How Does the Stillman Diet Claim to Work?
The Stillman diet is a high-protein and low-carbohydrate diet, but with a key difference from most popular low-carb diets: It’s also low-fat, so you must stick to cooking methods like broiling, baking, or boiling that don’t rely on oils or fats.
The diet works by eliminating nearly all carbohydrates and fat, which may lead to rapid weight loss. Heavily restricting carbohydrates can switch on a state called ketosis, during which the body breaks down fat for energy, according to UKHealthCentre.
Protein also takes more energy to digest than carbohydrates, so dieters may burn more calories even at rest, according to Cleveland Clinic.
What Can You Eat on the Stillman Diet?
The Stillman diet promotes eating six smaller meals rather than three larger ones, per day, according to the Holland Clinic. In addition to these meals, you drink eight glasses of water each day.
Foods to Include
- Lean meats, like skinless chicken breast
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Nonfat cottage cheese
- Beverages like tea, coffee, and diet soft drinks
- Spices like salt, pepper, garlic, and hot sauce
Foods to Avoid
- Carbohydrates, like bread or pasta
- Fruit
- Sugar
- Vegetables
- Oils
- Butter
- Fried foods
- Alcohol
Potential Benefits of the Stillman Diet (and Why They May Not Last)
The main benefit of this diet, according to Stillman, is quick and potentially significant weight loss.
According to the only data available — a study from the 1970s — 12 people who followed the diet for about a week lost an average of 7 pounds. However, the study classified this as transient weight loss, meaning that it was likely due to temporary factors like water loss.
The rapid weight loss that typically follows a switch to a strict low-carb diet is known to come largely from losing water weight, according to StatPearls. While this approach could help you shed pounds in the short run, fast weight loss — more than 2 pounds per week — tends to be easier to gain back and can cause harmful side effects including gallstones and constipation, according to MedlinePlus.
Potential Risks of the Stillman Diet
As an extreme approach, the Stillman diet comes with more than a few drawbacks, including impacts to your physical and mental health:
- Nutrient Deficiencies The Stillman diet excludes key foods including fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Research has found that cutting these foods out in the long term could lead to serious deficiencies in fiber, magnesium, potassium, and many other vitamins.
- Unsustainable Weight Loss Most diets that promise quick weight loss rely on rigid rules, so they aren’t usually a sustainable weight loss option. According to Cleveland Clinic, cutting out almost all carbohydrates and fat is likely to make you so hungry that it increases your likelihood of going off the diet, starting a pattern of weight cycling, or “yo-yo dieting.”
- Negative Impact on Metabolism Some research suggests that because low-carb diets limit fiber, they could impact your microbiome, potentially harming your metabolism in the long run. As the diet is also low-fat, it could cause you to consume fewer calories, which can also slow down your metabolism as your body attempts to conserve energy.
- Potential for Disordered Eating Extreme diets, including strictly limiting carbs and fat, can increase your risk of eating disorders like binge eating disorder, anorexia, and bulimia, according to research. They can also impact your self-esteem and body image while increasing stress and depressive thoughts.
- Social Isolation Because the Stillman diet cuts out so many food groups, following the diet could cause you to limit opportunities to socialize if they involve food, like parties or dining out, since most of these won’t have many options that are both low-carb and low-fat.
- Reliance on Ketosis The Stillman diet relies on inducing ketosis, at least in part, for weight loss. Ketosis results in acidic substances called ketones, and if they build up in your blood, it can cause a potentially serious condition called ketoacidosis. StatPearls notes that signs of ketoacidosis include fruity-smelling breath; appetite loss; nausea; and fast, deep breathing.
Is the Stillman Diet Right for You?
While some sources recommend the Stillman diet purely as a short-term diet to jump-start the first week or two of your weight loss plan, the limiting nature of this diet isn’t conducive to forming healthy, balanced eating habits for most people, according to UKHealthCentre.
Because it relies on unsustainable methods like eliminating entire food groups for promoting rapid weight loss, the Stillman diet fits squarely into the category of fad diet. Approaches like this may be more likely to disrupt your relationship with food than to improve your health in the long run.
If you’re considering a diet that cuts out food groups or macronutrients, it’s a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to you and your specific health situation.
