4 Signs You're Underfueling!
February 14, 2021
Written By: Nutrition Coach Mairead Often when we're trying to make changes in our health, we focus on weight. Focusing on weight usually means we look at how much we're eating and try to cut it back, with the goal of eating less so we can lose the weight we want. While this makes perfect sense and often works well for people, we can take it too far and end up underfueling.
This means we might not be taking in enough nutrition for our body and activity level.
Underfueling in the long-term can cause our metabolism to slow, lead to poor recovery and increase your risk of getting injured!
Check out these 4 signs to see whether you might be underfueling!
1. You're constantly sore.
While we expect some soreness from workouts, being sore all the time is a sign your body might not be getting what it needs to recover from the amount of exercise you're asking of it.
2. You're always thinking about food and having intense cravings.
The more we limit foods, the more our body will make us want them - bodies are smart! If you feel like you're always thinking about your next meal or your cravings are a lot worse than normal, this could be a sign we're not getting enough fuel overall.
3. You're constantly tired.
While there's no real way to make up for not getting enough sleep, feeling exhausted all the time when we're cutting back on calories can be a sign that you're not taking in enough energy to do everything we're asking of our body.
4. You feel like you can't push as much in workouts as you're used to.
If you're not taking in enough energy overall, your body is not going to have the extra energy for a workout. If your workouts are consistently feeling harder than normal lately, this is a sign we might not be fueling up enough.
So how do we solve underfueling?
The first step is usually increasing how much you're eating overall, and making sure there's no gaps in your diet, either in macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) or vitamins and minerals. Usually this will help you start to feel like your old self! Increasing how much you eat can be scary when you've been trying to lose weight - we get that! Working with a Registered Dietitian is your best option to have someone walk you through that process, while still keeping your long-term health and fitness goal the priority.
Looking to tackle some potential underfueling or any other nutrition concern? Let's book your Virtual Nutrition Consultation! Limited time slots available each week - email mairead@degreefitnessseaforth.com
for availability and for more info!
Not sure if this is the right option for you? Book a FREE Bite-Sized Nutrition Chat to talk more about your goals and how nutrition will play a role here!
Want to tackle your food cravings on your own? Check out our NEW e-book on Conquering Your Cravings here!
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