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Is Your Metabolism Actually Broken?
The quick answer? No.
This week’s email is your reminder that, despite what you may have read elsewhere, your metabolism cannot actually “break.” It’s an incredibly smart and adaptive system!
Your metabolism is highly complex, responsible for converting food into energy, building tissue, eliminating waste, and much more. It wears a lot of hats, but we tend to focus on just one—its role in fat loss. The idea of a "broken" metabolism suggests a permanent malfunction, which is misleading.
In reality, your body is remarkably adaptive, and your metabolism is no exception. It continuously responds to your environment, including changes in your eating habits, allowing you to survive and thrive in different conditions.
Where the "Broken Metabolism" Myth Comes From
One common misconception is that eating fewer calories will always result in fat loss and a faster metabolism. While a caloric deficit is necessary for fat loss, long-term restriction can trigger metabolic adaptations. Essentially, your body works to conserve energy by down-regulating your metabolism.
That does not mean your body is storing fat or that you're in “starvation mode” (despite what the buzzwords suggest). Starvation mode isn’t a thing—but metabolic adaptation is. The longer and more extreme your deficit, the more your body adjusts by slowing your metabolism. Cue frustrating plateaus and the feeling that nothing is working.
What to Keep in Mind
Everyone’s metabolic rate is different; influenced by factors like age, gender, genetics, muscle mass, and activity level. It’s not a fixed number, and your body can adjust it based on internal and external cues.
Rather than thinking of your metabolism as fragile or “breakable,” think of it as dynamic. If you’re feeling stuck, one of the best strategies is to avoid extreme dieting. Rapid weight loss may seem appealing, but it often leads to adaptations that make long-term weight management much more challenging. Cue the never-ending weight loss/regain cycle.