15 Effective Strategies to Slow Down Your Metabolism

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Lifestyle changes to decrease your metabolism and gain weight
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If you're struggling to gain weight, you might think a fast metabolism is to blame. How fast or slow your metabolism is mostly comes down to genetics, but you can slow it down (or speed it up) a little with diet and lifestyle changes.[1] Decreasing your body's metabolic rate helps you gain weight more efficiently by sparing macronutrients that would otherwise be consumed to generate energy in cellular metabolism. The main way to gain weight is to increase your intake of calorie- and nutrient-dense foods and consume more calories each day than your body burns through metabolism and exercise. However, this isn't always as simple as it sounds, especially if you think you might have a naturally fast metabolism or if you are constitutionally thin. Read on to learn how you can decrease your metabolism to help you gain a few needed pounds.

Things You Should Know

  • Eat more calories than you burn if you want to gain weight. Aim to add a total of 300 to 500 calories per day above what you normally eat.
  • Choose foods that are high in healthy fats and carbohydrates, such as rice, pasta, and red meat. Snack on nuts and seeds, as well, for their content of linoleic acid and magnesium.
  • Use relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga to help cope with stress. More quality sleep can also bring your metabolism down and help you gain weight.
1

Eat food that is high in calories.

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  1. Step 1 Gain weight by eating more calories than your body burns.
    Regardless of your metabolic rate, you're not going to gain weight unless you're consuming more calories than your body needs to function. This is one of the reasons why knowing your BMR is extremely important. Without that number, you have no way of knowing how many calories you should be eating on a daily basis to achieve a calorie surfeit.[2]
  2. 2
    Choose high-calorie and nutrient-dense foods from each food group.
    • Select whole grains like dense wheat bread, brown rice, and whole-wheat pasta, which are packed with calories and high-quality carbohydrates. The slow assimilation of these carbohydrates may delay rates of rise in glucose oxidation in the glucose-sensing neurons of the hypothalamus - a major thermogenic mechanism in the postprandial period. The magnesium found in whole grains may also help promote relaxation and calmness. Diets high in whole grains are associated with a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and hypertension in population studies.
    • Prefer starchy vegetables such as peas, beans, corn, and potatoes to watery vegetables. Adding sauces, slivered almonds, butter, or gravy to your vegetables helps boost the calorie count and can make them more palatable as well.
    • Don't forget high-calorie snacks and desserts! For snacks, consider dry foods like whole-wheat crackers, pretzels, tortilla chips, raisins, or trail mix for their high caloric density. Having a dessert like a homemade brownie or large cookie can add hundreds of calories to your meal, and little extras like protein powder or nut butters can contribute more calories and protein. Certified nutritionist John Burson notes that "foods high in refined or processed sugar, saturated fat, and simple carbohydrates" tend to slow down your metabolism and may be easier to digest and store as fat.[3] [4] [5] Diets too low in carbs may potentially increase resting energy expenditure (REE) and render weight gain less efficient by raising energy costs associated with hepatic glucose synthesis. Rodent studies show that diets high in simple sugars like sucrose, fructose, and glucose may enhance feed efficiency because they can be stored efficiently as body fat, although large amounts may also stimulate proton leak by promoting hyperglycemia within cells. Liquid calories from beverages are less likely to be compensated for by decreases in subsequent energy intake, and having a caloric beverage like orange juice with your meal may also decrease fat oxidation and promote a more positive fat balance compared to drinking water. Dietary saturated fats also can be readily stored since they closely resemble the body's own lipids, and some saturated fats like beef tallow have been shown to reduce proton leak and sympathetic activity. High levels of insulin also produce potent anabolic effects, especially when simple carbs are consumed after workouts. High-sugar, high-fat foods are often rich in calories, palatable, and easy to digest, and consuming them in moderation may make it easier to take in enough calories without feeling uncomfortably full.
    • Focus on foods that are rich in high-quality complex carbohydrates, such as rice, bread, and pasta, along with starchy vegetables such as lima beans, peas, corn, and potatoes. Also, emphasize foods rich in high-quality fats and proteins, such as red meat, salmon or oily fish, and higher-fat dairy products. Pasta (especially in the whole-wheat varieties) is particularly good because it's a low GI complex carbohydrate and may reduce diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT).[6] [7] These kinds of foods promote better cardiometabolic health, maintain serum insulin levels over longer periods, and help you gain weight without potentially damaging your health.
    • Choose fruits that are high in calories like apples, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, grapes, and berries. The nitrates, resveratrol, pectin, serotonin, melatonin, and iodine naturally present in some fruit and vegetable juices and whole fruits may potentially decrease resting energy metabolism.[8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
    • Consider meats that are higher in fat, such as steak, pot roast, pork chops, and chicken or turkey thighs.[16] They're also rich sources of iron and selenium, nutrients that help promote good thyroid health, and a high selenium diet has been shown to reduce levels of triiodothyronine (T3) and enhance gain in lean muscle mass in some studies.[17] When you're looking to gain weight, increasing your fat intake a little may help decrease your metabolism by reducing TEF and sympathetic activity and by allowing for efficient deposition of the extra calories.[18] Increasing healthful fats in the diet can also increase the overall calorie density of the diet and make foods more palatable, making it easier to take in enough calories without feeling uncomfortably full.
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2

