First of all, let me say…I’m so excited that you’re reading this. 

Starting the process of repairing your metabolism can feel overwhelming, but let me tell you, you’re only going to feel better from here on out. 

Having a happy and thriving metabolism is how you’re supposed to feel! You’re supposed to have amazing energy and sleep like a baby every night. You’re supposed to maintain your weight effortlessly and be able to eat the foods you love. 

Your years of dieting are finally over, and it’s time to feel like a million bucks!

Here’s how I recommend you start this journey:

#1: Assess how well you’re feeding your metabolism currently

What I mean by this is getting an idea of what your average calorie intake looks like. You can use a calorie/macro tracking app (Cronometer is a good one) or some good old pen and paper for just a couple of days to capture some full days of eating. 

The point of this is to bring some awareness to how much gas you’re putting in your gas tank. You might think you’re eating enough or the right amount for your body because you feel pretty decent and not too hungry or full most days, but the truth is that our bodies adjust a lot – ESPECIALLY after years of dieting. 

In other words, you could easily be largely undereating on a regular basis and still feel pretty decent. This is a big issue for your metabolism because it’s running around every day with only half a tank of gas! You can’t repair your metabolism doing this and it must be changed in order to turn things around.

I also want you to evaluate a few full days of eating (remember we’re not tracking religiously here) to see what your protein, carb, fat, and fiber intake looks like. A happy metabolism needs a good balance of all of these components for several reasons – including happy and stable blood sugar!

You can’t have a revved metabolism if you’re riding a blood sugar roller coaster all day because your protein intake is far too low, your fiber intake is weak, and/or your carb intake is far too high, for example. 

Now, when it comes to using this information you collected and figuring out what you need to adjust to begin to repair your metabolism….this is highly individualized. But I can still help you get on the right track here. 

Check out this other blog post where I chat about figuring out your estimated energy needs. Again, this is not something to track every single day and stress about – it’s purely for awareness and learning what your body might be missing.

In terms of protein, carb, fat, and fiber needs, here are some quick notes:

Protein: a good goal for women is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight or realistic goal weight

Fat: you need at minimum 50-60 grams a day!

Carbs: you definitely need at least 75 total grams per day and if you’re strength training you could need 150 grams or more a day

Fiber: the daily goal for women is at least 25 grams

#2: Adjust your exercise routine

Repairing your metabolism is not just about the food part. Having the right balance of movement is really important too!

I want you to find the balance of moving your body on a regular basis, building muscle, and also getting enough rest!

Sooooo…this means taking a major chill pill on the cardio, HIIT, and boot camp style classes. This means actually getting 1-2 solid rest days per week. This means prioritizing strength training.

I know it seems like burning more calories would be the way to go to have a faster metabolism, but it can actually do the opposite. Instead of focusing on burning a lot of calories during the workout, think about what’s going to burn more calories all day long.

A 45-minute session on the elliptical might burn 300+ calories, but it’s not doing anything for your metabolic rate outside of that – and, if anything, it’s making you ravenous the rest of the day.

On the other hand, a 30-minute strength training session is going to increase your metabolic rate for 24+ hours after. While the workout itself might have a 200-calorie burn or less, your metabolism goes into overdrive the rest of the day even when you’re just watching Netflix at night.

You get such a better bang for your buck with strength training and it’s truly the secret sauce to repairing a bogged-down metabolism. More muscle = more calories burned at rest = revved metabolism. 

You can still have cardio in your life but it shouldn’t be the priority when trying to turn your metabolic health around.

#3: Get serious about your sleep and stress

Last but definitely not least is the sleep and stress department. I combined these two because I think they are super connected. 

Good sleep helps us manage our stress better. Better stress management helps us sleep better. They both have a huge role in our nervous system regulation.

What does this have to do with metabolism though? Everything!

A dysregulated nervous system literally cannot prioritize burning fat. 

A body that isn’t getting enough sleep has increased hunger hormones and higher cortisol levels. 

A body that is stressed out creates inflammation in the body and creates all kinds of obstacles to fat loss. 

If you want a better metabolism you HAVE to get serious about your sleep and stress management. It may be more “sexy” to focus on the food and movement pieces but they aren’t going to matter much if you’re sleeping 5-6 hours a night and constantly on the go. 

The body needs rest and rejuvenation. You need to slow down in some way shape or form every single day. You cannot live your life in this “fight or flight” mode. 

A happy metabolism requires balance in our lives.

To start supporting these areas of your life better, consider the following:

• Start getting at least 7 hours of sleep a night – working up to 8 consistently
• What is ONE thing you can do to manage your stress every day? Go for a quiet walk outside, journal for 10 minutes, take a bath before bed, listen to music, take 3-5 deep breaths before meals, etc.

Stress is always a work in progress but I want you to work towards proactive stress management instead of always being on the go and completely burning yourself out every few months. It’s not good for your mental health and definitely not good for your metabolic health. Our thoughts have a huge influence on our physical bodies, all the way down to our hormones and metabolic efficiency.

The metabolism has a lot to think about – right? If you feel like you’re starting from square one turning things around with your metabolism, you don’t have to do it alone!

Metabolism Makeover is the step-by-step process to completely make over your metabolism. It makes what could be really overwhelming and confusing into a fun and empowering process. 

Learn more about the program here and get on the waitlist for the next round!

Coach Elle