In the pursuit of staying lean, most people make the same mistake:
They under-eat—on purpose or by accident.

At first, it feels like discipline. Fewer calories, tighter meals, maybe a bit of weight loss. But over time, the cost becomes clear:

• Training stalls

• Energy crashes

• Cravings spike

• Mood dips

• Sleep suffers

At EPT, we see it constantly: high-performers under-fuelling and wondering why they can’t progress. Here’s what happens when you don’t eat enough—and how to correct it.

1. Your Body Shifts into Conservation Mode

When you chronically under-eat, your body adjusts:

• Metabolic rate slows down

• Muscle preservation becomes harder

• Stress hormones stay elevated (think: poor sleep, irritability, low recovery)

• Fat loss stops even when you're eating less

Your body isn’t broken. It’s protecting itself.

If performance, strength, and clarity are the goal, you can’t afford to run on fumes.

2. Undereating Doesn’t Just Impact the Gym—It Impacts Life

If you’re:

• Getting lightheaded between meals

• Losing strength despite training

• Feeling flat, foggy, or anxious often

• Obsessing over food without ever feeling satisfied

You’re likely under-nourished.

Especially for ambitious people who train, lead, and push themselves—food isn’t just fuel. It’s recovery, output, and clarity.

3. You Can Stay Lean Without Sacrificing Fuel

Staying lean doesn’t mean eating less—it means eating smarter.

Try this framework:

• Protein at every meal (start with 2.2–2.5g per kg lean mass)

• Carbs around training only (training days: moderate to high, rest days: low)

• Fats to support hormones and mood (especially on low-carb days)

This is the system behind our clients’ success: intelligent, performance-based fuelling—not endless restriction.

4. Fix It Without Going to Extremes

If you’ve been under-eating, the solution isn’t to binge or “reverse diet” with spreadsheets.

Start with this:

• Add 1 extra serving of protein and carbs per day

• Keep fats stable

• Focus on recovery markers: sleep, mood, strength, libido, digestion

Let your body feel safe again.
Let strength come back.
Then push from a position of stability.

You can’t perform like a high-performer while fuelling like someone in survival mode.

Undereating feels clean and controlled—until it starts costing you the results you’re actually chasing.

Eat to support the ambition you live with—not the fear of gaining 2kg.