Now this may be an unpopular opinion, or not, but either way; I hate working out whilst in a fast.
I tend to do 18/6 and workout just before I eat ( typically around 4pm) I’m used to doing longer fast, semi-regularly doing 24 hour fast, but I just hate the empty, lethargic feeling of working out whilst fasting, often I’ll downright just feel sick. Today I’m going to change that, I’m going to eat around a small salad of around 240 calories before working out and see how I feel.
Before anyone suggests electrolytes before/ during workout, I already do that - it’s just not enough..
So, my question to the community is; what are your experiences, and what routines between fasting and working out do/do not work for you? (This has surely been asked before, but let’s get some fresh responses).
I’ll comment my conclusion for today after my workout!
If it works with your schedule, try working out early in the morning right when you wake up. In my experience, I get much better workouts in the morning vs afternoon or evening workouts. I also like to drink some coffee right before I workout which kills my appetite for a little bit and helps me feel motivated to workout.
I personally love working out fasted!
I run around 4 miles (40 minutes) 3-4 times a week at about 15 hours fasted. I eat after I shower.
What I’ve noticed is that my speed and endurance are increased when I work out fasted. I’ve been running regularly for almost 8 months and reinstated IF strictly to become a better runner. It worked!
I like to break my fast with fruit, so I’ll have a date, a small to medium banana and an orange with water. I have a 20 min walk to the gym so I let that food settle and I started using pre workout about 2 months ago. I don’t take it all the time, just for days where I’m not really feeling energetic. Then after the gym I’ll have my main meal for the day.
On days when my focus is cardio I’ll usually do that early in the day, if I can’t I’ll do it in the evening before I break my fast at all. I just don’t like running/ cycling on a full stomach.
I do 16:8 2MAD noon-8pm. Normally eat 1st meal at noon. 2nd around 6pm or 7pm. Lifting w/o late afternoon so at least 3-4hrs after 1st meal. I have more of a problem working out on a full stomach. A few months back I was doing longer fasts, up to 4 days. I could w/o fine on tues during a fast started on Sunday. I found that I was a bit weaker the last day of a long fast so I scheduled that as a day off, I only lift 3x/week. Did not struggle with cardio during fasting.
OMAD on Weekends, 16:8 Mondays, I eat regular Tuesday - Friday to help get enough protein on my 4 day workout split. Working on a slow cut down a few lbs after a few weeks. This is something I can maintain as well while cutting another 11-15 lbs
I’m on maintenance right now, doing mostly 20:4 or 22:2. I work out 6 times a week, usually in the very early mornings, about 12-14h into my fast.
I run fasted, which is my preference. For weight lifting, I find that I’m just not eating enough during the day, or at least enough carbs, to sustain good workouts. So I’m still working on adjusting that. In the meantime, I just… eat before I go to the gym when I know I’m going to need it, fast be damned. I usually have a protein smoothie that includes oats and fruits, somewhere between 300 and 400 calories, about an hour before my workout (so around 5am). Then I don’t eat anything else until my regular lunch time in the early afternoon.
After experimenting with food intake and fasting schedules for several weeks, I found that this is what works best for me. Again, I’m on maintenance, not trying to lose weight anymore.
Hopefully I’ll be able to increase my overall intake enough so I don’t have to do that anymore, but right now this is what works.
In your case, since you’re so close to your eating window, your plan should be ok. Just be mindful of what you eat before working out and how long before. A salad’s probably not what will fuel your workout the best (you need carbs for fuel), and if you’re like me, solid food won’t feel so good. Maybe a banana with PB?
No shame in that. I trained for years fasted and then as my lifts got heavier I wanted to experiment with adding a pre workout (usually wholegrain toast + a banana + peanut butter). It was definitely the right move for me and I got great results. Some people just prefer working out fed. I love cardio fasted, I love the explosive fitness I feel. But yeah, for heavy weights I need that extra kick. Not everyone is the same. Some people feel sick when working out fed. I’ve never experienced this, not even after huge meals.
Some people can just use caffeine/black coffee as their pre workout, but because I workout at 7pm, that’s not really an option without detracting from sleep.
I do 16:8 / 18:6 and always work out fasted. My workouts are at least 30 minutes but usually closer to an hour and consist of cardio (indoor rowing or other), core/Pilates, yoga. I drink coffee and water. I don’t usually eat until hours after the workout and I feel fine.
As far as weight training is concerned, im with you %100 . My weights went down by half and I felt like I was spinning my wheels when I was working out at the end of a fast . I tried adjusting my window and only having a shake a half hour before (it helped some but still …meh) I had to have a decent snack ( mostly 3 eggs and some cottage cheese) an hour before working out . Within a week I made some pretty rapid gains close to where I was when I started IF .
