How Under-eating and Overtraining Will Absolutely Wreck Your Metabolism

So, you’re out here hitting those workouts like a beast, feeling like a superhero, but then… your energy tanks. You’re starving all the time, but hey, no pain, no gain, right? Wrong. Here’s the deal: if you’re constantly under-eating and pushing yourself like you’re training for the Olympics (while actually training for your life), you might just be setting your metabolism on fire—in the worst way possible.

Let’s dive into what’s really going on. 

The Under-Eating Trap: It’s Like Starving Your Car

Think of your metabolism as the engine of a high-performance car. If you don’t give it enough fuel, guess what? It sputters. The same thing happens to your body when you don’t eat enough. Your body freaks out, thinking, “Whoa, there’s not enough food! Better slow everything down.”

Your body’s survival mode is wild. It’s like the “energy-saving” feature on your phone—slowing down everything to conserve battery. Under-eating does the same thing to your metabolism. Your body goes, “Hmm, better conserve energy because who knows when we’re getting more food?”

What happens?

🪫Your energy levels plummet.

🏋🏽 Your workouts feel harder (because they are).

😶 You stop seeing the gains you’ve been grinding for.

⬇️ Your body adapts to these new “surviving vs thriving” conditions and downregulates calorie expenditure to conserve necessary calories

Overtraining: When Too Much of a Good Thing Is BAD

Now, add overtraining into the mix. You’re working out like a machine—running miles, lifting all the weights, doing all the HIIT. But if you’re constantly overworking your body and not giving it enough rest or fuel, it’s like revving that car engine at full speed with no oil. Burnout is inevitable.

Overtraining and under-eating together is a recipe for hormonal chaos. Cortisol, the stress hormone, skyrockets, and your metabolism gets sluggish. You’re left feeling exhausted, cranky, and probably wondering why your progress has stalled or reversed. An overtrained, underfed body is a pro-fat, anti-muscle body.

The Metabolic Meltdown

When you under-eat and overtrain, you’re not just putting the brakes on your metabolism—you’re throwing it into reverse. Your body starts hoarding calories instead of burning them. It’s the equivalent of stocking food for winter. Your body starts storing fat because it’s worried it won’t have enough to keep running. 

What started as a plan to lose weight can turn into slower metabolism, increased fat storage, and even muscle loss. Yep, that’s right—your body might start breaking down muscle to use as energy. This is known as catabolism. 

The Fix: Find Your Sweet Spot

You don’t have to choose between eating and training. Balance is key! 

1. Fuel Up: Make sure you’re eating enough, especially after workouts. Your body needs protein, carbs, and fats to recover and keep your metabolism running smoothly. Think of food as your workout buddy! Not sure how much you should be eating? Use an online TDEE calculator to find your maintenance calories and then you can adjust from there based on your goals. 

2. Rest Days Are Your Friend: Rest is just as important as training. Give your body time to recover so it can build muscle and rev up your metabolism. Think of it like charging your phone—no one’s working out on 1%.

3. Listen to Your Body: If you’re constantly exhausted, hungry, or feeling like your workouts are getting worse, your body is telling you something. Listen!

The Bottom Line: Don’t Sabotage Your Metabolism

If you want to keep that metabolism fired up, avoid the trap of under-eating and overtraining. Instead, fuel your body with what it needs and give it some love with rest and recovery! Now go out there, hit your protein, eat some carbs, and conquer the world!