How to Make Sure You’re Eating Enough Calories for Your Health and Goals

More often than not, the women who come to us struggling with health symptoms related to their hormones, digestion, metabolism, and energy, simply aren’t eating enough. Although some might feel that way if they’re struggling to lose weight, one of the biggest stressors on the body is under eating calories during the day and lacking the vitamins and minerals their metabolism needs to function optimally. The combination of stress and low nutrient status can lead to a sluggish metabolism, gut issues, blood sugar swings, and hormone issues.

Why Eating Enough Calories is Foundational

I’m excited to dive into this important topic of making sure you’re eating enough calories, because it’s something I struggled with myself for a while and was one of the missing pieces in healing my body long term.

Eating enough calories consistently is foundational for improving your digestion, hormones, skin, energy, and sleep. And if you have fat loss or weight loss goals, making sure you’re eating enough is crucial, as under-eating can have a major impact on your metabolism.

The reason this is such a common issue is that we’re simply never taught what eating enough actually looks like. From a young age, the nutrition advice we’re exposed to is often centered around dieting, calories, and weight – with little focus on nourishing our bodies with the right amount of nutrient-dense food. We learn about things like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, keto, or intermittent fasting, but the basics of how much we should be eating to support our health often get lost.

In my view, the foundations of nourishing nutrition can be thought of as a pyramid. At the very bottom is quality, nutrient-dense food. The next layer is quantity – making sure you’re eating enough calories. Only after those two foundational pieces are in place should you start to consider supplements, macronutrient ratios, or other more advanced nutritional strategies.

The problem is that when we’re not eating enough consistently, it’s perceived by the body as a stressor. Your metabolism will slow down, your digestion will suffer, and your hormones can become imbalanced – all in an effort to conserve energy and ensure your survival. This can lead to a whole host of unpleasant symptoms that many women struggle with.

Signs You May Not Be Eating Enough

So how can you tell if you’re not eating enough? Here are some of the common signs and symptoms:

• Cold hands and feet – Even when it’s not cold outside, you’re always feeling chilly, which can be a sign of a sluggish metabolism.
• Afternoon energy crashes – Around 2-3 pm, you find yourself craving sugar, carbs, or just feeling completely drained of energy.
• Irregular or missing periods – Irregular cycles, heavy periods, or even a complete loss of your period can indicate hormonal imbalances.
• Difficulty building or maintaining muscle – If you’re sore for days after workouts and have a hard time recovering, it could mean you’re not eating enough to fuel your body.
• Constant thoughts about food – If you’re always thinking about your next meal or feeling out of control around certain foods, it may be a sign of under-eating.
• Anxiety and moodiness – Lack of adequate calories and nutrients can contribute to increased anxiety, irritability, and mood swings.
• Dry skin, brittle nails, and thinning hair – These are all signs that your body isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to support healthy skin, hair, and nails.
• Constipation and digestive issues – Slower digestion, bloating, and reflux can stem from not eating enough.
• Frequent sickness – If you find yourself getting sick often or taking a long time to recover, it could be due to a weakened immune system from under-eating.
• Low libido – Inadequate calorie and nutrient intake can negatively impact your sex drive and overall hormonal health.

The key thing to understand is that under-eating can manifest in many different ways – it’s not just about the number on the scale. You can be under-eating and still maintain a higher body weight, as your body tries to conserve energy and hold onto fat stores. The symptoms above are often the first signs that something is off, even if the weight isn’t changing.

How to Determine Your Calorie Needs

So how do you know if you’re eating enough? The first step is to gather some data. You can do this by keeping a food journal, either by taking photos of your meals or using an app like Cronometer or MyFitnessPal (just be sure to ignore any calorie recommendations from these apps, as they tend to be overly restrictive).

Aim to track your intake for 3-5 days to get an accurate average of where you’re at. If you find that you’re consistently under 1,800 calories per day, that’s a good indication that you need to increase your intake.

From there, you’ll want to determine your unique calorie needs. This can be done by calculating your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). There are various online calculators that can help with this, but I recommend getting personalized guidance, as your individual factors like activity level, health history, and menstrual cycle can all impact your calorie needs.

Once you have a target calorie range, the key is to increase your intake slowly and focus on nutrient-dense whole foods. Aim for 3-4 balanced meals per day, making sure to include a protein source at each one. Animal proteins like grass-fed beef, bison, lamb, and eggs are especially beneficial, as they provide high-quality, bioavailable nutrients.

It’s also important to listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. You should feel satisfied after meals, without intense cravings or a desire to keep eating. And you should be able to go 3-4 hours between meals without feeling ravenous.

I know the idea of eating more can be scary, especially if you have a history of dieting or body image struggles. But I can’t stress enough how important it is to provide your body with the fuel it needs. Restricting calories too much can lead to a downward spiral of metabolic slowdown, hormonal imbalances, and unpleasant symptoms.

Instead, focus on gradually increasing your intake with wholesome, nourishing foods. This is the foundation for supporting your digestion, metabolism, hormones, and overall health – which will, in turn, make it easier to reach your body composition goals, whether that’s fat loss, muscle gain, or simply feeling your best.

If you need more guidance on how to find your calorie sweet spot and build healthy eating habits, I encourage you to apply for Well Nourished or to work with us 1-1. Eating enough is truly the cornerstone of vibrant health, and I’m passionate about helping women understand how to make it a sustainable part of their lifestyle.