Surprising facts about not eating enough that you need to know before the holiday season
Americans are obsessed with weight loss, especially women. We all want to lose weight and look out best. The most common way we attempt to lose weight is by restricting our food. But it might come as a surprise to learn that undereating, that we do to lose weight, can also be harmful to your health.
Sensible dieting can include limiting your calorie intake. However, not eating enough on a regular basis often leads to chronic fatigue and other serious issues. When most women go on a diet they end up undereating and causing more issues to their health.
Are you eating enough?
There are a lot of reasons that you might be undereating, but one of the biggest reasons that I see with my clients is that they use a free tool to determine how many calories they should eat. These free tools usually drastically cut your calories and can cause your body to hold onto weight instead of helping you lose weight.
If you’ve hit a plateau in your weight loss, you may be undereating. Find out more about how undereating affects your body and how you can overcome it.
Understanding Undereating:
Recognize the symptoms. Some signs of undereating are easy to spot. You’ll probably feel tired. You may experience hair loss and your skin may begin to wrinkle or look duller as you deplete collagen. Undereating can be the source of low energy, brain fog and headaches. You may also experience hair loss and constipation.
Protect your body. Other symptoms of undereating are less visible. When your body is starved for fuel, it starts to break down muscle and organ tissue. Your immune system becomes weaker, so you’re more likely to become ill. You may also develop osteoporosis or anemia. It can even affect your mood on a daily basis!
Diet safely. Eating too little and exercising too much can backfire when you’re trying to lose weight because your metabolism will slow down. Most people don’t know where they stand in their nutrition. They don’t understand how to balance their food so that they have the food they need to push themselves in the gym and still lose weight. My Macros Made Easy Program is a great way to learn what that balance is for your body!
Deal with stress. Most people deal with stress in one of two ways: they over eat or undereat. If you do the latter, then it’s important to change your coping habit and learn to manage your stress in a way that isn’t going to affect your diet. Journaling, meditation, even just relaxing are all great ways to manage stress. I even suggest keeping a food diary so that you can make sure you eat when you’re stressed!
See your doctor. Sudden or extreme weight loss can be a sign of medical conditions including depression and eating disorders. If you’re worried about an underlying issue, talk to your doctor.
Ask a nutritionist. Your doctor may refer you to a registered dietician or nutritionist. A nutritionist can help you to create an individual program that works for your body and lifestyle.
Overcoming Undereating:
Love your body. Are you eating less because you think you should look like that mom at soccer practice or even how you did a few years ago? You don’t need to be either of those people! Learn to accept your body and play up your strong points. Celebrate the things you love about yourself and don’t compare where you’re at now to anyone else!
Determine if you want big or small meals. This is something I talk about with my macro clients all the time! If you are a volume eater (you like a lot of food on your plate) then eat fewer, bigger meals. However, if you struggle to eat big meals, try preparing more meals each day. If you are prone to undereating, you probably struggle to eat those big meals, so break those big meals down into multiple meals instead.
Snack more. Eat between meals too! Make it convenient by preparing ahead of time. When you have a plan of what to eat, you’re more likely to eat it because you don’t have to spend time thinking about what to eat.
Focus on whole foods. The quality of your food matters as much as the amount. Avoid filling up on junk food with excess sugar and salt that cause inflammation and other troubles. Stick to whole food like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish.
Increase protein. Foods rich in protein are especially helpful for providing energy and strengthening your muscles. Include protein in each meal and snack so you’ll stay fuller longer. If you need high-protein ideas check out my IGTV episode: High-Protein foods to have on hand. I share some of my family’s favorite protein foods in that video! It’s seriously gold!
Choose healthy fats. Fat doesn’t make you fat, but consuming more fat is a simple way to take in more calories from the smaller amount of food. Add healthy fats into your diet to help increase your calorie count. Again, reach for fats that come from real, whole foods, not processed foods!
Take supplements. Undereating often creates nutritional deficiencies, so you may need supplements at least temporarily. Follow a doctor’s recommendations which may include calcium, iron, Omega 3s and specific vitamins.
As we head into the holiday season, don’t over restrict yourself. Instead, take action now to learn what your body needs so that you can enjoy the holidays without worrying about gaining weight. Schedule a free discovery call with me and together we can determine what your nutritional goals need to look like for the rest of the year!
