Morning is the best time of day for a fat burning workout. You have fasted over night which means you are in a fat burning state when you wake up. This is precisely the state you want to be in for your fat burning workout and you want to take full advantage of it.
Porridge or toast before your workout?
When you eat carbohydrates you release insulin which is the last thing you want for optimal fat burning. Insulin is a fat storing hormone which by its very nature inhibits fat burning. So, we need to consider what we eat and when we eat it to best fuel our fat burn.
Workout on an empty stomach or following a light, fatty meal. For example, avocado, bacon, eggs or a combination. It has been shown that consuming a fat based snack helps the body to choose fat as the main fuel source. Limit carbs at meal times to keep insulin down to further boost your fat burning potential.
Exercise gets your fat furnace burning for the day!
After your fat burning workout your body is in a heightened fat burning state which can have you burning fat at a higher rate than usual even when you’re sat at your desk. This can continue for many hours, so you want to do everything you can to make the most of it. Bearing in mind what we’ve just said about insulin, you should consider limiting carbohydrates in your post exercise meal. If you throw a load of carbs down your throat at this point you’re going to trigger insulin and switch off your fat burning.
After exercise your nutritional priorities should be hydration, protein and energy replenishment. A low carb protein shake with some coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil is an excellent example and is also the kind of thing that makes for easy digestion after training. If you’re not yet into shakes, you could have some poached eggs and avocado drizzled with the olive oil. Make it a light meal, you can always have something else after a couple of hours if necessary. You will also find that switching some of your carbs for good fats leaves you feeling fuller for longer.
When you think about your meals, ensure you get lots of vitamins and minerals from lots of fresh vegetables of varying colours, have your portion of protein and then look for your good fats to ensure you’re getting enough energy for your personal requirements. At the end of your day, you can boost your fat burning potential by limiting carbs in your evening meal, thereby limiting insulin release and getting your fat furnace roaring for an all night fat burn.
What we’re saying is, carbs interfere with your ability to burn fat, so moving towards a diet low in carbs and replacing those carb calories with good fat calories is the best way to maximise your fat burning potential. Pay attention to when you consume carbs in order to maintain your fat burning state for your workouts and throughout the night.
Let me know if you try some of these strategies and how you get on.