The egg diet is super effective, economical and easy for those trying to lose weight. Plus, it's not just made up of eggs. Nutritionists give a lot of advice on how to diversify your daily diet so as not to suffer too much hunger.
The essence of the diet
In principle, the egg diet is not a mono-diet, but a type of protein diet, the purpose of which is to limit carbohydrates and fats as much as possible. It seems to many that in such a diet only eggs in different preparations are allowed. But in reality the diet is more balanced.
What are eggs rich in?
It is a product that contains everything necessary for the growth and development of an entire living organism; it is rich in proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins, amino acids and minerals. Used for weight loss, they contain a minimum of carbohydrates, but provide a feeling of satiety for a long time.
The fatty acids in the composition prevent the deposition of fat reserves. Such protein nutrition never leads to a decrease in muscle mass due to the rich protein content. Any egg diet allows you to eat other healthy foods, fruits or vegetables, most often citrus fruits. Therefore, even the single dose of eggs and grapefruit is easily tolerated on a physical and mental level. Experts say there is no reason to fear that eggs are a harmful food.
Main rules
In order for the weight loss regime to give maximum effect, you should follow simple rules:
- Maintenance of water balance. You need to drink at least 1. 5 liters of clean water per day. This will not only help you lose weight, but will relieve digestive problems.
- Make sure you get enough fiber in your food. Regardless of the number of meals per day, you need to consume plenty of raw vegetables each time. Fiber in sufficient quantity can be provided by fruit, bran or the pharmaceutical version in its pure form. This requirement is common 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. Indeed, it is even prohibited, because. . . Eggs and citrus fruits contain more than enough vitamins and minerals.
- If chicken eggs aren't to your taste, you can safely eat quail eggs, in a ratio of three to one.
- Dinner. Evening meals are prohibited after 7pm and 8pm.
- Dream. In this mode, you need to dedicate at least 8 hours a day to sleep. You must go to bed no later than 11pm.
- Cooking food. The hard-boiled egg diet involves the consumption of a boiled or hard-boiled product. Occasionally you can prepare an omelette by cooking it without fat. Other products (vegetables or fruits) should be eaten raw, baked (baked, grilled), steamed or boiled. Fries can be prepared in a pan without fat.
- Spices. To improve the taste of products, you can season them with lemon juice and use any spices. But if hunger persists, it's best to avoid petrol stations.
- Eating raw eggs is dangerous, it is better not to do it.
- The egg diet can be practiced 1-2 times every 12 months, not more often.
- To avoid disruptions to a long-term limited diet, it is sometimes allowed to replace the main product with surrogates in the form of low-fat cottage cheese or meat.
- Parallel physical activity will be very useful for losing weight in the shortest possible time.
How does the egg diet work?
As for proteins, this weight loss course includes a standard list of products for them. The peculiarity is the high content of eggs and citrus fruits, very often grapefruits. The effect on the body is based on special biochemical reactions, so a cycle of such weight loss requires strict compliance with the rules. The advantage of this diet is that you will not be tormented by the feeling of hunger. A diet rich in proteins guarantees a lasting feeling of satiety.
The egg diet has several variations that aim for 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 white liquid with a thick yolk, surrounded by a shell. Proteins are pure and easily digestible proteins that must be included in the diet of athletes. The yolk is a nutrient-rich cocktail of fatty acids (linoleic, oleic, stearic), 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 serves as a preventive measure for vascular sclerosis. It is useless to list all the beneficial properties of eggs.
Cholesterol horror stories
Opponents of egg consumption argue their position because of the high cholesterol content in eggs, which is dangerous for the body. It forms plaques on the walls of blood vessels, which block the ducts and prevent blood circulation. The result of this process is various cardiovascular diseases. However, it has long been known that not all cholesterol is harmful. Harmful is what is found in excess in heavy processed fats: in sausages, chips, sweets. In natural foods, even fried ones, cholesterol is not dangerous.
How many eggs can you safely eat?
