Do You Need to Eat More?

Grilled peppers, vegetable kabobs, eggplant, peas, garlic, roasted potatoes, and assorted herbs and dipping sauces.

I spent a big chunk of this weekend reviewing my very hefty nutrition Precision Nutrition textbook to renew my Level 1 Nutrition Coaching certification, and it really got me thinking (again) about how much we're shortchanging ourselves when we focus solely on weight loss. 

Popular culture has done a fantastic job pushing the narrative that losing weight should always be the goal and that to do so, you just have to eat less. 

It is completely true that energy balance matters, and weight loss, gain, or maintenance comes down to "energy in vs. energy out." 

It is also true that reducing food to simply "fuel" or "energy" means we're overlooking all the very, very important reasons why we really do need to eat. 

Yes, food is made up of calories which give us energy. So for active people, it's important to eat enough to support our activity levels or we'll find ourselves tapping out of workouts, not performing to our potential, and not getting the full benefit of the training. 

Food also contains vital nutrients without which we cannot survive. I recently did a quick overview of the macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins) and why each of them is important, but they're not the only components in our food. 

We also need to eat to get the vitamins and minerals we need to support all our bodily processes and maintain overall health. 

I've written before about the pitfalls of restrictive diets, but one thing that needs to be talked about more is how much of a disservice we're do for ourselves when we severely limit our calorie intake or cut out entire food groups. 

Eating enough food ensures we have enough energy for our daily activities, including exercise. It also provides the nutrients we need to rebuild muscle and skeletal tissue to increase strength and bone density. 

And...

The process of consuming food triggers a cascade of reactions in the body that influence hormones and neurotransmitters which control appetite, hunger, fullness, and digestion, among other things. 

The hormone ghrelin, for example, is the "hunger hormone;" it's released when food and energy intake is chronically low to signal that it's time to eat.

The hormone leptin is an energy sensor that shuts down hunger when we have a lot of body fat or energy coming in. If leptin is low because of low body fat or restrictive eating, it can cause us to feel like we're staaaaarrrrrrrving. 

After we eat, serotonin goes up which can increase feelings of calm and relaxation. Skipping meals or restricting food frequently, on the other hand, spikes other hormones that can put body in a state of stress and slow or shut down digestion.

What we eat matters, too. Vitamins are involved in all our metabolic processes, and most of them we can't make ourselves, so we have to get them from food. Minerals help build our bones and regulate body fluids.

Deficiencies of these micronutrients can cause health issues like anxiety, depression, dry skin, low bone density, fatigue, GI problems, and more -- and supplements aren't necessarily the solution, since they often don't have the same effect as consuming a food containing those nutrients. 

Many clients I work with want to lose weight to be healthier. It's important to keep in mind that pursuing weight loss by any means necessary may actually be harming your health by preventing you from getting the amount and variety of food you need to thrive. 


If you need help learning how to eat for better long-term health, email coachjustineh@gmail.com and let's chat!