The egg diet is super effective, affordable and easy for those who want to lose weight. Plus, it's not just eggs. Nutritionists give many recommendations on how to diversify your daily diet so as not to suffer from hunger too much.
The essence of the diet
In principle, the egg diet is not a mono diet, but a type of protein diet, the aim of which is to limit carbohydrates and fats as much as possible. It seems to many that only eggs in different preparations are allowed on such a diet. However, the diet is actually more balanced.
What are eggs rich in?
This is a product that contains everything necessary for the growth and development of an entire living organism; it is full of proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, amino acids and minerals. Used for weight loss, they contain a minimum of carbohydrates but ensure a feeling of fullness for a long time.
The fatty acids contained in the composition prevent the deposition of fat reserves. Such protein nutrition never leads to loss of muscle mass due to the rich protein content. Any egg diet allows you to eat other healthy foods, fruits or vegetables, most commonly citrus fruits. Therefore, even the monotherapy of eggs and grapefruit is physically and mentally tolerated without any problems. Experts say there is no reason to fear eggs as a harmful food.
Main rules
In order for the weight loss treatment to achieve the greatest possible effect, you should follow simple rules:
- Maintaining water balance. You need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water every day. This not only helps you lose weight but also relieves digestive problems.
- Make sure your diet contains enough fiber. Regardless of the number of meals per day, you need to consume a lot of raw vegetables each time. Fiber in sufficient quantities can be provided by fruits, bran or a pharmaceutical version in pure form. This requirement applies to all protein diets.
- Vitamins. The chicken egg diet is one of the few that does not require additional intake of vitamin and mineral complexes. On the contrary, it is even forbidden because. . . Eggs and citrus fruits contain more than enough vitamins and minerals.
- If you don't like chicken eggs, you can easily eat quail eggs in a ratio of three to one.
- Dinner. Dinner is prohibited after 7: 00 p. m. and 8: 00 p. m.
- Dream. In this mode, you need to allocate at least 8 hours a day for sleep. You must go to bed by 11 p. m. at the latest.
- Prepare food. The boiled egg diet involves eating a soft-boiled or hard-boiled product. From time to time you can prepare an omelet by baking it without fat. Additional products (vegetables or fruits) should be consumed raw, baked (in the oven, grilled), stewed or boiled. Fried foods can be prepared in a frying pan without fat.
- Spices. To improve the taste of the products, you can season them with lemon juice and use any spices. However, if hunger persists, it is better to avoid gas stations.
- Eating raw eggs is dangerous; it is better not to do this.
- The egg diet can be practiced 1-2 times every 12 months, not more often.
- To avoid failures in a long-term restricted diet, it is sometimes allowed to replace the main product with substitute products in the form of lean cottage cheese or meat.
- Parallel physical activity will be very useful to lose weight in the shortest possible time.
How does the egg diet work?
Regarding protein, this weight loss course contains a standard list of products. The special feature is the high content of eggs and citrus fruits, most commonly grapefruit. The effect on the body is based on special biochemical reactions, so such weight loss requires strict adherence to the rules. The advantage of this diet is that you are not tormented by the feeling of hunger. A diet rich in protein ensures a long-lasting feeling of satiety.
There are different variations of the egg diet aimed at different results. But they are all surprisingly effective. The choice of option depends on the goal: how quickly and how much excess weight you want to lose.
Composition of chicken eggs
To understand the benefits or harms of eggs, you need to understand their composition. Physically, they consist of a liquid white with a dense yolk surrounded by a shell. Protein is an easily digestible, pure protein that must be included in the diet of athletes. The egg yolk is a nutrient-rich cocktail of fatty acids (linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid), fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. At the same time, 100 g of eggs provide only 150 kcal of energy. The amino acid choline regulates cholesterol levels, lecithin strengthens memory and helps prevent vascular sclerosis. It makes no sense to list all the beneficial properties of eggs.
Cholesterol horror stories
Opponents of egg consumption argue that the high cholesterol content in eggs is dangerous for the body. It forms plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which clog the channels and hinder blood circulation. The consequence of this process is various cardiovascular diseases. However, it has long been known that not all cholesterol is harmful. What is harmful is what occurs in excess in processed heavy fats - in sausages, chips, confectionery. Cholesterol is harmless in natural foods, including fried ones.
How many eggs can you safely eat?
Nutritionists do not give a clear answer to this question. The information on the allowable amount per week varies. This depends in part on the size of the eggs, which can vary by two times. One large chicken egg yolk contains 150-180 mg of cholesterol. For one day, this amount is not enough to cause harm to the body, especially with a balanced diet. Some doctors claim that eating 2 eggs daily increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by five times. But again, all these statements are relative, since the conclusions were made without taking into account the lifestyle, age of the subjects and other important parameters. For example, bad habits, people's blood pressure, etc. were not taken into account. Therefore, the harm of chicken eggs has not been proven.
