I don't like working out after eating but working out on an empty stomach leads to me being very sleepy after the workout. My gym is about a half hour journey on public transportation away from me. I'll have a piece of toast with peanut butter or a piece of fresh fruit and some greek yogurt right before leaving to take the bus. That way, my stomach doesn't feel so full by the time I'm hitting the treadmill/weights but the carbs are being metabolized. I'm not sure how scientific that is but it prevents my crash afterwards.

I find that I can keep energy up all day by making a non-dairy protein shake and sipping on it for the second half of the work day. Then, when I leave work for the gym I have all the energy I need.

If I'm feeling really down I toss the last bit of my morning coffee in.

something very light... normally a granola bar or a piece of toast with jam.

I grab a with some granola. It holds me during my workout but not enough to weigh me down. I was originally worried about the dairy, but it doesn't bother my system.

Dang html... must have messed that one up. the missing text is "Chobani yogurt cup"

I love these http://chockohlawtay.blogspot.com/2011/06/peanut-butter-protein-balls.html
and these
http://drbenkim.com/healthy-energy-balls-recipe.htm
Great little snacks on the go

I always have a piece of toast before working out in the morning. I change up the toppings (nutella, jam, honey or pb) so it doesn't get old. Just enough to get me going but never makes me feel heavy.

Pretty similar - usually nuts and dried fruit, a banana or a granola bar about 30 mins before I go to the gym. What do folks eat for dinner after an evening workout? I find it hard to cook a quick and healthy meal on returning from the gym before I get ravenously hungry.

I usually work out after breakfast. For breakfast, I have my usual coffee and a muffin. Lately I've been on a muffin kick but, my go to recipe is a bran raisin muffin from allrecipes. I wait an hour and then work out.

A couple of medjool dates stuffed with cashew butter. Or I make (and keep in the fridge) Direct Energy Bites from Brendan Brazier's Thrive Diet--little balls of a mixture of dates, coconut oil and lemon zest.

I've been eating this one forever, its a great pre-workout breakfast:

-1/3 c. (dry) oatmeal made with green tea instead of water, a sprinkle of cinnamon and stevia
-A lower sugar fruit (about a handful) such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or strawberries
-3 egg white omlette. Maybe some spinach thrown in to make it less boring.
-Black coffee.

Works every time. Sure, it may not be exactly exciting, but it gives you protein, slow digesting carbs and caffeine to get you going. Also, 1/2 hour before I usually do a variation on the "asprin and a coffee" cutting combo consisting of guarana, white willow and a b vitamin. It'll get you going like no other.

Coming from an amateur bikini competitor and avid cook, this works.

Unprofessional Cookery

I like a handful of chocolate covered almonds. Sweet, a little protein, and makes me feel energized without being too full.

banana and 2 tbsp of peanut butter.
or honey and peanut butter.

If I'm working out first thing in the morning (most days of the week) then its black coffee only. If it is a late afternoon/early evening workout, I usually eat a banana about 45-60 minutes before starting my workout. Anything more just weighs me down but if I don't eat something, I usually bonk.

I think the time of day that you exercise has a lot to do with snack choices (or the need for a snack, even). I'm not a morning exerciser. Dragging my butt out of bed extra early and actually expecting my body to move at a fast pace sounds like my own private version of hell. So I exercise after work. And I can't eat right before working out, either. In the spring and fall, I shoot to exercise right when I get home (6:00, usually) and then make dinner. I'll usually eat a banana or yogurt at 4:00 or 4:30 before I leave work and maybe drink some caffeine, too (I read a study that said that consuming caffeine 1 hour before a workout helps jump start your metabolism - I take it for what it's worth, but it does seem to help on sluggish days). When it gets too hot to run at 6, I make dinner first, right when I get home, and then go for a run at 8 or 8:30 when it's cooled off a bit outside (and the neighbors turn their sprinklers on). In that case, I don't eat a snack because I ate dinner already. Works for me.

Hard boiled egg on a peice of dry toast and then I walk about a half hour to the gym. I have tried bars, yogurt and granola, almonds and an apple but find the egg and toast to work the best. I can't have coffee before my work out, i find it makes me nauseous, maybe its the milk, I don't know.

