DO you know your Atkins from your WW, your Slimming World from your Ozempic or juice cleanse? Every scroll on social media brings with it a new weight loss ‘miracle’.
But what REALLY works? From the ‘go low and slow’ approach to indulging in pizza, YES pizza, a new book explores how a simple 30g rule to dieting could be the answer we’ve all been longing for.
Emma Bardwell / VermilionRegistered nutritionist Emma Bardwell[/caption]Here, registered nutritionist and author of The 30g Plan Emma Bardwell shares her simple, no frills approach to dieting that will help you hit your goal, and even better sustain it long-term…
WEIGHT loss is simple – but not easy.
It doesn’t matter what nonsense you hear on social media, there are no two ways about it: you need to be in a calorie deficit.
This means you eat fewer calories than you expend.
The issue is, most people go hell for leather. They restrict, deny and deprive themselves, and it’s unbearable.
They can’t sustain it and they go back to their normal way of eating, feeling useless and disheartened, like nothing works.
My approach as a registered nutritionist is to go low and slow.
Shave off between 300 and 500 calories a day so you’re not famished.
This feels doable, and no foods are off the table. Yes, even pizza!
You won’t necessarily lose 7lbs in seven days – this isn’t a body blitz like we used to see in magazines in the 1990s – but you will slowly and manageably get results.
You’ll also be in a better mood, have more energy and avoid the dreaded hunger pangs.
In all honesty, anyone looking at long-term weight loss needs to be thinking six to 12 months.
No one wants to hear this, because we all want overnight success, but that’s the upshot.
You can still start to see results quicker than that, but it pays to have the long game in mind.
I teach people to fill up on high volume foods so they don’t feel hungry or restricted.
That essentially boils down to two things: protein and fibre.
These two food groups physically fill us up, helping to keep us fuller for longer, regulate blood sugar levels, control appetite (by releasing the hormone GLP1 in a similar though much less efficient way to weight loss injections like Wegovy and Ozempic) and slow the rate at which food leaves the stomach.
That’s how they work in terms of weight loss, but protein is also really helpful for mitigating muscle loss that occurs as we age (and muscle helps to burn calories to a small degree).
Fibre feeds our gut microbes so it helps with mental health, skin health, hormones, immunity and so many other functions.
And we mustn’t forget about the importance of plants!
THE POWER OF 30
When it comes to protein, plants and fibre, research lands on the magic number 30.
30g of protein at each meal 30g of fibre per day 30 or more different plants a weekIn my new book, The 30g Plan, I’ve combined these findings and translated the science into meals that taste good and that people will actually look forward to eating.
30g protein
Protein is literally the structural building block – the backbone, if you like – of every cell, muscle, tissue and organ in the body.
We need it for pretty much everything, from hormone production and bone health to DNA structure and immunity.
About 30g of protein contains enough amino acids to trigger the building of new muscle – something known as muscle protein synthesis.
Good sources include: chicken breast (32g per 100g), tuna (25g per 100g), eggs (14g per 100g), cottage cheese (10g per 100g), tofu (15g per 100g), Greek yoghurt (10g per 100g) and kidney beans (7g per 100g).
Muscle is particularly important as we age for longevity, but it also has significant metabolic health benefits.
It helps regulate blood sugar and plays a role in how many calories we burn, for example.
In my clinic, I’ve found that when clients hit 30g of protein in a meal, they were far less likely to overeat later in the day.
They felt full, satisfied and less prone to grazing and snacking, which naturally led to a loss of body fat – up to 4lbs in the first week.
GettyMeat, fish, nuts, pulses and eggs are all good sources of protein[/caption]30g fibre
Government guidelines say we should all be eating 30g of fibre a day, as part of a balanced diet.
But most of us are currently only getting around 17 per cent, which is the recommended intake for a five-year-old.
Fibre-rich foods – such as bran flakes (20g per 100g), oats (8g per 100g), peanuts (8g per 100g), wholemeal bread (7g per 100g), figs (7g per 100g) and baked beans (5g per 100g) – tend to be bulky, which helps fill our stomachs up.
This triggers our stretch receptors, which sends satiety hormones like GLP-1 (the same as found in Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic) to your brain to say: “Stop eating, you’ve had enough.”
Fibre also slows the rate at which food leaves the stomach, which keeps us fuller for longer, reduces the need to snack between meals, and helps stabilise blood sugar levels, in turn keeping our mood and energy levels stable.
But fibre’s impressive CV doesn’t end there. It has also been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity and some cancers.
Having porridge with fruit and spices for breakfast will increase your fibre and plant intakeGetty - Contributor30 plants
Forget five-a-day, a better target is to aim for 30 different plants a week, as highlighted by research from the American Gut Project.
The study on 10,000 people showed that those with the healthiest (i.e. most diverse) gut microbiomes ate 30-plus plants a week.
Plants include fruit and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, whole grains, herbs and spices.
When you consider a bowl of porridge topped with mixed seeds, berries and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg instantly delivers about eight plant points in a single meal, reaching 30 across the week really isn’t as unattainable as it first sounds.
And you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that coffee, dark chocolate, peanut butter and olives all count towards your 30 plants.
WHAT ABOUT CALORIES?
To work out how many calories you should be eating, multiply your weight in lbs by 11 for the lower end of your intake and 12 for the upper end.
For example, an average woman weighing 159lbs (72kg) would eat 1,740 to 1,900 calories per day to lose weight.
Having a range makes it much easier to maintain, and it feels a bit more realistic.
But remember, you don’t need to count calories slavishly in order to lose weight.
