Are You Eating Enough? The Important Question You May Not Be Asking While Losing Weight

Does this story sound familiar? You start a new diet, limit calories with religious dedication, stay strong against cravings and hunger pangs…and then, the inevitable crash occurs. Your diet fails spectacularly, leading to a period of overeating.

Sometimes, the root of this issue is that you’re eating too little while dieting. Constant hunger is one sign that you might not be eating enough to fuel your body, and here are a few more issues to look out for:

You Feel Moody and Anxious

Moodiness is one of the first signals that you may need a little more food. When we aren’t getting enough calories, we feel stressed-out, cranky, and anxious. If you add an extra snack or two to your daily diet, you may notice an immediate boost in your mood.

You’re Constantly Tired

We all need nutrients like protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals, to keep up our energy. When you eat too little, it is almost impossible to get enough of these important elements, so you will feel tired, weak, and lethargic. Simple tasks become more of a challenge.

You Feel Colder Than Usual

Imagine if you didn’t have enough power to heat your home and keep the lights on this winter. The first thing you would do is turn down the thermostat. Our bodies do the same thing. Staying warm uses up energy, and we receive energy from calories. If you don’t have enough calories available, then you will feel cold much of the time.

You’re Always Getting Sick

If you aren’t consuming enough vitamins, then your body cannot support a healthy immune system to fight off illnesses. Therefore, every time you catch a bug, your symptoms will linger significantly longer than they should.

Your Weight Loss Has Stalled

If your weight loss stops cold, the right solution may not be cutting more calories. When we eat too little, our body goes into self-preservation mode and becomes very stingy with its limited calorie “budget.” For example, we naturally fidget less, experience fewer bowel movements, and lose more hair. No, that lowered metabolism won’t make you gain pounds, but it may slow down your weight loss.

Not Sure If You’re Eating the Right Amount?

At Signature Medicine, our weight loss programs focus on achieving your desired results in a healthy way. Our patient care team will work with you to design a customized plan, provide ongoing support, and make sure you’re making the right choices for your body’s needs.

To find out if our medical weight loss programs an help you reach your goals, please call 215-240-7374.