90-30-50 Diet Is Going Viral for Weight Loss: Does It work?

• The 90-30-50 diet is trending now on TikTok.
• It was created to aid weight loss with the autoimmune disease Hashimoto’s.
• It advocates eating specific amounts of protein, fiber, and fats.
• Eating these nutrients can help metabolism, satiety, blood sugar, and inflammation.
• However, it may not be right for all people. Consult with a professional for advice.

Whatever you’re looking to do, there’s sure to be a TikTok trend to show you how, and weight loss is no exception.

The registered dietitian says she created the plan to help with weight gain associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis after she received a diagnosis for the autoimmune disease.

What is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?

This autoimmune disease causes your body to attack its own thyroid tissue, leading to inadequate production of thyroid hormone. In addition to weight gain, it can cause symptoms such as fatigue, joint pain, constipation, intolerance to cold, depression, and skin and hair changes.

Although this diet was formulated by a dietitian, TikTok tends to spawn many less-than-healthy trends. That’s why Healthline spoke with other nutrition experts to weigh in on this plan’s effectiveness and highlight any potential drawbacks people should consider before following it.

To understand what the 90-30-50 diet is, we need to talk about what those three numbers in the name mean.

Trista Best, MPH, RDN, LD — who is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at The Candida Diet, an Environmental Health Specialist, and an Adjunct Nutrition Professor — told Healthline this approach requires dieters to hit three daily targets: 90 grams of protein, 30 grams of fiber, and 50 grams of fat.

“Following the 90-30-50 method does not create a calorie deficit as most diets do,” she added, “but focuses rather on consuming a significant amount of these three nutrients.”

Best explained that eating protein helps the body repair muscle tissue, preserves muscle, and improves satiety.

“Building and preserving muscle during weight loss is essential to keeping metabolism high as lean muscle burns calories at a high rate,” she said.

According to Best, the diet recommends fiber because it supports a healthy gut, increases satiety, and helps balance blood sugar.

Finally, she said, getting plenty of healthy fats aids in nutrient absorption, energy, and hormone regulation.

“This combination of benefits can aid in preventing overeating and fat storage,” said Best.

Shelley Balls, MDA, RDN, LDN — a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Consumer Health Digest — said the diet should be “very effective” for weight loss, echoing what Best said about protein helping to retain muscle mass, thus keeping your metabolic rate high.

“Consuming more protein throughout the day will help you feel more satisfied and help you make healthier food choices,” she said.

Dietary fiber’s ability to help you feel full faster and keep you full longer is also beneficial to weight loss, per Balls.

She additionally noted that the anti-inflammatory effects of eating healthy fats can help promote weight loss.

“Studies show when saturated fats are replaced with healthy fats, LDL cholesterol levels decrease, waist circumference decreases, and other health biomarkers improve,” said Balls.

They can also help with satiety and prevent blood sugar spikes. She noted that both of these will help you with your weight loss goals.

“This is primarily due to the rigidity required in eating that may cause some to feel overly restricted,” she said. This might lead to rebound weight gain once the plan is stopped.

There are some potential issues with this diet since it doesn’t address the unique needs of every individual.

“Individual macronutrient targets may not be met through this method depending on the degree of activity, health conditions, or the elderly,” said Best.

Balls additionally pointed out that if you are not very active, this amount of protein could be too high for your needs.

“Those with kidney disease may also want to talk to their doctor before consuming this much protein,” she advised.

Even if you don’t have kidney disease, the Academy of Nutrition and Diet suggests that it’s a good idea to speak with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist before starting a new diet. They can help you understand whether a particular dietary plan is right for you.

The 90-30-50 diet is trending on TikTok.

This diet emphasizes eating 90 grams of protein, 30 grams of fiber, and 50 grams of healthy fats every day.

The creator of the diet formulated it to help her lose weight after she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Experts say eating plenty of these nutrients helps with metabolism, satiety, blood sugar balance, and inflammation, which can help aid weight loss.

However, they caution that this diet may be challenging to follow in the long term.

It might also not be appropriate for all people, for example, those with kidney disease.

Speak with a health professional, such as a doctor or registered dietitian, to determine whether this dietary plan is appropriate for your needs.