Understanding Slowed Metabolism: Causes, Effects, and How to Boost It Naturally

If you find yourself eating less than most people yet still struggling to lose weight—or even gain weight—it’s natural to wonder if your metabolism is slower than average. So, what does metabolism actually mean? Why does it slow down? And more importantly, how can we speed it up if we need to?

Let’s explore what’s happening in your body when metabolism slows down, why this happens, and what we can do to bring it back to normal.

What Is Metabolism?

At its core, metabolism refers to the amount of energy your body uses for all the processes and chemical reactions inside your body. This energy is measured in calories, which you’ve probably seen on food labels. But calories are essentially just units of energy that fuel your body.

Your body requires energy for all its functions, from keeping your heart beating to maintaining your immune system. Here are some examples of what metabolism powers:

• Heart function: Keeps blood pumping to every part of your body.
• Brain activity: Ensures that cognitive functions like thinking, concentration, and memory work properly.
• Immune system: Helps your body fight off infections and heal from injuries.
• Hormone production: Balances everything from appetite regulation to stress response.
• Digestion: Breaks down food to provide fuel for your body’s functions.
• Physical movement: Whether you’re walking, exercising, or even just moving your hands, your metabolism fuels that.

In short, metabolism powers everything that keeps you alive and functioning well. Your metabolism is unique, and factors like body composition, activity level, and genetics can influence how much energy your body needs to perform these functions.

Why Does Metabolism Slow Down?

A slower metabolism means your body is using less energy to carry out these essential processes. The main reason you will use less energy, is when your body is getting less food energy going in. Imagine your body is like a car engine, and when you have not put enough fuel in, you’ll notice the engine sputtering and running inefficiently. There can be a variety of reasons your body might not get enough food energy, but the most common one is dieting.

When you restrict your calories or amount of food you allow yourself, your body goes into “survival mode”.

Here’s an analogy to help explain it:

Imagine you have a steady income that allows you to meet all your basic needs, like rent, food, and bills. You even have money left over for things that make life better, such as hobbies, meals out, and vacations. But then, your salary is cut in half. At first, you dip into your savings, but soon enough, you start cutting back on non-essentials—like going out to eat or buying new clothes.

As time goes on, if the salary cut doesn’t improve, you’ll start reducing even more vital expenses, like gym memberships or medical care. Eventually, you’ll be functioning on the bare minimum, just making sure your essential needs are met.

This is exactly what happens in your body. When you cut calories too drastically, your body doesn’t just burn through fat reserves—it slows down its functions to conserve energy. Your metabolism slows as it tries to prioritize life-sustaining functions like heart and lung activity, and it cuts back on less essential functions, like digestion and immune response.

The Effects of a Slow Metabolism

When your body is in survival mode, it becomes more efficient at conserving energy. This means that while you might still be consuming calories, your metabolism has adapted to use them more sparingly. Your body will slow down the functions it deems less essential, and this often leads to:

• Fatigue: Your energy levels dip because your body isn’t using fuel as efficiently.
• Digestive issues: With less energy going toward digestion, you might experience bloating or constipation.
• Mood changes: Reduced energy to brain functions can lead to trouble concentrating and mood swings.
• Weight gain: Despite eating less, your body may store more fat to ensure it has enough reserves to survive.

This slow-down process is an adaptation meant to protect your body from starvation. 

How to Speed Up Your Metabolism

The key to restoring a healthy metabolism is to eat enough. When you consistently provide your body with enough energy to fuel its functions, it will gradually return to a more balanced metabolic rate.

Here’s how to start:

1. Eat regularly: Try to avoid counting calories or shying away from high calorie foods. Instead, aim to eat a balance of different foods at regular meals and snacks that provide your body with the energy it needs.
2. Listen to your hunger cues: One of the most important steps in rebalancing your metabolism is reconnecting with your body’s signals. Eat when you’re hungry and allow foods that leave you feeling satisfied.
3. Avoid dieting: Although it can feel scary at first, reacting to weight changes by cutting back on calories can send your metabolism into another spiral. Focus on building a healthy and sustainable relationship with food, not quick fixes.

It’s also crucial to give your body time to adjust. You may experience some weight gain as your body starts to reintroduce energy for essential functions. This is completely normal, as your body works to rebuild its metabolic processes.

Breaking Free from the Dieting Cycle

The most challenging part of healing your metabolism is breaking free from the dieting cycle. It’s common for people to fear weight gain when they start eating more, especially after long periods of calorie restriction. But understanding that your body needs enough food to function properly is essential for long-term health and metabolic balance.

As a specialist dietitian in intuitive eating, I help people stop the cycle of dieting and restriction that keeps metabolism slow. By reconnecting with your body’s cues, ditching food rules, and building trust with yourself, you can support your metabolism in a sustainable way.

If you’re struggling with your metabolism or your relationship with food, know that you don’t have to go through it alone. Get support to break free from restrictive eating patterns and find freedom in nourishing your body naturally.