Understanding Your Metabolism 101

 

Ever caught yourself saying, “I just have a slow metabolism,” or “My metabolism broke after I turned 30”? You’re not alone, but the truth is, your metabolism isn’t some mysterious force working against you.

In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what your metabolism is, what it does in your body, and how your daily habits either fuel it or slow it down. By the end, you’ll finally understand how to support your metabolism so you can feel energized, strong, and in control.

We’re getting into:

  • What your metabolism actually is (without the science-y jargon)

  • The four main ways your body burns energy every single day

  • The two big mistakes women make that slow metabolism down (and how to fix them)

  • Sneaky habits like poor sleep, skipping protein, and stress that hurt your progress

  • The truth about metabolism and aging — and why lifestyle matters more than birthdays

  • The best habits you can start today to keep your metabolism fueled and firing

If you’ve ever felt frustrated, stuck, or confused about your metabolism, this episode will give you the clarity and confidence you need to move forward.

🎧 Want to keep learning? Listen to Episode 361: 5 Ways To Actually Boost Your Metabolism

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

00:00

Hey there, beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace your World podcast.

00:32

Today, we're going to be tackling a topic that confuses so many women, and that is metabolism. I cannot tell you how many times I hear things like I just have a slow metabolism or my metabolism is broken since I've hit my 30s or my 40s or my 50s or my 60s. And listen, I get why it feels this way. You're working out, you're trying to eat healthy, but it still seems like your body just isn't responding the way that you want. It can be frustrating, and it's so easy to blame your metabolism as the problem, but here's the thing your metabolism, it's not this mysterious force working against you. You just need to understand what it is, what it does and how your daily choices impact it, for better or for worse, and so in today's episode, I'm going to be breaking that down for you in simple terms so that you can finally understand what is really going on. In today's episode, we're going to cover what your metabolism actually is no confusing science-y jargon. What your metabolism does in your body, two big mistakes that women make that really do slow down your metabolism. Other common habits that hurt your metabolism. The truth about aging and your metabolism. And, finally, the best habits that you can build to keep your metabolism fueled and firing. By the end of this episode, you should have a crystal clear understanding of how your metabolism works and what you can do, starting today, to support it.

01:49

Before I dive in, though, I want to share this review it comes from. I actually don't know the name, but she gave a five-star review and said worth your time. This podcast is one of the very few that I will continue listening to. I'm generally not a huge fan of podcasts, but lately I've been finding it helpful for my weight and muscle gain journey. This is a big help for someone in my situation. There are so many episodes on so many different topics that I can just go through and choose what I want. Thank you so much for doing these episodes. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. I'm grateful that these episodes are helping you. If you guys could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review, that would mean the world to me and our team Just kind of know how this podcast, or maybe a specific episode in general, has helped you, but we would love to hear from you.

02:33

Okay, let's just dive right in. So what actually is your metabolism? Let's kind of start at square one. At its simplest, metabolism is the process in your body that uses to turn the food that you eat into energy. So without it, nothing in your body would work. And here's kind of like the step-by-step.

02:48

So you eat the food whether it's oatmeal, a Sesa pizza, a salad your body sees that as fuel and your digestive system breaks that down into smaller parts. So carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which is a type of sugar that your body loves to use for quick energy. Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are the building blocks that your body uses to repair muscles, make enzymes, build hormones. And fat is broken down into fatty acids that's used for long lasting energy, cushioning hormone support, all of those things. Then these nutrients enter into your bloodstream. So think of this as fuel being delivered to all of the gas stations in your body, and your cells pull that fuel. So inside each cell are little energy factories called mitochondria, and these guys are famous in biology for a reason, because that's where the magic happens. Your mitochondria turns fuel into ATP. So ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate, but don't worry about the name, just think of it as ATP, as your body's rechargeable battery pack. So every single thing that you do runs on ATP, whether that's breathing, thinking, walking, lifting, even blinking. So metabolism is basically the engine that burns your fuel and recharges your battery so that you can stay alive and active.

04:03

Here's something super important to understand that your metabolism isn't good or bad. It's just simply your body's engine. So think of your body like a treadmill. Your metabolism is the motor, the food is the power source, and if you don't give it enough power, the belt is going to slow down. If you feel it well, though, it's going to take care of it keeps running strong. That's your metabolism. So what exactly does your metabolism do? Okay, I kind of want to clear this up once and for all.

