48 Comments

1. George Beinhorn
   

   Your post reminded me of Ian Jackson, my roommate in 1972-74, who fasted for seven days and ran 140 miles in the Berkeley Hills in that time, many of those miles with a notorious hard-trainer, Rich Delgado. He described the almost mystical experience of the last run, in a book called Food for Fitness, published by Runner’s World (long out of print).

   I ran/walked up to 35 miles fasted for years. The runs went well, but the recovery was awful. Turns out it’s not a good idea to exercise more than two hours without consuming carbs, protein, and fat, because doing so increases the production of cortisol. Runners who habitually run very long fasted look much older than their age.

   For shorter runs, and even for longer ones, I still like to start fasted, or with a very small “breakfast” of just a few dates. The running goes much easier than if my body is trying to get in synch with exercising and digesting at the same time.

   Former pro triathlete John Douillard claims, in his book Body, Mind and Sport, that it’s the carbs you consume at yesterday’s lunch that actually fuel you for this morning’s run. He may be right; during my long fasting runs I never felt carb-deprived. I was eating lots of complex carbs in my diet.

   Good article.
2. Louise
   

   Day 8 progress report:

   My schedule is dinner only Monday to Friday, weekends off. On weekends and at dinner I don’t gorge myself but eat until I’m satisfied. On weekends I eat three small paleo meals with a glass of wine at dinner, weekdays one paleo meal with lots of vegetables.

   One thing I have been doing, can’t get through without it… coffee in the morning, no sugar, but I do take a little whole milk. Perhaps a tea or two (no sugar, little milk) during the day. I know this isn’t strictly part of the plan, but I get a bit too hungry without and I don’t want to eat during the day. Warm drinks help me over the hump. What are your thoughts?

   I’ve lost about a kilogram over last week and a few cms from my waist with 4 days of one hour walking and one whole day of intensive resistance work – extreme gardening! I pulled up about a tonne of pavers and chopped down three trees. Needless to say, my arms were killing me at the end of the day, the next day I could feel it in my abs, back, legs and butt. Talk about a full body work-out!

   The only downside to this so far… I’ve been a little on the moody side. I am also less rational. Not sure if this is a permanent feature or just transitional, but I’ll wait it out and see what happens.

   On the plus side… this is weird… I’m not pregnant or anything, but my boobs have gotten bigger! LOL I have no idea why. Any ideas? Haha or not, it is a bit weird.
3. Mike OD
   

   George – We all have plenty of fat for energy for days…the key is tapping into that metabolism. Also we can store lots of glycogen in our muscles but it depends on the intensity of the workout on how quickly it is used. Anything done too much over 45-60min will get the cortisol elevated and then start an environment of potential muscle breakdown/loss (which is not good of course). Even when starting off with some higher intensity intervals could help to get GH up and help spare muscle during a longer workout. I feel great doing workouts fasted….as long as they are kept under control. (I can bike for an hour and enjoy it…or lift weights for 30min…and don’t feel “heavy” like at the end of the day when the stomach is fuller). Vit C can also help with cortisol.
4. Mike OD
   

   Louise – one meal a day for 5x is not the normal IF I’d recommend. I’d at least say try to get in a 5 hour eating window to spread out some of the calories (like 2-3 smaller meals) or rotate 24 hour fasts every 2-3 days (like T-Th or M-W-F have dinner). Remember that more fasting is not always better and we want to make sure we are not signaling a starvation response (which will mean muscle loss and a pleatau in weight loss). Moody can be a sign of not enough healthy fats in the diet (your brain likes fats…as that is what it is mainly made out of….DHA from fish oil is key for brain health). It could also be a sign of other hormonal things that are not working they way they should due to a too low calorie diet. On the other benefit you noticed….I guess…your welcome? Really have no idea but it could be the illusion as you lose weight around your stomach and hips, it will only magnify other areas (or is it more hormonal related? Not being a woman…that is not my “forte”). Just make sure you don’t overstress your system by not eating enough for your activity level and healthy immune function weekdays and on the weekends. Make sure you are getting enough protein and healthy fats. Play around with the IF eating windows, meals and you will soon find something that works great for you. Remember it’s a lifestyle…so long term health and results are what matter.
5. MikeB
   