Boost your caloric intake at each meal.

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  1. Use high-calorie drinks, sauces, and spreads to add calories.
    High-calorie drinks, spreads, and sauces are a great way to add a few calories to your meal. This is especially helpful if you're someone who doesn't have much of an appetite or feels full quickly because they're not going to weigh down your meal.[19]
    • For example, you might have a glass of whole milk or kefir with dinner instead of water. Drinking white whole milk doesn't spike glucose, insulin, or cholesterol levels, and its lactose content is digested and metabolized slowly.[20] [21] [22] [23] Research also shows that a higher intake of protein (especially tryptophan) from milk and other foods promotes more efficient weight gain, compared to a standard or lower intake.[24] [25] Also, the high calcium, potassium, and protein content may help reduce sympathetic activity, serum norepinephrine levels, blood pressure, and mental stress levels.[26] [27] [28] Within cells, high levels of calcium naturally decrease oxygen consumption (VO2) by activating calmodulin and nitric oxide production, and high intracellular calcium signaling appears protective against cancers. Milk - like eggs - is rich in iodine and selenium, and diets higher in dairy, whole grains, and selenium-rich vegetables are shown to lower thyroid activity and T3 levels via the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis. Three glasses of milk per day could contribute hundreds of calories to your diet and add about 250 mcg iodine and about 27 mcg selenium. As a bonus, consider adding milk or whey powder to drinks for extra calories and protein and improved texture and viscosity.
    • Make high-calorie smoothies. You can easily pack 500 calories or more in a smoothie by using ingredients such as bananas or other dense fruit, peanut butter, full-fat Greek yogurt, oatmeal, potato flakes, protein powder, or nuts and seeds. Drinking a smoothie can be much easier than eating a meal, and the body can absorb more calories from the foods blended in smoothie form.[29] Blending the fruits also helps release the fiber naturally contained in them, helping to slow gastric emptying rates and delay glucose absorption. A research study also found that consuming a pureed meal results in a significantly lower TEF than consuming the same meal in solid form by reducing digestion energy costs.[30] Consider adding lemon or lime juice to your drinks, as the citric acid contained in citrus is a natural metabolic inhibitor that slows metabolism by suppressing the Krebs cycle via AMPK.[31] [32] Flavonoids like hesperidin and quercetin in citrus fruit or apples may also improve iodine status and act as natural AMPK inhibitors.
    • You might also add condiments that are high-calorie and rich in healthy fats, such as avocado, chopped nuts or seeds, olive oil, shredded cheese, or hummus.
    • As a general rule, think about adding a total of 300 to 500 calories a day to your baseline calorie intake. This rule of thumb will help you gain weight in a healthy way.[33] If necessary, consider using a food diary to ensure that you're increasing your calorie intake enough to achieve a positive energy balance. You can also learn to eyeball portions - for example, 1 serving of salmon would look like a stack of playing cards, and a 1-cup serving of mashed potatoes looks roughly like a baseball.
3

Eat several small meals throughout the day.

