Do you suspect that your metabolism may be slowing down or that it has already stalled? A slow metabolism is one of the most frustrating things that can happen to you, particularly if you’re looking to improve your fitness. If this has been weighing on you and you’re wondering how to reset your metabolism, keep reading.
In this article, we’ll tackle how to tell if your metabolism has slowed down and outline useful tips and tricks on how to reset your metabolism naturally. We’ll also let you know how to reset your metabolism after 50.
What Is Metabolism?
Metabolism is defined as a series of chemical reactions that are involved in maintaining the living state of the cells and the organism (15). In simpler terms, it is the process by which your body breaks down all the foods and drinks ingested, turning them into the energy it needs for day-to-day functions.
When it comes to weight loss and/or weight maintenance, metabolism is important as it determines how many calories you can burn while you’re at rest.
Those with a faster metabolic rate can sometimes consume larger amounts of food without ever gaining weight, while those with a slower one tend to gain weight if they consume a similar number of calories. Those in the latter group may need to watch their calorie intake and exercise in order to counter this.
How Do I Reset My Metabolism to Lose Weight?
As seen above, a slow metabolic rate may slow down your weight loss and can make the entire process utterly frustrating. However, the good news is that there are some things you can do, including:
Manage your stress levels
In a review published in 2022, researchers found that increased stress levels lead to metabolic dysfunction and metabolic alterations in both humans and rodents. This can increase your risk of metabolic disorders and illnesses and it also increases the likelihood of obesity (26).
Managing stress levels can be done by taking a day off work, going on a vacation to de-stress, or simply taking some time out of your day to sit in a quiet place and meditate. Journaling is also another great way to do this.
Sleep more
Research has shown that sleep deprivation increases the risk of obesity and interferes with glucose metabolism and the hormones involved in regulating metabolism (25, 20). To counter this, go to bed earlier, put away your electronic devices, and aim to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
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Add probiotics to your diet
A study review that examined the effects of probiotics on obesity found that some strains may be associated with better insulin sensitivity, improved glucose tolerance, and better insulin response – all factors that help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (17).
Probiotics are found in fermented foods such as kefir, yogurt, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, miso, tempeh, kimchi, sourdough bread, and some cheeses.
Eat more foods with protein
A high-protein diet has been shown to increase energy expenditure, probably because protein takes more energy to digest than carbohydrates or fat (10, 16). Add foods such as legumes and lentils, eggs, lean meats, and fish to your everyday diet.
Don’t skip meals
Skipping meals tells your body that food is scarce and it should conserve energy by burning it more slowly. Some people also believe that eating more often than the typical 3 meals per day helps keep your metabolism churning all day, which burns more calories throughout the day. Remember to keep within your recommended total calorie intake for the day.
Get active
Whether you go out for a walk, jog, swim, or opt for a HIIT workout, make sure to work out for at least 30 minutes a day.
Get a cup or two of coffee or tea
Coffee and tea contain caffeine and catechins, which can rev up your metabolism, albeit temporarily. Try to limit your intake of tea and caffeine to the morning hours or early afternoons as drinking them later in the day may affect your sleep quality.
How Long Does it Take Your Metabolism to Reset?
As with everything else, resetting your metabolic rate takes time. Experts believe that it generally takes approximately 3 months for you to start seeing changes (3), so be patient and consistent. It may take a while, but the results will be worth it
What Are Some Signs That Your Metabolism Is Slowing Down?
We now know how to reset your metabolism to help you with weight loss, but what are some signs to look out for to help you understand if your metabolic rate is slow or not?
Here are the telltale signs of a slow metabolism:
Unexplained weight gain
This is usually the most common sign of a slow metabolic rate. If you’ve been consistently working out and eating well but your clothes are starting to feel a little tight or the scale is going up and not from increased muscle, it may be time to figure out how to reset your metabolism.
Unexplained fatigue
If you’re resting as much as you can and even going further to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep but are still waking up feeling slow, sluggish, and tired, it could be because your metabolism is slowing down.
