Wellness Newsletter Final BMK Wellness Newsletter July-August 2018

Wellness
Newsletter
ISSUE
BI-MONTHLY
JOURNAL OF
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
27
July/August 2018
In this issue
4 Signs You’re Eating Too Little When
Trying to Lose Weight
BY KATI MORA, MS, RDN (MYFITNESSPAL BLOG)
MARCH 22, 2017
You’re Eating Too Little P. 1
How To Get Back On track P. 2
Benchmark Kids/Perfect Your Salad Game P. 3
What’s In Season/Recipe/Upcoming Events P. 4
If you’re trying to lose
weight, it’s pretty cut and
dry, right? Cut as many
calories from your diet as
possible. Unfortunately,
it’s possible to eat too
little, which not only
makes it harder for you to achieve a healthy weight,
but can also cause other health problems. 2. YOU’RE CRANKY
The first thing you should ask yourself is, “Why do I
want to lose weight?” This seems simple. It’s usual-
ly to fit into smaller clothes or to look better. But
these reasons can cause you to make decisions
that aren’t necessarily in your best health interest.
Eating below your needs is just one example of that
and, unfortunately, it can backfire big time. 3. YOU’RE CONSTIPATED
Everyone has a set amount of calories, or energy,
they need to simply be alive. Consistently eating
less than this can cause your metabolism to slow
down and your body to begin preserving what it can
to survive. Hunger and feeling full aren’t the only
indicators of whether you’re fueling your body ap-
propriately. In fact, if you aren’t eating enough con-
sistently, you may notice some of these other signs
as well.
1. YOU’RE TIRED
Our bodies are fueled by the foods we eat, so if we
don’t eat enough, our energy levels can also wane.
Whether you’re skipping meals or limiting the types
of food you eat, eating too few calories also means
you’re taking in too few nutrients. Research
shows you need all the macronutrients – carbohy-
drates, protein and fat – for sustained energy. That
said, vitamins and minerals are also essential in
regulating the production of energy. When you
skimp on calories, it becomes much more difficult to
get all these important elements your body needs to
function properly.
Feeling more irritable than normal can be another key indicator
you aren’t supplying your body with enough fuel to get through
the day. Skimping on carbohydrates can be particularly problem-
atic when it comes to mood stabilization. Without enough carbs,
your blood-sugar levels may dip too low because the body
doesn’t have enough sugar, or glucose, to use as fuel.
To help preserve energy, your digestive tract may move food
through your system more slowly when you restrict your intake
below what your body needs for an extended period of time. This
can cause constipation. In addition, not getting enough fiber reg-
ularly — which is challenging to do even when you do eat enough
to meet your needs — can also increase the likelihood of consti-
pation.
4. YOU CAN’T LOSE THOSE LAST FIVE POUNDS
More isn’t necessarily better. You usually lose weight when you
run a calorie deficit, but if you’re finding you just can’t lose those
last few pounds, it’s possible you’re either training too hard, eat-
ing too little or some combination of the two. Smaller deficits
(think 250–500 calories) are often all you need to see longer-term
weight loss. Plus, this won’t trigger your body to go into self-
preservation mode the same way, drastically restricting your in-
take often does. Although dropping your calories to significantly
low levels may provide you with quick weight loss in the begin-
ning, it can be detrimental to your health and set the stage for
weight regain in the future.
Source:
Mora, Kati. “4 Signs You're Eating Too Little When Trying to Lose Weight | MyFitness-
Pal.” Under Armour, 23 Mar. 2017, blog.myfitnesspal.com/4-signs-youre-eating-little-trying-lose-
weight/.