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  1. Be prepared to eat even when you're not hungry.
    If you struggle with appetite, the idea of sitting down for a huge meal might sound like torture. But having 5 or 6 meals a day (instead of the usual 3) gives you more opportunities to get those calories in, maintains insulin levels within a more healthful range, and helps to promote a more positive energy balance.[34] [35]
    • Even if you're not hungry, having a few bites of something will at least feed your body a few more calories, which you'll need if you're looking to gain weight. Eating regularly can help prevent the body from eating a catabolic state - which can potentially lead to muscle loss. Studies show that maintaining a constant volume of food in the stomach alone significantly reduces resting energy expenditure and food requirements by stabilizing glycemia and insulinemia.[36] [37] [38] [39]
    • If a lot of small meals aren't feasible for you, try eating slightly larger servings of each thing on your plate during regular meals.[40]
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4

Snack on nuts and seeds between meals.

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  1. Nuts and seeds tend to have the most calories per ounce.
    High-calorie snacks between meals will certainly help you gain weight and maintain steady energy levels throughout the day. But you don't want to just eat junk food! High-calorie foods that are also rich in protein, such as nuts and seeds, can help you gain weight healthily.[41]
    • Nut butters such as those made with peanuts or almonds are also a wonderful choice and provide an essential fatty acid known as linoleic acid. Soymilk, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are also excellent sources of linoleic acid, a fatty acid that may make weight gain more efficient, as it has been shown to reduce TEF and suppress sympathetic activity and blood pressure by virtue of its slow oxidation rate and its incorporation into cellular membranes.[42] [43] [44] [45] For example, you might have a peanut butter sandwich or peanut butter crackers for a snack.
    • Eggs and Greek yogurt are also good snacks. For example, you could make deviled eggs or mix a handful of nuts and seeds into a cup of Greek yogurt.
5

Limit fluids 30 minutes before meals.

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  1. Drinks can fill you up so you don't eat as much food.
    This is especially unhelpful if you don't have much of an appetite or tend your stomach tends to fill up quickly. When you drink water or other beverages within a half hour of eating, they can make you feel full. The result? You'll end up eating less food and won't get the calories you need.[46]
    • Drink small glasses of water throughout the day so you stay hydrated, just taper off before mealtime.
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6

Manage your stress levels.

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  1. High levels of...
    High levels of stress, anger, or depression can make it difficult to gain weight by increasing your metabolic rate and sympathetic activity<[47] and taking away your appetite.[48] Learning to put events in perspective and trying to walk in another's shoes can help bring down your heart rate and blood pressure, and accepting people and events as they are is often much better for your health and sanity than constantly wishing they would change or could have been different. It's not uncommon to lose a lot of weight in the aftermath of an extremely stressful event, such as a divorce or job loss. Often, your weight will return to normal once the stress eases up—but that doesn't always happen. Here are some things you can do to help decrease stress:[49]
    • Meditate
    • Listen to slow-rhythm music or nature sounds
    • Write in a journal or sketch birds in the woods
    • Color in mandalas or other complex pictures
    • Focus on a specific task (e.g., a crossword puzzle or a pleasant hobby)
    • Spend time with family and friends
    • Go for a walk in nature[50]
    • Consider using cognitive reappraisal or other philosophical approaches to recenter yourself
7

Stick to low-impact, low-intensity exercise.

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  1. Exercise that's too intense burns too many calories.
    Many people who are trying to gain weight are afraid to exercise because they believe it will cause them to lose weight—and that can happen. The key is to avoid intense exercise sessions in favor of low- to moderate-intensity exercise that keeps you healthy and physically fit without impacting your metabolic rate too much.[51]
    • For example, you might try yoga for strength training and go for a walk for 30 minutes each day.
    • Exercise can also help boost your appetite, if that's a problem for you.[52] Exercising before a meal may improve calorie intake at that meal and also have health benefits, such as improved glycemia and insulinemia.
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8

Limit your intake of caffeine.

