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Follow the 30/30 Diet to Improve Body Composition

Andrew Merle

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When people say they want to lose weight, what they really mean is they want to lose fat.

Most people don’t want to lose muscle, especially as they get older.

Unfortunately, many diets cause muscle to waste away as the pounds come off. That isn’t a great compromise.

The better option is to improve body composition by maintaining lean muscle mass while shedding fat (especially the problematic visceral fat).

This can be accomplished by following what I call the 30/30 Diet.

The guiding principle of the 30/30 Diet is incredibly simple — at every meal, eat at least 30 grams of protein and no more than 30 grams of carbohydrates.

It is fine to eat more than 30g of protein and less than 30g of carbs at a meal — anything above the protein floor and below the carb ceiling is personal preference.

Eat 3 meals per day and 2–3 snacks as needed.

Snacks should cut the 30/30 rule in half — containing at least 15 grams of protein and no more than 15 grams of carbs.

If you follow this plan, daily protein intake should be at least 120g, and carbs per day will be below that amount. Moderate amounts of fat will make up the remainder of the diet.

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Andrew Merle
Andrew Merle

Written by Andrew Merle

Follow me for stories about health, fitness, and nutrition. Read more at andrewmerle.com. Contact me at andrew.merle@gmail.com