Skip to content

Is Your Metabolism Really Broken?

August 23, 2026 · 23 min

Show notes

Do you really have a “slow” or broken metabolism - or is something else going on?

This week on Diet Notes, Susie takes a deep dive into how metabolism actually works, what influences your metabolic rate and why changes in muscle mass, activity levels and hormones can make weight management feel increasingly difficult as you get older.

Susie also clears up some of the most common metabolism myths, including whether skipping a meal will slow your metabolism, whether you need to eat every few hours, and why simply lifting weights isn’t always enough to improve metabolic efficiency.

Plus, she explains why muscle mass, insulin resistance, meal timing, protein intake and the intensity of your training can all play a role - and why rebuilding metabolic health is often a gradual process rather than a quick fix.

In this episode:

  • What actually makes up your metabolism
  • The difference between a “slow metabolism” and metabolic inefficiency
  • Why muscle mass becomes increasingly important with age
  • How strength and higher-intensity exercise can affect the way your body uses fuel
  • Why skipping the occasional meal won’t “damage” your metabolism
  • Whether you really need to eat every three hours
  • Why Susie recommends eating more earlier in the day and less later
  • How long it can take to improve metabolic health and body composition

If you’ve ever wondered why your body seems to respond differently to food and exercise than it once did, this episode will help unpack what may actually be happening.

All episodes of Diet Notes with Susie Burrell

Settings

Display

Language

Decides which stations you see first on the home page.

History

Recently played stations and episodes and your latest searches are only stored in this browser.

Notifications

A short notice when a podcast you follow has a new episode. Turn off single podcasts with the bell on their page.

Account

Save favorites – in the app and on the website.

Keyboard shortcuts

/
Open search
Space
Play or pause
← →
In the player: back 15 s, forward 30 s (episodes) · in a row: next tile
↑ ↓
In a row: target within the tile
Home / End
In a row: first or last tile
Esc
Close window or menu
?
This overview
Now playing

Go to station page

Play next

    Add episodes with “Play next” – they play after the current episode.