Does the Buzzy 30 30 30 diet really help you lose weight?

Another day, another popular health tip on TikTok. Along with other attention-grabbing number schemes (including but not limited to the 3-2-8 method), the 30 30-30 diet is the latest trending diet on FYP and feeds. But do the numbers and methods of this popular diet and fitness regimen really work for weight loss? We asked two nutritionists for the facts.

What is the 30-30-30 diet?

The 30-30-30 diet calls for consuming 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of steady, low-intensity exercise.

Luckily, this doesn’t require anything too drastic. In fact, if you wake up with a hearty, protein-rich breakfast and prioritize early morning exercise (or even walking to work), you’re likely already following a similar regimen.

Benefits of eating 30 grams of protein for breakfast

According to Amy Shapiro, MS, RD, a registered dietitian and founder of Real Nutrition in New York, it’s a good idea to get 30 grams of protein for breakfast.

The benefits of doing this include:

• Has the potential to help with weight loss. “Protein promotes fullness because it takes a long time to digest. This can reduce hunger, cravings, and overall calorie intake throughout the day,” she explains.
• Maintain muscle mass. Protein is essential for both building and maintaining muscle, Shapiro says, and is especially important if you’re cutting back on calories to lose a few pounds.
• Stabilizes blood sugar levels. Don’t worry, blood sugar (glucose) balance affects everything from weight loss and appetite to energy levels and overall health. According to Shapiro, getting enough protein at breakfast (as well as lunch and dinner) can help reduce blood sugar spikes and crashes that lead to cravings and fatigue.
• Supports metabolism. Shapiro shares that eating 30 grams of protein for breakfast is “great for kick-starting your metabolism for the day and helps burn calories.”

With these factors in mind, this aspect of the 30-30-30 diet gets a big endorsement from Shapiro, not only for weight loss, but also for overall health. But what does 30 grams of protein at breakfast mean in practice?

The nutritionist kindly shared some breakfast samples to help achieve this goal:

• 3 large eggs (18 grams protein) + 3 ounces turkey sausage (12 grams protein)
• 1 cup Greek yogurt (20 grams protein) + a handful of nuts (10 grams protein)
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese (12 g protein) + 1 slice whole-wheat toast (4 g protein) + 2 hard-boiled eggs (12 g protein)
• Protein shake: 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (1g protein) + 1 serving of plant protein powder (20-25g protein) + 1 tablespoon hemp seeds (3g protein) + 1 cup blueberries (1g protein) + 1 tablespoon almond butter (3.5g protein)

hint: To help you hit your protein goals on busy mornings, consider choosing a plant-based protein powder like HUM’s Core Strength. It has 20 grams of protein per serving and is low in FODMAPs, meaning it’s easy on even the most sensitive stomachs.

Should I eat protein within 30 minutes of waking up?

While the benefits of eating a 30g breakfast are clear, how important is it to achieve this goal within 30 minutes?

“Eating as soon as possible after waking up helps regulate blood sugar levels and prevent overeating later in the day,” shares Shaprio. However, she says the exact timing isn’t as important as the timing of your meals throughout the day. So for most healthy people, it doesn’t matter if you eat within 30, 60, or 90 minutes of opening your eyes — as long as you still eat a protein-rich breakfast and have a few large meals intermittently throughout the rest of the day.

“However, for those who have issues managing blood sugar, eating earlier can help stabilize blood sugar levels,” she added.

PS: If you regularly skip breakfast in an effort to lose weight by cutting calories, Shapiro advises against it. “It’s counterproductive. [typically] leading to overeating later on,” she explained.

Benefits of 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise

Last but not least, the 30-30-30 diet calls for 30 minutes of exercise at a steady pace after a high-protein breakfast. Maybe you’ll want to do a short yoga session, take a bodyweight exercise class, or just walk a little more. As for walking, this can be as simple as strolling around the block, hopping on a treadmill, or even walking to work. (If your commute is a little shorter, you may want to consider walking a little more, getting off at a farther subway or bus stop, or even parking at the end of a parking lot.)

According to Kaitlyn Comeau, RD, PN1-SSR, a dietitian and group fitness instructor in Nova Scotia, Canada, walking is an excellent, sustainable way to lose weight. “Walking burns calories and can help create the calorie deficit you need to lose weight,” she explains. “The number of calories burned depends on a variety of factors, including walking speed, duration, and weight. Generally speaking, an adult can burn between 100 and 200 calories walking at a brisk pace for 30 minutes.”

Comeau recommends walking for 30 minutes at least five days a week to help you achieve better physical fitness. (Plus, this type of exercise will help you reach the minimum 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week recommended by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.)

“My personal favorite [time to walk] first thing in the morning to get my day started with some sunshine,” Comeau continued. In addition to the weight loss and exercise benefits, a morning walk can help start your day off on the right foot by regulating your circadian rhythm, which helps keep your energy levels, sleep duration, and even your GI health and digestive function within a healthy range. She also likes to take a short walk after meals, which also helps with digestion and blood sugar regulation.

Finally, research shows that exercising in the morning and evening can have different benefits for weight loss. Some studies have shown that exercising in the morning can help with exercise adherence, but there’s no definitive evidence that exercising in the morning is better than exercising in the evening. That said, Shapiro says consuming protein before a low-intensity cardio workout can preserve muscle mass and promote fat loss, both of which can help achieve your weight and body composition goals. “It’s also important to prioritize protein after a workout because it supports muscle repair and recovery,” she adds.

Similar to the 30-30-30 diet’s recommendation to consume protein within 30 minutes of waking up, exercising after breakfast can certainly be beneficial — but it’s not a hard and fast rule for weight loss or supporting general health markers. “Consistency is critical, so find a workout that fits your lifestyle,” Cuomo advises.

Summarize

All in all, this popular diet and exercise plan may be worth trying to help you lose weight safely and sustainably.

“The 30-30-30 diet emphasizes protein intake, meal structure and eating on a regular schedule, which can help with weight loss, muscle preservation, metabolism and stable energy levels,” Shapiro concluded. It follows generally sound recommendations, though it may be too restrictive for some given the time constraints, which she said may not be what everyone needs.

With that in mind, Shapiro invites you to tweak it to make it more effective and easier to stick to. “To modify it for healthy weight management, I would include a variety of protein sources (including plant-based options) and focus on the overall quality of the meal (not just the strict timing),” she shares. “I recommend adding fiber sources to breakfast and working with a dietitian to personalize and adjust meal size and timing based on individual energy needs and lifestyle.”