To eat or not to eat, that is the question. . . .

I got up this morning--late, but still morning--and exercised. I had been told in my Transitions Lifestyle coaches that it is best to exercise on an empty stomach because your body then burns fat rather than muscle. I feel great exercising first thing. But then I am thinking I want to add treadmill time afternoons or evenings. So I did some checking online on the subject. After finding strong opinions for and against exercising on an empty stomach, this is one source that seems reasonable to me:

Dear Reader,

As you are already aware, there is debate about strategies for maximal fat burning. This being the case, it's not surprising at all that you are confused.

Let's start by saying that as long as you are exercising, you are doing a great service for your health no matter the time of day. Whether or not you want to work out first thing in the morning or later in the day is usually determined by what fits best into your daily schedule and how you feel at that time.

To help clear up the confusion, it is possible to accomplish your goals of losing fat while maintaining lean muscle. Yes, exercising on an empty stomach allows for maximal fat burning, but it also causes maximal muscle loss. Since you are looking to preserve your muscle mass, you may want to consider the following suggestions that may benefit your early morning workout:

• Drink two eight-ounce glasses of water upon waking to hydrate your body. This is important because when you first wake, you are dehydrated as a result of your night's sleep — you can lose water through sweating, and also from nocturnal urination (if this applies to you); and, for however long you've slept, you haven't had anything to drink.

• Wake up a little earlier than you normally would so that you can have a chance to eat a bit of food before you exercise. Then allow at least one-half hour to forty-five minutes to pass before you begin your workout. Think about eating a light, 200 - 300 calorie meal containing some carbohydrates and protein. Examples of such a breakfast are egg whites, cottage cheese, yogurt, or a protein shake. The body not only requires carbohydrates to utilize fat, but also by eating, your body will use less protein from your muscles. The body requires a protein source approximately every eight hours (this exact amount of time differs from person to person depending on one's weight and athletic pursuits) or else it begins to use its own lean muscle mass. By not eating after a night's sleep, you are unknowingly aiding this process, and thereby losing the lean muscle that you have already worked hard to build up.

• When eating before your early morning workout, you may want to try food in a liquid form, such as a protein shake or blending cottage cheese and yogurt together. By doing so, you can further eliminate or reduce the risk of stomach cramps, especially if you are going to run or do a similarly vigorous activity.

Early morning exercisers have an added benefit of having the rest of the day to eat, recover, and grow. Also, not eating right before going to bed can aid in muscle stimulus and growth.

In addition, eating five to six small balanced meals a day maintains your metabolism and keeps its fires stoked. If you eat too few calories daily or deprive yourself of energy, your body will begin to hoard the calories you do take in as fat so that it can survive the starvation it believes that it is experiencing. This action in turn makes it harder for your body to utilize these calories.

Even if you cannot work out in the morning, exercising later on in the day can be just as productive and beneficial. If you stumble a bit along the way, it's okay; everybody does. You just need to jump back on the horse that is your workout regimen, watch what you eat, and get back to work.

(I forgot to list the source)

For now, I'll continue to exercise morning on an empty stomach and make sure I drink a lot of water before. When I get on the treadmill, I'll be sure not to do so too soon after eating. I won't have to be concerned about timing meals around running since the orthopedic doctor told me no running and no jumping now that I have two total knee replacements. And I'm not walking outside until spring, and even then not until my weight is low enough to let me "blend in" with the other neighborhood walkers!

Tonight is Minnesota Mormon Chorale practice. It will be our first practice of a Mendelsohn composition we will perform in the spring. I am looking forward to being in better shape then so I can stand to sing without pain in my back and hips. The blog address is: mnmormonchorale.blogspot.com