7 Signs You're Not Eating Enough

For years, we’ve been told that we need to excessively restrict calories and avoid carbs at all costs to reach our goals with a workout plan. What if we told you that this isn’t true at all? Food gives you energy and you need energy to thrive during your workouts and gain momentum towards your goals!

By eating too little, you can actually hinder your progress in the gym. A healthy and balanced diet is key to see real change and sometimes that means eating more calories than you think. Here are 7 signs that you’re not eating enough to see results.

YOU'RE NOT GETTING GOOD SLEEP

Have you ever reached for that 2PM coffee when you’re feeling tired only to find that once you get in bed you can’t fall asleep? Chances are you may be under-eating.

Low blood sugar from under-eating is actually a stressor on the body keeping you from falling asleep. Deep sleep is key to helping your body and muscles recover, which is heavily disrupted when you under eat. Plus, all that lack of calories actually hurts the quality of your Zzz’s. Even though you may be getting your 8 hours, the sleep you’re getting is most likely pretty poor. Start hitting your macros every day with whole and nutritious meals and you should start seeing your sleep patterns improve.

YOU’RE HAVING A HARD TIME BUILDING MUSCLE

Our muscles need fuel to perform at their best. However, your body doesn’t use nutrients for muscle growth first. It prioritizes calories needed to regulate body temperature, blood pressure, digestive health, and more. Meaning, once your body takes care of the basics, it uses extra muscle growth. If there’s nothing left for muscles, you won’t see any muscle growth.

Making sure you’re hitting your protein macro goal every day is key to building muscle and strength. We get it, it can be hard to get to that number, but if you’re deliberately not getting there you’re only hindering your results. Believe us when we say that not hitting your macros won’t speed up your weight loss or results.

ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IS FOOD

Thinking about food all of the time isn’t a sign of food addiction, it’s actually a natural biological response to your body saying “Hey, I need some fuel!”. Our bodies tend to focus on what it needs more of or what we tell ourselves what we don’t need. Hello, cravings!

When you eat to your body’s fullness you’re most likely not thinking about food again until you’re hungry. If you’re under-eating, all you’re going to be thinking about is food. Make sure your meals are satiating and keep you full (lots of protein, people!) so that you’re not obsessing over your next meal.

YOU’RE LOSING HAIR & BREAKING NAILS

We all shed hair, but when you start to see significant hair loss there may be a problem. When you’re not eating enough, you’re not getting enough nutrients for your mane. A lack of essential fatty acids, proteins, minerals, and vitamins can wreak havoc on your tresses. In addition to hair loss, you can also see a change in texture, color, and structure.

Everyone’s nails can vary, but healthy nails are typically firm with a naturally shiny flesh-toned bed. When you’re not getting enough nutrients, your nails can look dull, flakey, and brittle. Since your body is low on nutrients, it uses them for more vital organs first, leaving your nails behind.

YOU’RE NOT RECOVERING

One of the most important steps to recovery is diet. Making sure that we’re refueling our bodies with the proper post-workout nutrients is what’s going to keep us from getting sore and then help us to see results. If you find yourself tired and sluggish the day after a workout, you’re most likely under-eating.

Even at rest, our bodies need fuel to keep everything running smoothly. Without sufficient calories, our bodies can’t maintain regular fun_ctio_ns plus support an intense strength-building workout. You can’t expect your body to crush it in the gym with a limited amount of fuel!

YOU’RE ALWAYS COLD

Always reaching for a sweater? You may not be fueling your body enough. Your body needs calories to burn to create heat and maintain a healthy body temperature. Even mild calorie restriction has been shown to lower your overall body temperature.

T3 is a thyroid hormone that helps to regulate your body temperature. When you cut calories, that hormone greatly decreases. The lack of T3 can sometimes cause dizziness and blurry vision. Ever experience feeling hangry? That can be from a lack of T3. Make sure you’re eating enough nutrient-dense foods to give your body enough fuel to keep you nice and warm!

YOU’RE GETTING INJURED MORE OFTEN

When we lose weight, it’s not just fat that goes. Muscle mass is also at risk of deteriorating. When we under-eat and lose that muscle mass, we’re at a much higher risk of injury. If you’re not consuming enough your body will begin to pull from itself to get what it needs. That can cause weakness in your bones, muscles, and more, resulting in an increased risk of injury. There’s nothing worse than getting into a workout routine only to be set back by an injury that could have been easily avoided!

It can be hard to wrap your head around the idea that eating more can actually help you lose weight and see results. But it can! With a well-balanced and nutritious diet, you’ll be able to eat more while still seeing results from your training. If you’re experiencing any of those 5 signs, check your macros and calorie intake. You don’t have to sacrifice delicious food for results!