What is the 30:30:30 diet?

Eating 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up and 30 minutes low low-intensity exercise at the start of your day. As a women’s health and fitness expert, this is a new diet trend which appears to be going viral on TikTok. Let's break the components down individually.

 30g Protein within 30 minutes of waking up:

Firstly, 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up is not a bad idea. Firstly starting your day with protein can offer several health benefits; protein-rich foods are more filling and satisfying than carbohydrate-heavy options. Consuming a protein-rich breakfast can help control hunger and reduce the overall caloric intake, this can be used as a weight management tool. Secondly, the thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy required for the body to digest, absorb and process nutrients from the food eaten. Protein has a higher TEF compared to carbohydrates and fats, meaning the body expends more energy to metabolise protein. This can contribute to a slightly higher metabolic rate.

The ‘30 minutes of waking up’ component, is questionable, many busy mums will be unable to make this happen what with the school/nursery run. Timing of food doesn’t necessarily affect weight loss if this is your goal. Weight loss simply is applying a calorie deficit. If you are someone who doesn’t have an appetite first thing in the morning, then I would focus on the first meal of the day being of 30g protein. However, the distribution of protein intake across meals throughout the day may be more important than the specific amount consumed in a single sitting. The recommended protein intake is 0.6 to 0.8 g per pound of body weight per day. This can be divided among meals and snacks based on individual preferences and dietary habits.

 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise first thing:

30 minutes of low-intensity exercise, is something most people can manage, this could be 30 minutes of fast pace walking. There are many health benefits to performing 30 minutes of exercise daily, for example, weight management, increased cardio fitness and can also increase daily calorie expenditure. However, not everyone has the time to exercise first thing in the morning for 30 minutes especially if you are busy more. I would recommend the focus on completing 30 minutes of low-impact exercise daily at a time that suits you.

In summary, the 30:30:30 in its essence is a more sustainable method for weight loss and can be adopted by most people, all a bit manipulated slightly. If you are looking for a sustainable method for weight loss check out my FIT MAMA powered by Mari Carmen Fitness app, there are many family-friendly recipes on there to support the whole family leaving you feeling good!