As the body takes longer to break down food to give you energy, your energy levels are always low, which will make you feel more tired than usual.
Sugar and carb cravings
If you’re constantly reaching for sugary things and refined carbs, you may be dealing with a slow metabolism. A slow metabolic rate could be related to not eating enough calories, which can make you crave sugary and carbohydrate-filled foodstuffs.
Fun health fact: A food cravings chart can actually help you curb sugar and carbohydrate cravings. These charts outline what your cravings might mean and also offer healthy (and delicious) alternatives to eat instead of the unhealthy stuff if you so desire.
Always feeling cold or depressed
These can be symptoms of hypothyroidism, which affects your mood and reduces the amount of heat that is generated by the body, which makes you feel cold at all times. An underactive thyroid is also associated with decreased thermogenesis, decreased metabolic rate, a higher body mass index (BMI,) and a higher prevalence of obesity. It is a medical condition that requires a diagnosis and treatment by a physician.
Constipation
If you’ve noticed that you’re going to the bathroom less frequently and when you do, passing stool takes a bit of an effort, this could be due to a slow metabolism. As a result of the body’s slower process of breaking down and processing food, anything that is ingested takes much longer to travel through the gastrointestinal tract. However, there are many factors that can cause or contribute to constipation, so you should talk to your healthcare provider.
You’re finding it harder to lose weight
It could be that your progress was consistent for a while and then just suddenly stopped. This is known as a weight loss plateau and one of its causes is a shift in metabolic rate. The body no longer burns calories as fast as it did before and now you can no longer see progress despite maintaining the same healthy habits.
Although these are all potential signs of a slowing metabolism, they can also all occur for various other reasons. It’s important to speak to your doctor in order to rule out any underlying medical conditions before you jump to any conclusions about your health.
Read more: Signs Of Slow Metabolism: What To Look For & How To Fix This Issue
How to Reset Your Metabolism When Dieting
In addition to exercise, food is one of the greatest factors that supports weight loss. Like working out, food also contributes to how your metabolism works and how quickly your body works to burn calories and give you energy.
If you’ve noticed that your metabolic rate doesn’t seem to be improving despite changing your diet, here are some foods you can add to your diet to help boost your metabolism.
What Foods Reset Your Metabolism?
Eggs
Consuming eggs increases the thermic effect of food – an increase in metabolic rate after ingestion of a meal. Eggs are rich in protein, a macronutrient that the body uses more energy to digest.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are high in protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are believed to help your metabolism and promote weight loss in other ways.
Legumes, lentils, and pulses
These are all high in plant-based protein and fiber.
One review published in 2016 revealed that consuming legumes and lentils prevented and helped improve the metabolic alterations associated with metabolic syndrome in animals (2).
A controlled eight-week study trial done on humans who consumed a reduced-calorie diet rich in legumes experienced more weight loss and metabolic changes (mitochondrial oxidation) than those in the control group (11).
Chili peppers
Add more chili peppers to your meals as they contain the chemical capsaicin that may help slightly increase your metabolic rate while simultaneously increasing the amount of fat you burn and reducing your appetite.
One review from 2012 suggested that this chemical may help you burn up to 50 calories more a day (4).
Coffee and tea
Caffeine can help to temporarily boost your metabolic rate. This organic compound is found in coffee and several teas such as oolong and green tea.
One clinical trial published in 1995 showed that consuming just 200mg of coffee induced thermogenesis, increasing metabolic rate by an average of 7% for up to 3 hours after consumption (6). Another review published 15 years later revealed that consuming caffeine alone or catechin-caffeine mixtures increased energy expenditure by just under 5% over 24 hours (22).
One clinical trial on the effects of tea caffeine on metabolism found that oolong tea and green tea increased resting energy expenditure for 2 hours by 10% and 4%, respectively in Japanese women (14).
Another review published in 2010 discussed that thermogenic ingredients such as those in green, white, and oolong tea may increase energy expenditure by 4% to 5% and fat oxidation by 10% to 16% (27).