04:26

Your metabolism isn't just about workouts or how many calories you burn on your Apple Watch. It's everything that your body does to stay alive and give you energy. There are four main jobs your metabolism is doing every single day. Number one is your basal metabolic rate, so that's your BMR. This is just a fancy way of saying the energy that your body needs at rest. So even if you've laid in bed all day doing absolutely nothing, your body would still burn calories, keeping you alive, breathing, pumping blood, regulating your temperature, repairing your cells, producing hormones. For most women, this makes up the majority of what you burn in a day around 60 to 70%. And here's a key point the more muscle that you have, the higher this number tends to be, because muscle takes more energy to maintain than fat does.

05:10

Number two is NEAT, n-e-a-t, so non-exercise activity thermogenesis. I know it's a big term, but it just basically means all of the movement that isn't your formal workout. So walking to your car, playing with your kids, taking the stairs, even fidgeting in your chair, that is neat and it can all make up a surprising amount of daily burn, sometimes as much as 20%. So those little choices like walking after dinner or pacing during a phone call, those really do add up. Number three is exercise. This is the part that most people think that it makes up the majority, but actually it's smaller than you'd actually expect. It's about five to 15% depending on how often and how long you train. Still, it's powerful because strength training in particular helps you to build that muscle which raises your BMR over time. So even though exercise is a smaller slice of the pie, it still does have a big ripple effect.

06:01

And last but not least, number four, the thermic effect of food. So yes, your body burns calories just digesting food. On average, this is about 10% of your body's energy use. Protein, especially, takes more energy to break down. About 20% to 30% of its calories get used just processing it, compared to carbs, which is about 5% to 10%, and then fats, which is about 0% to 3%. This is the reason why hitting your protein goal not only keeps you full, but it also keeps your metabolism humming.

06:28

Now let's talk about hormones real quick, not to overwhelm you, but just to help you understand the basics. So you have a few different things going on in your body. You have your thyroid hormones. This kind of sets your body's idle speed. So if they're off, if you feel tired, cold, sluggish, you also have insulin and this helps to shuttle carbs into your cells for energy. You have leptin and ghrelin. These are your hunger and fullness hormones, so one tells you that you're satisfied and the other tells you that it's time to eat. And last but not least, you have cortisol, and this is your stress hormone. A little is normal, but if it's always high it can throw off sleep, it can throw off hunger and even energy, and here's why this matters.

07:08

When you under eat for too long or you push too hard in your workouts without recovery, your body adapts Like you move less, without realizing it. You burn fewer calories digesting food, your hormones shift to conserve energy, and that's what people mean when they say their metabolism slowed down. But the good news is that that is reversible. And when people say boost your metabolism, what they really mean is just making these systems work smoothly so that your body has steady energy, your workouts feel good and you can actually start seeing results without feeling like you're running on empty. So why does under eating hurt your metabolism? Now here's the part most women get wrong and you think that eating less will speed things up, like if you just slash more calories, if you cut out more food groups or you push through the hunger, the weight will finally drop. But the truth is that under eating actually slows your metabolism down, and here's why your body is very smart and when you don't give it enough fuel, it goes into conservation mode.

08:04

So I want you to imagine your body thinking like okay, I don't know when my next meal is coming, so I need to stretch the energy that I do have. Scientifically, this shows up in a few ways your BMR, like I mentioned, the energy that you're burning just at rest, that starts to dip because your body doesn't want to waste fuel on anything extra. Your NEAT, n-e-a-t, all of those little daily movements like walking, fidgeting, pacing, drops without you even realizing it. Just because you're moving less, your hormone shift your leptin, which is your fullness, goes down and your ghrelin, which is your hunger, goes up, and those thyroid hormones can dip. And cortisol, which I just talked about, is your stress hormone.