Nutritionists do not give a clear answer to this question. Figures regarding the amount allowed per week vary. To some extent, this depends on the size of the eggs, which can differ by 2 times. One large chicken yolk contains 150-180 mg of cholesterol. For one day, this amount is not enough to cause harm to the body, especially if the diet is balanced. Some doctors claim that eating 2 eggs a day increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 5 times. But again, all these statements are relative, since the conclusions were drawn without taking into account the lifestyle, age of the subjects and other important parameters. For example, people's bad habits, 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 common question is: is it possible to eat raw eggs, because many people do it. The main argument of lovers of raw eggs is that they are a delicacy for many animals and birds, but they are not capable of cooking an omelette or scrambled eggs themselves. But in the conditions of industrial production there is a high risk that eggs will become infected with salmonellosis, a dangerous infectious disease. The longer raw materials are stored, the greater the risk. Only the product obtained from healthy chickens can be consumed raw, but only fresh, with the shell intact. It is preferable to consume on an empty stomach, 30-40 minutes before the main breakfast.
Pros and cons of the egg diet
This type of protein diet is easily tolerated thanks to the inclusion of fruit and vegetables. They provide the body with light carbohydrates, mainly fructose, which relieves weakness and dizziness - eternal companions of low-carb diets. At the same time, the body is saturated with a large amount of proteins, amino acids, microelements and vitamins due to eggs. But not everything is so simple and unambiguous; in this case there are advantages and disadvantages.
The benefits of the egg diet are as follows:
- No feeling of hunger.
- A large supply of fat-soluble vitamins from eggs in combination with water-soluble vitamins from citrus fruits strengthens and improves the condition of nails and hair.
- During the weight loss process, the skin does not sag.
- Psychologically the restrictions are easily tolerated, the probability of a breakdown is minimized thanks to a varied menu.
- Excess fluid is expelled from the body.
- The result of weight loss is fixed for a long time; in one day you can get rid of one kilogram of excess weight.
The benefits of eggs for men
Chicken or quail eggs can be considered natural anabolic steroids, so they are an essential element in the diet of athletes. They are known to minimize the effects of stress, normalize erectile ability 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 nourish the body of the expectant mother well during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Due to egg white, the placenta is formed normally, the amino acid choline promotes the development of the fetal brain.
Cracking
For all its attractiveness, the egg diet has significant disadvantages:
- With a long-term diet, more than 7 days, dizziness and weakness are possible.
- For those used to eating small, frequent meals, three meals a day without snacks can be accompanied by hunger pangs.
- Digestive disorders may occur.
Contraindications
It should be remembered that the egg diet has a number of contraindications:
- Pregnancy.
- Feeding time.
- Allergy.
- High cholesterol in a blood test.
- Confirmed vascular atherosclerosis.
- Sexual disorders.
- Kidney damage.
- Liver disorders.
If you have diseases of the digestive system, you will have to abandon this method of losing weight. If the course is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort, dizziness, nausea, it is necessary to stop it immediately and switch to a full diet.
Menu for losing weight
By its nature, the egg diet is not a mono diet, as many think. But this is still a strict path where substitution of prescribed products is unacceptable. But a phenomenal result is achieved quickly and all costs are repaid. Below is the complete menu for courses of different durations.
For 3 days
Depending on your starting body weight, you can lose 2-5 kg more in just 3 days. Basic principles of the 3-day egg diet for weight loss:
- There should be no more than 3 meals a day.
- The breaks between meals are 4 hours.
- In 1 meal you need to eat 1 type of vegetable.
- If you are very hungry, you should drink green tea with lemon juice.
For 3 days you have 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; natural water - unlimited; no more than 300 gr. diet drinks per day.
For 5 days
Eliminate 3-6 kg 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 of 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. |
lettuce - 5 leaves, boiled pollock 0, 13 kg. |
1. 5% kefir – 0. 2 kg |
3 |
tomato juice – 200 gr. |
turkey fillet – 0. 15 kg |
Kefir 2. 5% – 200 ml, whole orange – 1. |
4 |
– |
hake fish – 0. 15 kg. |
vegetable salad (Beijing, apple, carrot) – 0, 2 kg |
5 |
vegetable salad (Beijing, apple, carrot) – 0, 2 kg |
boiled shrimp - 0. 15 kg, 0. 1 kg Peking shrimp. |
ricotta 5% fat – 0. 1 kg. |
For 7 days
With a more rigorous regime for a week it is possible to lose weight 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! Here and below the abbreviations are used: G – grapefruit, A – orange (the number next to the letter is the number of pieces), CA – 200 gr. freshly squeezed orange juice.