   I typically workout in the morning in a fasted state but have never tried the weight and walking/running on the same day routine. I split my weight and cardio workout on different days.
   Would a routine like one of the Warrior Workouts for Ross Enamait book Infinite Intnesity achieve the same results?
6. Mike OD
   

   MikeB – not familiar with the format (do not have the book), can you explain more in detail about the workout scheme?
7. Sarena Kopciel
   

   So I have been off anything for the last few days with the birth of my first granddaughter–second grandchild!! She was born in my home in my bed!! What an amazing experience!! truly surreal, espec as I cut the cord.

   So I have been sleep deprived and probably ate too much these days too, although all good clean paleo foods (exception of raw kefir)!! And I havent used the computer much or even exercised.. This has all been healing, especially as I bond with my daughter and her daughter!!

   I plan on hitting the weights today for the first time since Thurs!! I am just sleep deprived:)
8. Mike OD
   

   Sarena – Congrats!
9. Katie B
   

   So one week in and I’ve lost about two pounds, but more importantly I can actually see that my waist is smaller, aka pants are bigger. I’ve really got to measure my waist so I have numbers

   Thanks for this article, I’m going to start doing sprints in the morning. I did it this morning and I feel great. I didn’t do enough post-sprint activity this time out to really get the effect described in the post, but it’s a start.

   As for the IF that’s still on track, with my 8 hour eating window. It really doesn’t feel like fasting, it’s just not eating late. I love it. I’ve been doing it for about two months, though, so it’s not a new lifestyle at this point. Having this challenge has definitely made me think before cheating, though, which is why my pants are bigger this week.
10. Melanie
    

    I’ve always preferred working out fasted; if I have any food in my stomach it gives me side stitches when I work out. Now I have another good reason to continue that habit!

    I’ve gone a week with no desserts! I know that’s probably not a big deal to most people here, but for me this is a huge first step. For the first time in forever I don’t feel like I need to eat candy or other crap to get through the day. My weight is stable, but at this point I don’t care about weight – I’m not craving sugar! Yay! This challenge has been a great kick-start for me, I’m even thinking of cutting out grains after this challenge is up.

    Thank you MOD, your posts are very encouraging.
11. tirzah
    

    MOD,
    How much DOES cortisol affect fat gain/loss/retention?
    I’m very curious because my body fat has been consistently very difficult to lose over the last two years, coinciding with a protracted personally very stressful period of time for me. Both stress and fat are still present.
    In the past, pre-major-stress, cleaning up my diet would clean out the body fat, along with increased exercise. Now I’m stronger and faster than ever, eating increasingly clean every month, and there’s no discernible fat loss.
    In your experience/knowledge, how likely is it that this fat rentention/personal stress “coincidence” isn’t a coincidence at all? Does this make my efforts pretty much as fruitless as they feel right now (I’m maintaining fat levels, not losing anything) until I deal with the stress?
12. Mike OD
    

    If the worse thing you say about me is that I made you spend more money on smaller sized clothes…then I guess I can live with that.
13. Mike OD
    