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  1. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that can increase your metabolism and suppress energy intake.
    Caffeine in soft drinks, tea, and coffee tends to stimulate sympathetic activity - which may increase REE and promote anxiety or fidgeting. Having any beverage with caffeine - including tea or coffee - can significantly increase your metabolism for up to 3 hours afterward, with these effects being more pronounced in sensitive individuals. Caffeine has also been shown to stimulate thermogenesis and fat burning by increasing cyclic AMP (cAMP) levels, and it may reduce the efficiency of high-calorie diets by reducing the proliferative activity of fat cells. In addition, drinking too many soft drinks may make you feel full due to their carbonation content - which produces stomach fullness without contributing any calories. If you're drinking coffee or tea and consuming too caffeine throughout the day, this could be one of the reasons you have a hard time gaining weight.
    • Stick to coffee in the mornings, if you must—avoid it in the afternoon or evening, especially after 4:00pm. Consuming even small amounts of caffeine close to bedtime can interfere with the quality of your sleep due to its stimulant and diuretic properties, which also reduces the energy-saving benefits of sleep.[53]
9

Avoid going out of your way to be active.

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  1. Burn fewer calories by reducing activity levels.
    You've probably heard that a good way to lose weight is to squeeze activity into your daily life, such as by taking the stairs instead of an elevator. Being more active increases your metabolism a bit and causes your body to burn more calories for energy. But if you're looking to gain weight, go ahead and take that elevator! A little less activity can help lower your metabolism.[54] You may want to ask a family member or friend to help do some of the chores - which can burn a surprising amount of calories (about 180 calories per hour).
    • Enjoy a lighthearted comedy or family movie. Watching enjoyable movies - alone or with your family - helps promote relaxation and reduces mental stress, thereby decreasing sympathetic nerve activity. Propping up your feet or sitting in a recliner may lead to a further decrease in DIT and sympathetic activity by altering the pull of gravity on your body.[55] [56] [57]
    • At the same time, you do want to stay healthy, and being active is a great way to do that. So while you don't necessarily want to lay on the couch all day, it's always good to take shortcuts where you can if you're trying to lower your metabolism and gain weight. Getting in adequate levels of exercise can help you build more muscle (which weighs more than fat), avoid gaining too much body fat, and help protect your body from the deleterious effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
    • For example, you might drive to a store that's less than a mile away instead of walking, then search for a parking place as close to the entrance as possible.
    • Try to control fidgeting. Making these small, nervous movements burns an extra 40-60 calories per hour.[58] Studies consistently show that fidgeting and physical activity levels increase on high-calorie diets as a natural defense against weight gain[59] So learning to control excessive fidgeting can make it easier to enter positive energy balance and start gaining weight. This is another good reason to limit caffeine, which can potentially increase the desire to fidget or go exercise.
    • If you have a job where you're on your feet a lot, this can also cause you to burn a lot more calories, be exposed to more mental stress, and have a higher metabolic rate than someone who spends most of their workday sitting at a desk.[60]
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10

Stay comfortably warm.

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  1. Dress so that you aren't cold but also not overheated.
    When you're slightly cold, your body has to burn more calories to stay warm. But if you're too hot, on the other hand, your body temperature will rise, and that will also increase your metabolism because of Q10 effects.[61] What you need is a happy medium where you're neither too cold nor too hot, which will keep your metabolic rate as low as possible.[62]
    • This is especially important while you're sleeping. Make sure you have several layers of light blankets on your bed so you can adjust as necessary.
    • When you're out and about during the day, wearing several layers will help you control your body temperature inside and outside without expending too much energy.
11

Sleep at least 7 hours a night.

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  1. During sleep, your metabolism decreases by around 15%.
    Getting enough quality sleep is essential for your overall health, but it's even more important if you're trying to gain weight. If you don't get enough sleep, your metabolism and hunger levels are both likely to increase.[63]
    • If you have a sleeping disorder that negatively affects your sleep, talk to your doctor. Medications and assistive devices might help you get more restful sleep.
    • Practice good sleep hygiene by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Do something relaxing for about an hour before you fall asleep. Reading a book or taking a warm bath or shower will also help your body slow down and prepare for sleep. Playing white noise at night from a speaker or smartphone can help block out noise and help you get a better night's sleep by allowing for deeper sleep, and using a sleep mask or blackout curtains can help you get your sleep environment nice and dark to help raise melatonin levels.
    • Consider eating foods rich in natural magnesium, tryptophan, or melatonin, such as oatmeal, bananas, Greek yogurt, tart cherries, pistachios, and milk. These foods can help your mind and body relax and naturally boost levels of melatonin to help you fall asleep and stay asleep all night.
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12

Take naps during the day.

