Why Is My Metabolism So Slow?

The good news is that the news has been good lately: If you’re overweight or obese, it’s not because you lack willpower. There are things going on in your body that you may be unaware of that are encouraging you to store calories as fat. One of them is a slow metabolism. 

When your metabolism is slower than normal, you don’t burn as many calories at rest as a person with a high metabolism does. That’s why a friend of your who’s about the same age and height may be able to eat more than you do without gaining an ounce. Your slow metabolism may also make it more difficult for you to lose weight.

Our health and wellness team at Advanced Medical Care in Queens and Brooklyn, New York, wants you to attain and maintain a healthy weight to improve your overall health as well as your self-esteem. If you have a slow metabolism, we can help you understand why and provide you with strategies to overcome it.

Why is your metabolism so slow? Following are a few reasons why it might be.

You inherited a slow metabolism

Metabolism refers to the process of taking in dietary calories and converting them to energy for everything from breathing to thinking to running a marathon. Your metabolism is on the go 24/7, because you are, too. Even while you sleep, your body uses energy.

However, everyone has a different metabolic rate. This rate isn’t determined by your size or weight. But it could be determined by your genes. If you have a slow metabolism, your parents may have one, too. A slow metabolism means that you burn fewer calories at rest than someone who has a medium or high metabolism.

You’ve accumulated fat

Your slow metabolism doesn’t doom you to becoming overweight or obese. In order to gain weight, you must take in more calories than you burn. If you try to eat the same amount as a friend or family member who has a fast metabolism, you’ll likely gain weight, and fat, while they don’t.

When you take in more calories than you burn — whether at rest or while active — your body stores them as fat. Fat tissue doesn’t burn much energy, and it tends to hang onto the fat that’s stored in its cells.

In contrast, muscle tissue burns energy, even when at rest. Once you change your body composition to favor muscle over fat, your metabolism should speed up.

You’re getting older

As you age, your metabolism slows down. This is partly due to shifts in hormones that make it easier to gain fat and harder to gain or maintain muscle.

You may need to add more resistance training to your exercise regimen and eat sufficient protein to maintain your muscle mass or, ideally, gain more of it. Both men and women may benefit from hormone replacement therapy.

You have a metabolic disorder

If you have type 2 diabetes or another metabolic disorder — including thyroid disease — it may slow down your metabolism. So can nutritional deficiencies, such as a lack of vitamin D or iron.

If you struggle with your weight, we can help identify factors that may contribute to a slowed metabolism. Even the medications you take for other health conditions could impede the rate at which you burn calories at rest. 

How to turn up your energy switch

Whatever your age, you can always shift your metabolism into a higher gear by making lifestyle changes that help you lose fat and gain muscle. Depending on your current fitness level and metabolic rate, we may recommend:

• Cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, dancing, or cycling
• Resistance training with weights or resistance bands
• Lipo-Lino Mix intravenous (IV) therapy to build muscle and reduce appetite
• Nutritious foods, including lean proteins, fresh produce, and healthy fats
• Improving your quality and quantity of sleep
• Drinking plenty of water and healthy liquids, such as bone broth and unsweetened tea

Our wellness team can help you learn more about how you can rev up your metabolism with IV therapy and lifestyle changes so you can build more muscle and burn more fat. To get started, contact Advanced Medical Care today by phone or online.