8 signs you're not eating enough, even if you think you are

Woman Eating Watermelon

You body needs fuel.
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
  • Undereating is just as bad as overeating.
  • Your body needs fuel from food to function.
  • Being cold all the time, feeling sluggish, and having mood swings are all signs that you may not be eating enough even if you think you are.
  • Weight loss plateauing, an irregular menstrual cycle, and feeling unwell are also signals that you might not be eating enough.


In general, we spend more time talking about overeating than undereating. But not eating enough can have some real consequences.

Our bodies offer a number of signals to let us know when something is off with our eating, or when something needs to change.

Here are 8 signs you're not eating enough even if you think you are, and what to do about it.

You feel sluggish.

You might feel fatigued.
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Calories are energy. When you don't get enough calories, your body is lacking in energy for a number of reasons, resulting in a feeling of sluggishness.

According to Livestrong, your body — more specifically the cells inside it — require glucose, a key component in carbohydrates, to function. Your body also requires Vitamin B and iron, both of which are found in various foods.

If you constantly feel tired, you might want to take a look at your calorie intake, especially if you've been cutting calories, intentionally or otherwise.

Moderate amounts of caffeine make you sick.

Caffeine can contribute to damage of the stomach's lining.
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We all know that undereating and over-caffeinating are a bad combination, but feeling nauseous after just one cup of coffee or a couple of cups of black tea may be a sign that you're not putting enough food in your system.

Caffeine on an empty stomach, or with too little food, raises the level of acidity in the stomach . This increased level of acidity can be damaging to the stomach's lining , and can to things like heartburn, indigestion, stomach ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome.

Pairing a balanced meal with your morning caffeine is one way to avoid sickness and help ensure you're on track to eat enough throughout the day.

Your stomach growls regularly.

Growling isn't a good sign.
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If your stomach seems to be constantly growling, you may not be eating as often as you should be. While a stomach growling can either be a sign that you're full or hungry, a loud, persistent growl points to the latter — because a louder growl or rumbling is heard when the stomach and intestines are empty .

Try eating in larger amounts or at more regular intervals to see if the growling stops. If it seems to help with the problem, that's a sign that your stomach growling was the result of you not eating enough, even if you think you are.

You just don't feel well.

You just don't feel like yourself.
Flickr / Mislav Marohnić

Some of the most common symptoms of not eating enough are that you feel weak, dizzy, have headaches , and feel fatigued. Basically, you just don't feel like yourself.

When your body is lacking in nutrients or food, it's ability to function properly is halted, causing the organs to go into overdrive and the body to compensate by pulling from any and all sources of fuel in order to survive.

You're stuck en route to your weight loss goals.

Your body might start storing calories it would otherwise burn.
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If you've reached a plateau, and your weight loss has halted after weeks or months of results, this may be due to not eating enough. While you might think that not eating enough will help further your weight loss, it can actually have a negative impact on your goal.

When the body is in a caloric deficit it goes into " starvation mode ." In this state, the body eats away at muscle for energy rather than attacking fat stores . Additionally, in this state the body stores calories it would otherwise burn .

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