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  1. Take advantage of lower sleeping metabolism through quick naps.
    When you're sleeping, your metabolism is about as close to your BMR as it can get. That sleepy feeling (also called "sleep inertia") you get after a nap suggests a decrease in metabolism that could potentially persist even after you've finished napping. All of this means that if you have the opportunity to take a short nap (under 30 minutes) or two over the course of the day, you could lower your overall average metabolic rate for the day.[64]
    • Even if you're not a napper, simply relaxing and doing something passive, such as watching TV or reading a book, can lower your energy expenditure a bit (though maybe not as much as when you're sleeping). Doing relaxing passive activities as opposed to more exciting ones (e.g., listening to rock music or watching horror movies) can reduce sympathetic activity levels and may make weight gain more efficient.
    • Keep in mind that there's not necessarily a rule that says you have to get all the sleep you need at one go either. If you have trouble sleeping at night for an extended period, a couple of naps throughout the day might help you ensure you're getting as much sleep as you need on a daily basis.
13

Get tested for a hormonal disorder.

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  1. Talk to your doctor if you think your metabolic rate is abnormally high.
    Because metabolic disorders share symptoms with other disorders and conditions, specific medical testing is required. One of the most common hormonal disorders that raises your metabolism is hyperthyroidism, which can easily be checked for with a blood test to measure thyroid hormone levels. Your doctor will request tests to determine your basal or resting metabolic rate and order further tests if it's significantly high.[65]
    • Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) reflects the amount of energy your body needs to perform its basic functions. This makes up anywhere from 50 to 80% of the energy your body uses on a daily basis and you can't really adjust this up or down very much.
    • Genetic disorders can also cause abnormally high metabolic rates. These disorders are usually manageable under medical supervision.
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14

Try a supplement to boost your appetite.

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  1. If you seldom get hungry, an appetite stimulant might help.
    Talk to your doctor about appetite stimulants, many of which require a prescription. These drugs can boost your appetite so that you'll be hungry more often and eat more food. They're typically prescribed if you're recovering from a recent health crisis, such as cancer, that causes a loss of appetite.[66]
    • Avoid potentially dangerous or ineffective products that claim to build lean muscle or increase muscle mass. None of these products' claims have been scientifically proven.[67]
15

Quit smoking.

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  1. Nicotine can raise your metabolism and suppress your appetite.
    If you're trying to decrease your metabolism, smoking or vaping won't do you any favors. When you quit feeding your body nicotine, your metabolism will typically lower quite a bit—this is one of the reasons many smokers gain weight after they quit.[68]
    • Keep in mind that it's not the act of quitting smoking that causes you to gain weight. It's because you will most likely continue to eat the same as you did before when you were still smoking and had a higher metabolism.
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Warnings

  • Talk to your doctor before you make any drastic changes to your diet, lifestyle, or weight. They can help you ensure that your plan won't put your health at risk.
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  • For the most part, metabolism regulates itself and is only very rarely responsible for weight gain or loss.[69]
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  53. ↑ https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2014/07/chill-out-sleeping-cooler-temperatures-may-increase-your-metabolism
  54. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929498/
  55. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2929498/
  56. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolism
  57. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2753007/
  58. ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/weight-and-muscle-gain
  59. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21893-metabolism
  60. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21893-metabolism

About This Article

John Burson
Co-authored by:
John Burson
Certified Nutritionist
This article was co-authored by John Burson and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. John Burson is a Certified Nutritionist, Licensed Herbalist, and Certified Personal Trainer. With over 25 years of experience, John specializes in helping clients lose weight and live healthier lives. John graduated magna cum laude and received a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Marketing from Grand Canyon University. He has also earned Thumbtack Top Pro honos for three consecutive years. This article has been viewed 968,896 times.
11 votes - 91%
Co-authors: 43
Updated: August 30, 2025
Views: 968,896
Categories: Endocrine System Health

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The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

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