Nutrition and a lunch time workout

I run most days during lunch. When I started, I felt like I was starving. My body has gotten used to waiting to eat until after the run, but I will frequently have a slightly larger than normal breakfast (an extra 100 or so calories) on days that I run, just to make sure that I don't get too hungry. I tried having a light snack such as a piece of fruit around 10 AM, but on warm days I got stomach cramps from that. Your body might be able to handle something light in your stomach, though.

What do you do for the 5 am workout?


Personally, I have to wait three hours after any major meal to workout. Any thing sooner than that I struggle. (This might be a sign of over eating.) But, for my lunch workouts I just make sure I am hydrated and sometimes I'll have a piece of fruit before the work out.


I wish I didn't work with a bunch of women, would make lunch workouts much easier. They always have something to say about everything.

I work out every day at lunch I usually have a banana and another light snack cheese and crackers or something similar at around 10:15 in the morning then don't have anything else till after the workout, then I eat lunch after the workout, I do have a bowl of cereal every morning as well before heading out to work.

Edited by RRH_88 2015-03-11 1:22 PM

I'm a lunch time workout person also. I have a 500 calorie breakfast at around 6 am and then an apple at around 10. I try to run at about 11 and then eat lunch as soon as I get back and cool down.

Well today worked a little better. I had some flax seed crackers a little over an hour before my workout and an orange about 30 minutes before. I felt better throughout than I have. Then I had the bulk of my lunch afterwards. Still not perfect but getting closer.

Someone above asked about my morning routine. I have my breakfast around 4:00am, Today was oatmeal with some protein powder mixed in. Not a ton of calories because I don't do well at all after a big breakfast. My morning workouts vary except for time, always 5:00am. This morning was a 70 minute run. Then a snack after the workout. A protein bar is fairly common.

I will try a few of the suggestions and continue to refine the process until I get something that works well. My other issue is I never know what my work morning brings but I guess almost everyone deals with that.

Bottom line is I love this sport and as long as I can keep getting better, even at seemingly simple things like planning lunch, I'm good.

Thanks to everyone for the input and happy to hear any other ideas/recommendations.