I often am asked, "Do I need to fuel my body before an EARLY morning workout or my afternoon workout?" If so, what do I need to eat? Well, it depends on what you're doing- pre-breakfast cardio has some metabolic advantage that might conceivably lead one to a few more grams of fat loss, right? I hope you don’t fall for that line! Here’s why, your body has a preferred fat/carbohydrate/protein fuel mix ratio and if you try to skew it by exercising in a carbohydrate-depleted state your body will make a special effort to save fat and perform poorly. If you tend to bonk out midway through a hard session, low energy may be the culprit. Quick absorbing carbohydrate with a high glycemic index will give you fast fuel. So over a 24-hour period your body ends up using roughly the same percentages of macro-nutrients no matter what you get up to with the "fat burning zones" and "fasted cardio" training - your body's pretty clever like that. So before a tough workout, like boot camp, you may choose one of the following: piece of fruit, slice of bread, small bagel, 1 low-fat waffle, or ¼ - ½ cup of pasta to take in some calories. You may even want to try a protein shake before your workout. In general most supplements are a waste of money but in specific cases they can help, and you're probably in the group who'd benefit from having 0.5-1 scoop of protein about 10-20 minutes before you start your workout. Depending on the intensity and type of activity you are doing, you may be less likely to have an upset stomach if you avoid high-fiber, high fat foods at this time. Or if you have them, wait an hour or two to digest before you start your workout. If you need to grab a snack minutes before a workout, chew thoroughly and go for a quick-digesting, high-carbohydrate food. However, if you are merely going on a moderate-paced walk for 45 minutes, you probably don’t need extra food unless you’re heading out first thing in the morning. If you are going to do two spin classes, an 8-mile run or something equally vigorous, fuel up beforehand!