Dawn Maslehati5 SIGNS YOU'RE NOT EATING ENOUGH
Updated: Feb 13
Not eating enough can not only hold you back from reaching your fitness goals, but also affects other other aspects of your health & wellness.
In this post, I dive into some areas that you might not have thought about being affected by the amount of food you eat.
In the fitness industry it is common practice to follow the advice to "eat less & move more" if you have a weight loss goal, or to "reduce the amount of carbs you eat" if you want to stay lean all year around. These are just a couple of the various pieces of advice we are given when it comes to the necessary combo of nutrition and exercise.
But in a world where we are always trying to: reduce, decrease, eat less, not have as much of, etc...there is an aspect that we are missing here. The aspect that we NEED TO EAT ENOUGH FOOD TO FUEL OUR BODIES.
Now, I'm not saying that calorie reduction for weight loss doesn't work. Because for the portion of the population that consumes excess calories and has an extremely sedentary lifestyle, that technique does often work. And I'm not saying that reducing processed carbs (like pasta and breads) doesn't work to help you stay leaner over time. Because it is frequently a successful technique for many people.
What I'm saying is that there are MANY OTHER aspects of our lives and health, outside of weight loss and body fat percentage, that are affected by not eating enough food, and that is what I want to point out to you!
Keep in mind these two things:
1. Our body's have a baseline amount of calories that need to be met every day (this is known as your Basal Metabolic Rate). And chances are, if you're having these 5 signs, you're only eating enough to barely meet that demand, or not enough to meet the demand at all.
2. It is NECESSARY that your daily calorie intake is comprised of whole foods that are nutrient dense. This means fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and protein dense grains. Reducing processed foods, premade meals, sugar laden treats and drinks, as well as take out and fast food is essential for your health and meeting your fitness goals.
Alright, let's get into these 5 SIGNS YOU AREN'T EATING ENOUGH FOOD, and please forward & share this article with other women that you know that could be suffering from some of these symptoms due to not eating enough food during the day!!
#1 - You aren't getting quality sleep (and you don't have a newborn!)
If you're a Mom, what's the likelihood you're living that COFFEE LIFE? I know, I will be buried with my coffee cup filled with that elixir of life, trust that. However, if you're frequently reaching for that 3pm coffee to "help you" get through the rest of the afternoon, dinner, bath time and the bedtime routine, then this could be impacting your sleep. Especially if you are more sensitive to caffeine.
But the reason you might be reaching for that caffeine boost is because you're actually not eating enough food, and your need for energy is related to be in a calorie deficit, versus the actual need for the coffee.
Maintaining enough calories on a daily basis prevents your blood sugar from dropping too low, disrupting your sleep cycles and the quality of sleep you're getting. Ever feel like you wake up exhausted after 8 hours of sleep? Does that happen to correspond with you eating less the day or multiple days before?
TIP: Start replacing your afternoon coffee with some fresh fruit and yogurt, or a healthy protein drink and see how you feel!
