The morning banana diet (avoid these 4 mistakes), the raw food diet, the South Beach diet, the extreme juicing diets, the cabbage soup diet – we’ve all been there.
At some point in our lives, we’ve discovered those less than flattering love handles around our hips and tried a crash diet or two to shed the pounds off, preferably for good. You might think that the metabolic advantage you had in your 20s made it easier to keep the pesky pounds at bay, but the truth is, you are as likely to shed fat in your 30s with the right diet, too.
The greatest advantage of our 30s is our wisdom. We now have a better understanding of what foods suit us the best, what we enjoy to prepare, how our bodies react to certain eating schedules, and what wreaks havoc on our appetite.
This knowledge combined with the right diet can help you reach your weight loss (new science-backed research) goals, no matter how last-minute they may seem!
So, for starters, let’s learn more about how your body and mind behave in your 30s to use this know-how to your advantage.
Your body punishes you more
If you’re anything like me, that means that you really did try a fair share of those fad diets I’ve listed above. Some have served as very effective methods to cut calories, while others simply made me crave for carbs more than ever. However, it seems that our cells have a memory of their own, one that remembers all those weight fluctuations and changes your metabolism accordingly. If you have been through too many weight changes in your 20s, chances are that your body might have its own complaints in your 30s.
It may become more difficult for your body to lose weight (read the latest groundbreaking research) unless you really do mind those calories.
While a couple of hundred extra calories might not have done any damage to your body a decade ago, after being on restrictive diets, you may need to adapt your lifestyle in your 30s to keep those pounds off.
Goal-setting matters even more
Once upon a time, or a few years back to be more precise, you could simply cut out bread from your diet and see your figure become leaner. Of course, not all of us are blessed with such a godsend of a metabolism, but still, the process of getting rid of a few extra pounds never seemed like such a chore.
But when I started contemplating my own weight loss (new science-backed research) battle plan, all kinds of questions started popping into my mind.
I wanted to know how much weight can I lose in 6 weeks and even more importantly, how can I keep it off permanently? I was getting ready for a best friend’s wedding, but I wanted to think of it as my final crash diet ever, hopefully. And one of the main things that helped me succeed was my mindset towards setting goals and milestones. When you’re clear on the exact numbers: the exact weight you want to lose, the exact calorie count you need to stick to, the exact exercise regime, it gets easier to follow through.
Meal-prepping on point
On a more positive note, you’re likely much better with your cooking today than you were towards the end of your college years. Back then, you didn’t really know how to cook a keto-friendly (read the latest research on why it’s #1) casserole, or how to find healthy substitutes for your everyday favorites.
Today, you have the kitchen-expertise you need to meal prep like a pro. You know your body very well, you know which foods are satiating, and which recipes keep your hunger in check without reaching for the cookie jar. In your 30s, the organizational part of trying out a new diet plan is significantly simpler and under your full control.
Your motivation deepens
The fourth decade gives us a new perspective. For some, it is marked by entering momhood, starting a brand-new career, or finding a life partner you never thought existed. All of these changes and discoveries help us appreciate life even more, and they give us a fresh desire to achieve our goals.
For example, as a mom, you learn more about what safeguards our health and what damages our wellbeing, what makes you feel energized, and what leads to that mid-day energy slump we all can’t stand. Finally, when the time comes to cut out certain foods, your fresh perspective makes it easier, and helps you build your resilience in the face of temptation (aka cookie jar in my case).
Master the art of fasting
Losing weight boils down to the discipline of caloric restriction. No matter what kind of a diet you end up choosing, how you manage your meal plan, how you include exercise into your schedule, being able to overcome the feeling of hunger without binge eating is a discipline that takes patience and persistence.
Losing weight, whether for a particular occasion or for the sake of your overall health comes down to your mindset. When you finally hit those 30s, you know all about resilience and self-discipline, making it far more manageable to stay true to your meal plan and go through that fasting period without feeling overwhelmed or weak.
A few final notes
Some may say that the 30s are the new 20s. I say, good riddance to those wishy-washy 20s as I embrace and welcome my resilient, powerful 30s. Some of us may still be after that perfect figure, but this is a journey far less arduous and much more rewarding in this period of our lives – and now you have some extra knowledge that can help you stay on the right track with your own weight loss goals.
Lauren is a Health writer at ripped.me, and she’s very enthusiastic about her niche. She believes nature can cure almost all ailments, and the human body has all it needs to thrive. But she’s well aware of the fact that in order to do that, it needs the right kind of push in the appropriate direction.
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