It’s no secret that as we age, our hormones change. Because of this, it’s easy to try and blame our pesky hormones when our metabolism appears to take a backseat; however, the true answer to repairing your metabolism lies in taking a deeper look into your lifestyle and daily habits.

We’ve been led to believe our metabolism goes kaput once menopause begins, but the truth is, you can’t solely blame menopause for a slower metabolism. Our metabolism is dependent on numerous other factors that must be considered – like lifestyle choices and daily habits. If you want to improve the way your metabolism functions, you must take a comprehensive approach.

As we age, we often become a little lax when it comes to our health and wellness. The problem is that over time these decisions, though small and infrequent, add up and the outcome is often less than ideal. Each decision you make along the way impacts your metabolism. Once we reach menopause, we naturally want to blame it for our body’s inability to manage weight and sustain energy like it used to. In actuality, menopause is only one piece of the puzzle. All of your other decisions (both prior and current) have a much greater impact when it comes to the functionality of your metabolism.

Four Reasons Your Metabolism
Has Changed and Slowed Down Over the Years
(That Have Nothing To Do With Menopause)

1. You Aren’t Eating Enough Protein.

Eating an adequate amount of protein helps to naturally boost your metabolism because protein has a high thermic effect. Foods with a high thermic effect (protein-rich foods) require more energy (calories) to digest and metabolize than many other foods. 

Protein also preserves calorie-burning muscle tissue, which supports a higher metabolism. Muscle burns fat and the only way to preserve muscle is by consuming sufficient amounts of protein. If you’re not eating enough of this beloved macro, you’re risking muscle loss and metabolic slowdown. 

Most active women need to consume around 0.8 – 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. The easiest way for you to boost your protein intake is to prioritize it first with every snack and/or meal. When it comes to your main meals, aim to consume at least 4 oz (about the size of your palm) of protein. You can choose about half that amount when it comes to snacks – just make sure you’re including it with every meal and snack!

2. You Aren’t Prioritizing Strength Training/Building Muscle.

In past years, we have been taught to focus on cardio-style training if we want to look and feel “toned”. Unfortunately, this approach is incorrect. While moderate amounts of cardio can be beneficial for our health, too much of it breaks down muscle tissue and wrecks our metabolisms. And while cardio can burn calories, it doesn’t do much for shaping our bodies. Muscle shapes our bodies. There is only one way to attain and preserve muscle and that is through strength training. Strength training builds muscle and muscle boosts our metabolic rates around the clock. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic rate will be, even during sleep. 

Even if cardio has taken priority for you in the past, you’ll find it probably won’t continue to give you the same results as you age. Cardio can still have a place in your routine, but prioritizing it over other types of exercise is a detriment to your metabolism and likely, your goals. If your routine only consists of cardio at this point, I encourage you to tweak it and include strength training 2-4 times per week with a progressive overload approach. This will help you build muscle and optimize the function of your metabolism. 

3. You’re Always Focused on Fat Loss.

Fat loss has become a lifestyle for many women. If we’re always chasing a number on the scale, we’re probably constantly undereating. The problem is we aren’t meant to always be in a calorie deficit. After months or often years of calorie restriction, our metabolism slows down to accommodate for the lack of nourishment. When our metabolism slows down, losing fat becomes increasingly difficult. We often plateau or even gain weight because of metabolic adaptation. Before you decide to cut calories again, you might want to consider how it’s going to affect your metabolism. Eventually, your long-term calorie deprivation will birth a host of other health issues, as well.

Fat loss phases should be just that – PHASES. We shouldn’t always be focused on fat loss. In fact, our fat loss phases should be no longer than 12-16 weeks max. During a fat-loss phase, your calorie deficit should be minimal to protect your metabolism. These phases should be intentional and planned out ahead of time to include an exit strategy that focuses on increasing your calories up to your new maintenance so you’re able to sustain your results. Eating your maintenance calories will also aid in building your metabolism back up. This will not only help you to thrive long-term, but it will also help protect your metabolism so future fat-loss phases are successful. 

4. You Aren’t Moving Enough.

Desk jobs and late-night television shows can leave us sitting for too many hours during the day. Adulthood and aging often lead to a more sedentary lifestyle, which negatively affects our metabolism. Think about how active you were as a child, teenager, or young adult. Sports, after-school activities, and friendships kept us hopping! It’s no surprise our metabolisms aren’t what they used to be when we consider how much we used to move! 

An excellent way to move your body more without thinking about it is to increase your NEAT activity (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). This is movement done outside of your normal daily workout. NEAT activities actually account for most of your daily calorie burn. Standing while doing laundry, parking farther away, walking the grocery store aisles, and taking the stairs all count toward your NEAT activity! The great thing about NEAT is that you can fit these activities into small time pockets throughout your day. Try moving your body through NEAT activity for ten minutes, three times per day.

If you’re a female over the age of 35 and struggling with a slower metabolism, it’s important to understand that menopause and other hormone changes make up a season of life. It won’t last forever. It’s also important to understand they aren’t the only culprits for a slower metabolism as you age. Many times, your metabolism can be repaired with a few tweaks to your current lifestyle and daily habits.

Looking for things you can start doing TODAY to restore your metabolism?

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