
Do you need more food to lose weight? Fitness coach shares 3 signs you need to eat more each day for weight loss
On July 2, fitness coach Melissa took to Instagram to address a growing concern among women trying to lose weight. 'I often hear women tell me they're eating extremely low calories for long periods, hoping their body will finally shed the weight. They're frustrated, working hard yet seeing no results. So, what's going on?' she wrote. Also read | Are you in calorie deficit but still not losing weight? Fitness coach shares 5 common weight loss mistakes to avoid
Melissa shared three important signs that your body may be sending to signal it actually needs more food to lose weight effectively: 1. You don't feel hungry in the morning, but you struggle with cravings in the late afternoon and evenings.
These cravings are a result of your body's attempt to make up for the lack of nutrients earlier in the day (under-eating). Many women then over-eat at night or on the weekends because your body will do what it takes to get what it needs. To lose weight and keep it off too, include balanced meals and snacks to keep your metabolism going and prevent overeating.(Freepik) 2. You are irritable and can't stop thinking about food.
Low calorie restriction can make you feel irritable and moody, have difficulty concentrating because you can't stop thinking about food. These thoughts lead to increased sugar cravings; random snacking and zero control when you are around certain foods or at weekend events, which makes it unlikely you'll stick to your deficit for the amount time needed to lose the weight. Also read | Are you holding fat in your body? Weight loss coach shares 5 things to focus on to shed extra kilos faster 3. You're constantly fatigued and have low energy levels, despite getting enough sleep.
When your diet is very low in calories, your body will begin to ration energy. You will have less energy for work, play, and movement. Your body isn't designed to operate on such limited fuel. Which means you won't have enough energy to actually move your body and burn fat.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.
Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Taylor Swift, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
19 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
How nutritionist lost 20 kg after 'quitting' multiple times: 'Instead of eating less, I focused...'
In a world full of crash diets, unrealistic fitness goals, and constant pressure to "eat less," sustainable weight loss can feel nearly impossible. But nutritionist Namita Satheesh's journey proves otherwise. After quitting multiple times, she eventually lost 20 kg, not by starving herself but by shifting her mindset. Nutritionist Namita Satheesh lost 20 kg by changing her mindset from restrictive dieting to nourishing her body. (Instagram/@namitasatheesh) In a July 1 Instagram post, she shared how she achieved her goal by focusing on fuelling her body and building healthy habits that truly lasted. (Also read: Kareena Kapoor's nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar shares 'the only diet that works for weight loss'. Watch ) Why do diets often fail despite strong effort Namita says in her post, 'When I started, every Friday I'd say: 'I'll start on Monday.' Then I'd binge eat all weekend as if every meal was my last meal on Earth. Monday would come, and I'd be excited to start. No sugar, no fried food, no junk. I'd work out, hit 10k steps, a great day. Tuesday and Wednesday would go well too. But by Thursday, everything would fall apart.' Check out her video here. There are people who think consuming less food than what the body requires will help them to lose weight faster - this is very dangerous. She continues, "By Thursday, I'd lose all motivation to exercise. My cravings would kick in, and I'd cave and order a pizza. Then I'd feel guilty for cheating on my diet. I'd think, 'Okay, my diet's already out the window, so I might as well order some ice cream too.' I'd eat that in guilt and tell myself I'd start again next Monday. And the cycle would repeat." "I thought I was the problem," she admits. "Maybe I didn't have enough willpower. Maybe I didn't want it badly enough. Or maybe I just wasn't trying hard enough. I couldn't understand why diets never worked for me or why I couldn't stay consistent. I used to guilt-trip myself constantly. I hated how I looked and how I felt." 'I stopped chasing quick fixes' But eventually, Namita realised she wasn't the problem, her approach was. "I wanted to lose weight fast. It was always all or nothing. The diets I followed were too extreme and completely unsustainable. I hadn't addressed my relationship with food," she explains. So, what finally changed? 'It shifted when I stopped chasing quick fixes. I had gained 25 kg over five years, how could I expect to lose it in just three months? I replaced my diet mentality and all-or-nothing mindset. I focused on simply showing up. I stopped obsessing over the weighing scale and just kept showing up, no matter what the number said.' By shifting her mindset from dieting to nourishing her body, Namita achieved lasting weight loss.(Unsplash) Namita says the biggest breakthrough came when she changed her mindset from restriction to nourishment. "Instead of trying to eat less and less, I focused on what I could do more of—more protein, more steps, more exercise, more fruits, more veggies, and more sleep. I stopped restricting, and just like that, I stopped having to start over every week." Can sustainable changes really replace strict dieting? Her advice to others is simple and powerful: "If you're sick of starting over, stop! What you need is not another diet but a sustainable plan that fits into your life and routine. Quick fixes don't work. Consistency does. Diets don't work. Moderation does." She concludes, "Now I've lost 20 kg and maintained that weight loss, not through extreme diets or hours of cardio, but with consistent daily action. Even when I'm not motivated. Even when I feel lazy. I stopped trying to punish myself for weight loss and started enjoying my meals and workouts. And when you enjoy something, it's not hard to stick to it." Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.


NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
"The Best Beverage For High Blood Pressure Is..." AIIMS, Harvard Gut Doctor Reveals
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a common condition which can lead to serious health issues. When blood pressure remains elevated for prolonged periods, it can lead to serious health issues such as heart disease, stroke and kidney problems. Hypertension is usually known as a "silent killer" because most individuals may not experience noticeable symptoms, yet it can cause significant damage over time. Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy blood pressure numbers. A diet rich in fibre, potassium, and magnesium, with low sodium intake, can help reduce blood pressure significantly. Best beverage for high blood pressure Drinking beetroot juice is one of the effective ways to control blood pressure through dietary changes. In an Instagram video, Dr. Saurabh Sethi, popularly known as the "gut doctor" and a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, revealed that beetroot juice is a beverage for high blood pressure. Several studies suggest that dietary nitrate, found in beetroot juice, can effectively lower blood pressure. Drinking beetroot juice can lead to a significant decrease in blood pressure, especially in those who already have high levels. Beetroot juice is rich in nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. This compound helps to relax and widen blood vessels, improving blood flow and potentially reducing blood pressure levels. Additionally, beetroot is a good source of potassium, a mineral which helps nerves and muscles function properly and lowers blood pressure effectively. Beetroot juice is also rich in iron, magnesium, sodium, zinc, copper and selenium. Incorporating beetroot juice into a balanced diet, alongside other lifestyle changes can be an effective strategy for controlling high blood pressure. Regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, consuming a low-sodium diet and managing stress can effectively aid in lowering blood pressure.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
'That is business suicide': IIT Kanpur graduate shares lessons from his failed investment that once looked promising
What happens when a well-funded startup, backed by top VCs and built around a high-impact mission, still fails to survive? Harsh Pokharna , an IITian and CEO, recently took to Instagram to share the harsh lessons he learned after a health-tech startup he invested in shut down. His brutally honest post has since gone viral, not just for its candour, but for the clarity it offers to anyone trying to crack India's notoriously complex healthcare market. He revealed that he invested in the health-tech start-up in 2020. The startup aimed to be an aggregator for cancer hospitals, giving patients a platform where they could browse treatment options, consult doctors online, and choose where to receive care. With over $7 million raised from investors and a strong organic reach of 25,000+ monthly visitors and over 1,000 unique cancer patient leads, the start-up had all the signs of a high-potential venture. But even with these numbers, it couldn't survive. 'We really thought hospitals would see the value in owning or partnering with a brand like this,' Pokharna wrote. 'But it didn't work out that way.' Critical lessons he learned According to Pokharna, the failure wasn't due to a lack of vision or execution—it was rooted in the structural reality of Indian healthcare. In his post, he listed three critical lessons that founders (and investors) should take seriously: - Hospitals hold all the power According to Harsh, aggregator platforms may look good on paper, but in reality, they're completely at the mercy of hospitals. Payments get delayed, contracts are disregarded, and any profit margin gets wiped out by compliance and collection costs. Hospitals simply don't need middlemen. Digital-only doesn't work (yet) The Indian market isn't ready to pay for purely online healthcare services, claims Harsh. Digital tools are useful for generating leads, but they can't sustain a business. Offline is necessary—and expensive Indian patients still prefer in-person consultations and physical centres. But building offline infrastructure is a heavy lift. According to Pokharna, each centre takes 12–24 months to break even and requires massive upfront investment. If a startup can't afford to scale offline, it stalls. His biggest takeaway? For Pokharna, the biggest takeaway is simple but sobering: startups trying to be aggregators in healthcare are walking a dangerous line. Without strong differentiators or leverage, they risk becoming powerless middlemen—with no margins, no sustainability, and no way out. He cautioned that building an aggregator-only business in Indian healthcare is a risky move. Without solid solutions to the structural challenges of the sector, founders risk setting themselves up for failure from the very start. In Pokharna's own words, it may look like a promising pitch deck, but if you're not careful, it could be business suicide.