, sustainable loss cos I've got a fair way to go (7 kilos lost so far, another 5 to go before I hit "normal range" BMI).

I'm a bit shorter and lighter than you

My wife is on a similar allowance to you and she fits in a size 8 😀

you can eat more than me you b***

That's Fat B** if you don't mind 😀

[img] [/img]

Eat whatever roadkill you hit on the commute.

Your 1270 should be a baseline which you add exercises calories to as you earn them.

yep, that's what I mean.
I've only been doing it for 2 weeks.
calorie intake is 1,600-1,800 on week days with an estimated -600 from exercise. 2,500 on the weekend when I'll do a 2/3 hour ride = -1,500 kcals.
I've found that the calorie target is fairly easy with the exercise, but I only have carbs (bread, potato, pasta or rice) at lunchtime.
I eat a lot of eggs.
I loves eggs.

I only have carbs (bread, potato, pasta or rice) at lunchtime

Do you stick to the MFP recommended macros then or did you set your own?

(I'm not very savvy when it comes to "sports nutrition" or any nutrition for that matter - hence this question and my rather blind adherence to what MFP says).

I didn't know what they were until you mentioned them...
MFP suggests carb/fat/proteins should be 55/30/15, my actuals are 40/43/17.

I don't know much about sports nutrition either - my regime is a hybrid of:
- eat what you want but count calories
- low carbs with virtually none at dinner time - mainly lunchtime sandwiches
- hardly any additional sugar
- avoid processed foods
- eat lots of eggs as they are yummy, low in calories and filling
- exercise

Okay, looks like MFP recommends the same macro ratio to you. Not sure how it comes up with that one. I tend to be spot on for Protein but take slightly more fat and less carb than it suggests - so very similar to you.

I like eggs too - sadly they are as bad for you as smoking!* 😉

* according to [url= http://www.nhs.uk/news/2012/08august/Pages/Eating-egg-yolks-as-bad-as-smoking.aspx ]recent nonsense in the Daily Mail[/url] (non-DM link)

only if you smoke at the same time and have a pre-existing heart condition and the bottom of the article says

there is no firm evidence that egg yolks are as bad for you as smoking.

good old NHS 😐

good old NHS

I think they did a pretty good job of carefully rubbishing the Daily Heil's boggle-eyed headline without actually saying [i]"they are deliberately misrepresenting a study to sell papers. Again."[/i] 😀

[i]only if you smoke at the same time and have a pre-existing heart condition[/i]
Exactly !.

Its no surprize to me that Atherosclerosis and stroke are linked to smoking, along with a western, grain based diet, which has prevailed during the last ~50 years.

I believe that if you reduce your propensity for the onset of atherosclerosis, you will not see as much if any accumulation of arterial plaque, etc. I don't see eggs as bringing on atherosclerosis.

Interesting thread. I've often wondered this myself but I'm too sleep deprived to trade time in bed for food in stomach!

I commute on an empty stomach but I'm still full of energy. I'm skinny if that's relevant. My commute takes 25 minutes at a decent pace.

When I get to work I eat a huge bowl of porridge at my desk.