I grew up in a generation where the culture around eating was pretty intense. When it came to food, women didn’t shy away from extreme eating habits in the name of weight loss.
The Atkins Diet, the Grapefruit Diet and the Cabbage Soup Diet all meant cutting out major food groups and following insanely strict food rules. While the ideas and concepts have changed over the years, diet culture is not dead.
We are being sold on food rules, restrictive diets, and the fear of gaining weight everyday. Health & Wellness companies know the one thing you want the most is to see the scale drop. Those outdated ideas have become our mindset blueprints around weight loss and health - although most women I work with are completely unaware of them!
“Diet culture is not dead - we just call it wellness now. If you are eating out of fear, self loathing, or hatred of being fat you are still trapped in diet culture”. - Kerri Lindsay
The promise of quick fixes, losing weight fast, and being thin are still everywhere we look.
And we are buying it. We think nothing of splurging on the next quick fix but complain about how expensive cucumbers and red peppers are.
We suffer through low calorie meal plans, give up the foods we love, have no energy, experience frequent brain fog, all because we want to be thinner.
We think the only way to measure health is to see the scale move.
But your health journey doesn’t have to feel so “all-in” or ‘all-out”. It is possible for you to both nourish yourself without feeling like you are adding another thing to your to-do list AND have the flexibility to enjoy the foods you love without guilt.
In this blog we are going to dive into the simple changes you can make to be healthier AND happier without sacrificing one for the other. You’ll walk away from this blog knowing:
The surprising reason why eating enough is important
8 signs you may be experiencing if you're not eating enough,
3 things you can do to this week to ensure you are eating enough,
Simple tips for getting the nutrients you need to thrive
Why is eating enough important?
Most women are trying to lose weight – especially the ones that come to me for health coaching. The majority of them end up under-eating, or restricting calories to achieve that goal. This is normal after growing up in a generation that prioritized being thin at all costs.
But not eating enough means depriving your body of important nutrients which can wreak havoc on your metabolism and hormones.
Some signs you may be experiencing if you're not eating enough.
Our mothers, and grandmothers (bless their hearts) see us struggling to manage weight or trying keep up with our daily lives and say things like “welcome to midlife” - because they come from a time where these things were considered normal. But if you're experiencing any of the following symptoms they do NOT have to be part of your normal.
Brain Fog - Ever had those moments of forgetfulness and “where did I put my keys?” We all have them, but frequent brain fog could be your body's way of telling you you haven’t eaten enough. Skipping meals to save time in your busy day means not giving your body the energy it needs to keep going. So whether it is the mid morning slump or the 3pm crash, it is your cue to check in with yourself and ask how you have nourished your body and brain today.
Moodiness - Hangry is a real emotion! If you're rushing out the door without breakfast, your blood sugar and mood can take a dip. Irritability may be one of the most noticeable side effects of not eating enough calories.
Body Temperature - Feeling chilly? If you're not eating enough, you are probably not able to carry out thermogenesis, which is a process that helps your body generate heat.
Thirsty - Sounds a bit counterintuitive, but not eating enough is one way you can manage your hydration levels because the electrolytes you get in food affects your thirst like sodium, potassium, and magnesium. If you still feel thirsty after a glass of water, it could be a sign you are not eating enough calories.
Constant hunger - Being hungry all of the time is one of the most obvious signs you’re not eating enough.
Low energy and Fatigue - Calories are units of energy your body uses to function properly. When you don’t eat enough you are likely going to feel tired most of the time. Restricting calories or skipping meals can slow your metabolic rate, leaving you feeling tired and having a lack of energy because you're not taking in enough calories to support even the basic functions that keep you alive!
Loss of muscle - Without enough protein to feed or maintain your muscles, you may experience muscle loss. Muscle loss slows your metabolic rate and in prolonged, calorie restrictive diets your body could kick into starvation mode and hold onto fat stores instead of using them for energy.
Hormone imbalance - Restrictive diets may lead to increased cortisol levels. Cortisol is our stress hormone and is associated with weight gain. High levels of cortisol can disrupt your hormone balance
While these signs and symptoms can be related to many different things, after going from consuming 1000 calories a day to 2000 calories a day, there is one thing I know for sure: You don’t have to obsess over the number on the scale, be tired all of the time, or give up the foods you eat for pleasure.
You can have more energy, think more clearly and lose weight with less effort even if you're over 40! It is time to change the narrative and it starts with paying a little more attention to what and how much you're putting on the end of your fork.
Why not eating enough isn’t helping you lose weight
As you are entering midlife you might be wondering why what used to work is no longer working. You have started to experience brain fog, you feel exhausted trying to keep up with your day to day, you lack the energy and focus you used to have… your left wondering what has changed!?
The simple answer?
Your BMR - or Basal Metabolic Rate. It is something you may have heard about but know nothing about it.
Our bodies naturally burn calories just sitting around. Doing nothing. (Yes, really 😂!)
Your BMR is the number of calories or energy your body needs to function properly. This includes breathing and keeping your heart beating. Most women I work with are not eating enough to maintain healthy body functions like proper digestion, and cell regeneration- both which are already affected as we age.
Stress, busy schedules, and the hustle of everyday life can take a toll on our bodies. When we are not eating enough, our bodies go into fight or flight mode - storing fat because it believes you are in a life threatening situation. This is our natural stress response, and as busy women we are living it everyday.
Continuously following low calorie diets, because you think it is the only path to weight loss or skipping meals because of our busy lives, can lead you to metabolic adaptation - a gradual slowing of your metabolic rate which could prevent you from losing weight. Not only that, but it leaves you feeling exhausted, cranky, and ashamed of your body when it doesn’t have to be that way!
What can you do to make sure you are eating enough & getting the nutrients you need
Not only is eating enough important but making sure you are eating the right foods is equally as important. Fueling your body with complex carbohydrates, quality protein, and healthy fats along with a variety of vitamins and minerals, you can increase your energy levels and ensure your body is getting what it needs to thrive.
Here are some simple tips to make sure you are eating enough & getting the right nutrients:
Focus on eating 3 meals a day.
Make sure to include all 3 macronutrients and a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.
Check in with yourself, your body has the ability to show you signs that something may not feel right or as great as it should be.
If you need a little boost try snacking on something with carbohydrates and protein - like some veggie sticks and hummus, an apple and some nut butter, or a handful of berries and some nuts. The combination of carbohydrates and protein will help increase your blood sugar levels to help boost your energy.
Above all else, think about addition versus subtraction. Ask yourself “what can I add to my meals to make them more balanced?” rather than thinking “what do I need to take away?”
The bottom line is you are likely feeling & seeing some changes as you enter midlife. Maybe you're obsessing over belly fat, or frustrated with the lack of mental clarity, or too exhausted to do the things you love.
While the basics of being intentional about your nutrition, movement and lifestyle don’t sound exciting or sexy they are your path to health and happiness.
If you're ready to get off the hamster wheel of fad diets and quick fixes and stop chasing the idealized version of yourself and start focusing on being the best version of you now, download my free guide “How to build a balanced meal and spend less time in the kitchen”.
Together we can redefine what healthy means to you.
Dive deeper into balanced eating and healthy lifestyles! Explore our related posts "What is a balanced diet? Change your relationship with food." and "Easy Meal Planning Hacks".
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