How to Increase Metabolism after 40

It’s a common belief that your metabolism will slow down as you age beyond 40.

But studies show that in fact your metabolism should stay the same from 20 years old until you are 60.

So if you’re feeling like your metabolism is slowing down after 40, then there is probably something else at play.

And thankfully, knowing how to increase your metabolism after 40 is possible, and not that difficult when you know how. 

How to Increase Metabolism after 40 when you feel it is slowing down

Have you recently hit 40 and feel like your metabolism is slowing down?

You may have heard that it is inevitable, but there are a few factors at play that you may not have considered before that are affecting your metabolism and ability to lose weight.

Because if you are reading this article, then I’m sure what you are really wanting to know is how to lose weight, right? Which probably means that you are on a diet or have dieted in the past to lose weight?

The great news is that you can recover your metabolism and start losing weight easily again. However, the answer of how to do this might surprise you and require you to reconsider some beliefs that you might hold about dieting.

The first steps of learning How to Increase Metabolism after 40

Unfortunately, if you are a dieter, then it is probably the dieting itself that is causing your metabolism to be slower. Because studies show that dieting is often the main cause of your metabolism slowing down.

It’s all about how your brain has evolved over millions of years to survive times of famine. Your brain has developed an ability to survive these times by doing things like slowing down your metabolism to conserve energy and stay alive.

However, your brain can’t tell the difference between a restrictive diet and a time of famine. So when you diet, your brain still perceives that it is in a time of famine and will slow down your metabolism.

This is not new information, but unfortunately just isn’t shared as often as fad diets. It’s easier to blame certain foods or look for quick fixes with dieting. 

But the truth is, for over 40 years research has shown that dieting makes you fat. It’s a reality that isn’t often shared, particularly as fad diets keep getting pushed on us and we are told that it is our fault for not sticking to a diet, even though studies have shown time and again that 95% of diets do not work.

The good news is that it is absolutely not your fault. Knowing that your metabolism is slowing down because of dieting shows you the cause of your slowed metabolism.

Now let’s look at how to increase your metabolism and start losing weight as well!

How to increase your metabolism and lose weight

So now that you know about the impact that dieting has on your metabolism, that means the first step is to stop dieting.

Now that doesn’t mean you have to give up on trying to lose weight. In fact, by stopping dieting you give yourself a better chance of weight loss. Again, remember that studies have shown that dieting causes your metabolism to slow down and for you to gain weight.

However, there is absolutely a way to lose weight without dieting. And this method is absolutely supported by studies and research.

The general concept is to learn how to stop overeating by reconnecting with your natural hunger and full signals. The practice is called intuitive eating, and it’s what those lucky people who seem to be able to eat whatever they want without putting on weight naturally do.

Instead of following the latest fad diets or calorie calculators of how much they “should” eat, they simply listen to their own intuition to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.

Now it does take some practice to learn how to reconnect with your natural hunger and full signals, particularly after years of dieting. However, the below steps will get you back on track.

3 steps to increase your metabolism

1. Stop dieting

We have already gone through the impact that dieting has on your metabolism. So I will make this point quickly. Stop dieting!

2. Allow all foods

As well as removing restrictions on the quantity of food or calories, it’s also important to remove restrictions on any certain foods.

Because you might have heard that you need to cut out certain foods to lose weight? However, studies show that if you do try to restrict certain foods, you are actually more likely to overeat and put on weight. 

Maybe you’ve experienced this yourself, where perhaps you have tried to cut out sugar or chocolate before, only to then overindulge when you slipped up? When you try to restrict something, it only makes you want it more and become obsessed with food. Unfortunately it is just human nature to want what we aren’t allowed!

It’s much better to allow all foods and learn how to enjoy them in moderation, which the following steps will help you with.

3. Slow down

I know something as simple as slowing down sounds like it wouldn’t change anything with your metabolism or losing weight. But studies show that you are likely to consume significantly less if you slow down!

This is not a new concept, with studies going back for over a century supporting this approach. And perhaps you remember your parents telling you to slow down your eating.

A more recent study has even concluded that chewing more is associated with increasing your metabolism.

So slow down and chew more to increase your metabolism!

Next steps

The above steps will absolutely help you to get your metabolism working properly again and start losing weight without dieting. I encourage you to just give these steps a go.

However, if you are someone who likes to get results fast, then the best thing to do is get a personalised plan and understand exactly what you need to change to speed up your metabolism. If you want outcomes now, then book in for your free discovery call. As well as learning about how a personalised plan and accountability can help you, I will also fill you in on my weight loss without dieting guarantee, to absolutely ensure your success!

—-------- About the author: James Hay

Hi, I’m James, an intuitive eating weight loss coach. I teach people how to lose weight without any dieting or restrictions.

My clients lose weight whilst eating all of their favourite foods.

I’m qualified in Public Health and also a certified nutritionist and health coach. I have personally applied what I teach to lose over 25kg and can help you achieve similar results without dieting. Let’s talk