Two Common Mistakes That Can Lead To Under-Eating

Are You Eating Enough?

Everyone knows they’re supposed to eat healthy food, but we don’t always talk about the importance of eating enough of it. Whether you’re trying to lose weight through your training plan or are just too busy, it’s important to make sure that your body is properly fueled for workouts. Here we break down two common things active individuals should not to do that could lead to under-eating.

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Don’t avoid eating post-workout

This one is most common among women, but can be seen across the board by those looking to get lean. In an effort to maintain the calorie deficit created by exercising, many people will refrain from eating after exercise, not realizing that this effectively renders that exercise useless. Your body needs fuel to recover from your workout, specifically carbohydrates and protein, and is perfectly primed after a workout to use this fuel to rebuild and repair.

Post-workout nutrition has three main functions: replenish glycogen, decrease protein breakdown (of muscle tissue) and increase protein synthesis (repair of muscles). It is therefore essential to consume protein and carbohydrates after training. Protein will help your muscles repair and carbohydrates will replace muscle glycogen lost during exercise, which in turn helps insulin transport nutrients to your cells.

Do not eat the same number of calories whether they’re training or not

It may seem obvious, yet many people fail to recognize the relationship between calorie expenditure and energy needs. You should be eating more calories on the days you train than on the days you don’t to fuel your muscles.

About the author: Cortney Berling is a registered dietitian nutritionist at Tri-City Medical Center, a full-service, acute-care hospital located in Oceanside, California. She received her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics at The University of Cincinnati and completed her dietetic internship at The Cleveland Clinic.

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