You ever want to check the return policy on your metabolism?
I’m talking … like when I was eating 2300 calories and maintaining when my real maintenance should’ve been about 1,000 calories more than that.
Ummm … is there an extended warranty on this thing??
I would’ve been the first in line … and even answered all of the spam calls about my metabolism’s extended warranty. 😉
Although that wouldn’t have been totally fair.
That would be like taking a hammer to your phone and then asking for an upgrade.
Yup … it’s mostly in your control.
And way too many of us repeatedly bang hammers against our phones (I mean metabolisms. Too many analogies lol).
Here are the top 5 metabolic mishaps that you may be making …
1. Dropping calories too low –
Every single day I hear stories of 1200 calories, 1000 calories, 800 calories … and all I can do is cringe.
You want to know the perfect recipe for wrecking havoc on your metabolism?
Follow the show The Biggest Loser.
Eat very little and exercise a lot.
Works like a charm for tanking your metabolism.
2. Dieting for too long –
Fat loss is not something that should be actively pursued for months or years on end.
Eating in a deficit is a stressor.
The longer that stressor persists, the worse off you’ll be in the end.
People love to ask the question, “How long should I diet for?”
It depends.
There are strategies that can help prolong the effectiveness of a fat loss phase like refeed days, diet breaks, etc.
However, it’s all based on a number of other variables in your life (your diet history, other stressors, activity, personality, lifestyle, etc.).
Generally speaking, I don’t think anyone should actively diet for more than 8-12 weeks without any sort of break.
Also, refer to point 1 when trying to execute this.
It’s infinitely easier to accomplish this with a coach because you’ll likely ignore the red flags when doing this on your own.
3. Ignoring stress and sleep –
The two most underrated aspects of a well-functioning metabolism … managing stress and getting quality sleep.
Most of us are so accustomed to always being stressed and sleeping like shit that we don’t think anything of it.
We consider it normal.
And then we wonder why our metabolisms are trash.
Stress comes in all different forms and your body doesn’t discriminate.
So yeah … when you obsess over food all the time and have anxiety about tracking every bite you take, that stress adds up.
I won’t spend too much time discussing sleep because that would require way more time.
Just know it matters. A lot. And should be a very high priority.
4. Not prioritizing muscle –
I’m going to group together a few different things in this category.
4a. Doing too much cardio
4b. Not strength training consistently enough or pushing yourself to get stronger
4c. Not eating enough protein
All of those things fall under the umbrella of not prioritizing muscle, which is the most metabolically active tissue in the body.
Meaning, if you want a roaring metabolism … muscle is your greatest ally.
5. Caring only about quantity and not quality –
They both matter.
The calories in vs. calories out crowd love to tell you that you can eat whatever you want and lose weight as long as you’re in a calorie deficit.
Which is true.
However, the quality of your choices will impact how you feel, your metabolism, your hormones, your biofeedback, and more.
Sure, I can incorporate alcohol every single day and still achieve a deficit and lose weight.
But, alcohol has a negative impact on my metabolism so the quality of my choices will absolutely make a difference.
This isn’t an either/or thing.
It’s both … quality and quantity.
Now, as someone who has actively dropped the ball on all 5 of these things …
I can tell you it’s a terrible feeling to think your metabolism is broken.
How to ‘fix’ your metabolism
First, understand the red flags.
Listen to your body …
– Hunger signals (either lots of hunger or no hunger are both red flags)
– Cravings
– Energy
– Mood
– Digestion
– Performance
– Recovery
– Sleep
– Stress
– Sex drive
– Cycle regularity
– Focus / mental clarity
All things that can point to some metabolic issues.
Once again, this is why having a coach is invaluable.
When we go through this process of metabolic priming with our clients … there is literally zero guesswork involved.
We pay attention to exactly how THEIR body is responding and proceed accordingly.
Same thing during the fat loss phase.
Save yourself the time, frustration, and mental energy of doing it on your own and invest in a coach (which is actually investing in yourself).
Second, remember that you are in control.
There are certainly some things you can’t control … like your genetics.
But there are plenty of variables you can … like the 5 points above.
At the bare minimum … stop smashing your phone with a hammer.
If you need help priming your metabolism so you can effectively lose fat in the most sustainable way possible …