    Tirzah – Cortisol is a hormone for blood sugar regulating during stressful times, and chronic levels can lead to muscle breakdown/lower metabolism and fat storage. Stress is a VERY important factor we need to look at in our lives (and very often overlooked until too late). I don’t think there is any coincidence at all, as I have dealt with people that had serious adrenal issues (cortisol burnout) and had to take a longer road back to health and fat loss because of it. Best way is to never get that burned out in the first place. Re-read the Why Stress is Making You Fat and Sick post for more detailed info on all that. Our body and health are the sum of all parts….and if one part is all messed up (hormonally speaking), the rest will be effected as well. Keep up the exercise and eating and work on controlling your stress. Also you may need to just add in some more activity (lifestyle cardio) to get a little extra burn…such as more after an intense weight lifting or interval session as discussed above. There are tricks and always something that can be done, but you will still need to control that chronic stress before it gets worse and worse. Most stress is just based on past or future events, something that has already happened or not yet happened. Don’t focus on that, just focus on what you need to do in the present moment and then the future will come along soon enough. It’s not about “eliminating” the sources of stress as so much as mentally just not being effected by it. Because guess what, the stress comes from WITHIN you! Potentially stressful stimulating situations will always be around us….but it’s up to us how we control what we do. Do you “react” to outside stimulus….or do you just “act” in the present moment knowing it’s what you need to do right now. It’s always better to act….then react.
14. Margie
    

    Mike,

    Question about PWO food. I usually hear that most of your daily carbs should happen at the PWO meal, even if fat loss is part of your goal. But that is contrary to what you’ve posted here.

    Thoughts?

    Keep up the good work on your daily posts! It’s really motivating.

    Margie
15. Mike OD
    

    Margie – Yes and No. It’s going to depend on your workouts, the intensity, your kind of IF, goals, starting BF%, etc. For the most part, people don’t need alot of carbs pwo so the amount is usually small anyways. It’s more to make sure that if you are going to have more carbs, it is best when your insulin sensitivity of your muscle is at it’s highest and it goes to replenish muscle glycogen. One person hears carbs and thinks a small sweet potato….another may think all you can eat pasta (which is always a bad idea). If you want some fruit after a hard workout (still waiting 60min or so) then that is the ideal time. In the end fat loss is still a total calorie intake question and will come down to individualistic insulin resistance issues and intensity of workout whether those carbs go into muscle glycogen, or fat. Also you can cycle carbs, aka low during the week and higher on the weekends (like the Metabolic Diet) or can do macrocycles during the week (more refills on workout days). Go by what your hunger and body is telling you….if you feel you need replenishment, then have some…if you feel that you don’t need it, then don’t add extra carbs. I do recommend pwo carbs for those really wanting more muscle gain than fat loss (and are already starting at a low BF)….but those needing to lose more weight may do better off without it. Performance, hunger and whether you are getting results should be the real factors in answering those questions for you. Play around with it (start with some small pieces of fruit if you want….a plus is that they are also loaded with anti-oxidants after a workout) and you will find the right combination for your body.
16. MikeB
    

    MikeOD,

    The workouts are circuit type high intensity with weights.
    5 dumbbell snatches
    5 dumbbell swings
    10 burpees
    Rest 60 seconds

    Repeat 5 times.
17. Mike OD
    

    MikeB – Sounds like fun! I assume the swings and snatches are at a heavy weight (like around 10Rmax) and explosive. That would sure get the intensity level high, and a good GH response. I assume the whole workout takes about 15-20min. The harder effort you give, the more hormonal response you will get, that’s why I also like the 60 sec rest between rounds to charge up and then go at it with intensity every round. There are many kinds of workouts, can switch up the exercise (add/rotate in another like a squat&press/thruster or pushups and pullups), I could write up 20 different great circuits in my head…but at the end you should still feel refreshed (like you got a great workout and are not “bonked”) and be able to do another 20-30min of slower state “cardio” if fat loss the is the goal. Have fun with it…you can make up your own circuits depending on what you like and is fun.
18. JC
    

    Hi Mike,

    I’m trying IF at the moment, eating from 17:00 ish for 5-6 hrs, i like to workout 1st thing fasted, but do also believe that pwo nutrition following weight training is important, you mentioned you like to workout in the morning as well, so how do you handle pwo nutrition given that your not eating during the day? (aka the IF lifestyle)? my ideal solution would be to do hit intervals am & weights in the evening while in the feeding window for recovery / muscle growth but that doesn’t fit in with my schedule.
    JC
19. Mike OD
    

