Question explored with the scientific record
Started from a private conversation ↓
So I would loose half a stone on low calorie deficit diet
Half a stone is 7 pounds, about 3.2 kg. A low-calorie deficit can get you there, but the real question is how fast and at what cost.
The evidence here is thin and mostly off-target. One study of a very low-calorie diet plus exercise in overweight adults showed about 18 pounds lost in 12 weeks [3]. That is roughly 2.5 stone, far more than your half-stone target. Another trial of carbohydrate restriction in people with metabolic syndrome showed about 22 pounds in 12 weeks [4]. These are aggressive programs, not gentle deficits.
The more relevant finding: a 25% calorie restriction over six months produced about 10% weight loss in overweight non-obese adults [5]. For a 150-pound person, that is 15 pounds, just over a stone. A modest deficit gets you there in months, not weeks.
The hidden cost is what the retrieval cannot see. Rapid weight loss is documented to form gallstones, and one trial here showed that about half of those stones disappeared on their own after weight loss stopped [1]. Bone turnover shifts too: a 10% weight loss suppressed bone formation and increased resorption in women [2]. The faster you lose, the more you trade.
| Approach | Weight lost | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Very low-calorie + exercise | ~18 lb | 12 weeks [3] |
| Carbohydrate restriction | ~22 lb | 12 weeks [4] |
| 25% calorie restriction | ~10% of body weight | 6 months [5] |
Half a stone is achievable on any of these. The question is whether you want the fast version with gallstone and bone risk, or the slow version that preserves more of you. The slow version is the honest one.
My call: yes, half a stone is realistic on a low-calorie deficit, but slow and steady beats rapid loss for your bones and gallbladder. Confidence: moderate.
Sources used 5
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Natural history and treatment with ursodiol of gallstones formed during rapid loss of weight in man
In a randomized double-masked trial of 22 adults with gallstones formed during rapid weight loss, ursodiol (1200 mg/day) did not increase gallstone dissolution within three months compared with placebo, while about half of stones disappeared spontaneously after weight loss cease…
DOI: 10.1007/bf02088135 -
Effects of weight loss on bone turnover, inflammatory cytokines, and adipokines in Chinese overweight and obese adults
This longitudinal study in overweight and obese Chinese adults undergoing a 10% weight loss via a calorie-restricted, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet shows early changes in bone turnover markers (PINP and β-CTX), along with favorable shifts in PTH and 25(OH)D, and concurrent…
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01815-5 -
Outcome of a multicenter outpatient weight-management program including very-low-calorie diet and exercise
A multicenter outpatient weight-management program combining a very-low-calorie diet and supervised exercise reduces weight and improves weight maintenance in primary care.
DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/56.1.294s -
Carbohydrate Restriction has a More Favorable Impact on the Metabolic Syndrome than a Low Fat Diet
In a 12-week randomized trial in overweight adults with atherogenic dyslipidemia, carbohydrate restriction (CRD) produced greater weight loss and substantially improved metabolic syndrome markers and cardiovascular risk factors compared with a low-fat diet (LFD), despite higher …
DOI: 10.1007/s11745-008-3274-2 -
Effect of caloric restriction in non-obese humans on physiological, psychological and behavioral outcomes
This randomized Phase I CALERIE trial in overweight non-obese adults shows that six months of 25% caloric restriction (with/without exercise or a very low-calorie diet) markedly reduces body fat and hepatic lipid content, modestly improves some metabolic and cardiovascular risk …
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.04.017