Workouts before Breakfast Fight Fat

Perhaps it started with the holiday office party. Someone brought fudge. Then it was the neighbor’s date nut bread. Toasted with cream cheese. And let’s not forget your mother-in-law’s famous lemon bars. They were delicious, too.

And now, as you sit back and reflect on the year, those extra calories are sitting with you, too.

What should you do?

According to the latest study in burning calories, researchers are claiming the best way to fight off fat is to work out vigorously on an empty stomach. This might sound a little bizarre because so many of us have been told how important it is to give our bodies fuel before exercising. But scientists in the Journal of Physiology say you have a better chance of not gaining any weight from indulging if you hit the gym before you hit the refrigerator. After sleeping for several hours, you will be in a fasted state. So early morning is your best chance to take advantage of this strategy.

How did scientists discover this?

Well, they followed 28 young men who agreed to a diet that was 50 percent fat and one-third more calories than normal. Some of them didn’t exercise at all. The others exercised but only half of them ate some kind of carbohydrate breakfast.

After six weeks, the ones who didn’t eat before working out barely gained any weight at all. The ones who did eat gained weight but not as much as the guys who did nothing at all. They gained an average of six pounds each.

To make a regimen like this work, the researchers emphasized that the workouts had to be intense such as running and cycling four days per week. Two of the workouts were an hour; the other two 90 minutes.

If you’ve ever exercised like this, you’ll know how taxing that would be on an empty stomach. And if your favorite step aerobics class doesn’t start until 10 a.m., common sense should prevail. Eat some breakfast first.

The good news for those of us who like our Greek yogurt in the morning is that eating before exercise also can improve your sports performance.

Let the experts at Bon Secours help you meet your weight loss goals.