Working out in a fasted state page

[fes31129]

How long does one have to go without eating to be in a fasted state? I workout at a Crossfit Gym and work out at 7 or 8 and the time is non negotiable with my schedule. What time should I have my last meal pre workout to assure I am in a "fasted state"?
Thanks

[patski]

I used to do Crossfit first thing in the morning (6:30amish, up at 5am or so) without anything in my stomach. I had no issues with my WODs and always ate a HUGE meal after.

Not really sure what to suggest for timing your last meal. I like eating before bed, but I'll still wake up hungry, or feel it within an hour or two.

[fes31129]

thanks Patski, I should have clarified that I workout at 7 or 8 PM. What I am trying to figure out is since I dont have the option of eat dinner relatively early, go to sleep, wake up and workout, what time should i have my last day time meal to get me in that fasted state. If I eat lunch at say, 11:00AM, will that 8-9 hours without eating be sufficient?

[ProtoAlex]

I've done crossfit like exercising on 16-20 hr post meal before and been fine, I normally put up a new max in power lifting when in the 18-20hr range. Most people seem to refer to 14-16hr as the start of a fasted state but I'm not sure what where this figure exactly came from.

[Groking Around]

If you're looking to do IF then I would follow an eating window like 16/8 or 20/4, but if you're not looking to do IF then I would say have at least 4 hours between your last meal and your workout.

[Danielle5690]

My workouts are at about 7:30 pm too. I usually have a big lunch right at noon and nothing else until after my workout. I don't know if that counts as a fasted workout, but it's a good schedule for me.

[StackingPlates]

Fasting refers to fasting glucose levels. If you begin your workout with out of range blood glucose levels, then you aren't training fasted.

To which I'd say "who cares", it doesn't make an iota of difference. Do whatever allows you to have the most successful and intense training session, whether that be fed or fasted is inconsequential.

[fes31129]

thanks for the replies. StackingPlates, the reason I was asking was Robb Wolf said for those that are looking to lose a lot of weight, he would recommend eating paleo/primal, keep carbs under a 100 and work out in a fasted state. I was looking at giving it a shot but i didn't want to wind up not eating for 9 hours at a clip so I can work out in a Fasted state and come to find out that 9 hours isn't long enough to get me there.

[StackingPlates]

Hi fes, that type of statement is prevalent with certain "experts" however it isn't backed up by anything more than anecdotal reports. If you feel yourself struggling with it, there is no need to train fasted in the pursuit of some magic panacea which doesn't necessarily exist.

The simple answer here is to do what allows you to train the most successfully.

[otzi]

Did you read any of the Jack Lalanne stories from a recent thread on the Fitness forum? He was an amazing man. He never counted calories and didn't know what a carb was. Yet, he was one of the strongest men of his generation and lived to be 96.

Here's some things he did right:
- Ate breakfast/lunch at 11am, dinner at 5pm. No snacking.
- Worked out every morning at 5am.
- Lifted weights according to muscle groups on different days.
- Switched up his routine every 30 days.
- Ate a big-ass salad every day.
- Ate no cheese or dairy and lots of fish.

Things he did 'wrong':
- Ran 2 miles every day
- Ate little red meat
- Ate little fat

Jack was a man of action, not science. His N=1 spanned 96 years! He competed in bodybuilding long before steroids and supplements were around. Imagine doing what all he did without the internet.