7 signs that your meal doesn't have enough calories, causing your health to decline

Before coming to the signs that your meal is not having enough calories , you need to understand how many calories you need each day. According to the NIH, each person's daily energy needs depend on many factors such as age, gender, weight, height and baseline activity level.

Typically, women need about 2000 calories a day to maintain weight and 1500 calories to lose weight. Men need about 2500 calories daily for maintenance and 2000 calories for weight loss. However, these are just general estimates and each person needs to adjust based on their personal needs.

Once the body's calorie intake is too low, it will be difficult for the body to perform and operate basic biological functions including movement, mood, etc. Below are some signs that it has arrived. When you need to adjust your daily menu:

1. Constantly tired and irritable

Calories are a source of energy for cells and if we do not provide enough energy through our diet, the body will start to use stored energy from fat and muscle, which can lead to more tired.

When the body does not get enough calories, it does not have enough energy to maintain basic functions and daily activities , and you will feel constantly tired throughout the day.

Plus, the neurotransmitters that send brain signals to maintain your mood also require calories to function properly. When you don't have enough nutrition, you will easily feel depressed, less happy and more irritable than usual.

According to Healthline, a study in mice found that restricting calories by 60% or more can cause various side effects including anxiety, irritability, and other mood changes .

2. Hair loss

A deficiency in nutrients such as protein, biotin, iron and other nutrients in the diet is a common cause of hair loss.

If you notice increased hair loss, this could be a sign of an insufficient calorie diet or a signal that your body is not getting enough important nutrients.

3. Menstruation "disappears"

Over time, the body learns to adapt to this "new normal" calorie deficit and becomes clearer at prioritizing what's important and what's not. That means breathing and blood circulation take priority and reproductive functions such as menstruation or pregnancy are reduced. Based on the signals received, the hypothalamus inhibits the production of estrogen, progesterone and other hormones.

For women, amenorrhea can be a sign of poor nutrition and not enough calories. According to Prevention, the deficiency can include fat - a necessary element to produce sex hormones that trigger the menstrual cycle. If you haven't had your period for 3 months or longer, you should see your doctor for an examination.

In addition, disruption of reproductive hormone signaling due to a low- calorie diet also leads to difficulty getting pregnant.

4. Frequently feel hungry

Hunger is the first sign that you are not eating enough. Appetite increases when a person is on a strict calorie deficit diet , causing hormone levels that control satiety and hunger to change.

Calorie -cutting diets cause the amount of fat stored in the body to decrease sharply, which also leads to a deficiency in the appetite-controlling hormone leptin . In other words, eating less can cause a number of hormonal changes that increase hunger, promoting the need to eat more to compensate for missing calories and nutrients.

However, according to Healthline, some studies also show that a calorie deficit diet maintained over a long period of time can make you less hungry and reduce cravings. However, cutting calories to lose weight needs to be done properly, ensuring that it still provides adequate nutrients to the body so that the organs can function normally.

5. Constipation

It's not surprising that constipation is one of the signs of a low- calorie diet because consuming less food equates to less waste in your digestive tract, especially if the diet is low in calories. fiber.

Constipation is defined as having fewer bowel movements per week; stools are small, hard and difficult to push.

6. Illness more often

According to Healthline, a 2016 study showed that eating fewer calories is associated with immune system dysfunction. This means you may get sick more often when you don't get enough nutrients from your diet to maintain a healthy immune system.

Nutrients important for a well-functioning immune system include certain amino acids - arginine and tryptophan and other minerals and vitamins such as zinc; selenium; vitamin A; B vitamins include B1, B2, B3 and B12; vitamin C; vitamin D.

7. Skin problems

Not eating enough can easily cause negative problems with your skin. In some cases, the skin may become thinner, more wrinkled, or even peel or crack. Skin lesions can occur such as easy bruising, broken blood vessels under the skin and even purpura conditions .

In addition to the above conditions, poor sleep, muscle loss, constantly thinking about food, severe headaches... can also be signs of an insufficient calorie diet and nutritional deficiencies.

While eating too much increases your risk of developing health problems, eating too little, having a severe calorie deficit or lacking essential nutrients can also affect your health, especially in the long term. Furthermore, each person has a unique health condition, so you should consult your doctor before planning to start any calorie deficit diet to ensure your health.