    JC – As for me “Not eating during the day”? I hope that is not ALL day! Ha. No seriously, pwo nutrition is probably the most debatable topic on here…but yes I do eat in a pwo window. You can try to do splits for AM more “cardio” and PM more weights (just make sure to not overdo it….as you can and will burn out. that and you really only need weights 3x a week at most). If I do my workouts they will be in a fasted state and I will be sure to eat somewhere about 60-90 min afterward (as the pwo window is from 30min to 3 hours). So in a sense I do both my workouts fasted and do eat pwo (my workouts are usually later in the AM for this). You can always try and play around with some BCAA supplementation pre-workout too (as long as it doesn’t contain sugars and promote an insulin response). Remember that muscles grow all day long…and only when you are not working them out. The 2 most important factors being enough protein to build new muscle and enough calories to signal a muscle building environment. The biggest mistake most people make when trying to build muscle is not eating enough and working out way too much.
20. Jessica
    

    Hi Mike

    Wow! Love your posts.

    I mostly do AM workouts fasted. I would like to know what would be a good breakfast (protein/veggies/fat) 60min after resistance training?

    I usually eat a toast made from low GI wholegrain bread with peanut butter (no added sugar) on it. Can you make any other or better suggestions?

    Thanks
21. Mike OD
    

    Jessica – try adding in some eggs or other meats. Replace the toast with some fruit. The bigger question is what you are doing is it working for you? What are your goals?
22. Achintya
    

    Hi

    It also says to eat a meal of protein+carbs 60 mins after your workout – doesn’t that ruin the point of fasting during the day, since you’re not supposed to eat anything?

    Also what are some good post-workout things to eat?

    Thanks
23. Mike OD
    

    Ach – that is assuming you have fasted up to your workout (and will also depend on when your workout is). Good post workout foods are whole foods….no sugary drinks, no powders….whole food proteins and whole food carbs…which could be fruits, veggies, rice, and lean meats. Post workout is the best time to have higher whole food carbs, lean meats and lower fats….then eat higher fats/mod protein/lower carbs all other times/days. It will keep you lean and build muscle.
24. wasd
    

    If I workout in the morning should I still eat a pwo meal afterwards? Doesn’t that mean my fast is broken?
25. Rick Stewart
    

    I started doing IF last Friday. My fast is currently 19 hours with the window being from 5-10pm. My work hours are from 7:30-3:00.
    I ride my bike to work 15 miles and then I ride home 8 hours later another 15 miles. Should I have a piece of fruit after my first ride or before my second ride? I’m thinking my first ride will deplete the glycogen supplies in my legs. What’s your take on this? Thanks!
26. Mike OD
    

    wasd – yes when you eat…a fast is broken. If your workout is more “cardio” then you don’t need a pwo…if it’s more strength/muscle based then ideally for maximum protein synthesis you would. Just have your IF on non-muscle training days, and then eat pwo on the days you train with resistance. Many options to make IF work for you.

    Rick – How long does it take you to ride 15miles? Also what pace? Do you do any other type of workouts? If you can ride in the AM slow and steady and feel fine, then you probably don’t need much replenishment. You ideally are trying to burn fat as a fuel during your ride right? So having sugar before really won’t be the goal. There are other things to consider such as excess cortisol and your goals. You can try taking some Vit C with water and amino acids pre-riding if your concern is about losing muscle.
27. Charlene
    

    Hi Mike!

