I’m an experienced nutritionist with a large number of midlife clients, and the one thing everyone asks me is how to lose the pounds without feeling constantly hungry.
Well, you don’t need to follow some faddy regime. There are no supplements or rules around eating only at certain times of day. You don’t have to drink apple cider vinegar and neither do you need to inject yourself with a drug (although GLP-1s like Ozempic can be life-saving for some so there is very much a place for them).
When you break down the science, weight loss boils down to one thing: consuming fewer calories. We all know this! The trick is making it stick by making it enjoyable and easy. Which means proper food in proper quantities.
That’s how I designed The 30g Plan, as a way of life you can adopt for the long-term rather than a gimmicky, one-off diet.
You can expect to see noticeable weight loss on this plan after a month, if not sooner, but that’s not the only benefit. People also report better mood, more energy, no more post-lunch lethargy, less need to snack – and no hunger pangs.
It’s also the perfect midlife diet. Now is the time to really take stock, after all. As we head into our 50s, many of us are in the market for improving our lifestyles, but find our bodies won’t cooperate or are even working against us. Our metabolism slows down, our muscle mass diminishes, hormones fluctuate and our appetite creeps up, along with our stress levels. Many of us are living on reduced sleep, with niggling worries about our future health. It’s no wonder those muffin tops just won’t disappear.
That’s why ditching the short-term ‘traditional’ diets at this stage of life is so important. A healthy, non-restrictive plan is much more likely to work in the long term with lots of big health gains too.
Women often complain to me about not feeling comfortable in their skin at this age, and that’s because they feel guilty for not having the willpower around eating they’re told they should have. There’s so much pseudoscience and conflicting messaging within the modern diet industry, and much of the emphasis is on deprivation and white-knuckling it. Even, or perhaps especially, in the era of weight loss jabs, the focus is on restricting food rather than ‘better’ food. Unsurprisingly, people are confused and overwhelmed.
The 30g Plan is a way of life you can adopt for the long-term rather than a gimmicky, one-off diet
Emma Bardwell is a leading nutritionist with a large number of midlife clients
We’re increasingly conscious of setting a good example to our children, too. As a mother of two teenage girls, I want them to enjoy healthy eating, but also appreciate that food is delicious and powerful, not something to be rationed.
I’m reluctant to demonise food or speak about it purely as a means of weight loss or gain.
Indeed, if you have any anxiety or stress around eating, then I recommend not focusing on weight or the scales at all. Those numbers can be helpful as raw data as you start and then get used to the plan, but let’s be clear, I’m not saying that the only way to be healthy is to be thin, nor that thin is always healthy.
Yes, we all want a quick fix but that mindset really isn’t ideal. That said, I’ve had clients who’ve lost two or three kilos – roughly 4-6lbs – in the first couple of weeks, which is very significant. I love hearing from my 50-something clients saying, ‘My stomach is flatter!’ and also, ‘My energy levels are soaring and my mood is so much better’.
Camille, for example, a busy midwife and mother of four, has lost 8kgs (1 stone, 3lbs) in total after ten months on The 30g Plan. ‘I wanted to get rid of my belly – it was bothering me to the point I was considering a tummy tuck,’ she says. ‘But now I’m leaner, stronger, and less tired too.’
My midlife magic weight-loss formula
The key message in my new book, The 30g Plan, is that you will probably need to eat more, not less, to lose weight, build muscle and feel better.
What does that mean in practice? In a nutshell: more protein, more fibre and more tasty plant-based meals.
To drop the pounds you need to be in a calorie deficit, but that doesn’t mean you have to starve or stop enjoying the foods you love.
I’ve been coaching this regime to clients for years, and more recently offering it as a two-week online programme, which is when it went stratospheric. The book was an obvious next step. It works because it’s a simple, sustainable framework that can be adapted to suit anyone.
Here’s the magic formula; 30g of protein per meal, 30g of fibre a day, 30+ different plant foods every week and a small (300-500) calorie deficit every day until the weight loss goal is achieved.
You don’t necessarily have to forensically track those calories, however. Many people who follow the principles of The 30g Plan find they lose weight without counting calories at all.
Simply put, you choose to eat three or four meals a day. Three meals provides 1500-1800 calories and four meals provides 1800-2200 calories. Roughly speaking, the first option will put the average woman into a small calorie deficit. The second option will do the same, but for a man.
All my recipes come with a nutritional breakdown of calories, protein, fibre and number of plants. Participants don’t need to think about calories, etc, as the numbers have been worked out for them.
Meal plans – vegan, veggie and flexitarian – are included, with lots of meal prep and batch cooking ideas to make them user-friendly and great for those who are time-poor.
Nothing is off the table – I’m definitely not anti-carbs – but the plan does focus on whole foods, minimal UPFs, reduced snacking and a reduction in added sugars.
How it works
The reason why protein and fibre work brilliantly together is because they are both incredibly filling. Think of them as ‘nature’s Ozempic’.
Protein fills you up and slows gastric emptying. And fibre-rich foods tend to be low in calories but high in volume, meaning they trigger stretch receptors in the stomach that then signal to your brain to turn off your appetite.