If you’re following The 30g Plan, then I’ve done that for you.
But even when you’re not, you could: eat exactly the same as you do now but with smaller portions, make some simple swaps (like buy zero per cent fat Greek yoghurt instead of full-fat, for example), reduce the number of snacks you have, or stop your daily glass of wine with dinner.
All of these are alternate ways to reduce your energy intake without slaving over actual calorie content.
IS THIS A DIET?
In short, no. I want you to adopt this way of eating for life, not just for two weeks.
Dieting to lose body fat seems to have fallen out of favour.
I can see why as the word has become synonymous with rigid, ultra restrictive ‘diets’ that are impossible to stick to long-term.
This often leads to decades of yo-yo dieting that leaves people feeling miserable.
Dieting sustainably though can be key to improving someone’s long-term health.
You can still enjoy a glass of wine with your mates down the pub, birthday cake with your family, and a pizza on a Friday night with your partner
Emma BardwellRegistered nutritionistWe know that carrying too much body fat, particularly around the midsection, is linked with chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke and cancer.
I’m all for improving health; so as long as fat loss is carried out sensibly and realistically, I think there’s a good argument for it.
That said, we do need to be mindful of the fact that thinness doesn’t equate to health.
I very much approach health from a 360-degree angle and talk about the many metrics that we can use to measure it in the book that don’t involve weight.
GettyYou don’t have to give up pizza to lose weight[/caption]What about my favourite foods?
Absolutely not! In fact, I encourage clients to keep their favourite foods.
Your diet needs to be enjoyable otherwise you won’t stick to it for any length of time.
The key is making sure that 80 per cent of the time, you’re eating nutritionally dense whole foods that fill you up and help you feel good.
The remaining 20 per cent can be kept for the important occasions that bring you together with friends and make you feel good: a glass of wine with your mates down the pub, birthday cake with your family, a pizza on a Friday night with your partner.
All of these can feasibly fit within a balanced diet.
But realistically, if you want to see results and live a long and healthy life, these are occasional indulgences, they are not something you really should be doing every day.
LENTIL AND MUSHROOM RAGU
Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 30 minutes
2 servings 30g protein 13g fibre 515 caloriesIngredients:
1 tbsp olive oil 125g red lentil spaghetti 300g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 medium red onion, finely diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 medium tomatoes, diced 1 pouch (250g) ready cooked puy lentils 2 tsp powdered vegetable stock or 1 vegetable stock cube Handful of basil leaves, sliced into stripsInstructions:
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and fry for around 10 minutes until they start to brown and crisp around the edges. Set them aside. Meanwhile, boil water in a medium saucepan and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, making sure you reserve a mugful of the starchy pasta water which you’ll need later. Add a few sprays of olive oil to the same frying pan that you cooked the mushrooms in and fry the onions for around 5-10 minutes until they start to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute, then add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 more minutes. Tip the mushrooms back into the frying pan and add the lentils, the stock and around 200ml of the reserved pasta water. Give everything a good stir and leave to simmer for 5 minutes to allow the ragu mixture to reduce, thicken and become starchy. Heap the pasta into bowls and serve the ragu on top with the strips of basil.Extracted from The 30g Plan by Emma Bardwell (Vermilion, £16.99)
HARISSA CHICKPEAS WITH PAN-FRIED SALMON
Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 30-40 minutes
2 servings 41g protein 12.5g fibre 488 caloriesIngredients:
2 salmon fillets, washed and dried with kitchen roll 1 tsp harissa paste 1 medium white onion, finely diced 1 medium carrot, finely diced 1 stick of celery, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 400ml vegetable stock 2-3 tsp nutritional yeast or 50g parmesan cheese, grated A small bag of rocketInstructions:
Heat a few sprays of oil in a medium non-stick frying pan and saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic with a good pinch of salt for 5-10 minutes until starting to soften. Tip the chickpeas and vegetable stock in and add the harissa paste and 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast (if using). Stir well to combine. Allow to bubble then turn down the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the liquid starts to thicken. Meanwhile, cook the salmon. Add a few sprays of oil to a small frying pan on a medium heat. Lightly score the skin of the salmon 3-4 times and lay skin=side down in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes until crisp and golden then flip over and cook until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily. Turn off the heat. Add in the parmesan (if using) or the final tbsp of nutritional yeast and stir to combine, making a nice, cheesy, fairly thick brothy sauce. Taste and season as needed before serving with your salmon and a generous side of rocket.Extracted from The 30g Plan by Emma Bardwell (Vermilion, £16.99)
LEMON, BLUEBERRY AND POPPY SEED LOAF
Prep time: 15 minutes / Cook time: 30-40 minutes
9 slices 9g protein 3g fibre 185 caloriesIngredients:
200g 0% Greek or soya yoghurt 50g peanut butter 3 tbsp maple syrup 2 tbsp milk of choice 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 150g oat flour (simply pulse regular oats in a blender or food processor) 1 tbsp poppy seeds 50g ground almonds 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g fresh or frozen blueberriesInstructions:
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Mix the yoghurt, peanut butter, maple syrup, eggs, milk, lemon juice and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the ground oats, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and combine to make a batter. After folding in the blueberries, spoon the mixture into a loaf tin lined with baking paper. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, then cover with foil or baking paper and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing. Service with a big dollop of yoghurt and some extra berries.Extracted from The 30g Plan by Emma Bardwell (Vermilion, £16.99)
The 30g Plan by Emma Bardwell (Vermilion, £16.99) is out now.
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