Hello TROVE Tribe!
Can I be honest for a second? There was a time in my wellness journey, specifically when I was just getting started when I thought I was eating clean and doing everything “right” – skipping carbs here, cutting portions there, swapping meals for smoothies because that’s what the internet said was healthy. And also, let’s be real, let’s be real, when you’re trying to lose weight, it’s so easy to develop a fear of food. You don’t want to “undo” all the hard work you’re putting in at the gym with intense training.
However, that version of “eating healthy” started to backfire…
I remember during that period, I was often tired, always cold, moody, and low-key obsessed with food. At some point, I use to weight my food, I actually cannot believe I bought a food scale back then. I look back now and I thank God for growth and evolution with my wellness journey. I thought I had a discipline problem. But what I actually had… was an undereating problem.
Yup. Eating too little in the name of “health” is something so many of us women struggle with, especially when we’ve been conditioned to think smaller plates = better, and that fullness = failure. When we’ve been told that carbs are bad, fats are bad, do this, don’t do that… the list goes on. Does any of this sound familiar?
If it does, I want to help you not fall into this cycle, and if you’re already in it, I want to gently guide you toward a more nourishing, sustainable relationship with food. One rooted in care, not control.
So, how do you know if you might not be eating enough?
Here are a few signs that your body might be under-fuelled:
- Constant low energy or brain fog
- → You’re powering through the day, but your mind feels like it’s running on 1%.
- Obsessive food thoughts or intense cravings
- → You’re always thinking about your next meal, not because you’re greedy, but because your body is begging to be fed.
- Hair thinning, brittle nails, dry skin
- → Your beauty ques are often the first to tell when your body’s missing key nutrients.
- Missing or irregular periods
- → Your body hits pause on your cycle because it doesn’t feel safe or supported.
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- → You stand up too quickly and the room spins – a sign your blood sugar and energy reserves are too low.
- Waking up exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep
- → You’re sleeping, but not restoring – your body doesn’t have enough fuel to recover overnight.
- Trouble building muscle or recovering from workouts
- → You’re training hard, but seeing little progress – because your body can’t build what it’s not being fed.
- Constantly feeling cold
- → Even when others are fine, you’re freezing – your body is slowing down to conserve precious energy.
- Mood swings or low-level anxiety
- → You feel emotionally all over the place – because your brain isn’t getting the nutrients it needs to regulate your mood.
And here’s the thing, it’s not always intentional, we genuinely have the best intentions at heart. I mean, who wants to “undo” all the hard work they’re putting in (exercising and eating “healthy”)? I fully understand the fear and how it can be anxiety inducing, how it leads to undereating. I see it all the time. I’ve lived it. And I know how confusing and emotionally loaded it can be.
Sometimes, we think we’re eating “enough” because we’re eating often… but we’re not eating enough of the right stuff (hello, protein, fats, complex carbs, and enough fibre).
But over time, I started unlearning toxic messaging around food I had absorbed. I studied nutrition. I explored my emotional and psychological relationship with food. And slowly, and still a work in progress FYI, I began to build a healthier, safer connection with nourishment.
So if you recognize yourself in any of this, I want you to know:
Your body is not working against you. It’s trying to protect you.
Your body doesn’t just burning calories when you exercise. It’s working 24/7 – breathing, digesting, regulating your hormones, repairing cells, supporting your mental health, and literally keeping you alive. That all requires fuel i.e. calories and without enough, your body slows everything down to conserve energy, including your metabolism, fertility, digestion, and mood regulation.
So, How Do You Start Eating Enough Without The Guilt Or Fear?
Here are 4 gentle practical ways how you can gently begin rebuilding trust with your body:
- Learn to reconnect with your hunger cues
Start asking yourself:
- Do I wake up hungry?
- Do I stop eating when I’m satisfied, or when I think I “should”?
- Do I ignore hunger until I “earn” my food?
Hunger is not the enemy, it’s feedback. It means your body trusts you enough to ask for what it needs.
- Aim for balanced meals every 4–5 hours
Include all three macros in every main meal:
- A palm-size portion of protein (chicken, eggs, tofu, Greek yoghurt)
- A cupped hand of whole carbs (quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato, oats)
- A thumb of healthy fats (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avo)
- Lots of fibre-rich veggies
And please don’t skip breakfast, sets the tone for your mood, blood sugar, and hunger regulation all day.
- Snack With purpose, No Shame
Snacks aren’t a “cheat”, they’re part of nourishing your body. Fruits, slice of bread and peanut butter, rice cakes with avo. Boiled eggs, plain yoghurt and berries. A smoothie with oats, banana, and protein.. these are just some examples, you get the gist of it.
- Ease the food guilt
You are allowed to eat when you’re hungry. You are allowed to eat food that tastes good. You are allowed to feel full.
Your body is not a project or problem to solve, it’s a home to be cared for.
The answer? MORE. More food. More nourishment. More softness. More listening. More loving your body instead of punishing it. Because healing happens when your body feels safe, and being fed is the first signal of safety. And that is a beautiful, radical shift to make.
❤️ THE TAKEAWAY:
If you’ve been feeling “off” – like your motivation is gone, your energy feels flat or your workouts aren’t landing – maybe it’s not that you’re doing too much…
Maybe, just maybe, you’re doing too little when it comes to nourishing your body and giving it what it deeply needs.
Over time, my diet has evolved to include all macronutrients – healthy protein, carbs and fats. I was in conversation with someone about food recently, and they were shocked to learn that bread is part of my weekly grocery run and I mostly alternate between it and brown rice as my daily go-to carbs source. The real shift began when I started learning about the purpose of each food group and how eating enough is not weakness… it’s wisdom.
But, I am also aware that unlearning certain behaviours, fears and habits doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, it takes patience and it takes so much softness more especially if you struggle with an eating disorder or have carried a toxic relationship with food and your body.
I have been there too, stuck in the mindset of “less is more”. And I can tell you from experience, choosing to eat more – intentionally, consistently, and compassionately, can be one of the hardest things to do, even if you hear the message a thousand times.
So this week, I want to gently remind you to hold yourself with kindness.
Ask Yourself:
Am I fuelling my body like someone I love?
Or am I unintentionally punishing it in the name of “discipline”?
Here’s Your Gentle Invitation This Week:
Eat when you’re hungry. Eat enough to feel satisfied. Say no to shame. Say yes to nourishment.
You’re not too much. You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You’re just a woman learning to come home to her body again, and that is something to be proud of.
You deserve to feel energized, clear-minded, strong, and emotionally stable. And yes, that starts with eating enough.
Trust yourself, trust your body.
With love,
Juanita
