Think back to those childhood days of devouring five slices of pizza, followed by a hefty piece of birthday cake. Remember the inevitable remark: “Enjoy that metabolism while it lasts!”
We’ve all heard that aging slows down our metabolism. While this is partly true, it only happens during certain phases of life. Interestingly, researchers have discovered that your metabolism remains remarkably steady throughout most of adulthood. So, why does it often feel like it’s slowing down—or even “broken”—as we get older?
Before diving into how to reset your metabolism, let’s first break down what it actually is and explore how much it truly changes with age.
Hi, I’m Tianna, my passion is helping women just like you gain confidence in their food choices. Together we find the right balance to reach their healthiest weight without the food guilt or scale obsession!
Alright, back to metabolism! Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What is your Metabolism?
Metabolism refers to the chemical processes that occur within a living organism to maintain life. These processes are responsible for converting the food and drink we consume into energy our bodies can use for various functions like breathing, growing, repairing cells, and even thinking.
Metabolism has two main components:
- Catabolism: Breaking down molecules to release energy.
- Anabolism: Building up molecules, like proteins and cells, using energy.
In simpler terms, metabolism is like your body’s engine, keeping everything running smoothly! Are you curious about how it might relate to health, fitness, or something else?
How metabolism influences weight
Metabolism plays a crucial role in regulating weight because it determines how your body uses and burns energy. Here’s how it influences weight:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the energy your body needs to perform basic functions like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining organ function. BMR accounts for the majority of your daily calorie expenditure. A higher BMR means you burn more calories at rest, which can make it easier to maintain or lose weight.
- Energy Balance: Weight is influenced by the balance between the calories you consume (through food and drink) and the calories you burn (through metabolism and physical activity). If your body burns more calories than you consume, you lose weight. If you consume more than you burn, you gain weight.
- Factors Affecting Metabolism:
- Age: Metabolism tends to slow down with age, which can lead to gradual weight gain if calorie intake isn’t adjusted.
- Muscle Mass: Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue, so having more muscle increases your metabolic rate.
- Activity Level: Physical activity can temporarily boost your metabolism and contributes to overall calorie burn.
- Genetics: Your genes play a role in determining your metabolic rate.
- Metabolic Adaptation: During weight loss, your metabolism may slow down as a survival mechanism, making it harder to continue losing weight. This is often referred to as “metabolic adaptation.”
The three parts of your metabolism are:
Your metabolism can be divided into three key components:
- Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): This is the energy your body uses to carry out basic life-sustaining functions, like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining organ function, even when you’re at rest. It typically accounts for the largest portion of your daily energy expenditure—around 60-70%.
- Thermic Effect of Food (TEF): This refers to the calories burned while digesting, absorbing, and processing the food you eat. It generally makes up about 10% of your daily calorie expenditure.
- Physical Activity: This includes all energy expended through movement, such as exercise, walking, or even fidgeting. Physical activity can vary greatly from person to person, and it plays a significant role in your daily calorie burn.
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) refers to the energy your body expends at rest to support essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, and maintaining body temperature. Factors such as genetics, age, sex, health conditions, body composition, and sleep patterns all play a role in determining your BMR.
Another way your body burns energy is through Activity-Induced Thermogenesis, which happens during movement. Whether you’re lifting weights, walking the dog, or just fidgeting, your body requires fuel to power these actions.
Believe it or not, you also burn calories while eating! Diet-Induced Thermogenesis is the process where your body uses energy to chew, swallow, digest, and metabolize food. This temporary boost in metabolism accounts for roughly 5-15% of your daily energy expenditure.
Now that we’ve covered the main components of your metabolism, let’s delve into how it changes over time and how you can influence it!
Why does my metabolism decrease?
For years, many have assumed metabolism sharply declines with age, but recent insights tell a different story. While it’s true that infants have a rapid metabolic rate to support their rapid growth, this rate actually stabilizes after adolescence. By the time you hit your twenties, your metabolism maintains a steady level and remains fairly consistent until around age 60.
The misconception that metabolism plummets in your 30s or 40s often comes from changes in lifestyle rather than actual physiological shifts. As people age, they frequently juggle demanding jobs, family responsibilities, less free time for exercise, and increased stress—all of which can contribute to weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Additionally, cyclic or yo-yo dieting plays a significant role in these challenges.