I’m like this too but I also get bad vertigo if I have too much coffee/bang (energy drink) in the morning so I take a non drowsy Dramamine, it helps feeling nauseous so I can continue in my fasting and working out
This is why I workout at about 8 pm. If I eat all my food for the day and have digested it enough by then, I can work out with at least some energy. I have noticed though that my ability to workout is impaired while fasting..
Something is not right. You shouldn’t feel tired and lethargic on a fast. You should actually have more energy. Apart from weight loss, the less-known benefit of intermittent fasting is said to be an increase in energy. Eating several times throughout the day means our metabolism goes through cycles of breaking down carbohydrates and turning them into blood sugar. Eventually it is used for energy or stored in cells for later in the form of fat. After blood sugar is consumed or stored by the body, it drops, taking your energy and mental performance down with it. This triggers a “hunger signal”, likely to make us eat and the whole process starts all over again. The constant up and down cycle of blood sugar throughout the day stresses our metabolism and results in overall lower energy levels and mental performance.
What’s the difference with intermittent fasting? When using fat for energy, fat is digested slowly and must be sent to the liver for processing (to ketones) before it can be used for energy. This process happens steadily and consistently with no up and downs, meaning we have more energy, feel better and our concentration levels and cognitive function is also higher. The reason for this is because of a certain fight or flight instinct that forces us to get up and get going so we can hunt or gather our next meal. This is a primitive instinct and you don’t seem to initiating it properly. It could be your fasting cycle, it could be the type of food you’re consuming to break your fast (highly likely), or it could simply be your own biology. Fasting is not for everybody, it works for most people for sure but some people may not be able to utilize it like the rest of us. You’re going to have to figure out what variable is affecting your energy levels. It could be because your body fat % is already too low as well.
I suggest you consult with a professional, experimenting with different fast intervals, diets, and metabolism cycles could have a negative effect on your health.
I normally trail run 12k (about 7.5 miles) fasted 18:6/20:4 (and keto) and won’t eat till several hours later. Although, I do go at an easy 9 m/5.37km minute pace though, heart rate normally about 150-160, topping out at 172. I also always workout first thing in the morning so I probably have more in the tank from the night before. Maybe you need to change the time your working out. Eating right before a workout can make you feel sick too, ideally you need to wait a few hours for your body to actually digest it to get the energy from it.
I think a lot of it also depends on the kind of schedule you have and the person you are. I am definitely a morning person and working out in the morning before I break my fast is easiest for me, plus it helps distract me from thinking about eating. My husband does 20:4 and almost always does his workout in the evenings before his fast ends, because of his work schedule and the fact that he is the most anti-morning person to ever exist in the world.
I usually do cardio in the mornings and add weights in the evenings a few times a week, so maybe splitting it up or changing your times around will help. Good luck!
Working out on an empty stomach is hard for sure. There’s always around it if course. Quite a few of the comments here have already pointed them out.
Working out first thing in the morning. Having coffee before you do. Eat afterwards since that’s the best time for your body to absorb nutrients.
Workout in the evening and eating an hour beforehand. Good if you’re having meals before and after. Releases cortisol right before you’re highest activity point and eating after will help you sleep.
It all really depends on what kind of fat you’re going for, work schedule, and other personal commitments.
I haven’t felt fatigue with 19:5 so far when I start my day with working out first thing in the morning (8-9) and then eat a big breakfast. I’m doing IF for 2.5 months now. I make sure that I have protein rich meals the day before and my pre-workout drink is black coffee.
Reading this thread makes me want to try the pre-workout protein shake because I’m doing strength training. I will give it a try tomorrow.
I go for a 2.5 mile walk over my noon lunch-hour every day while fasting. My eating window is 5pm to 8pm.
It’s just a walk, no running or anything, and I always have plenty of energy for it.
The rest of my workouts happen in the evening when I’ve eaten - rowing machine, bodyweight workouts, fitness bands and running a few times per week.
I’ve found the same thing as op, that there doesn’t seem to be any “gas in the tank” when I try to do a strenuous workout in a fasting state. I keep to a light level of effort until I have the calories to go hard.
I’m 50lb down from my heaviest (235 to 185lb) and have kept it off for over two years, so it’s maintenance at this point, and I’m not trying to actively lose weight.
>Now this may be an unpopular opinion, or not, but either way; I hate working out whilst in a fast.
Hmm, I wonder why. I bet it’s they’re a sugar-burner…
>I’m going to eat around a small salad of around 240 calories before working out and see how I feel.
Ahh. Yep. There it is.