08:43

That your workouts also suffer because you don't have enough fuel to train hard, which means that you start to lose muscle, and remember, muscle is what keeps your metabolism higher in the first place. So, instead of burning fat, your body's actually holding tighter to it because, from its perspective, you're in a famine, you're in survival and that's what matters more than fat loss. So when you feel sluggish, your workouts feel harder. Your cycle might get thrown off. You stop seeing results, even though you're doing everything right. The solution is not to eat less, it's to fuel smarter, and this is where counting your macros comes in. Tracking your protein, tracking your carbs, your fats, gives you clarity on whether you're truly eating enough to support your body. So, instead of guessing or living in that cycle of restriction and burnout, you know exactly how much your body needs to recover, build muscle and keep your metabolism humming.

09:41

If you're listening to this and you're like okay, julie, that sounds great, but I have absolutely nowhere, no idea and nowhere to even start with macros. That's exactly why I created my Macro County Made Simple Online Academy. So inside this, I will walk you through calculating your personal numbers. Every single person, even if you are the same height, the same way as another person, I guarantee that there are some slight changes even in your day-to-day lifestyle, and that's going to impact your personal numbers, and so this is why we teach you how to calculate your personal numbers, how to actually track without obsession, and how to move through different phases so that you're always fueling in a way that matches your goals. It takes all the confusion and makes macro counting something that you can actually live with. So if you've been stuck in a plateau while barely eating, that's not your metabolism being broken, that's your metabolism protecting you because you're under fueled, and learning how to properly fuel your macros is going to be how you can break that cycle.

10:40

Now, on the flip side, let's kind of talk about the second big mistake, which is over exercising. I know it's tempting to also think okay, if I'm working out three days a week, you know that's good. Then six or seven days a week, that must be better. Or maybe you've been stuck in this mindset that more cardio means more fat loss. But here's the truth too much exercise without enough recovery actually backfires. It slows your metabolism down, and here's why exercise is a stress in your body. That's not a bad thing. In fact, specific stress is how we grow stronger, like when you lift weights. You're creating those tiny tears in your muscle fibers and then, with proper rest and fuel, your body repairs and them stronger than they were before. That's how you're building muscle.

11:24

But when you are never giving your body the rest or the recovery window, your stress hormone, that cortisol stays elevated. And cortisol again, in small amounts is not bad. You need it in those small bursts to get through tough workouts. Small amounts is not bad. You need it in those small bursts to get through tough workouts, handle daily stress. But when it stays high all the time, your body gets the message I am under stress, I need to conserve energy. And here's what that looks like in real life.

11:49

Your sleep gets disrupted, so you have poor sleep, and poor sleep alone can lower metabolic rate and increase cravings. Your body starts to break down muscle for energy and, remember, muscle is what keeps your metabolism running higher. So losing muscle means burning fewer calories. At rest, your appetite hormones go haywire, so you feel hungrier but less satisfied, and your energy tanks, which means that your NEAT, n-e-a-t, all of those little daily movements that goes down. So instead of getting fitter, your body ends up tired, inflamed, less efficient at burning energy. And that's why so many women tell me, julie, I am working out every single day but I feel stuck. It's not a willpower problem, it's likely a recovery problem, and this is why more isn't better, smarter is better. And that's exactly the philosophy behind my movement with Julie Dumbo only workouts Instead of random workouts that push you to exhaustion.

12:36

My Movement With Julie community gives you structured, professionally programmed workouts designed to help you get stronger. This means that you're training in a way that challenges your body just enough to adapt and get stronger without tipping into burnout. You'll know exactly which days to lift, how to balance upper and lower body, how to use rest strategically, how to keep your body progressing week after week. And the best part is, you don't have to even go to the gym. You literally all need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space, and I have two workouts that you can pick from a 30 minute or 60 minute depending on your time constraints. There's built-in variety, flexibility, so you can stick with it long-term.

13:16

When you train in the right way, you are protecting your metabolism, you're building muscle and you actually feel energized without starting to feel drained. So if you've been pushing yourself harder and harder without seeing results, it's likely not because your body's broken. It's because it's begging to work out smarter, not just longer. So what other mistakes hurt that metabolism? So we've covered under eating, we've covered over exercising. Now let's talk about something that is sneakier, that can throw off your metabolism. These things are not always as obvious, but they do add up over time.

