When it comes to weight loss, most people think reducing calorie intake is the ultimate solution. What many don’t realize is that depriving yourself of too many calories can backfire, which delays the weight loss process. This is because the body needs calories in order to torch calories. You need to eat food in order to initiate metabolism, which makes losing weight more likely.
When you’re eating adequately, the body initially uses food for fuel. It then turns to the fat the body has been storing for energy. When you cut back too many calories because you’re trying to lose weight, it puts your body into “starvation mode”, which leads for the disintegration of lean muscle tissue to preserve its supply of energy. Eventually, this can result to a slower metabolism, which of course, makes it harder to actually shed pounds.
In addition, it’s a challenge to stick to a notably low calorie diet. Skipping breakfast or not eating enough because you believe it’s key to weight loss would actually just leave you hungry, making it harder to resist unhealthy treats your co-workers offer you at the office. Worse, your hunger in the morning could even lead you to eat too much at lunch.
Basically, women need around 1,200 to 1,500 calories daily, while men need around 2,000 to 2,500 calories per day. Of course, the number varies depending on the level of activities being engaged with, objectives, and so on. When you go lower than your required daily calorie consumption, you make it harder for your body to go through fundamental biological functions in order to make you healthy. If you’re not certain whether you’re hitting your required calorie intake, here are 7 signs that’ll tell you you’re not eating enough:
1. You’re mind is pre-occupied with thoughts of food
If you think about food all the time, one probable reason is because you’re not eating well and enough. In between meals, you can eat healthy snacks to increase your daily calorie consumption. This can help you concentrate on other things other than thinking about food. To avoid overeating and prevent hunger, foods rich in protein and fiber are wise options.
2. You’re skipping meals
Choosing not to have breakfast and starving yourself until lunch is definitely not the right path towards weight loss. Calorie consumption is vital in order to shed pounds, but cutting too much calories from your daily diet will have psychological effects making you feel deprived. This feeling of deprivation will eventually take its toll, leading you to overeat later or break your diet. Sticking to three meals a day with two snacks on t he side can help you stick to your weight loss goals while still being healthy. Of course, the foods you need to eat have to be nutritious ones. Stick to healthy sources of calories such as lean meat, whole grains, and healthy fats.
3. Period becomes irregular
For women, not consuming sufficient amount of calories can cause changes that’ll make her period irregular. Worse, it may even stop from ever coming. This is because the body doesn’t have adequate fat to generate the sex hormones that cause a woman’s menstrual cycle.
4. You get terrible headaches
Basically, your brain functions on the glucose in your blood, which comes from the carbs you consume. If you significantly cut back on your consumption of calories and carbs, your brain will lack the energy it needs to run smoothly. If you’re feeling shaky, dizzy, or lightheaded, or even having headaches that are unaccounted for, this could mean you’re not eating sufficiently, causing your blood sugar to plummet.
5. You’re always tired
When you seem to be bound to your bed because of this exhaustion that just won’t go away, this may be because you’re not consuming adequate energy as a result of your predilection to avoid food.
6. You’re cranky
Restricting yourself of too much calories can also result to you being bad-tempered. As a matter of fact, some studies indicate that actions consequential to self-control, such as sticking to a strict diet, are linked to more indignant behavior. Hence, if you’re always upset about petty things, it’s probably just because you don’t eat well enough.
7. You’re not satiated with your meals
Naturally, adhering to a limited meal every day will make you feel wanting more. You don’t need to go through this terrible feeling of deprivation. You can still experience that satisfied feeling of fullness by filling your plate with whole grains, healthy fat, and lean protein. What’s better is that when your meal consists of healthy food items, you’re less likely to crave for anything that’s loaded with sugar.
When it comes to weight loss, portion control is crucial. Still, portion control is not about settling with small portions and making yourself suffer psychologically, causing you to resort to binge eating. It’s all about eating larger portions of healthy foods and smaller portions of the less healthy ones. This is how you achieve weight loss without compromising your overall health.
