If you are looking for a low-carb diet that can help you lose your weight effectively, then you can try Stillman diet. It is very effective and was developed by Dr. Irwin Maxwell Stillman, a famous physician. He has the reputation of treating fat and obese people for more than four decades.
This diet plan for losing weight works really well and is based on a simple diet theory. This diet plan is not something that is new to people. It has been taught in school, collage and through media all the time. It is based on the principle ‘right balance of low carb, high protein and low-fat meals’. This diet recommends keeping a right balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat in your diet. With years of working with people who are overweight, Stillman found out that those who followed a low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet lose weight in the quickest way.
Stillman diet includes the consumption of 30% protein per day. This keeps the metabolism stimulated and busy digesting the protein. As a result, your digestive system gets a boost. Stillman first tried this on himself and he succeeded in losing about 50 pounds. For achieving this goal, he increased the intake of his protein to 90% a day. Although this diet plan is very restricting, it helps in losing weight in such way that you will follow it religiously throughout. By following Stillman diet, you can shed seven to fifteen or twenty pounds easily on the first week itself. Thereafter, you can lose 5 pounds every alternate week.
Stillman Diet Plan Basics: Does it work or not – How it Works?
The foods that you consume in this diet plan are such that they will help you melt your extra pounds faster and at the same time make you feel more energetic than you have ever felt before. So, it is a magical diet. According to the diet proposed by Stillman, you have to consume six smaller meals per day instead of having three bigger meals. By dividing your food portion in this way throughout the day, the vital ketosis process in the body is stimulated.
When the body does not get the amount of carbohydrate that it used to get, then your body has no other choice than to enter into a phase of ketosis because carbohydrates are the main source of energy for your body. In the absence of sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, your body will start using the fat that is stored in your body to get the energy required. As a result, you will experience a rapid weight loss. So, you can say that this diet advices low carbohydrate diet so as to make your body feed on the fat reserves within your body.
Protein is the major ingredient in this diet plan. If you feel that you are lacking the important nutrients or micronutrients, you can consume vitamin supplements to compensate for it. But if you include a variety of protein in your diet, there is very less chance that you will suffer from any deficiency.
Stillman Diet Plan Phases:
It works in three phases.
- During the first phase, your food intake is very much restricted and only a few types of foods are allowed to consume.
- As you reach the second and third phase, all the foods that you were not allowed to eat in the first phase are introduced slowly, one by one in small amounts.
The purpose of breaking this diet plan into three phases is to ensure that you remain slim and maintain a shapely body for a long time after the weight loss. If you happen to regain a few pounds in the third phase, then you are advised to go back to the first phase to lose the weight.
Stillman Diet and Exercise Importance:
Stillman diet gives a lot of importance on the workouts. You are advised to undergo strength or resistance training to get a lean and fit body. Weightlifting is one of the best resistance training regimes that you can try. You can do this at home using dumbbells. This is best for those who do not want to spend their time going out to the gym.
In addition to toning and strengthening your body, exercise can also increase your stamina. Cycling and running are good body workouts. Push-ups help in toning your belly.
Stillman Diet Foods Allowed to Eat:
You can consume protein rich foods like:
- low-fat cheese
- lean meat
- farmer’s cheese
- soft or hard boiled eggs
- lean fish like flounder
- haddock
- cod
- low –calorie gelatin
and other food items like
- crabs
- lobster
- oysters
- shrimps.
These foods are rich sources of protein and keep you full for a longer time. So, even if you take small amounts of proteins, you will be kept satiated and as a result you will take in less food.
Stillman diet menu also recommends drinking lots of water. This keeps your body hydrated, since following a low-carb diet can cause dehydration. So, you must make sure that you drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily. You can also drink diet soda, tea and coffee occasionally.
Foods List to Avoid on the Stillman Diet:
- Avoid fat and carb rich foods such as salad dressings, mayonnaise, ketchup and so on, which add flavor to the food. You can use spices and herbs for flavoring your food.
- Avoid margarine, greasy and fried foods, whole-fat dairy products, gravy, sauce, tartar etc.
- Avoid all types of sugars, except for brown sugar.
- Foods that contain starch in high amounts, like whole wheat, dried potatoes, legumes, barley, white bread etc are to be avoided.
- Stillman diet also recommends avoiding consumption of fruits and vegetables. You are also asked not to eat lettuce and salads.
Following this diet under the supervision of a health expert can help you lose weight effectively.