The benefits and harms of raw chicken eggs
A frequently asked question is: Is it possible to eat raw eggs because many people do so? The main argument of raw egg lovers is that they are a delicacy for many animals and birds, but they are unable to cook an omelet or scrambled eggs on their own. However, under industrial production conditions there is a high risk of eggs becoming infected with the dangerous infectious disease salmonellosis. The longer the raw materials are stored, the higher this risk is. Only products from healthy chickens can be consumed raw, but only fresh, with the shell intact. It is better to take it on an empty stomach 30-40 minutes before the main breakfast.
Advantages and disadvantages of the egg diet
This type of protein diet is well tolerated due to the addition of fruits and vegetables. They provide the body with light carbohydrates, especially fructose, which relieve weakness and dizziness - eternal companions of low-carbohydrate diets. At the same time, eggs saturate the body with a large amount of proteins, amino acids, microelements and vitamins. But not everything is so simple and clear; in this case there are advantages and disadvantages.
The benefits of the egg diet are as follows:
- No feeling of hunger.
- A large intake of fat-soluble vitamins from eggs in combination with water-soluble vitamins from citrus fruits strengthens and improves the condition of nails and hair.
- When you lose weight, the skin does not sag.
- Psychologically, restrictions are well tolerated, and the likelihood of a breakdown is minimized by a varied menu.
- Excess fluid is excreted from the body.
- The result of losing weight lasts for a long time, in a day you can get rid of a kilogram of excess weight.
The benefits of eggs for men
Chicken or quail eggs are considered natural anabolic steroids and are therefore an essential part of the diet of athletes. They are known to minimize the effects of stress, normalize erectile function and increase libido.
The benefits of eggs for women
They also have a positive effect on the female body. They reduce the risk of breast cancer, eliminate iron deficiency, help maintain slimness and beauty, and provide good nourishment to the body of the expectant mother during pregnancy or breastfeeding. The placenta is formed normally through protein, and the amino acid choline promotes the development of the fetal brain.
defects
Despite all its appeal, the egg diet has significant disadvantages:
- With a long-term diet of more than 7 days, dizziness and weakness are possible.
- For those who are used to eating small and frequent meals, three meals a day without snacks can be accompanied by bouts of hunger.
- Indigestion may occur.
Contraindications
It should be noted that the egg diet has a number of contraindications:
- Pregnancy.
- lactation.
- Allergy.
- High cholesterol in a blood test.
- Confirmed vascular atherosclerosis.
- Sexual disorders.
- Kidney damage.
- Liver diseases.
If you suffer from digestive diseases, you must avoid this method of losing weight. If the course is accompanied by malaise, dizziness and nausea, it should be stopped immediately and switched to a full diet.
Weight loss menu
By its nature, the egg diet is not a mono diet as many people think. However, this is still a strict course where substitution of prescribed products is unacceptable. But a phenomenal result is quickly achieved, which recoups all costs. Below you will find a complete menu for courses of different durations.
For 3 days
Depending on your initial body weight, you can lose 2-5 additional kg in just 3 days. Basic principles of the 3-day egg diet for weight loss:
- No more than 3 meals should be consumed per day.
- The breaks between meals are 4 hours.
- In one meal you must eat 1 type of vegetable.
- If you are very hungry, you should drink green tea with lemon juice.
For 3 days you need to stick to the menu: 3 chicken eggs plus 1 grapefruit; as much as you want – vegetable salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, Chinese cabbage; any tea; clear water - unlimited; no more than 300 gr. diet drinks per day.
For 5 days
Eliminates 3-6kg of unnecessary weight. Every day you need to eat 2 eggs for breakfast. For breakfast in the morning on days 1, 3, 4 and in the evening on the 5th day - 1 grapefruit.
Number of eggs:
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
The rest of the menu for the period:
Day |
Morning |
Dinner |
Evening |
1 |
herbal tea |
Orange – 1, chicken fillet – 0, 15 kg |
Vegetable salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, Pekinka – 0. 2 kg) |
2 |
green tea, apple – 1. |
Salad - 5 leaves, boiled pollock 0. 13 kg. |
1. 5% kefir – 0. 2 kg |
3 |
Tomato juice – 200 gr. |
Turkey fillet – 0. 15 kg |
2, 5% kefir – 200 ml, whole orange – 1. |
4 |
– |
Hake – 0. 15 kg. |
Vegetable salad (Peking, apple, carrot) – 0. 2 kg |
5 |
Vegetable salad (Peking, apple, carrot) – 0. 2 kg |
boiled shrimp - 0. 15 kg, 0. 1 kg Peking shrimp. |
Cottage cheese 5% fat – 0. 1 kg. |
For 7 days
With a more strict regimen for a week, it is possible to lose up to 8 kg.
