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When I first begin working with clients, it is evident that often one of the biggest mistakes I see them making is that they are not eating enough food. I’m sure you’re thinking… But, don’t they need to eat less to lose weight? Not necessarily, and let me explain why.
Food is energy. It gives us the fuel to get us through the day. So, how do you know if you under-eating? Here are five signs that may indicate you are not eating enough.
#1 Low Energy
Are you tired when you wake up or throughout the day? This is a clear signal that your body is not getting enough of the right nutrients. One donut and two cups of spinach salad might have the same number of calories, but guess which choice your body is going to thrive on and give you more energy?
#2 It’s Hard to Go
Yes, I’m talking about poop here. Are you constipated all the time? Do you “go” only every couple days or so? This may be a sign that you are not eating enough fiber or drinking enough water, the ingredients for a healthy bowel. Without those two, well -- you are not going to be functioning at your best.
#3 You’re Moody
Okay, Miss “Hangry”, you know who you are. None of wants to admit that we get a little moody from time to time, but if you are chronically irritable or moody, this is a sign of a bigger issue. Setting aside issues with hormones, moodiness is a “symptom,” if you will, of low-caloric intake. Once your blood sugar starts to drop, the brain does not function optimally, and irritability, mood swings, and anxiety might begin to appear.
#4 Hair loss
Losing hair is a natural shedding process, but if you are losing larger than normal amounts of hair, this is a sure sign of nutritional deficiency. This could be a sign of not enough calories, protein or both.
#5 You’ve Hit a Plateau
If losing weight is one of your health goals – severe calorie restricting is NOT the way to go and especially not with overtraining (think 6-7 days of intense exercise). Less food and more exercise only works for a short time and can end up driving you into feeling stuck at a weight plateau.
Your body needs good quality calories and just enough training to keep your hormones balanced and your metabolism revved up. When your body doesn’t get enough calories on a regular basis, it hangs on to every last bite that you ingest in avoidance of going into “starvation mode”.
A general rule of thumb for women is that you need a minimum of 1200 calories a day. Now I say a “general” rule because individual needs are indicative on age and height, as well. The shorter and older you are, the more likely you will be on the low end or just below this minimum.
Let’s be honest. It’s not easy to change your ways of doing anything, and this is especially true when it comes to your eating habits. If you are frustrated by how you feel in your own body, but you need a little motivation to implement a healthy change or two, you might ask yourself the question, “Is my way getting me the results that I want?” If the answer is an obvious “No”, than it’s time to stop skipping meals, eating like a bird, restricting all foods that you love, and/or trying to out-train a bad diet.
If you don’t know where to start, I’d love to help you with one of my Online Coaching programs. Email me to schedule a call, and we can discuss how better nutrition and/or fitness can seamlessly be implemented into your life.
We can all make more money and buy more “stuff”. What we can’t buy more of is time. Time equals life, and it’s time to remember what it’s like to feel alive again.
Let’s get FIRED UPP,
Nat
