In this episode, I’m talking about something I see in the vast majority of women I coach: under-eating. Not overeating. Under-eating. I walk through five signs your body is telling you it needs more fuel, why this is so common in women (specifically), my own experience with under-eating in my early 20s, and how you can start eating in a way that supports your goals.
Hi friends, and welcome back to Daily Deposits. If we haven’t met yet, I’m Edie. I’m a nutrition consultant (almost 10 years now!), a mom of 2, and someone who could talk about this topic for hours.
Here’s why I wanted to record this episode. I did an episode earlier this year called “Are You Eating Enough?” and it has continued to grow through organic search, which tells me women are Googling this (…or consulting ChatGPT). And when I look at my coaching clients, the vast majority of women who come to me are not overeating. They’re under-eating! And they’ve been under-eating for so long that it feels normal.
So if you’ve been doing everything “right” (working out and eating well) and either your body isn’t changing, or your hormones are off, I want you to consider the possibility that it’s time to eat more.
Why This Is So Common in Women
Most of us grew up in a culture that told us less is more when it comes to food. Eat less, move more. Cut calories, elliptical for 45 minutes every day. Earn your meals, walk a bare minimum of 10k steps. And so many of us have internalized these messages so deeply that eating 1,200 calories feels like the right thing to do. But the math isn’t mathing! Your body needs fuel just to function (your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your brain thinking, your hormones doing their jobs, etc.).
When you’re not getting enough, your body starts adapting in ways that work against your goals. Think: a slowed metabolism, fat conservation around your midsection, a struggling thyroid, increased cortisol (stress), and more.
The 5 Signs You’re Undereating
Inside the episode, we explore:
Sign 1: You’re tired all the time, even when you’re sleeping enough
Sign 2: Your workouts feel harder than they should
Sign 3: You’re losing hair, your nails are brittle, or your skin looks dull
Sign 4: Your period is irregular or has disappeared
Sign 5: You think about food constantly
I also walk you through why under-eating stalls fat loss and why eating more (yes, more!) can be the thing that changes your body composition. I dive into my own experience with under-eating in my early 20s and how it shapes the way I coach today.
The bottom line: the thing you’re doing to try to lose fat might be the very thing that’s making it harder to lose fat. Said differently: when we increase food—especially protein and carbs—your body starts responding again. It’s like the lightbulb turns back on! Energy comes back. Workouts improve. Body composition shifts. Your libido revs back up. It literally touches everything. And here’s how you can get started.
If you want the full framework for figuring out how much to eat, how to build your plate, and how to train in a way that supports your goals, The Strong(er) Body Blueprint covers all of it.
The other podcast episodes I’ve recorded that tie into this one:
