How To Tell If Your Metabolism Is Fast or Slow & Top Tips to Rev It Up

People think a fast metabolism is like a genetic lottery: you’re either blessed with it or you’re doomed to a lifetime of weight gain and low energy. A slower metabolism is also considered an inevitable part of aging.

It’s time to ditch these metabolic myths for good.

Sure, we have less room for error as we get older. Time to crack the code on how to use diet and lifestyle strategies to stay young, lean, and strong!

Read on to find out if you have a fast or slow metabolism, then get my best tips on how to rev it up fast…

Learn how to eat strategically for fat loss in my brand new Metabolism Rescue Program, which comes with a comprehensive guide and exclusive masterclass walking you through my protocol. Plus, you'll also receive a 7-day metabolism-boosting meal plan and curated supplement bundle to help you achieve optimal results. Learn more here

Signs Your Metabolism Is Supercharged

When you have a fast metabolism, your mind and body are able to stay youthful and strong. You are able to burn fat and lose weight easily, while maintaining healthy muscle mass.

Other signs that your metabolic furnace is burning bright include a sharper mental focus and steady, sustained energy all day long.

If this doesn’t describe you, read on to find out more and how to fix it…

When Your Metabolism Is Slow

A host of health problems result when your body is sluggish and in need of a metabolic makeover. Here are the top four signs your metabolism is slacking:

Weight loss resistance

This is the frustrating condition where extra weight won’t budge, even if you’re doing all of the right things with diet and lifestyle. Worse yet, much of the fat is concentrated around your middle!

Gas, Bloating, and Heartburn

If you’re suffering from digestive discomfort after meals, you have plenty of company! In fact, recent studies show that 70 million Americans experience some form of gut issues, such as leaky gut and heartburn.¹

This can lead to a whole host of health problems, including joint and muscle pain, nutrient deficiencies, chronic inflammation, and a sluggish metabolism.

Hormonal Havoc

A slow metabolism can throw your hormones off balance. As a result, you may constantly feel cold, especially in your hands and feet. Dry, scaly skin and thinning hair are also signs of a slow metabolism.

Is your hairline receding? Are the ends of your eyebrows getting sparse? Yep, you guessed it: your hormones are sending more signals that your metabolism needs help!

Blood Sugar Imbalance

If you’re constantly hungry and find it impossible to get to your next meal without a hangry snack attack, your blood sugar is unbalanced.

More signs of a slow metabolism? Carb and sugar cravings rule your food choices before you crash around 3 PM, with brain fog and fatigue that sends you reaching for caffeine or diet soda.

If any of the above sound familiar, I’ve got you covered!

Mock Nutella®, apple chai muffins, coconut whipped cream… We’ve got all kinds of sweet treats PLUS loaded smoothies in my Smoothie Guide. Over 50 delicious, fat-burning recipes. Claim your FREE guide here.

Resetting Your Metabolism Fast

You might be surprised to know that dieting is NOT your metabolism’s friend!

I always say that your body is not a bank account, it’s a chemistry lab. This means you need to ditch the “calories in, calories out” dieting model if you really want to boost your metabolism.

It turns out that your lifestyle habits and the types of foods you eat send signals for your body to either burn calories or store fat. Once you know how it works, you’re on your way to dialing up your metabolism!

Here are six ways to get your metabolism revved up again…

Make sure you’re a fat burner

Instead of burning sugar for energy, your goal is to burn fat. One of the fastest ways to accomplish that is to close the kitchen down right after dinner, so you stop eating 3 hours before bedtime.

This gives your body a head start on a 12-14 hour fast it needs to dip into your fat stores. Read this blog to find out more about how to make the shift from a sugar burner to a fat burner.

Ditch your hidden food intolerances

Remember our discussion of weight loss resistance above? One of the most common culprits is food intolerance. (Find out the other common causes here…)

Drink more water

This metabolism-boosting tip is easy and free – my two favorites! Studies have shown that drinking water can increase your metabolism by 30 percent!² In fact, being just two percent dehydrated can make you less alert and decrease your energy.³

Are you drinking enough water every day? (That old “eight glasses a day” advice is outdated.) Find out exactly how much water you need with this handy widget.

Burst train 2-3 times a week

If you’re running to lose weight, this tip is for you. Endurance training like long-distance running actually causes your body to break down muscle, your biggest metabolic ally. Not good!

A better option is burst training (a.k.a. high-intensity interval training), especially first thing in the morning. It causes an oxygen deficit that causes your body to stoke your metabolism.⁴ Here’s how to build your own 8-minute burst training workout.

Address your stress

Stress is an unavoidable part of life, but chronic stress causes the stress hormone cortisol to work against you.⁴ As a result, your muscles begin to break down and you default to fat-storage mode.

So, if want to boost your metabolism, stress management is key! Meditation and a nice soak in the tub are my best go-to stress busters. I’m also a fan of EFT or tapping, which I like to call my “touch technology!” (Learn more about tapping here.)

Get Enough Sleep

Even the perfect diet and exercise routine can’t offset the metabolic fallout caused by lack of sleep. In fact, just ONE night of poor sleep can result in blood sugar imbalance and lower your metabolism.

Getting at least seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep is essential to boosting your human growth hormone, promoting fat loss, and silencing your hunger hormones so you’re able to make smarter food choices during the daytime.⁵

Great sleep is critical for metabolism and so much more! My brand new Best Rest Sleep Cheat Sheet gives you my top sleep strategies, so you get deep, restorative sleep every single night. Get your guide FREE here.

The Metabolism Rescue Program

When your metabolism runs at peak efficiency, you lose weight, have steady energy levels, maintain an optimistic mood, and show up to the world as your best self.

I take a deep-dive into mastering metabolism with my brand-new Metabolism Rescue Program. This revolutionary program is unlike any other out there. I’ve combined my very best secrets and strategies to help you lose weight, balance your blood sugar, optimize hormones, and look and feel your best… all by healing your metabolism.

The program includes a simple 7-day meal plan with delicious, easy-to-prepare meals and loaded smoothies that are super-satisfying and rev up your metabolism to reach the results you want. These loaded smoothies and meals are so good, so simple to make, that sometimes people ask me if they’re REALLY healthy. (They are!)

The Metabolism Rescue Program also includes a masterclass that provides everything you need to jumpstart your metabolism, along with a comprehensive, hands-on Metabolism Rescue Guide.

In this masterclass and guide, you’ll learn:

What makes up your metabolism, which gives you key information on how to improve it
Mistakes you may be making that are stalling your weight-loss efforts
The 3 most important areas to focus on for a metabolic boost, plus how to test and measure your success
The best foods, herbs, and supplements to help you achieve optimal results, including how to build the perfect metabolism-boosting meal
My four-step Metabolism Rescue workout plan
What an ideal metabolism-boosting schedule looks like, including when to take supplements and incorporate supportive lifestyle practices
The meal plan I mentioned above, with metabolic-boosting meals and loaded smoothies

The Metabolism Rescue Program also include three science-backed supplements that I've seen repeatedly give you that metabolic edge:

Metabolic Reset™: this comprehensive formula supports normal fat metabolism and helps maintain lean body mass. Its unique blend of nutrients and botanicals also helps promote normal appetite and supports normal blood glucose metabolism.*
All-In-One Shakes give you 20+ grams of high-quality protein to boost your metabolism, one delicious sip at a time.*
Collagen Peptides Powder. Collagen is your body’s most abundant protein that supports lean muscle, strong bones, and so much more to optimize your metabolism.*

Are you struggling with weight loss, even though you’re doing everything “right”? Or maybe you’re chalking up things like low energy or mental fatigue to age.

I’m here to say that you don’t need to settle for an “okay” metabolism. With The Metabolism Rescue Program, you’ve got everything you need to claim or reclaim your energy and vitality… all by optimizing your metabolism.

Learn more about the Metabolism Rescue Program here.

The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern. The information here is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or condition. Statements contained here have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

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