Are you eating enough?

If you have been around for a while, you know that I stress a lot about how important it is to eat ENOUGH food. And not just enough calories, but enough of the right foods and macros to fuel our body properly so it can burn fat effectively, build muscle and support your body's energy expenditure. It may seem counterintuitive for those of you trying to lose fat or reach certain goals, but trust me. Our bodies are machines and use our food for fuel. Just like a car uses gas to run, we too need to give our bodies fuel to function properly.

For many, you are not sure how to know if you are consuming enough food. Below, I am sharing 5 ways to know if you are eating enough.

• You feel satisfied for 3-4 hours after meals. This is keeping that feeling of satisfaction and not needing to eat every 2 hours.

• You don't crave sugar immediately after a meal. If you are someone that reaches for a piece of chocolate after every meal, chances are your body is not satisfied.

• You feel satiated, content and happy, but not sluggish. You want to fuel your body enough to feel satisfied but not to a point of being uncomfortable. Think of aiming for being 80% full.

• You're able to recover after your workouts and are not super sore. Our muscles need fuel to perform and recover. If your muscles are very tired and sore after a workout, chances are they need more fuel.

• You do not constantly think about food. When you always want food and feel the need to snack all day, you most likely are not getting enough fuel.
  
  You should be able to say "YES" to each of these 5 points. If you can't, chances are you are under-eating OR not giving your body the right fuel.