Protein is frequently over-complicated, and people get tied up in knots about how much to eat and when to eat it. A 30g of protein is roughly the size of a pack of cards or the palm of your hand – a fillet of salmon, a chicken breast, half a block of tofu… I list them all in the book and provide a protein calculator so people can work out their personal needs.
You can always layer on extra protein from other sources – a few tablespoons of cottage cheese mixed into scrambled eggs, some black beans or chickpeas in a burrito or a few dollops of Greek yoghurt on top of overnight oats.
I can assure you that when people include more protein in their diet they immediately notice they are fuller. And the point is, it’s then very hard to overeat.
Why 30g specifically? Well, this is the amount that kickstarts muscle protein synthesis, which is the mechanism that builds and repairs muscle tissues. We know that muscle is vital for metabolism, longevity, blood glucose control and immune health. At midlife in particular, you need to be maintaining muscle as a priority for future health.
And let’s hear it for fibre! Few of us are consuming enough fibre, which unfortunately is often associated with beige, brown, bland foods.
But fibre is the unsung hero of the nutrition world and is vital for health. It regulates bowel movements and prevents constipation. It helps to control appetite, cholesterol, sleep and inflammation. It also slows glucose absorption and feeds beneficial gut bacteria, which in turn support cognitive function, mood and immune health.
The official recommendation is 30g a day, but most only have half that.
It’s not that hard to eat 30 plants a week either – as this includes veg, fruit, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices – plus, coffee and dark chocolate counts too.
I’ve translated our protein and fibre needs into delicious recipes. These include breakfasts, lunches, dinners and extras like bagels and wraps – suitable whether you’re vegan or a meat lover. From curry to chicken fajitas, soups and a poppy seed loaf, every recipe is packed with all the ingredients to keep you feeling full and, most of all, enjoying food rather than seeing it as the enemy.
The 30g Plan: How To Eat More Protein, Plants And Fibre To Lose Weight And Feel Great by Emma Bardwell is on sale now.
Harissa chickpeas with pan-fried salmon or tofu
Two servings
With salmon: 41g protein • 12.5g fibre • 488 cals
With tofu: 44g protein • 15g fibre • 508 cals
Prep time: 15 mins • Cook time: 30–40 mins
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 stick of celery, finely diced
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast or 50g parmesan, grated
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2–3 tbsp nutritional yeast or 50g parmesan grated
Choice of protein:
2 salmon fillets, washed and dried well with kitchen roll or 1 block (225g) smoked firm tofu, cubed, dried well with a paper towel and rolled in 1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari) and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, plus plenty of black pepper.
Method
1. Heat a few sprays of oil in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan and saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic with a good pinch of salt for 5–10 minutes until they soften.
2. 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.
3. Meanwhile, cook your protein.
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 mins until crisp and golden then flip over and cook until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily.
Tofu: Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan)/400F. Lay the tofu on a baking tray covered with parchment paper (or ideally a silicon mat to get them really crisp). Bake on the top shelf for 20 mins, flip the cubes over and bake for another 20 mins.
4. 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 saucy broth. Taste and season as needed before serving with your choice of protein and a generous side of rocket.
Mushroom, feta and red pepper omelette
One serving
33g protein • 8g fibre • 499 cals
Prep time: 10 mins • Cook time: 15 mins
- 85g broccoli, broken into small florets
- 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked and seasoned with salt and pepper
- Mixed green salad (30g) to serve
Method
1. Heat a few sprays of oil in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, cook until nice and brown and set to one side.
2. In the same pan add the peppers, broccoli and spring onions and cook for a few minutes until soft.
3. Add the mushrooms back in and arrange so there’s an even distribution of vegetables across the pan.
4. Tip in the whisked eggs and move the pan around to ensure they reach all sides. Cook for a minute or so, carefully lifting up the edges to ensure the omelette isn’t burning underneath.
5. When cooked underneath, add the feta and set the pan under a hot grill to melt the cheese.
6. Serve with a large mixed green salad and a sprinkle of mixed seeds.
Tip: Swap the vegetables for anything you have to hand in your fridge – asparagus works really nicely here. You could also add in 100ml egg whites to the whisked eggs for 11g extra protein.
Chilli beef loaded sweet potato
Two servings
34g protein • 14g fibre • 560 cals
Prep time: 10 mins • Cook time: 40 mins
- 2 large (250g) sweet potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 200g raw extra-lean (5%) beef mince
For the topping
- 20g 0% Greek or soya yoghurt
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180° fan)/400°F.
2. Spray the potatoes with oil and prick all over with a fork. Season with salt and pepper and cook in oven for 30–40 mins until soft all the way through.
3. Meanwhile add a few sprays of oil to a frying pan and saute the onion, red pepper and garlic for 3–4 mins. Add the beef and cook for tenminutes until brown. Add in the paprika, garlic granules, chilli, tomato puree and passata. Continue to cook for another tenminutes.
4. Halve the potatoes and load them up equally with the beef mix. Top with cheese and yoghurt, sliced spring onion and a generous grind of black pepper.
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