Healthy Eating: Five Signs Your Calorie Intake Is Too Low

As you progress through your fat loss diet plan, you know that eating fewer calories is a must, but if you cut your calorie intake too much, that too can cause problems. Not only will you be setting yourself up for nutritional deficiencies because you’re not getting as many nutrient-dense foods in your day, but you may also be suffering from a slow metabolic rate as a result.

The good news is that if you catch the warning signs early, you can do something about it and get back to eating more and seeing better results.

Here are five signs that may indicate you’re simply not eating enough…

1. Your energy is running low. While hunger is the first thing many people think of as a side effect of a low-calorie diet, don’t overlook how energy plays a role. If your energy seems to have plummeted, this could be a sign that you need to up your calorie intake.

Your body requires a particular amount of fuel for daily life, and if you are eating well below what your body needs, symptoms will show up.

2. Your hair is falling out. Another sign Your hair is getting thinner every day. Your hair requires particular vitamins and minerals to grow properly, and without them, it can start to break or, even worse, fall out.

If you’re experiencing hair thinning like never before, it may be time to add a few more calories to your diet.

3. Your period is friends. For women, the menstrual cycle can be an important sign of whether they are eating enough. If your cycle has been hidden in the last month, you may not be eating enough calories. Not eating enough could lead your body to slow down reproduction and can lead to long-term health problems, so you really need to do everything you can to get your cycle back on track.

4. Is irritable and anxious. If irritability and anxiety start to plague you, this could also be a sign that you’re not eating enough food, especially carbohydrates. Carbohydrates trigger the release of serotonin in the brain, which helps…

• reduces stress,
• calm anxiety and
• improve your mood.

When you are hungry and running low on energy, it is very common to find irritability and anxiety.

5. You are constipated. Finally, if constipation has started to set in, keep in mind that this could be due to a lack of food, or more specifically, a lack of dietary fiber. Constipation is frustrating and uncomfortable, but adding a few more carbs and grams of fiber to your diet should help you manage it better.

Keep these points in mind. Are you noticing any of these signs or symptoms? If so, consider adding a few more calories to your diet to help resolve them. Adding 10% more calories may do the trick.