Drink more water
In addition to acting as a natural appetite suppressant, drinking 500ml of cold or room temperature water may help you burn 2 to 3% more calories over 90 minutes (5).
Eat or drink more ginger
In 2013, one small pilot study suggested that drinking hot water with 2 grams of ginger powder dissolved in it with a meal may enhance the thermic effect of food and reduce feelings of hunger (9).
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Can Fasting Boost Your Metabolism?
It depends on the kind of fast. Long-term fasting has been proven to slow down your metabolic rate (7), but shorter fasts such as intermittent fasting may also be of help. Several studies have suggested that intermittent fasting has multiple potential benefits, including:
- Supporting brain health
- Weight loss
- Helping the body repair cells
- Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which can contribute to many chronic illnesses
- Reducing insulin resistance, which lowers the risk of type II diabetes
So how does it affect your metabolism? It all goes back to insulin levels in the bloodstream. The longer you go without eating or snacking, the lower your insulin levels drop. This prompts the fat cells in the body to release their stored fat, which is then used as energy by the body.
This is sometimes referred to as metabolic flexibility – the ability to switch between the body’s preferred energy source, glucose, and fat. However, it isn’t clear how intermittent fasting affects overall energy expenditure. The body adapts in different stages to starvation, which includes changes in energy expenditure. If intermittent fasting helps with weight loss, it’s more likely due to a decrease in energy intake, rather than an increase in energy expenditure.
How long do you need to fast to reset your metabolism? If you’re considering intermittent fasting as an option to increase your metabolic flexibility or lose weight, there are different kinds of IF, including:
- 16/8 – Fasting for 16 hours and having an 8-hour eating window.
- The 5:2 diet – Eating normally on 5 days of the week and restricting your calorie intake to 500 cals (women) and 600 cals (men) on two non-consecutive days.
- Alternate day fasting – This involves fasting every other day and on the fasting days, you can opt to avoid all solid foods or only consume up to 500 calories.
- Eat-Stop-Eat diet – This involves fasting for 24 hours once or twice a week.
How to Reset Your Hormones and Metabolism After 50
After the age of 20, your metabolism is believed to drop with each passing decade and so by the age of 50, you may find your energy expenditure isn’t what it used to be. This can make weight gain increase rapidly with the passing years and losing weight can become very difficult.
Here are some ways to reset your metabolism after 50:
Eat more protein
Protein has a greater thermic effect on food than carbohydrates or fat, which means that it takes more energy to digest protein than the other two macronutrients. Although this effect is small compared to your overall energy expenditure, protein can also help you feel fuller and help build muscle, which burns more energy at rest than fat tissue.
Eat often
Instead of eating the usual three meals a day, try breaking them down into five to six meals a day. However, some experts believe that taking longer breaks between meals could slow down your metabolism while eating more often will keep it up and going throughout the day.
Sleep more
If you don’t sleep enough, you’re more likely to make bad food choices and end up craving more refined carbs and sugary foods. When you don’t sleep enough, your body may also opt to slow your metabolism to conserve energy. To prevent this and hopefully reset it, try getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
Work out more
Exercising is one of the fastest and easiest ways to reset your metabolism. As older people are not as strong as younger people and may have more health issues, it’s recommended that they do more low-impact exercises rather than HIIT exercises, but you should talk to your doctor for individualized advice. Some great workouts for 50+ people include.
Aerobic workouts
These include swimming, walking, dance, and jogging. Try doing any of these for 20 to 30 minutes, three to four days a week.
Strength training
Weightlifting is not only for bodybuilders or younger people. Strength training can help you build muscle, improve posture, increase bone strength, and lower the risk of fractures.
The more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn while working out and even when at rest. Start with bodyweight exercises, then add lighter free weights to your routine. This helps gradually build muscle and it’s also safer for you.
Remember that the heavier the weight, the higher the likelihood of injury, especially if you don’t have the correct form when working out.
Start stretching
It may not burn many calories or build as much muscle, but it will help with maintaining flexibility and range of motion in joints. This helps with daily tasks and also makes workouts easier and safer to do.
