NUTRITION IS SELF-CARE: HOW TO FEED YOURSELF WHEN APPETITE IS LOW
AN APPETITE SUPPRESSED IS AKIN TO FYRE FEST
It's not unusual for many of my clients to struggle with overeating, especially when stress or emotions are high. But I've also regularly had many clients who abstain from eating when their stress, emotions, or schedules are exceptionally high and demanding.
Our ability to stay reasonable when feeling incredibly stressed or emotional tends to be most challenging. And unsurprisingly, ensuring we're well fed is a significant helper and factor with us thinking (and acting) reasonably.
Care of self should prioritize work demands, particularly when ensuring you're adequately fed to manage the needs of your life and your profession. As someone who coaches a substantial number of individuals with high-demand jobs as medical professionals, lawyers, and CEOs, I've had many conversations with clients on how they've become inextricably tied to their trade that they've lost sight of how to ensure their own needs are met. I ultimately seek to help them see that they'll be better at their jobs, be more in tune parents, have better workouts, and manage their overall stress by being well-fed.
I am concerned when so many are running around and doing so much while eating so little. Eating too little does not serve anyone, especially when living in a state of high demand. It makes it challenging to be able to think, act, and move with intention and clarity. And it causes them to believe they must continue to put everything else's needs before their own.
As a result, a few ideas that may be helpful to ensure you're eating enough, especially when with significant time demands and stressors, include:
1. Setting alarms or reminders to eat in your calendar.
This is a tried and true method. If you're always on your phone, set 3-5 alarms for the day to remind you to eat. Put it into your Google calendar or write it in your planner. Set time for yourself to eat a meal or a snack.
2. Don't shy away from pre-cooked, pre-cut, pre-made meals.
I have relied heavily on freezer meals, meal prep services, rotisserie chickens, pre-cooked meats, pre-cut fruits and veggies, bagged salads, or frozen items I can put in the oven, air fryer, or microwave. It may be an additional expense, but it beats the consequences of not eating enough.
3. Rely on smoothies.
I am generally not a fan of drinking calories, simply because they often don't tend to be as satiating. But making a smoothie is one straightforward way to ensure you're eating enough, significantly if heat reduces your appetite. You can pack it with protein powder, fruits, veggies, nut butter, seeds, or other nutrient-dense food items while increasing your calorie intake overall.
4. Set 2-3 bare minimum goals for yourself each day.
There was a period when my appetite was so impacted because of life events I couldn't seem to manage eating breakfast. So my coach and I made it a goal to eat breakfast, as that substantially helped me manage my anxiety and the demands of my day. We also made it a goal for me to eat protein with every meal and to eat at least one serving of vegetables a day. Even after five years of nutrition coaching, I still needed help with feasible bare minimums. For you, it might be tracking your protein intake, making your lunch the night before, taking pictures of your food so you can review what it looked like and document what you ate, or adding to your grocery list daily.
Ultimately, one of the best forms of care is feeding yourself.
It may seem counterintuitive when you're trying to lose weight (if that's your goal) to have to set reminders to eat, but your body likely isn't going to like the significant calorie deficit you're putting it through when your stressors and demands are sky-high.
Seeking to provide nourishment will create a sense of stability, safety, and reasonability. And you are deserving of that gift.
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