13:48

Number one is not getting enough sleep. I know you've heard this before, but hear me out. Sleep isn't just about feeling rested. It's literally a metabolic regulator, right? So when you don't get enough sleep, your hunger hormones go wild. That ghrelin, the one that tells you that you're hungry, goes up, while leptin, the one that tells you that you're full, goes down. And on top of that, your body actually burns fewer calories after a night of poor sleep. So one study showed that just a few nights of restricted sleep drops people's resting metabolic rate. So if you're cutting sleep to squeeze in early workouts, you might be working against yourself.

14:23

Number two is skipping protein. So protein is not just for bodybuilders. Please hear me when I say it's the most metabolically active macronutrient, and this means that it takes more energy for your body to digest and use protein compared to carbs or fat. So when you skip protein, you're not only missing out on muscle repair, you're also missing out on a natural metabolic boost, right? Plus, protein is going to help you feel full and satisfied, which makes it easier to stay consistent with your nutrition.

14:51

Number three is living in a constant state of stress. So we've already talked about cortisol with overexercising. But it's not just workouts that raise it. Daily stress, deadlines, traffic, juggling, family, your kids never taking a break. That also keeps that cortisol high, and chronically high cortisol can lead to more cravings, more belly fat storage, less energy. Stress is unavoidable, I get it, we live in a crazy chaotic world, but the way that you manage it whether that is prayer, walking outside, deep breathing, journaling that is going to make a huge difference on your metabolism.

15:27

Number four is extreme diets. I get it. Cutting out carbs, slashing calories, feels like it's the quick fix, but those fixes backfire long-term. When you are cutting entire food groups out, you often miss these key nutrients that your energy is going to tank because you don't have those key nutrients and your metabolism adapts to lower that intake. That's why you might feel like you're losing weight fast on something extreme, but then you hit a wall. Your metabolism literally slowed to match what you're losing weight fast on something extreme. But then you hit a wall. Your metabolism literally slowed to match what you're eating. Balance beats extremes every single time.

16:01

And last but not least, number five ignoring recovery. This one doesn't get talked about enough, but recovery isn't just nice to have. It's part of the process. When you skip rest days or you're constantly running yourself ragged, your body never gets a chance to repair and rebuild, and remember the repair process. That's what builds muscle, and muscle is your metabolic gold. So here's kind of the big picture. Your metabolism isn't just about how hard you work out or how little you eat. It's about the whole picture your sleep, your protein intake, your stress levels, your recovery, your consistency, and when one of those are way off, your metabolism feels it. But you don't have to fix all of these things overnight. Pick one area to improve this week. Maybe it's setting a bedtime, maybe it's adding protein into your breakfast. Build from there. Small changes in these areas make a huge difference over time.

16:52

Okay, now I want to talk about busting the myth, which is does your metabolism slow with age? This is one of the biggest myths that I hear. Julie, my metabolism is just broken now that I'm in my 30s or my 40s or my 50s or my 60s. Listen, I get why you feel that way, but the science doesn't actually back it up the way most people think, and here's what the research shows. A large study that was published in Science 2021 looked at thousands of people, from babies all the way up to adults in their 90s, and you know what they found. Your metabolism stays surprisingly stable from age 20 all the way through age 60. This means that there's no magical switch where your body suddenly starts burning way fewer calories just because you had a birthday.

17:38

So why does it feel like metabolism slows down with age? Well, there's a few reasons. Number one is loss of muscle mass. So, starting around your 30s, if you're not strength training, you're naturally going to lose muscle each decade, and less muscle means a lower BMR. Remember, muscle is expensive for your body to maintain and you have to have that for your BMR to go up. Lower activity levels Life gets busy. You're working more, maybe you're sitting at a desk longer, you're chasing kids, but you're not getting in as much intentional movement, and less movement equals less daily burn. And last but not least, is lifestyle shifts. So stress, less sleep, hormone changes those can all pile up and impact energy levels, appetite and how consistent you can be. It's not that your metabolism is doomed with age. It's that the habits and the lifestyle oftentimes change in the ways that influence metabolism.

18:29

Here's the good news, though you can absolutely keep your metabolism strong at any age. Well, how Great way is? Through strength training. Muscle is your metabolic BFF. So building and keeping muscle is the number one way to support your metabolism long-term. Also, staying active throughout the day Don't underestimate steps, walks, little movement, snacks they all add up. Eating enough, especially protein. So restriction speeds up muscle loss, but fueling properly protects it. And last but not least, managing stress and sleep, because your hormones work with your metabolism, not against it. It's so important that you maintain good sleep habits.

