Early bird loses the pounds!

So I was browsing this morning looking for new tricks to incorporate into my weight loss regime, when I came across this random site.  The tip below really caught my attention.  Now if only I could get my happy ass out of bed haha!

DO YOUR CARDIO FIRST THING IN THE MORNING ON AN EMPTY STOMACH

Fasted early morning cardio is still controversial in academic circles, and some people are concerned that it might be too catabolic and you may break down muscle along with the fat. However, my experience and research has shown that while there are risks, fasted early morning does work and the potential benefits outweight those risks when maximum fat loss is your goal.

But don’t take my word for it - examine the facts, test it while carefully monitoring body composition and lean body mass, and decide for yourself.

The argument in favor of fasted early morning cardio goes something like this:

1. After an overnight 8-12 hour fast, your body’s stores of glycogen are depleted and you burn more fat when glycogen is low.

2. Eating causes a release of insulin. Insulin interferes with the mobilization of body fat. Less insulin is present in the morning; so more body fat is burned when cardio is done in the morning.

3. There is less carbohydrate (glucose) in the bloodstream when you wake up after an overnight fast. With less glucose available, you burn more fat.

4. If you eat immediately before a workout, you have to burn off what you just ate first before tapping into stored body fat (and insulin is elevated after a meal.)

5. When you do cardio in the morning, your metabolism stays elevated for a period of time after the workout is over. If you do cardio in the evening, you burn calories during the session, but you fail to take advantage of the “afterburn” effect because your metabolic rate drops dramatically as soon as you go to sleep.

You can get more details about cardio training for fat loss, including the surprising truth about the “fat-burning zone” in chapter 16 of my ebook, Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle. Visit www.burnthefat.com for information.