Read more: Safe Healthy Tips On How To Slow Down Your Metabolism & Gain Weight
How to Reset Your Metabolism With Raw Foods
If you’re wondering what raw foods can help boost or reset your metabolism, there are no specific raw foods that are said to help with this. However, if you’re wondering how to reset your metabolism with some superfoods and fruits, here are some that are said to help:
- Pineapple. It contains Vitamin C and thiamin (B1), which contribute to healthy cell function and metabolism.
- Spirulina. Its high fiber and protein content, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients may improve blood pressure, cholesterol, circulation, inflammation, and increase energy.
- Berries. All berries are rich in fiber, which is known to help with bowel movements and keep you feeling full.
- Matcha. This is a Japanese green tea powder that has gained popularity in the West in recent years. Like green tea and oolong tea, matcha is full of catechins and caffeine which as mentioned above, may help reset and restore your metabolic rate.
- Maca root or powder. This is packed with high levels of iron and iodine that promote healthy thyroid function and help keep your metabolism on track.
- Whey or plant-based protein. As mentioned above, protein is one of the best ways to reset your metabolism. Whey powder is one of the quickest and easiest ways to consume more protein. Add it to your smoothies, bake with it, or add it to soups for that extra quick intake of protein a day.
- Seeds such as chia, flax, hemp, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds are full of protein and healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
How to Reset Your Metabolism in 72 Hours
As stated above, it may take up to 3 months before you notice any changes in your metabolism. However, if you want to start now, there are some subtle changes you can make to kickstart the process.
Here’s a weekend routine you can follow to ensure you start building on boosting your metabolic rate:
Friday
- Make a meal with spices such as ginger and red chili peppers.
- You can drink hot ginger tea with honey or eat some low-fat yogurt as a snack before bed.
- Go to sleep before midnight to ensure you get enough sleep.
Saturday
- Wake up early and make a pre-workout smoothie with whey protein.
- Go for a 20-minute run or do a 30-minute HIIT workout from the comfort of your home.
- Make a post-workout meal that incorporates a protein source such as eggs.
- Divide up your meals to ensure you eat at least five times a day.
- Go to bed early.
Sunday
- Wake up early and take some time to meditate. Once you’re done, stretch and go for a hike or walk around the neighborhood.
- Once you’re back home, eat a high-protein breakfast.
- Prep your meals for the day, making sure to include at least one protein source for each meal.
- Drink some tea in the afternoon during or after lunch and make sure to keep up with your water intake.
- At the end of the day, go to bed early to maximize your sleep hours.
Remember to keep up with your water intake throughout the 72 hours by consuming at least 8 glasses of water per day.
FAQs
Does a cheat day reset your metabolism?
While some sources claim that it can, there is no scientific evidence to show that a cheat day can reset a slow metabolic rate. It should also be noted that one cheat day won’t cause irreparable damage to your metabolic rate.
However, an overly restrictive diet or eating too few calories is likely to slow your metabolic rate over time, which will hinder your weight loss plans and progress.
Does water boost metabolism?
Yes, it does. Drinking water has been shown to stimulate your metabolic rate, which slightly increases your daily energy expenditure (8).
Do bananas boost your metabolism?
Bananas are an excellent source of fiber, so consuming them may help you feel full and eat less overall. Fruits are generally good sources of fiber and make a great addition to a weight loss diet, although they don’t directly affect energy expenditure.
That being said, don’t attempt a 3-day fruit diet weight loss plan. While fruits are incredibly healthy and great for weight loss, a diet of them alone is not healthy and doesn’t give you all the nutrients you need for survival.
The Bottom Line
The answer to how to reset your metabolism lies mainly in how much you sleep, your food choices, and how much exercise you get in a day. If your metabolic rate seems to be stalling, take a step back and take a close look at these three main points. You may find that your solution to this issue lies in one of these three factors. However, you should talk to your doctor first to rule out any underlying health conditions.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
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