19:11

If you've been thinking it's too late for me, my metabolism is just slow, let me lovingly tell you that is furthest from the truth. Your metabolism is not broken. It's actually adaptable. It's resilient. With the right habits, you can absolutely keep it humming, no matter what your age is. All right, now that we've talked about what metabolism is, what it does and the mistakes that slow it down, let's flip the script. Let's talk about the best things that you can do to keep your metabolism humming simple, proven habits that actually work.

19:41

Number one is building and protecting your muscles. So if you remember nothing else from this episode, please remember this that muscle is metabolic gold. Let me say that again Muscle is metabolic gold. It's the most active tissue in your body, which means the more lean muscle that you have, the higher resting metabolism metabolic rate that you will have. So, in fact, muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. So just keeping or building muscle literally helps you burn more, just by existing. So how do you build it? Strength training. Not endless cardio, not random hit sessions every day, but consistent strength training. And that's why inside my Moot with Julie community, every workout is a dumbbell base and it's designed with progression. You're not just moving your body, you are training it in a way that tells your muscles hey, we need to get stronger. And when your muscles get stronger, your metabolism gets stronger.

20:33

Number two is fueling your body with enough food, or especially protein. You cannot run your metabolism on fumes. Eating too little only slows things down, and we talked about that early. What speeds it up is fueling it properly. That means hitting your calorie needs and making sure that you're eating enough protein, carbs and fats to support your training, your hormones and your energy. And this is where counting macros is such a game changer. So instead of guessing or following another eat clean rule book, you actually know what your body needs. And if you're sitting there thinking like Julie. This sounds too complicated. Please hear me when I say I've got you Like. This is why I created my Macro Academy Simple Online Academy. I break it down piece by piece how to calculate your macros, how to move through fat loss, reverse maintenance phases and how to make it a lifestyle that you can stick with. No extremes, no obsession, just clarity.

21:24

Number three is prioritizing recovery and sleep. Remember, your metabolism thrives when your body feels safe and supported and that means getting enough rest, both at night and between workouts. Sleep is when your body repairs muscles, balances hormones and recharges energy. So if you've been burning the candle at both ends, please hear me when I say that making sleep a priority might be the missing link. Number four is managing stress. Your metabolism does not operate in a bubble. Stress hormones like cortisol that is going to influence how you store energy, how hungry you feel and how much energy you have. Daily stress that is unavoidable, but the way that you manage it with prayer, with journaling, with deep breaths, walking that is what makes the real difference. And, but not least, number five is just staying consistent. At the end of the day, your metabolism does not need perfection, like that's not attainable, that's not realistic, but it does need consistency. Showing up for your workouts, fueling your body with enough food, making small daily choices that support movement, recovery and balance that is what is going to add up.

22:28

All All right, let's quickly recap what we learned in today's Metabolism 101. So your metabolism is simply how your body turns food into energy. It powers everything from breathing to workouts. Undereating slows it down by putting your body into conservation mode. Overexercising does the same by raising stress hormones. Other metabolism killers include lack of sleep skipping, protein, chronic stress, extreme diets. Aging does not doom your metabolism. Your lifestyle does, and the best habits to keep it fueled are building muscle, fueling your body with the right food, recovering well and staying consistent.

23:07

If you love this episode, I think you will also love episode 361, five ways to actually boost your metabolism. So be sure to go take a listen to that. I will go ahead and link it in the show notes below. And also remember, if you want a done for you workout plan that will help you build muscle, fire metabolism and just have fun with your workouts, check out my Moon with Julia app. You can go to sale. That's S-A-L-E dot moonwithjuliecom. And if you're ready to feel confident with food and fuel your metabolism in the right way. My macro counting made simple. Online academy is the best place to start. I will go ahead and link both of those in the show notes so that you can easily go check those out, but that is all that I have for today's episode.

23:46

I hope that this was helpful. I love you so dang much. I mean it, and I'll talk to you in the next episode. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it. Thank you.

 
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