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Signs That Your Metabolism Is Slowing Down (Part 3 of 4)

Body By Donnar

Updated: Nov 2, 2022


Donnar's Two Cents:

It can be frustrating to climb the scale each time and find that the numbers are still the same despite your best dieting and exercise efforts. We wonder to ourselves if all the hard work we have been doing was or even is worth it. Have you ever thought to yourself... Why is she/ he eating the same diet as I am, but I'm gaining weight, while she/ he isn't. That completely isn't fair. Why?


There are a few reasons why you might have a hard time losing weight, and a big one is a metabolism that’s off-balance. There is two possibilities on why this is happening:


  1. A Slow Metabolism

  2. Your Thyroid Hormone


According to SFGATE, a study published in a 2010 edition of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism stated that having low levels of thyroid hormones usually correlates with having a slow metabolism. As the Obesity Action Coalition explains, the butterfly-shaped thyroid gland produces hormones that "play a significant role in your metabolism and in energy regulation in the body."


So what happens when this gland stops functioning properly?


Both overactivity and underactivity in your thyroid can lead to some serious complications, ranging from depression and mood swings to dry skin and brittle nails. If you feel like your metabolism is out of whack and think that you might be dealing with thyroid disease or a slow metabolism, then read up on the signs your metabolism isn't functioning properly.


Subtle Signs Your Metabolism Is Slowing Down

You Constantly Feel Tired:

Tiredness is normal, especially after a busy day. However, if you cannot seem to find the energy for basic activities, your metabolism may be at fault. When your metabolism slows down, you may feel sluggish and out of tune with your body because you're "too tired" to do anything.



You Have A Weary Mind:

Ever have those moments when you can't get your stuff together at work because you can't focus or you feel completely anxious? That may be an indication that your metabolism is out of balance. If a sluggish metabolism impedes your normal brain function, concentration and alertness will also lag behind. In addition, without your usual mental clarity, the judgement and decisions you make regarding healthy behaviors might be negatively affected as well.



Your Weight Doesn't Stabilize Like It Used To:

Are you killing it at the gym week after week, yet the pounds will not come off? Added healthy eating to your routine too with no change in your body fat? This is because your metabolism cannot burn a lot of calories at once to help fuel your body with energy. Instead, your body produces more fat. The American Thyroid Association notes that one of the telltale signs that your metabolism is slow, the more severe your thyroid, the more weight gain there will be.


Dry Skin, Brittle Nails, And Hair Loss:

The same hormones that aid in keeping your skin, nails and hair healthy are the same ones that control your metabolic processes - an imbalance in one can definitely be seen in the other. Your skin may lose its shine and appear dry or cracked. Your nails and hair may also become brittle due to problems with your thyroid hormones. Fact to note: Your diet can also affect how your skin, hair, and nails look.


Migraine/ Constant Headaches:

A slow metabolism can also cause frequent headaches, sudden onsets of pain, or severe migraines due to thyroid glands that aren’t active enough. Your thyroid gland controls your body’s metabolic rate. So, when your thyroid hormones are out of balance, your metabolism is thrown off balance too.


Constipation:

A sluggish metabolism results in a slowdown of the entire digestive process, which leads to constipation. Because the body takes longer to break down and process food, it takes that much longer to travel through the gastrointestinal tract and it might also not be properly digested which will cause constipation. Having less frequent bowel movements is a sign that your liver and your metabolism in general are not functioning at an optimum level.


Depression:

Your gut plays a huge role in your emotions and mood. Studies show that your gut health can affect your mood and is linked to depression. Scientists have discovered that metabolic disturbances are linked with major depressive disorder.


Some things are out of our control when it comes to metabolism. While metabolism naturally slows with fluctuations in hormonal functioning as you age, there may be underlying conditions that are reflective of the signs above which require medical attention. Not all of us will go through every symptom stated, but perhaps we might be able to relate with a couple that we have read above and try to make that slight difference to our body.


However, before we are to take extreme measures and scare ourselves silly... Perhaps there is a way that we can reset/ boost our metabolism with a few nutritional & lifestyle changes.


Look forward to Part 4 of our Metabolism series...




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