Large glass of water, small glass of OJ, bowl of cereal with milk and if I'm lucky, a banana. After that I try to wait at least an hour and a half before exercising. I run 3-4x/week and if I eat any closer to my run, it makes me feel blech.

Pistachios and water. Lots of pistachios.

I have real trouble with acid reflux, plus I've tried to work out after eating eggs benedict - bad idea! LOL! I usually have just a small amount of yogurt and a dash of gluten-free granola on top.

From my experience, an empty stomach is best for workouts that are done earlier in the day. If you can't workout within a few hours after getting up, then eat a light meal like a sandwich and time the work out to be about 2-3 hours later. Nuts/banana type snacks are okay, but for endurance exercising an empty stomach (or as close as possible) + liquid nutrition during the workout is ideal. Wish the nutrition tasted as good as some of the above mentioned pre-workout snacks. :)

I start most every morning with a double espresso mocha protein drink. It's called Click, fwiw. I usually head to the gym an hour or so after finishing it and lift weights/resistance train for 45 mins followed by 15-25 mins of cardio. When I get home, I try to eat at least 20 gms of protein along with some complex carbs.

Either toast with peanut butter or toast with eggs, if I'm in a hurry a 1/2 cup dry cereal, a few almonds, or a few spoons of greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Plus lots of water! It also depends on how intense or long my workout is going to be.

Half a cup of applesauce mixed with half a scoop of whey protein powder. Nutritionist approved and super easy to digest before a vigorous workout. Works like a charm!

I eat half a banana, a 100-calorie pack of walnuts and a small plain yogurt every morning before my run. It's one of the few things that sits well in my stomach.

I usually go for a run at night, a few hours after dinner. That way I'm not hungry, but I'm not too full, plus I live in an extremely warm climate and running at night is the best way to beat the heat.

I do power yoga, so I can't even think about eating prior to. If I'm heading out for a walk or run though, I will have just a tiny half bowl of kashi with almond milk. Gives me a boost without making me feel sick once my bod starts moving.

I take bananas slice into quarters and spread almond butter onto them or peanut butter, individually wrap them store in freezer. They are easy to grab taste great frozen or have with you on the go, perfect protein and potassium snack.

I like to work out first thing in the morning, so I need something satisfying but that also digests easily of course. I like plain greek yogurt with flax seeds and berries if I have them. It never makes me feel too full if I have it about 20 to 30 minutes before exercise.

if working out at the end of the day, i eat one of the following: handful of almonds, protein bar, half an avocado on an english muffin, or chobani greek yogurt.

If I'm working out in the morning I usually grab a banana, or just a cup of juice. I know juice is high in sugar, but 6-8 oz is just enough sugar and calories to wake me up without feeling heavy.

However, for me, what I eat -after- exercising is more important! I keep a bag of almonds in my car to munch on while driving home from the gym. I just learned this recently--did you know that after 30 minutes anything you eat is metabolized into fat?? Protein within those 30 minutes is so important!

Fresh juice has been working for me. It's a quick surge of sugar for energy and just enough calories that after a half-hour, I can chug through a 45-minute run easily.

These other suggestions are awesome though!

I tend to get lightheaded if I don't have anything before working out, so I'll do a cup of cereal and milk most mornings. Then after I get back from the gym, I have some fruit and coffee. I never feel full on my way to the gym, and can get a bit of a recharge after.

These oatmeal-cheese-apple-raisin cookies featured on this site recently are excellent pre or post run:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/dessert/quick-onebowl-recipe-apple-gouda-oatmeal-cookies-128940

usually nothing. if i'm starving? 1/2 a banana. toast with nut butter. glass of water.

also i make this raw cocnut/walnut fudge stuff that is like a little energy bite. I ate a couple of those this morning before taking the dog on a walk.

i start my workout early 5am everyday...& i do eat nothing not at all..just a glass of water ..but i workout 1hour 30min with all my effort n energy i need & take a rest every Saturday..do empty stomach harmful for workout?..its been two years regularly n i do not have proper body shape....my wight is 68kg n i am 6fit tall(rite today)...and also i am vegetarian. Due to low economy i cannot effort PROPER DIET but i do not want to quiet gym.please suggest n give me idea in what way i need to do my workout... please reply... E-MAIL.....smoke.sigar@yahoo.com