Still fighting your metabolism? Cardiologist says stop pushing harder and do this instead to reset your body

For years, people struggling with stubborn weight gain, low energy and unstable blood sugar have been given the same advice: eat less, move more and push through fatigue. But according to a recent Instagram post by US based cardiologist Dr Sanjay Bhojraj, that well worn strategy may be doing more harm than good.

In a widely shared post, Dr Bhojraj urged people to stop forcing their bodies into change if they want their metabolism to work with them rather than against them. His message challenges the popular belief that discipline alone can fix metabolic health.

Why metabolism should not feel like a daily fight

Dr Bhojraj, an interventional cardiologist and functional medicine practitioner, reflected on patterns he has observed across his clinical career. He noted that many patients followed conventional advice faithfully. They cut calories, trained harder, skipped meals and ignored exhaustion, yet continued to feel stuck.


In the post, he wrote that a healthy metabolism does not feel like constant effort. Instead, it functions smoothly when the body is supported rather than strained. He recalled a patient who described their body as always putting the brakes on, not because of poor discipline, but because their biology was under chronic stress.

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A post shared by Sanjay Bhojraj MD | Functional Medicine Doctor (@doctorsanjaymd)

What really slows metabolism down

According to Dr Bhojraj, the issue is not a lack of willpower. It is prolonged physiological strain. When sleep is inadequate, the nervous system remains overstimulated, inflammation lingers and recovery is compromised, the body shifts into a protective mode.

In this state, metabolism adapts to conserve energy. Fat loss slows, blood sugar becomes unstable and energy levels crash. Forcing more restriction or exercise only deepens the problem, creating a cycle where the body resists change even more strongly.

Supporting the system instead of fighting it

The turning point, Dr Bhojraj explained in his caption, comes when the focus shifts from forcing results to supporting the underlying systems that regulate metabolism. This includes prioritising sleep, calming the nervous system, allowing proper recovery, reducing inflammation and aligning nutrition with the body’s needs.

When these elements begin working together, he observed noticeable changes. Energy returns, fat gain slows and blood sugar stabilises. Perhaps most importantly, food and movement stop feeling like a daily battle.

Dr Bhojraj is the founder of Well12, a wellness programme built around evidence based lifestyle changes. His work integrates cardiology with functional medicine, genomic insights, advanced lipid testing and epigenetics to address the root causes of disease rather than just symptoms.

As Dr Bhojraj suggests, when the body feels supported rather than threatened, metabolism begins to do what it is designed to do.