Let’s Talk About Undereating
Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’re eating enough. The world is filled with talk in your ear saying lose weight while eating whatever you want, or this is only X calories for an entire bag, or detox to reset your body. And guess what, with so many ideas being thrown at us from all different angles, they actually end up being significantly more detrimental to your health than you first anticipate.
I can guarantee that you are most likely UNDEReating, UNDERnourishing, and OVERthinking every single thing that you eat. As a Certified Nutrition Specialist, I want to help you notice the signs of undereating so that you can not only improve your overall health and relationship with food but also so that you can find joy in eating again without overthinking!
1. You are using an app to track calories.
While so many of us have used food tracking apps (guilty!) in the past and never once doubted their accuracy, it’s time to take a moment and snap back into reality. Does this app know what your daily movement looks like? What your gut and stool composition is? Does it know how much muscle you have? Your eating history? I hope that you answered “no” to all of these questions, and realized that it’s truly just a robot that does a little bit of math to spit out a number that is certainly not right for you, and not individualized.
Did you know that the 2000 calories/day intake that is on most nutrition labels is actually just an average? There’s about a 99% chance that you fall outside of this 2000 calorie intake per day group, which is even more of a reason not to be using those apps to track anything when it comes to calories in vs calories out. When I was a post-grad, I was trying to be the “fittest” (aka “skinniest”) that I could be so that I would look “perfect” for an event—or just for every day! In reality, I was hardly eating during the day yet binging at night, drinking way too much and—you guessed it—always so, so hungry.
2. You are thinking about what you’re eating all of the time
Planning out a new recipe or being excited about eating a meal is one thing, but when you’re thinking about eating all of the time, it’s a red flag. Eating is something that I get hyped about daily, but thinking “okay, I just need to get through 4 more hours until I can eat my salad, then 2 hours after that I can have my handful of trail mix and then…” is not what our lives should be about! If the moment you finish a meal you’re not satisfied and still hungry, you probably aren’t eating enough.
It’s important to figure out what works for YOU, not what the world is telling you to eat! Try changing things up. I used to drink a green smoothie every single morning because I thought that is was what would make me the “healthiest,” but then I would pick at food all morning until lunch because I wasn’t satisfied. Now, I fill up on delicious carbs, protein, and fats first thing in the morning (hello avocado egg toast!) and opt for a smoothie for a mid-morning snack if that’s what sounds good.
3. You tell yourself all the reasons why you can’t have certain foods.
If I were to ask you why you can’t have a bagel, what would your answer be? Why is it okay for others to enjoy their food but not you? The more that we restrict ourselves from a food, the more likely it is that we are going to crave this food. Picture a rubber band: the more you pull it, the tighter it becomes until it eventually snaps. This is often how restriction works. You’re depriving yourself of a food, or a food group, until eventually your body will “snap” and consume this food until you make yourself uncomfortable. Moral of the story? Check in on your cravings, seeing what do they mean, how you can satisfy them, and begin to remove the idea that certain foods are “bad.”
4. You are more often exhausted than full of energy.
Food is fuel. We all know this, have heard it time and time again, yet we continue to restrict. Food provides us with energy, heart health, healthy bowels, happiness, strong bones, community, joy…the list goes on and on! When we begin to cut out food, or cut out certain food groups altogether, all of the benefits go out the window, too. Did you know that your body needs food to repair itself and recover after a workout? Cutting out carbs, cutting out fat, cutting out protein—all of this will then, in turn, stop allowing your body to function properly.
Our bodies do amazing things for us. They will do everything they can just to keep us alive. So why are we restricting? Try practicing gratitude for your body each and every day; work to fill it with nourishing foods; let yourself enjoy chocolate; speak to yourself with love and compassion; and I promise that you’ll not only find a whole new appreciation for yourself, but your energy levels will soar!
5. You aren’t seeing results in your training.
Food is one of the most important pieces when you’re training, alongside proper rest and technique. If you are restricting, your body isn’t going to have enough energy to get through a workout properly (or even a day properly!). Your body won’t be able to fuel the muscles after you tear them through exercise, or even have the energy to push through that last mile. When I was heavily into marathon training, I had hired a coach. I was following her regimen to a T, yet I was undereating. I didn’t understand why I couldn’t break that 8:30 pace for a marathon after I had been consistently running for years. But, now I know, it was due to undereating. Whether you’re looking to get stronger, faster, or just increase your cardiovascular fitness, you need to make sure that you are eating enough, even on those days of rest.
Overall, your body needs fuel—whether that’s for your day-to-day, your sleep, your workout, or just life. And really, eating for looks is actually the least important thing you can be doing!
Ready to explore your relationship to food and eating? Reach out today to schedule your free consultation!