Number of eggs:
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Number of citrus fruits:
Attention! Abbreviations are used here and below: G – grapefruit, A – orange (the number next to the letter indicates the number of pieces), CA – 200 gr. freshly squeezed orange juice.
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
1 |
1G |
1A |
– |
2 |
SAT |
2G |
– |
3 |
– |
1A |
– |
4 |
– |
– |
2A |
5 |
– |
SAT |
– |
6 |
SAT |
2A |
– |
7 |
1G |
1G |
Other products:
Day |
Morning |
Dinner |
Evening |
1 |
– |
Chicken fillet – 0. 15 kg. |
200 ml jar of 2. 5% kefir, chicken – 0. 2 kg. |
2 |
– |
0. 15 kg cooked chicken. |
200 gr. 1. 5% kefir. |
3 |
Tea. |
0. 2 kg of veal. |
– |
4 |
As many greens as you like. |
0. 2 kg chicken breast, 0. 15 kg vegetable salad (Peking, tomatoes, cucumbers, 2 tbsp 10% sour cream). |
– |
5 |
0. 2 kg vegetable salad (boiled carrots, herbs, 2 tbsp 10% sour cream) |
two freshly grated carrots. |
0. 2 kg of steamed cod. |
6 |
0. 15kg. 7% cottage cheese. |
– |
green tea. |
7 |
– |
0. 2 kg beef |
green tea. |
For 2 weeks
A more serious two-week egg diet will make them lose up to 15 kg of weight. For breakfast, in addition to eggs, you should always eat 1 grapefruit, a cup of green tea or coffee (not instant coffee! ). Lunch and dinner are different.
Number of eggs:
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
18 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2, 9 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
3, 10 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4, 11 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
5, 12 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
6, 13 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7, 14 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Number of citrus fruits:
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
18 |
1G |
1G |
|
2, 9 |
1G |
1G |
|
3, 10 |
1G |
||
4, 11 |
1G |
||
5, 12 |
1G |
||
6, 13 |
1G |
||
7, 14 |
1G |
1G |
Rest of the diet
Day |
Dinner |
Evening |
18 |
Herbal tea, 1 tomato or 0. 2 kg. juice from it. |
0. 2kg. Vinaigrette without dressing, herbal tea. |
2, 9 |
– |
300 gr. baked beef, 2 tomatoes and 2 cucumbers, without limitation - celery. |
3, 10 |
without limitation - spinach, green tea. |
100 5% cottage cheese, 50 gr. beets, 0. 1 kg. Beijing, herbal tea. |
4, 11 |
Coffee, spinach without restrictions. |
0. 1kg. boiled hake, 0. 2 kg. Vinaigrette without dressing, tea or coffee. |
5, 12 |
Coffee, spinach without restrictions. |
0. 1kg. boiled hake, 0. 2 kg. Vinaigrette, 0. 1 kg. Beijing, herbal tea. |
6, 13 |
0. 2kg. Fruit salad (oranges, pears, apples, kiwi). |
0. 15 kg veal steak, 2 tomatoes, unlimited celery, coffee. |
7, 14 |
0. 2kg. cooked chicken, 2 tomatoes. |
0. 1kg. boiled chicken fillet, 0. 1 kg. Peking, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, tea or coffee (not instant coffee! ). |
With the exception of the obligatory morning egg with citrus fruits, the products listed below can be consumed during the day, as much and whenever you want. Daily menu:
- Unsweetened fruits
- Any vegetable, cooked or fresh.
- The same thing.
- Hake without restrictions, boiled vegetables 200 g, Chinese cabbage 0. 2 kg.
- Chicken, cooked vegetables unlimited.
- One type of fruit is allowed unlimited – all day long. For example, all day – only apples or apricots.
- The same thing.
Stop the diet
Correct exit from the protein diet will help consolidate the achieved result. This will also help you lose weight for some time. A strict egg diet requires adherence to the basic principle of exit: consistency. For some time after completing the course, you must necessarily eat the same foods that were introduced into the diet during the course.
For example, you can eat no more than 0. 15 kg of protein food for lunch and 200 g of vinaigrette for dinner. This relieves the body of severe stress and smoothly transitions to a normal diet without shocking the pancreas, liver and kidneys. To do this, you need to eat 1 orange plus 2 eggs daily for the first week after completing the course.
It is advisable to eat food at the same time as before.
Cooking means boiling, steaming, baking. You should avoid consuming fried foods in the first week. It is better to start eating foods fried in oil no earlier than 3 weeks after the course. You need to consume low-fat dairy products, lean meat, fish and poultry every day. The number of meals should be increased to 4-6 per day, i. e. H. Practice fractional meals. You should not consume more than 300 grams at a time. Eat.
