We've all said it at some point.
"I'll eat after this meeting."
"I'll work out next week."
"I'll sleep once I finish everything."
For many Indian women, life feels like an endless cycle of ticking off tasks. From work calls and school runs to cooking, caregiving and somehow remembering everyone's birthdays, the day rarely seems to belong to them. There's actually a term for this: time poverty.
It doesn't simply mean being busy. It means having so little time for yourself that essentials like proper sleep, exercise, nutritious meals and recovery slowly disappear from your routine. And according to endocrinologist Dr Anjali Malhotra, your metabolism notices long before you do.
When Your Body Thinks You're Under Attack
Your brain can't always tell the difference between running from danger and constantly racing against the clock. When you're always rushing, your body remains in a prolonged stress response, releasing cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone.
"Many women assume their weight gain is simply because they aren't trying hard enough," says Dr Malhotra. "But chronic stress changes how the body uses energy, stores fat and even burns calories."
The good news? Managing stress doesn't always require a holiday or a wellness retreat. Small changes that reduce your daily mental load can help bring cortisol levels down over time. This could mean creating firmer work boundaries, learning to say no to unnecessary commitments, simplifying routines, or even setting aside ten uninterrupted minutes every day where you aren't responsible for anyone else.
Sometimes reducing stress isn't about doing more. It's about carrying less.
Why Your Metabolism Starts Slowing Down
Stress doesn't just affect your mood. Over time, constantly raised cortisol levels can reduce muscle mass, which naturally lowers your metabolic rate. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, less muscle means your body requires less energy throughout the day.
The result? Even if your eating habits haven't changed much, maintaining your weight can suddenly feel far more difficult.
Why Belly Fat Becomes More Stubborn
Have you ever noticed that during particularly stressful periods, your waistline seems to be the first to change? That's because cortisol encourages the body to store fat around the abdomen, also known as visceral fat. Unlike fat beneath the skin, visceral fat surrounds internal organs and has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders.
Audit Your Time Poverty
Before changing your diet or exercise routine, Dr Malhotra recommends asking yourself a different question - Where is my time actually going?
Take a look at a typical week.
- Are you regularly sacrificing sleep to finish chores?
- Do you skip breakfast or eat lunch at your desk?
- Has movement become something you ’never get around to‘?
- Do you rarely sit down without simultaneously answering emails or planning tomorrow?
This simple audit can reveal where time scarcity is quietly compromising the very habits that keep your metabolism healthy - sleep, nourishment, movement and recovery. Awareness is often the first step towards meaningful change.
The Signs Many Women Ignore
Time poverty often doesn't announce itself dramatically. Instead, it quietly shows up as:
- Feeling exhausted even after sleeping
- Constant sugar or carbohydrate cravings
- Energy crashes during the day
- Difficulty losing weight despite eating well
- Feeling permanently ’busy but tired‘
If several of these sound familiar, it may be worth looking beyond calories and considering whether chronic stress is affecting your metabolism.
Make The Basics Non-negotiable
When life gets hectic, the first things most women sacrifice are usually the habits that protect their health. Sleep becomes optional. Meals become rushed. Exercise becomes something to ’restart on Monday.’ Dr Malhotra suggests flipping that mindset.
Instead of treating sleep, nutritious meals and movement as rewards once everything else is done, think of them as non-negotiable appointments with your health. Even small, consistent habits have a greater long-term impact than occasional bursts of perfection.
It's Not Just About Eating Less
Many women respond to stubborn weight gain by exercising harder or eating even lesser. Ironically, this can sometimes make matters worse. Instead, Dr Malhotra recommends focusing on habits that lower stress while supporting muscle health.
These include:
- Prioritising strength training over excessive cardio
- Walking regularly throughout the week
- Eating enough protein to preserve muscle mass
- Protecting seven to eight hours of quality sleep
- Scheduling genuine downtime rather than filling every free moment
Stop Asking For Help. Start Sharing Ownership.
One of the biggest contributors to time poverty isn't simply the number of tasks women do, it's the mental responsibility of remembering, planning and managing everything. Rather than asking for occasional help, families should consider permanently transferring ownership of certain responsibilities. That might mean one partner always manages grocery shopping, school lunches, laundry or bill payments, rather than ’helping‘ only when asked.
Sharing responsibility, not just individual tasks, frees up both time and mental bandwidth. And that space is exactly what allows healthier habits to become sustainable.
Your Health Needs Time Too
For years, women have been praised for doing it all. But constantly running on empty isn't a badge of honour. Sometimes, the healthiest thing you can do isn't adding another task to your list, it's creating space to pause. Because looking after your metabolism isn't only about what you eat or how much you exercise.
It's also about whether your body ever gets the chance to recover.