    “work out fasted” if I eat dinner at 5:30pm and work out at 5:30am is that “fasted” enough to reep the benefits? I do cardio then strength training – reversing that starting tomorrow! I’ve always thought it weird, but I have more energy in the early morning Boyfriend loves that Sorry TMI! Looking for bigtime fat loss, going on vacation in 30 days!
28. Mike OD
    

    Charlene – That is plenty fasted. If you do more intervals/strength first and then trail off into more lower intensity cardio, then you are able to get those free fatty acids released from the fat cells and then burned in the muscle. Although I appreciate the wanting to lose alot of weight, remember there is never a super quick and easy way but you can see good results if you do all the right things.
29. Charlene
    

    Hi Mke!

    Yes I know I am being very realistic, but have to admit, this is my 3rd week dedicated to weight loss and my first week doing IF and I’ve been more successful adding IF to my other efforts. Seriously….. I’m doing this the healthiest way I can and I’m getting better at it.

    28 days until Hawaii!!! Down 7 pounds.

    IF is a lifesaver.
30. peter Campbell
    

    Hi Mike,
    I am new to your concepts but have been a cyclist for years. I currently could use to lose about 5 pounds and wonder about the best intensity for weight loss. I usually ride 3 or 4 days a week at a moderate aerobic pace for about 1 hour with about a 20 minute hard climb at the end. Would it be better to just do a 1hr slow ride or a 30 minute intense ride 3 or 4 times a week ? Any thoughts…
31. Jon
    

    Hey Mike, I’d like to get your opinion on a new workout schedule I have planned. Currently I wake up fairly early, and workout first thing. I usually just have some distilled water, and if need be some sort of stimulant. I have no problem with my workouts, I usually alternate cardio and weight training days. Thing is I really don’t have much time to eat breakfast or really prepare anything after my workouts since I usually head to work afterward. I usually just have some fruits and usually eat lunch. I’d like to follow a more Warrior Diet, or Martin’s (Leangains) approach and have my workouts in the evening right after work and have my meals afterward. Now my proposed schedule should be, early AM run/walk to get my blood flowing and it will be nice to wake up. Then just eat fruits here and there until my evening workout (which will be lifting), followed by my meals. Thoughts?
32. Mike OD
    

    Jon – I guess I would first need to know what your goals are…..weight loss, build muscle, etc. Warrior Diet is a great way to go (as I like to eat light during the day also and more at night). You could also snack on nuts….or other things smaller in protein and fat besides just fruit. Make your meals after your strength workouts high in good carbs (low fat) and some protein….you should see some favorable results.
33. Jon
    

    Thanks Mike, actually I’m just looking to be lean overall. I’m not looking to get huge or anything, but I’d like to have some muscle. I just want to be fit. I’m trying to adjust to eating lightly throughout the day and eating much more after my evening workouts. It’s a bit of a toss up with my work though (military) since we do some pretty intense workouts Mon, Wed, and Friday early in the morning. Most of the workouts in the morning are cardio based, so I figure I can eat lighter in the mornings anyways. I’ll leave the bigger meals till after my weight lifting workouts. Thanks!
34. Sydgal
    

    I’ve just found this site and it’s amazing! I have to thank my friend who alerted me to it. I’ve been working out in the mornings now for close to 3 years in fasted state and have lost 83 lbs..got a few more to go but getting there. I’ve been doing cardio on the bike for 40 minutes – 10 minute warm up, 20 minutes intense (call it intervals and I use a heart rate monitor to monitor my heart rate) and then a 10 minute cool down. Has worked a charm. I can’t fathom riding at a snail’s pace, it would bore me to tears. According to my heart rate monitor I reach a HR of 159-163 (I’m 45 year old woman with a resting heart rate of 63) for a minute and then slow down for a minute, rinse and repeat.

    If I’m understanding this correctly, if I do the 40 minute workout, should I continue to ride a much much slower pace for another 20 minutes?

