6 Signs You Aren’t Eating Enough
If you’ve ever been on a diet, you know that every weight loss plan starts with cutting calories. With all the empty calories in “bad for you” foods, it’s a great place to start your health journey. The problem comes when you start adding a fitness element to your plan and start burning more calories than you were before. Most people don’t realize that the calories they cut out may now be essential to fueling their exercise. Going too far with cutting calories won't help you! Here are some warning signs that you may need more calories in your diet.
You Can't Stick to the Diet
For many people, sticking to a diet is a matter of willpower to overcome old eating habits. For some the low-calorie diet plan feels impossible to stick to because it's not the right plan for them. In that case a small increase in calories may be just what the doctor ordered. Ideally, your diet that helps you reach your goal shouldn’t be that different from the diet you will maintain after you hit your goal. You should enjoy what you eat and satisfied doing it. If you are, then you're more likely to stick with it for your long-term health goals.
You're Exhausted
Calories are fuel for your body. When you’re low on fuel you run out of energy and feel tired and fatigued. Do you have a hard time getting out of bed, even when you get plenty of sleep? Do you feel tired earlier than you used to? That’s your body saying it’s low on fuel and it doesn’t have the energy to get up and go. Take a look at what your meals and what you might add in for that extra boost. It may be a healthy snack mid day or something with some extra protein and carbs at meal time.
The Number on the Scale Won’t Move
Our body’s are extremely adaptable and will evolve over time to incremental changes. However, a sudden change in calories will make your body think it’s starving on an island and needs to protect itself. When it goes into "starvation mode," it will hold onto every calorie it can to keep you alive as long as possible until rescue. It does that by slowing down your metabolism, ultimately making it harder to lose weight. Adding some calories back in will signal to your body that it’s okay and get your metabolism back in gear to help burn off those extra pounds.
You Can't Focus
In a resting state, your brain consumes about 20% of your body’s energy. Therefore, when your calories (i.e. energy) is low, your brain may feel slow and foggy. There are dozens of healthy foods categorized as “brain foods” for this reason. They provide the right amount of energy to keep your brain fueled for the work you need to accomplish. They range from savory to sweet to fit into just about any meal or craving you have.
You're Hangry
You’re not you when your hungry. The Snickers commercials are on the right track. Not enough calories can leave you consistently hungry and irritable. Make note of how you feel after eating certain foods. You’ll find those that have more staying power and help you stay you longer. Plan for a balance of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to provide stable energy until your next meal.
Your Workouts Are Suffering
Adding an exercise regimen to your weight loss plan is the best thing you can do for long term health. But having enough fuel in the tank is key to finishing your workouts strong. If you notice that you're running out of gas or struggling part way into your workout, look at what fuel you're getting before and after you hit the gym. Exercise is going to increase your daily calorie burn and it’s important that you plan accordingly. Remember what your boy does when it’s starving? Consuming some carbs pre-workout and replenishing afterwards with a combo of protein and carbs will support recovery. It will also help your body to repair itself and build muscle for long term success.
Ultimately it’s important for you to know how much your fuel your body needs. Don’t just jump into a diet blindly then wind up struggling with one of these issues. Start with a body composition analysis so you know your metabolic rate and calorie needs.
