Here’s how to lose weight sustainably as a woman in your 30s

If I hear one more nutrition coach tell women in their 30s that they *just* need to figure out their hormones and walk more to lose weight, I’ll scream. 

And it’s not because hormones and walking are irrelevant to weight loss. 

They’re not. They matter.

But it’s not why you’re not losing weight today. Or it would already be working. 

Here are the 3 things I’d tell you to do (in this order!) to finally make weight loss feel sustainable:

1. Think about it differently (stay with me, this isn’t just affirmations and manifestation) 

2. Get a lot pickier about how you pick your meals (I promise I don’t mean skip sweets)

3. Practice repeating these new decisions until it feels like it’s on autopilot (don’t get too cocky too soon)

Part 1: Think about weight loss differently

Before you roll your eyes so hard you get hurt, I don’t mean “think yourself thin”... you can’t think your way into losing weight alone. But your weight loss mindset is essential to anything else that follows.

The biggest differentiator in what makes Eat More with Julia different is that you won’t just lose weight, you will rewire how you see food. 

So how should you do this?

1. Audit how you’re thinking about weight loss NOW and ask yourself if those beliefs are helping you stick to your goals or sabotaging them

2. Take my What’s Blocking Your Weight Loss quiz to see which of the three most common mindset hang-ups you’re guilty of

3. Figure out your core values, so you can use them as a filter for decision making instead of continuing to rely on “good” and “bad” foods per some 21-year old blonde fitness influencer on IG (here’s a podcast episode on core values to help you out)

By the end of part 1, I want you to be thinking: "Food noise isn’t the boss of me. My thoughts aren’t an emergency. I can finally think clearly without overwhelm"

Part 2: Get a lot pickier about how you pick your meals

This is about two main things: 

1. Eating the right amount of food for your goals (starting with the proper TDEE, or Total Daily Energy Expenditure and then pulling back from here to end up in a calorie deficit… here’s a past video training I sent to my clients about this)

2. Eating the foods that you ENJOY most of the time 

If you’re telling yourself the story that healthy food sucks is a fast track to feeling restricted and frustrated. I am certain you enjoy at least SOME nutrient-dense foods. 

Get familiar with them. Write them down. Type them into ChatGPT and ask for recipe ideas to eat more of the foods that you enjoy. I have a food mapping system I give my clients (more about that in this IG post) so they can determine:

1. the healthy foods they like (because this is the foundation of a diet that’s gonna leave you feeling good AND feeling satisfied) 

2. the healthy foods they want to avoid (because you don’t have to eat something just cause it’s healthy, you have my permission) 

3. the unhealthy foods they love and enjoy (because you SHOULD make room for this in your diet)

4. the unhealthy foods you don’t even like (because why are you eating this? Put down the stale cookies in the breakroom!) 

Hopefully, this 4-food group system also encourages you to start getting more curious about your taste buds. The more you choose the foods you really enjoy, that leave you feeling good, the more you can tune into your hunger cues and build a diet that suits you perfectly. 

By the end of Part 2, I want you to be thinking: "Food doesn't control me anymore. I can be around food without fear." 

Part 3: Practice repeating these new decisions until it feels like it’s on autopilot 

Nothing new is easy or natural overnight. If you’ve ever done a new strength training program, you KNOW that you’re always the most sore (and uncomfortable) in the first couple weeks. 

How can we master something new without getting a little uncomfortable first?

So there’s a few key pieces to make this happen:

1. Anticipate obstacles and plan for them (this means mentally plan for how you’ll talk yourself through it and set-up your physical environment to make it easier on yourself)

2. Get to know “future you” exceptionally well (because when you want to give up, you need to do it for her)

3. Expect bad days and bad weeks… plan to keep going anyway (regression is normal, it doesn’t mean you’re doomed)

By the end of Part 3, what you’ll feel is confidence. Your new skills have been tested. I want you to be thinking: "I can keep doing this. I trust myself to keep making these choices without falling off track, even after a hard day"

And there you have it. 

The way I’ve approached nutrition coaching with over 200+ clients who’ve not only lost weight that they’ve finally kept off without misery, BUT better: they feel like they have more peace and ease around food than ever before. (you’ll find more of their stories here)

Finally… if you want help implementing these 3 phases, you can jump inside the Rooted Method today for step-by-step guidance with me by your side!

Learn more here