Working Out Before Breakfast Leads to More Weight Loss?

A well-balanced diet and regular exercise are the two pillars of fitness. For those who want to get back their svelte figures, eating healthy meals and doing regular workout regimens are necessary. We have known these facts for some time now although more recent studies have shown that doing these in newer ways maximizes weight loss.

There is no doubt that breakfast is the day’s most important meal. Because it is crucial to health, nutritionists and other health experts all insist that it should be eaten. A busy schedule is no excuse to miss breakfast as this revs up your metabolism. When you eat breakfast, you generally avoid the urge to snack, mostly on sugary concoctions, by midmorning. Conversely, those who do not put a premium on breakfast gain weight more because their metabolic rates have lowered and they are more prone to eating empty calories from processed food.

Exercise, on the other hand, may be done any time of the day. Cardiovascular exercises performed even for 30 minutes on most days of the week and strength training done for no more than an hour twice a week are enough to put your weight at manageable levels and keep yourself free from such obesity-related diseases as hypertension, type 2 diabetes and other heart-related ailments.

But to make your exercises more effective, especially if you’re on the road to weight loss, studies have found that having your first meal of the day after you’ve done your regular workout routine is bound to produce better results. Compared to those who do not exercise and those who exercised only after eating breakfast, individuals who workout first before having their morning fill burned fat more. They are not bound to gain any weight and are less likely to develop signs of insulin resistance.

This was actually proven in a study conducted in Belgium. In the six-week study, males were divided into the three groups mentioned above. In addition to the above findings, the study again proved what happens to those who did not exercise: They did not only gain more pounds, they also developed signs of conditions that would later lead to diabetes if not checked with proper fitness practices.

Those who did pre-breakfast exercises shed more pounds off. Interestingly, those who did post-breakfast workouts were still more prone to weight gain. It seems that in a pre-breakfast workout, fat is oxidized faster because of the long fast the night before.

While the group who authored the study did not specify what kind of breakfast would further help in weight loss, a balanced menu composed of carbohydrates, proteins and a little fat should be enough to get your energy going throughout the day. Having a piece of fruit like banana or apple would also fulfill part of the vitamin and mineral requirement that help in maintaining certain body functions and enhancing your immune system functions.

While the study cited above instructed participants to do running and cycling sessions for 60 to 90 minutes four times weekly, researchers say that less intense exercises will still be able to accomplish the same purpose.

Lastly, don’t forget to look over our in-depth P90X results and this blog post about Turbo Jam.