Working as a nutritionist, I constantly hear phrases like:

“My metabolism is broken.”

“How do I fix my metabolism?”

“What’s the best fat-loss strategy for my metabolism?”

Here’s the truth: your metabolism isn’t broken, your approach is.

Before we dive in, remember:

We’re talking in the context of the everyday adult, not an elite athlete.

What your metabolism is actually made of

Your metabolism is made up of four components:

1. Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

This is the energy your body needs simply to keep you alive — breathing, circulating blood, organ function, and basic daily activity.

BMR makes up around 70% of your total metabolism.

BMR is also what’s used to calculate your baseline calorie intake when building a nutrition plan (more on that later).

2. Thermic Effect of Exercise (TEE)

TEE is the energy your body uses to perform deliberate physical activity — anything involving intentional muscle contractions (aka exercise).

It contributes only about 5% to your metabolism.

This surprises many people, and it’s one of the reasons fat-loss isn’t driven by workouts alone.

3. Thermic Effect of Food (TEF)

TEF is the energy required to digest, absorb, and process the food you eat.

It accounts for 10–15% of your total metabolism.