    Thanks again for the great site!
35. Mike OD
    

    Sydgal – welcome to the site! Great job you have done so far….amazing! Yes you would want to little by little increase the intensity of your intervals…to generate a bigger hormonal response, and then use the last 20 min at a slower pace to burn the fat that you are letting free from the intervals. Your workouts should leave you feel refreshed and energetic at the end….not completely bonked and low blood sugar. Keep up the great work!
36. Sydgal
    

    Thanks Mike! It’s been a work in progress and at times a tough one but the goal is to be healthy and strong. I’ve been so impressed with your site, I’ve bought the IF ebook and plan on reading it this weekend.

    Now I’ve got another question for you – how do you know you have triggered the hormonal response?

    Thanks
37. LisaR
    

    Lyle McDonald knows a lot more than all of you. EPOC amounts to almost nothing.

    Also exercise , whether it is intense or no, t does NOT make you burn any more calories in the next 24 hours then you do on days you just laid on the couch.

    All calorie burning from exercise happens DURING exercise. This calorie burn is usually greatly oiverrated and over estimated. A 250 pouind man for example will ONLY burn 75 calories while walking a mile.

    Look up Dr. Melanson. This is peer reviewed research and correct. Quacks hate peer review. His recent research has shown exercise does NOT elevate the metabolism in the next 24 hours . There is NO afterburn.
38. Mike OD
    

    Sydgal – If you do intervals for 30-60sec at a 85%+ intensity then you will get some hormonal response. Also lactic byproduct buildup (aka the burn in the muscles after 30+ seconds of effort) brings about a positive GH response.

    LisaR – Lyle is a smart guy, not going to argue with that….but if you know Lyle’s approach well enough….you will also know his fat loss approach (esp stubborn fat) is intervals first and more activity later…similar to what is recommended here. You don’t see EPOC praised as the primary solution here (nor am I selling Cosgrove’s “Afterburn” on my site and never have). In fact…lifestyle activity has always been recommended as you do burn fat in an aerobic state….which is really all day long, not during more intense anaerobic activity. Intense exercise such as intervals generate a hormonal response like GH (and other catecholamines)…which can in turn also increase pulses over 24hrs (as GH is released in multiple pulses throughout the day)….which is a hormonal messenger to the fat cells to release those stored fats….increased bloodflow from activity can increase the hormonal messages sent to those fat cells and increase the rate of FFAs (free fatty acids) released and delivered to the muscles where they are burned up in the mitochondria (since one of the many reasons we have stubborn fat is the lack of good blood flow, along with other receptor issues)….also known as the process of lipolysis….hence a slow and steady active lifestyle based around more brief intense activity will increase the likeliness of more FFAs being taken to the muscles to be burned in an oxygen based environment (aka the aerobic state). We are not advocating intervals and then sitting our our butt to burn more fat. Thanks for stopping by.

    

    Chris Davis Reply:
    

    Lisa is right.

    First off Lyle’s protocol is for people who are already very lean because substrate utilization is irrelevant for fat mass loses during dieting for the vast majority of people trying to lose weight. By having your average overweight trainee doing morning fasted cardio, you are simply limiting the total calories they can burn since they are working out at a suboptimal level due to low glucose. There’s no reason to have your clients doing cardio fasted unless they are already lean.

    Also, Lyle’s approach is more detailed than that. Lyle has them doing intense cardio (not necessarily intervals) to release the stored free fatty acids, and then steady state cardio to burn the said FFA’s. You just casually mention that additional cardio may be needed because people may not be doing intervals at a sufficient intensity to maximize caloric expenditure. That’s not the same thing. Again, in lean individuals who are fighting to reduce body fat to single digits, where hormonal changes are working against fat loss, substrate utilization because relevant which is why low intensity cardio is needed immediately after the high intensity work since it will utilize the fat for fuel. Your insistence that carbohydrate will “shut off the fat burning” is true but so will the protein you recommend in the post workout meal. Gluconeogenesis is a real pain that way, especially when you’re fasted and have low blood sugar. Not that it would matter anyway since frankly, your protocol isn’t optimal for stubborn fat or the typical dieter. Your protocol isn’t set up to optimize substrate utilization and only in that context would the fat oxidation sparing effect of macronutrient intake become remotely relevant at all so your recommendation become nonsensical.