Day |
Breakfast |
Dinner |
Dinner |
1 |
1G |
1A |
– |
2 |
SA |
2G |
– |
3 |
– |
1A |
– |
4 |
– |
– |
2A |
5 |
– |
SA |
– |
6 |
SA |
2A |
– |
7 |
1G |
1G |
Other products:
Day |
Morning |
Dinner |
Evening |
1 |
– |
chicken fillet – 0. 15 kg. |
200 ml glass of 2. 5% kefir, chicken - 0. 2 kg. |
2 |
– |
0. 15 kg of boiled chicken. |
200 gr. Kefir 1. 5%. |
3 |
you. |
0. 2 kg of veal. |
– |
4 |
vegetables, as much as you want. |
0. 2 kg of chicken breast, 0. 15 kg of vegetable salad (Beijing, tomatoes, cucumbers, 2 tablespoons of 10% sour cream). |
– |
5 |
0, 2 kg of vegetable salad (boiled carrots, greens, 2 tablespoons of 10% sour cream) |
two fresh grated carrots. |
0, 2 kg in stew cod. |
6 |
0. 15 kilograms. 7% ricotta. |
– |
green tea. |
7 |
– |
0. 2 kg of beef |
green tea. |
For 2 weeks
As a result of a more serious 2-week egg diet, they lose up to 15 kg of weight. For breakfast you should eat, in addition to eggs, 1 grapefruit, a cup of green tea or coffee (not soluble! ). 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 ricotta 5%, 50 gr. beets, 0. 1 kg. Beijing, herbal tea. |
4, 11 |
coffee, spinach without restrictions. |
0. 1 kg. boiled hake, 0. 2 kg. vinaigrette without dressing, tea or coffee. |
5, 12 |
coffee, spinach without limitation. |
0. 1 kg. boiled hake, 0. 2 kg. vinaigrette, 0. 1 kg. Beijing, herbal tea. |
6, 13 |
0, 2kg. fruit salad (oranges, pears, apples, kiwis). |
0. 15 kg veal steak, 2 tomatoes, plenty of celery, coffee. |
7, 14 |
0, 2kg. boiled chicken, 2 tomatoes. |
0. 1 kg. boiled chicken fillet, 0. 1 kg. Beijing, 1 carrot, 1 tomato, tea or coffee (not soluble! ). |
The products listed below, with the exception of the obligatory citrus morning egg, can be consumed throughout the day, as much and whenever you want. Menu of the day:
- Unsweetened fruit
- Any vegetable, boiled or fresh.
- The same.
- Unrestricted hake fish, boiled vegetables 200 g, Chinese cabbage 0. 2 kg.
- Unlimited chicken, boiled vegetables.
- One type of fruit allowed is unlimited: all day. For example, all day: only apples or apricots.
- Same.
Give up the diet
The correct exit from the protein diet will help consolidate the result achieved. This will also allow you to lose weight for some time. A strict egg diet requires adherence to the fundamental principle of getting out of it: consistency. For some time after stopping the course, you must definitely eat the same products that were included in the diet during the course.
For example, for lunch you need to eat no more than 0. 15 kg of protein foods, and for dinner 200 g of vinaigrette. This will relieve the body of severe stress and smoothly transfer it to normal nutrition without shock overload of the pancreas, liver and kidneys. To do this, in the first week after completing the course, you need to eat 1 orange plus 2 eggs every day.
It is recommended to eat the food at the same time as before.
Cooking means boiling, steaming, baking. You should refrain from eating fried foods in the first week. It is better to start consuming foods fried in oil no earlier than 3 weeks after the course. You need to include low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish and poultry every day. The number of meals should be increased to 4-6 per day, i. e. practice split meals. You should not consume more than 300 grams at a time. food.
Instead of high-calorie confectionery products, choose jelly, chocolate-free marshmallows, marshmallows and jam. Dark chocolate is allowed no more than 70 grams per day. Carbohydrate foods should not be consumed after 2pm. You should avoid eating 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 rich in calories. In exceptional cases, no more than 1 glass of dry wine can be consumed. Salads should be seasoned with sour cream, lemon juice or olive oil up to 15%. You should continue to drink about 2 liters of plain water per day. Limit your intake of salt and sugar. Avoid seasonings with MSG, e. g. flavor enhancer.
