Some Signs That You’re Not Eating

There are several signs that may indicate you’re not eating enough, such as constant hunger or irritability. You may also experience low energy, hair fall, and frequent illness.
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight for your body can be challenging, especially in a society where food is constantly available.

But not getting enough calories can also be a concern — whether it’s due to intentional food restriction, decreased appetite, or other reasons.
Undereating on a regular basis can lead to a number of mental, physical, and emotional health issues. We dive into 11 signs that you may not be eating enough.

۱. Being underweight
To evaluate your weight, you may want to start with your body mass index (BMI). That said, BMI doesn’t take into account many factors that affect weight, which can vary from person to person.
2. Low energy levels
When you don’t get enough calories, you’ll likely feel tired most of the time.
3. Hair loss
If you’re noticing an increased amount of hair accumulating in your hairbrush or shower drain, it may be a signTrusted Source that you’re not eating enough or that you’re not getting enough important nutrients.
An inadequate intake of calories, protein, biotin, iron, and other nutrients is a common cause of hair loss.

۴. Changes in hunger cues
Being hungry all the time is one obvious sign that you’re not eating enough food, but it isn’t the only one.
Appetite and food cravings can increase in response to drastic calorie restriction. This is due to changes in hormone levels that control hunger and fullness.
However, while calorie deprivation may have a hunger-increasing effect in some cases, 2019 researchTrusted Source suggests that calorie deprivation over a long time may actually make you feel less hungry and reduce food cravings.

۵. Problems trying to get pregnant
Undereating may interfere with a person’s ability to become pregnant.
When your calorie intake or body fat percentage drops too low, your hormonal signals may become impairedTrusted Source, leading to changes in the number of hormones released.
6. Mood changes
If little things have begun to set you off, it could be related to not eating enough.
A 2020 study found that poor nutrition could lead to low mood and negatively impact your overall mental health.

۷. Feeling cold all the time
If you constantly feel cold, not eating enough food could be the cause.
Your body needs to burn a certain number of calories in order to create heat and maintain a healthy, comfortable body temperature.
Calorie restriction can lead to lower core body temperature. Overall, the more severely you slash calories, the colder you’re likely to feel.
8. Constipation
Infrequent bowel movements may be related to low calorie intake.