Slow Metabolism: Signs, Causes & Fixes
Have you ever wondered, even if you do everything right, eat healthy, exercise regularly, but still can’t lose weight? You blame yourself and your slow metabolism but what is metabolism? Your body’s metabolism is partly responsible for your body weight. However, there are several contributing factors such as age, sleep pattern, hormones, stress levels, genetics, and much more.
Understanding the warning signs of a slow metabolism is essential to taking control of your situation and managing your overall health and wellbeing.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism refers to a wide range of biochemical processes that occur within the body to convert food into energy for bodily functions, including breathing, blood circulation, digestion and exercise.[1],4 Many factors influence a person’s metabolism. For instance, muscle tissue utilizes more energy than fat tissues, therefore muscular individuals have a higher metabolic rate.[2]
Signs of a Slow Metabolism
There are several signs of slow metabolism however, a comprehensive understanding is the only reliable method for identifying the precise cause of it. Recognizing the signs of slow metabolism can help you understand if your lifestyle or any underlying health condition may be affecting your energy balance.
Fatigue
Constant feeling of fatigue is one of the most common signs of slow metabolism. Our body burns fewer calories to conserve energy, so you feel drained all the time, especially if you have a low caloric intake. Fatigue can also be a sign of sleep deprivation, stress, an unhealthy life, or an underlying medical condition. Consult a doctor if fatigue persists.[3]
Weight Gain
Unexpected weight gain is rarely due to slow metabolism alone. Although metabolism plays a significant role in weight regulation, several causes associated with metabolism contribute to weight gain. Some of these are hormones, genes, diet, physical activity, and lifestyle. Understanding these causes associated with metabolism, is vital to create long-term metabolism and weight loss strategies.[4]
Challenges during Weight Loss
One challenge of a slow metabolism is that it becomes hard to lose weight. When the body starts to experience a calorie deficit for an extended period, it will start to conserve energy and reduce the number of calories burned which is known as adaptive thermogenesis or metabolic adaptation. Therefore, when more energy is consumed than burned, the weight loss will be slower than expected, and it will be challenging to continue losing weight. As a result, sustainable weight loss requires a change in lifestyle rather than severe calorie restriction.
Common Causes of Slow Metabolism
Several factors can slow down a metabolism for an individual, and most of them are related to health and lifestyle.6
1. Age: As people get older, their muscle mass decreases, and the less muscle one has, the fewer calories they burn.
2. Hypothyroidism: An underactive thyroid gland slows one’s metabolism, and it is necessary to consult a doctor and take medicines as advised.
3. Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity leads to a decrease in muscle tissue and a reduction in the number of calories burned.
4. Sleep deprivation: It affects many processes in the body, including those responsible for metabolism. This also affects the hormonal balance and insulin levels.
5. Chronic Stress: It affects the body’s ability to properly signal when one is hungry or full and affects blood glucose levels.
6. Low-calorie diets for a long duration: Starving oneself deprives the body of energy, so it burns fewer calories to save energy; which may increase the difficulty to lose weight in the longer run.
How to Improve Metabolism Naturally
Although genetics are not something that can be changed, several lifestyle habits that can help boost metabolism naturally and support overall health. These include -
Protein Intake
The body burns more calories digesting proteins compared to carbs and fats. Eating enough protein will help build and preserve lean body mass and support metabolism and weight loss by reducing the decline in resting metabolic rate often seen with dieting. Foods rich in proteins include pulses, dairy products, soy products, egg, fish and chicken. It is critical to add protein to every meal in order to maintain a healthy metabolism.[5]
Strength Training
Strength building is among the best methods of increasing metabolism naturally because it increases muscle mass, which in turn increases the resting metabolic rate. Try and perform two or three strength-building workouts per week, and combine them with walking, and other aerobic activity activities.[6]
Sleep and Stress Management
Adequate sleep is fundamental to healthy metabolism. Lack of sleep may interfere with hormone production that regulates appetite and blood glucose levels making metabolism and weight loss more challenging. Chronic stress also affects hormones production responsible for the sense of hunger and satiety. One should get at least 7-8 hours of sleep per day and should work on reducing stress through physical activity, meditation, or other relaxing activities that can help boost metabolism naturally.[7]
Metabolism Myths vs Facts
Several myths about slow metabolism hinder people from doing the right thing to boost it.
Myth: A slow metabolism is the primary contributor to weight gain.
Fact: The ability to control calorie expenditure is largely dependent on the level of physical activity. Other non-genetic factors that affect metabolism potential and weight control are sleep, hormones, and the food intake.4
Myth: Certain foods or supplements burn more calories and increase the metabolism rate.
Fact: Protein-rich foods require more energy to be digested and broken down in the body. This energy burning capacity of the food and its effect on weight will also depend on the overall amount of carbs, fats, and protein consumed.2
Myth: Eating more meals throughout the day increases the metabolic rate and enables people to eat more without gaining weight.
Fact: Eating frequently does not increase the metabolic rate. Also it is not only the meal timings that affect the body’s calorie expenditure and weight management. It is also the quality and quantity of food that influence metabolism and weight changes. Three main meals with small 1-2 protein snacks in between works best for most people.
Myth: Metabolism slows down after a certain age; therefore, it does not make sense to try to continue losing weight after reaching adulthood.
Fact: The decrease in muscle mass as we age is the cause of a slow metabolism, which is why it is vital to be physically active and consume enough protein to maintain a healthy metabolism.
Conclusion
The slow metabolism is just one factor that influences body weight, not the sole controller. Lifestyles, hormones, diet and other causes that affect metabolism are also significant contributors. Instead of looking for quick fixes, it is important to focus on consuming a protein rich diet, engaging in regular physical activity, adequate rest, and reduced levels of stress to boost metabolism naturally.
References
[1] Sánchez López de Nava, A., & Raja, A. (2022). Physiology, metabolism. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546690/
[2] Harvard Health Publishing. (2023). The truth about metabolism. https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/the-truth-about-metabolism
[3] Filippi, M., Krähenmann, R., & Fissler, P. (2022). The link between energy-related sensations and metabolism: Implications for treating fatigue. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 920556. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.920556
[4] Magkos, F., Sørensen, T. I. A., Raubenheimer, D., et al. (2024). On the pathogenesis of obesity: Causal models and missing pieces of the puzzle. Nature Metabolism, 6, 1856–1865. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01106-8
[5] Hofer, S. J., Carmona-Gutierrez, D., Mueller, M. I., & Madeo, F. (2022). The ups and downs of caloric restriction and fasting: From molecular effects to clinical application. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.15252/emmm.202114418
[6] Borer, K. T. (2021). Why we eat too much, have an easier time gaining than losing weight, and expend too little energy: Suggestions for counteracting or mitigating these problems. Nutrients, 13(11), 3812. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13113812
[7] Sharma, S., & Kavuru, M. (2010). Sleep and metabolism: An overview. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2010, 270832. https://doi.org/10.1155/2010/270832