Depending on the season, the daily diet must be replenished with fresh fruits and vegetables. In order for food to be absorbed better, the meal should be stretched as long as possible, chewing each piece well. You don't need to watch TV or read anything while eating. If you are distracted, you can easily overeat. During a meal, you need to concentrate on it and eat slowly.
When you leave the course, you should exercise, walk as much as possible and avoid the lift and escalators.
To support your skin and prevent it from sagging, do massages or compresses 1-2 times a week and use anti-cellulite creams. Consolidating healthy eating habits and doing regular exercise will help you maintain the slimness you have gained for a long time.
Authorized products
To make the egg diet easily tolerable without problems, it is possible to integrate it with the following products:
- Lean meat: beef, pork, skinless chicken, rabbit.
- The fish is white or red.
- Vegetables.
- Fruit.
- Dairy products: low-fat milk, cheese, fermented milk products.
- Tea and coffee.
- Seasonings: any, but without MSG.
Prohibited products
The global list of prohibited foods is the same as other food restriction regimes:
- alcoholic beverages,
- Flour,
- sugar,
- cereals,
- Potato,
- pasta,
- chocolate,
- pastry chef,
- all fat: meat products, sour cream, mayonnaise, cream, any fat,
- peanuts,
- Honey,
- soft cheese,
- from fruit: any grapes, bananas, dried fruit,
- salt, which retains liquids in the tissues.
Healthy recipes
The egg diet prescribes the consumption mainly of hard-boiled eggs. But to diversify the menu, other dishes are not prohibited. This will slow down your weight loss slightly, but the process will be easier to bear. You need to make sure that all recipes are low calorie.
Omelette with vegetables
Healthy and simple recipe. Finely chop one tomato, half a pepper, half a small onion, simmer for 5 minutes, then pour in a mixture of milk and two beaten eggs, then simmer under the lid until tender.
Omelette with mushrooms
Simmer several chopped champignons in a pan. Separately, fry the beaten mixture of milk, two eggs, salt and pepper. Arrange the stewed mushrooms on the scrambled omelette and cover with the other half of the omelette. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for 5 minutes.
Roll
Fry an egg pancake consisting of an egg beaten with milk, a spoonful of flour, chopped aromatic herbs and a pinch of salt. The dish is prepared under the lid. Then put on this pancake finely chopped onion, preferably chili pepper, bell pepper and parsley. You can put a little processed cheese or cottage cheese. Distribute the minced meat evenly over the entire pancake, roll it up.
Casserole
If you don't know what to do with a large amount of spinach, make a healthy casserole. Finely chop 2 onions, one green onion, a large bunch of spinach, add salt, pepper and simmer. Divide the resulting mass into baking trays. Pour the egg mixture over the top and place in a hot oven for 10 minutes. This is a great breakfast or dinner.
Healthy pizza
Combine 2 tablespoons milk, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon flour, salt and pepper in 1 bowl. Whisk and pour into the pan. After 2 minutes, sprinkle with a mixture of chopped tomatoes, herbs, peppers and olives. Cover with a lid and leave to cook for about 15 minutes. The result is a tasty and healthy dish.
Stuffed eggs
If you do not use mayonnaise, fatty fish or meat, this dish will turn out dietary. Instead of the usual products for the filling, use herbs, vegetables and seafood. And for toppings, if you're on an egg kefir diet, use low-fat yogurt or sour cream. By combining, for example, boiled shrimp, cheese, egg yolk, fresh cucumber and a small amount of yogurt, you will get an excellent tasty and tasty low-calorie filling. For decoration, use vegetables or shrimp meat.
The opinion of the experts
Nutritionists have not come to a unanimous opinion on the "egg" method of losing weight. Their comments, as well as user reviews, are radically different. This is mainly due to personal experience or individual characteristics of patients. But the opinion of experts should not be ignored.
When planning to take a "protein course", consult a doctor you trust.
Opinions and results
Analyzing the reviews of the egg diet published on the Internet, you can see that the most enthusiastic comments are left by young, thin mothers who, with her help, managed to quickly return to normality after giving birth. The most negative comments are left especially by the merciless critics of the restrictions and the eggs themselves, who have never personally dealt with "this nonsense". But there are people who have tried it, but were not satisfied with the results. Understanding the situation, it becomes clear that this happened due to exhaustion or allergy.