How to Lose Weight in Your 30s? (6 Effective Tips to Try)

Yes, it's a little difficult to lose weight after 30. But a lot easier than in your 40s or 50s.

It should not be as hard if you incorporate a balanced diet, enough sleep, regular exercise, and hydration.

Making lifestyle changes demands deliberate action, commitment, and patience.

And when you do this consistently, you’ll start seeing positive body changes.

Shortly, we’ll dive into the tips to help you lose weight in your 30s.

But before that, let's examine why you’re likely to gain weight at this age suddenly.

If you’re not married at 30, there’s pressure to tie the knot and start a family with your partner.

You’re bound to get caught up juggling tough decisions.

In 2018, experts from Stanford University discovered that the stress hormone cortisol can trigger weight gain [2].

It also brings negative mood changes and reduced energy levels.

But what's worse is that this hormone also disrupts sleep patterns.

The same study found that when the circadian rhythm (an internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle) is disrupted due to chronic stress, the stress hormone cortisol can mess with your blood sugar levels and increase body fat. Hence, stress does affect weight loss.

When stressed, most people drown themselves in snacks and sugary foods, which prime the body for weight gain.

What's more? According to a PubMed study, the combination of stress and high-calorie intake triggers insulin resistance, which is bad news for anyone's weight loss ambitions [3].

As you age, your metabolism slows, which also contributes to weight gain.

Although decreased physical activity also accounts for the changing body composition, age-related decline in basal metabolic rate (BMR) also plays a role.

The research published by Cambridge University found that after 20, total daily energy expenditure decreases by 150 calories per decade [4].

This is most likely caused by declining muscle mass and increased fat, both of which often come with age.

“Estimates suggest that every pound of muscle burns roughly six calories per day at rest. That’s about three times as many calories as a pound of fat, which burns roughly two calories per day.”

- Tim Church, Professor of Preventive Medicine 

Notably, a study in the National Library of Medicine says that 30 is the threshold, after which muscle mass declines at 3-8% per decade [5].

Related: Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Hormonal Changes

The changing hormones in our body only add insult to injury.

Notably, the decreasing growth hormone production also contributes to the dipping metabolic rate [6].

The age of 30 is also when most women start to have kids, and pregnancy and weight gain go hand in hand.

But all of this can be reversed. Below are the ways you can rapidly lose weight in your 30s.

From my own journey, I've learned that adjusting your diet is crucial for long-term weight maintenance. I remember when I hit 30, I realized that the eating habits that worked in my 20s were no longer effective.

In other words, if you’re not willing to adjust your diet, you can forget about achieving significant weight loss.

According to Mareya Ibrahim, founder and CEO of Eat Cleaner, the key is to make better choices with food and not solely relying on exercise.

It's not about counting calories. It is about making the calories count.

When it comes to effective weight loss, prioritizing diets that actively promote fat burning can greatly enhance your progress.

So, what types of diets that burn fat should you prioritize?

Fruits and Vegetables

Another study in the National Library of Medicine shows that increasing the intake of fruits and fat-burning vegetables can promote weight loss and help maintain a healthy body weight [8].

Spinach, tomatoes, berries, and greens are a good start.

Proteins

Proteins are essential for building muscle. And as we’ve seen, muscle aids in the burning of fat.

But there’s another crucial benefit that proteins bring to the table that is crucial to weight loss; the satiety effect.

A PubMed study has shown that the consumption of proteins helps burn fat and promotes the feeling of fullness [9].

Additionally, scientists have found that protein triggers the activity of the leptin hormone within the body [10].

Leptin is a hormone that sends signals to the brain when you’re full.

It makes you less interested in food, thus helping you maintain a normal weight.

You’ve probably heard this a hundred times by now, but cutting sugar and only consuming foods with fewer calories than you’re expending is a must if you’re serious about losing weight in your 30s.

That includes soda, candy, baked goods, sweetened coffee drinks, and all foods with added sugar.

Cutting back on these can help reduce your calorie intake, thus boosting your weight loss ambitions.

Besides, it reduces your risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.

Cut Artificial Sweeteners

If you’re thinking of replacing sugars with artificial sweeteners? Think again.

You see, the thing with sweet things is that when you taste them, your brain thinks it's getting high-caloric foods.

So when no calories are provided, it forces your body to seek them elsewhere.

This may cause you to overeat.

Yale researchers have shown that artificial sweeteners can increase cravings for calories [11].

As you can see, diet is critical for weight loss and maintaining lost weight.

But that alone may not be enough.

It's already proven that muscle mass percentage is on a downtrend after 30.

But that doesn't mean you can’t reverse it.

I've personally seen the impact of regular exercise on my clients body composition.

When I started incorporating weight training into their routine, they started to feel stronger and we found that building muscle was key to increasing their calorie burn and reshaping the body.

The exercise routines below are great for building muscle in your 30s.

Lifting Weights

Studies from the University of Alabama show that lifting weights and dieting are ideal for losing fat and retaining muscle [12].

Those who combined the two fat-burning exercises saw better results than folks who just did cardio.

The latter lost both fat and muscle at the same time.

I've recommended this combination as an exercise program to most of my clients in their 30s.

And within weeks, sometimes even days, they start to see a drop in their clothing sizes and body mass index.

The cool part about lifting heavy is that burning calories goes beyond the gym.

This was proved by a scientific study which showed that overweight and sedentary participants who did resistance training burned 250 more calories than others who didn't 24 hours after the sweat session [13].

High-intensity training in short intervals is another efficient exercise routine that encourages burning calories within your body to improve your fitness levels.

I’ve found it far more efficient for my clients than moderate physical activities  [14].

So, if you’re over 30 and looking to burn calories and amp up your weight loss efforts, I recommend adding HIIT for fat-burning to your exercise regimen.

Cardio

When you do cardio alone, you risk losing muscle. And as we’ve seen, that's the last thing we want.

The truth is that most of the exercises mentioned here actually work better in combination with regular cardio.

For instance, when you blend strength training and cardio for weight loss, you have a high chance of increasing your metabolism.

Aim for at least 150 minutes a week.

4. Move More

The most important thing is to keep active when all is said and done.

My clients report that small changes, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going for a walk during lunch breaks, made a big difference. These simple acts of moving more helped them break out of a sedentary routine and contributed to the overall weight loss.

Sitting less and moving more is as crucial as spending time in the gym and positively impacts your physical and mental health.

Try improving your step count every day, with 8 to 12 thousand being a good reference range, depending on your circumstances.

At 30, you’re probably juggling work and family responsibilities, which leaves less time for a good night’s sleep.

Well, I hate to break this to you, but less than 7 hours of sleep is not ideal if you’re trying to lose weight.

Sleep deprivation has been heavily linked to weight gain.

In particular, it triggers the hunger hormone ghrelin and suppresses satiety hormones like leptin, making weight loss even harder [15].

You must find a balance if you want to burn those calories. It's not just crucial for weight management but overall health as well.

One of my clients regularly sacrificed sleep for work and social life, said that once she started getting a solid 7-8 hours of sleep, she noticed a decrease in her cravings and an increase in her energy levels, which was crucial for her weight loss journey.

6. Stay Hydrated

Wellness professionals will tell you that fluid is integral to healthy body composition.

Studies have established that high fluid intake is crucial for maintaining a low body fat percentage and small waist for adults between 18 and 39 [16].

Keep it simple. Forget about calorie-laced beverages like fruit juices, coffee drinks, and sodas, as drinking water is undeniably best.

Now, a simple way of telling whether you’re hydrated or not is to check your urine color, with a light straw color being the ideal [17].