By James Krieger, M.S., M.S.
Ask 100 people whether or not you should eat before your workout -- especially a morning workout --and you'll get one of two answers.
Some will tell you that you shouldn't eat before your workout. Their reasoning is that, if you eat before your workout, your body will use the food for energy, rather than the fat you're trying to reduce.
Other people will tell you that you should eat before your workout, because otherwise you won't have any energy to push yourself, and your workout will suffer. So which answer is right?
A Lesson in Fat Loss
Many of people believe that when you're in the gym, you're there to burn fat. However, that's not true. The amount of fat you burn during a workout is small when you compare it to the amount that people typically lose in a week. If you expend 400 calories in a workout, you might burn around 20 grams of fat. That's not much.
In fact, it really doesn't matter how much fat you burn during a workout. What matters is the amount of calories you expend.
Even if you didn't burn any fat during a workout, you will still lose fat if you expend more calories than you eat. Why?
Let's say you burn 200 calories of carbohydrates during a workout. While you didn't burn any fat, you created an energy deficit. Your body is going to make up for this deficit by taking the energy from your fat stores after you're done working out.
As long as you create that energy deficit, your body will get rid of the fat at some point during the day. It's like digging a hole. It doesn't matter whether you dig up dirt or gravel...you still have a hole!
Yes or No?
This brings us to the concept of eating before a workout. As mentioned previously, it doesn't matter how much fat you burn during a workout, as long as you create an energy deficit. This means that you shouldn't worry about eating before a workout, as it's not going to inhibit your fat loss.
Are you low on energy or feel weak during your workout? Then go ahead and have a snack beforehand, you'll be able to train harder and get better results. Remember, the more energy you expend, the more fat you will lose.
On the other hand, does eating before you workout cause you to feel ill or induce cramping? If so, then go ahead and avoid that pre-workout snack.
The bottom line is to do what's right for you. If you need a pre-workout snack to keep you going through those early morning workouts, usually a small combination of protein and carbohydrate works the best.
Try a 20/20 shake or half of a 20/20 protein bar. If you do better without any food, then do your workout first and then have a shake afterwards. Either way, you'll successfully lose fat, as long as you're eating fewer calories than you expend through the entire day.