I’ve been doing HIIT training and recently it fits into my schedule at 7am. Normally I would fast until 9am. Which, OK, so I’ve been trying to quit eating at 2 to still make the fast during the week and then have toast with nut butter before working out, which seems to give me enough energy without being too much. But what would you do if you went out and had dinner on Friday and wanted to work out Saturday morning? Would you eat anyway so you can make it thru the workout or work out fasted? The thing with HIIT tho is that if you don’t have enough calories you really hurt during the workout. I’m not sure that’s great for my body based on the way it makes me feel.
HIIT has been amazing, but nothing will more quickly tell me that I haven’t eaten right or enough that day than a class. Because in general with just fasting I don’t need a lot of calories, but when working out I do. I’m still trying to find a balance of what my fasting body wants and what my exercising body needs. I’d be curious to know what works for others. Thanks!
Ps: working out in the evenings isn’t an option right now because the last class is 5:30 and I’m working a lot of overtime. Plus morning workouts help me get thru the long days and high demands of work.
Honestly, just do whatever feels right for you.
Some folks work their way up to fasted workouts just powering through with shots of espresso and such. It certainly takes some adjustment and maybe going less hard for a while, but it’s possible. The body has energy even without food, though it will certainly try to tell you otherwise. But it’s same way we don’t die in our sleep.
Others would be fine sacrificing a few fasted hours for a consistent workout routine. In the grand scheme of the week or longer, losing one fast isn’t going matter that much especially if it’s being exchanged for a workout.
It seems Ive been stuck in a plateau and am starting to change things up. I start eating at 11am and workout at 9am. Always fasted now. I feel sluggish some days but some days I’m fine. There was an adjustment period for sure. I’m okay with it since my goal is fat loss and not performance . I keep the same workout schedule on the weekends. Even if I have a cheat meal.