Instead of high-calorie confectionery, choose jelly, marshmallows without chocolate, marshmallows and jam. Dark chocolate should not contain more than 70 grams per day. Foods containing carbohydrates should not be consumed after 2: 00 p. m. You should avoid consuming flour for at least 28 days. Bread – no more than 70 g. per day, rye or with bran.
Alcohol is prohibited in the first few weeks. It stimulates the appetite and is itself high in calories. In exceptional cases, you can drink no more than 1 glass of dry wine. Salads should be flavored with up to 15% sour cream, lemon juice or olive oil. You should continue to drink about 2 liters of still water per day. Limit your intake of salt and sugar. Avoid condiments containing monosodium glutamate, e. g. B. Flavor enhancers.
Depending on the season, the daily diet must be supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. So that the food can be absorbed better, the meal should be stretched out for as long as possible and each piece should be chewed thoroughly. There is no need to watch TV or read something while eating. When you're distracted, it's easy to eat too much. During a meal, you need to concentrate and eat slowly.
When leaving the course, you should exercise, walk as much as possible and avoid elevators and escalators.
To support the skin and prevent sagging, perform massages or body wraps 1-2 times a week and use anti-cellulite creams. By establishing healthy eating habits and regular exercise, you can maintain your acquired slimness for a long time.
Authorized Products
To ensure that the egg diet is tolerated without problems, it can be supplemented with the following products:
- Lean meats: beef, pork, skinless chicken, rabbit.
- The fish is white or red.
- Vegetables.
- Fruit.
- Dairy products: skimmed milk, cheese, fermented milk products.
- Tea coffee.
- Spices: any, but without monosodium glutamate.
Prohibited products
The global list of banned foods is the same as for other food restriction regimes:
- alcoholic drinks,
- Flour,
- Sugar,
- Grain,
- Potato,
- Pasta,
- Chocolate,
- Confectioner,
- anything fatty: meat products, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream, any fat,
- Nuts,
- Honey,
- soft cheese,
- from fruits: any grapes, bananas, dried fruits,
- Salt that retains fluid in tissues.
Healthy recipes
The egg diet prescribes the consumption of mostly boiled eggs. But in order to make the menu more varied, other dishes from it are not prohibited. This will slow your weight loss somewhat, but make the process easier to endure. You must ensure that all recipes are low in calories.
Omelette with vegetables
Healthy, simple recipe. Finely chop a tomato, half a pepper, half a small onion, simmer for 5 minutes, then add a mixture of milk and two beaten eggs and simmer over low heat under the lid until soft.
Omelette with mushrooms
Simmer several chopped mushrooms in a pan. Separately fry the whipped mixture of milk, two eggs, salt and pepper. Place braised mushrooms on top of the scrambled omelette and cover with the other half of the omelet. Cover with a lid and simmer for 5 minutes.
roll
Fry an egg pancake consisting of an egg beaten with milk, a spoonful of flour, chopped herbs and a pinch of salt. The dish is prepared under the lid. Then add finely chopped onions, preferably red bell peppers, paprika and parsley to this pancake. You can add a little processed or cottage cheese. Distribute the minced meat evenly in the pancake and roll up.
casserole
If you don't know what to do with a large amount of spinach, make a healthy casserole with it. Finely chop 2 onions, a spring onion and a large bunch of spinach, season with salt, pepper and simmer. Divide the resulting mass into baking dishes. Pour the egg mixture over it and place in the hot oven for 10 minutes. This is a great breakfast or dinner.
Healthy pizza
Combine 2 tablespoons milk, 2 eggs, a spoonful of flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat and pour into the pan. After 2 minutes, sprinkle with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, herbs, peppers and olives. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 15 minutes. The result is a tasty, healthy dish.
Stuffed eggs
If you do not use mayonnaise, fatty fish or meat, this dish is dietary. Instead of the usual filling products, use herbs, vegetables and seafood. And if you are on an egg-kefir diet, use yogurt or low-fat sour cream for dressing. For example, by combining boiled shrimp, cheese, egg yolk, fresh cucumber and a small amount of yogurt, you get an excellent, tasty low-calorie filling. Use vegetables or shrimp meat for decoration.
Expert opinion
Nutritionists do not agree that you can lose weight using the "egg". Their comments, as well as user reviews, differ fundamentally. This is primarily due to personal experience or individual characteristics of patients. But the opinion of experts should not be ignored.
If you are planning a "protein course, " consult a trusted doctor.
Opinions and results
If you analyze the reviews about the egg diet posted on the Internet, you can see that the most enthusiastic comments are left by young, thin mothers who, with its help, managed to quickly return to normal after giving birth. The most negative comments are left mainly by merciless critics of any restrictions and of the eggs themselves, who have never personally dealt with "this nonsense". But there are people who tried, but were dissatisfied with the results. Understanding the situation, It becomes clear that this is due to either a breakdown or an allergy.