    I’d also mention that as Lisa stated, EPOC is so minimal as to be completely inconsequential to fat loss. So why even mention it at all. It’s pseudoscience plain and simple. It needs to be dispensed with.

    Finally you need to BLOCK A2 receptors, not agonize them as you suggest. This is why Lyle recommends yohimbine a selective alpha 2 receptor antagonist.

    No offense intended, I’m just adding to the scientific discourse.

    

    Chris Davis Reply:
    

    Oh and do you really think the GH repsonse to trainign impacts body composition? That’s a serious question. I’m really not so sure as even large doses of injected HGH have a modest effect on fat loss. This reminds me of people advocating squats in part because of the increase in tesosterone post workout. big whoop,lol
39. Sydgal
    

    Thanks Mike…

    Should I be keeping the speed and the HR at 85% for 30 seconds/60 seconds? IE: when I hit 159+ should I keep it at that for a full 30 seconds? I’ve been counting it from the go to whoa (usually it will go from a low of 131 to a high of 159+ but I reach that 159+ in the last 15 seconds. I know it’s getting too nitpicky but the more info I have, the better the brain understands all of it.
40. Mike OD
    

    Sydgal – to be honest…you may keep your sanity and happiness just tossing the HR monitor….you don’t really need it to know that you are working hard right? Sometimes simple is better….and also becoming more in tune with how you really feel on a effort level is more important than trying to use modern devices. Give it your best steady effort for 30-60sec at a time (which you can also increase with each interval)….and at the end of the workout, make sure you aren’t completely bonked.
41. cian
    

    Ok how about this, i recently switched from high carb to low carb diet for the increase in growth hormone and testosterone it gives.

    My reason for wanting more GH and T is to help maximize my peak bone mass as i wasted my teen years on booze (just 20 recently) and iv always admired strong faces due to thick facial bones.

    I am a naturally thin build but im athletic and into sports, however, i don’t want to build muscle and if i did put on muscle i wouldnt mind losing it.

    Is it possible to maximize GH and T secretion without ending up all muscley and stuff?
    Is cortisol from working out a bad thing for my goals, i mean, would it be bad for your skeleton aswell as you losing muscle….
42. Shannon
    

    Hi,

    I´m not morning person, and usually hungry when I wake up. I really need close to an hour to have some coffee or tea and eat something, and let my digestive system wake up, if you know what I mean. I usually eat fruit and yogurt with some nuts and raisins for breakfast, if not that then some toast and egg.

    If I’m very very tired I won’t be hungry in the morning, but if things are running properly I start getting angry if I got too long awake without food in me.

    Any tips for getting some benefits of the fasted state for us hungry non-morning people? As it is I usually walk up hills and do capoeira mid day three times and week, and am trying to build some resistance training with exercise bands in on the off days; I would do this earlier in the morning. (I’ll see if I can do in a fasted state but the effect on my digestive system concerns me a bit).

    I’d appreciate it.
43. What is the Best Time to Workout? | The IF Life
    [...] the past I have talked about the advantages of working out in a “fasted state”, which can easily be done first thing in the morning. However early in the morning is not the [...]
44. Zane
    

    There was a great study highlighted in the NY Times on the benefits of fasted training which included increased insulin sensitivity, even with a hi calorie, hi fat diet .
    http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/phys-ed-the-benefits-of-exercising-before-breakfast/?src=me&ref=general

    The study excerpt is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837645
45. stan
    

    “”While high levels of insulin can lower GH response (a good reason not to eat sugar immediately post workout)”"

    Only fructose [fruit sugar] goes through cell walls without insulin via diffusion
46. When Should You Workout? | PFS Body
    [...] the past I have talked about the advantages of working out in a “fasted state”, which can easily be done first thing in the morning. However early in the morning is not the [...]