The Impact of Yo-Yo Dieting on Metabolism
Fad diets flood social media, promising fast results. While drastic detoxes or cleanses might cause rapid weight loss, they come with a hidden cost—slowing down your metabolism. Severe calorie restriction forces your body into survival mode, prompting it to produce higher levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone. This hormonal shift leads to overwhelming hunger, making it nearly impossible to sustain strict dieting. The consequence? Weight regain—sometimes exceeding what was originally lost.
A revealing study tracked contestants from The Biggest Loser, measuring their metabolic rates before the competition, immediately afterward, and six years later. While their metabolic rates initially dropped due to extreme weight loss, researchers found that even years later, most contestants had regained the weight and their metabolisms remained sluggish, failing to return to their pre-contest levels.
Understanding these patterns helps us focus on sustainable habits rather than quick fixes. Keeping metabolism steady is about smart nutrition, regular movement, and a balanced approach to wellness—not extreme dieting.
5 ways to support your metabolism
Many trendy quick fixes and detoxes claim to “reset” your metabolism—sometimes in as little as 24 hours. But the truth is, your metabolism isn’t something that breaks and needs resetting. Instead of chasing temporary solutions, the key is to support it sustainably.
While genetics influence metabolism, you can enhance its efficiency through consistent exercise, smart dietary choices, proper hydration, and quality sleep. Prioritizing these habits helps maintain a well-functioning metabolic system without relying on drastic measures.
Here’s what I recommend for my clients to keep their metabolism humming along.
1. Strength train
Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does, so incorporating resistance exercises like weightlifting can boost your metabolic rate. The more muscle mass you maintain, the more energy your body expends—even while you’re just lounging on the couch.
Studies have shown resistance training, even at low volumes, can give your metabolism a boost for up to 3 days! If you don’t have access to a gym, cardio like biking is also a great way to burn more energy, and it lasts for hours after you stop exercising.
2. Keep Moving Throughout the Day
Beyond structured workouts, simple daily movement matters. Take the stairs, go for short walks, or stand up regularly if you sit for long periods—small bursts of activity can help prevent your metabolism from slowing down.
3. Eat a well-balanced diet
Your body burns more energy digesting protein than it does carbohydrates or fats—a process known as diet-induced thermogenesis. This means that eating more protein naturally increases the number of calories your body uses for digestion. Research even suggests that a higher protein intake can help prevent weight regain after intentional weight loss by maintaining muscle mass and promoting satiety.
However, this doesn’t mean you need to adopt an extreme all-meat diet (definitely not the best approach!). Instead, the key is balance—combining lean protein sources with nutrient-dense complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and good fats like avocados and nuts all contribute to a well-rounded diet that supports metabolism and overall health. Prioritizing a varied, sustainable approach ensures that your body gets the fuel it needs without unnecessary restrictions.
4. Get Quality Sleep
Poor sleep disrupts hormones that regulate metabolism and hunger, potentially leading to weight gain. Aim for 7-9 hours of good sleep per night to support your body’s ability to burn energy efficiently.
Ever noticed how a restless night leaves you feeling ravenous the next day? That’s your body’s natural response to sleep deprivation!
When you don’t get enough rest, your system ramps up production of hunger hormones while dialing down the ones that signal fullness. Research even shows that a lack of sleep slows fat metabolism, causing your body to store fat rather than burn it for energy. Prioritizing quality sleep is more important than you think—it directly impacts how efficiently your body fuels itself.
5. Stay hydrated
Water plays a crucial role in your body’s metabolic processes. Drinking enough throughout the day helps maintain energy levels and supports efficient digestion. Even mild dehydration can slow metabolism, so keep that water bottle handy!
Did you know drinking about 2 cups of water can speed up your metabolism by 30% for over a half hour? You also need water to metabolize stored fats and the ones in your diet.
Instead of starting the day with a cup of joe, try a glass of water first! And throughout the day, sip enough water to have pale pee when you go to the bathroom.
Conclusion
Supporting your metabolism isn’t about quick fixes or extreme dieting—it’s about building sustainable habits that work with your body’s natural processes. Prioritizing protein, staying active, hydrating, and getting enough sleep all play key roles in maintaining a healthy metabolism. Rather than seeking ways to “reset” it, focus on balance and consistency. A well-rounded approach ensures long-term success and overall well-being, keeping your metabolism functioning efficiently for years to come.
If you’re craving a healthy change, it’s time to focus on your habits and overall lifestyle instead of searching for a quick fix to “reset” your metabolism. The reality is for most people metabolism isn’t the issue, it’s major changes in lifestyle and habits that are usually the culprit behind weight gain and declining health.
I’m excited to be able to support you as you explore how to reset your metabolism.