How to lose weight on the egg diet: menu for a month, 2 weeks, 7 days and 3 days (+ useful tips and alternative options)

The egg diet is simple, affordable and, most importantly, effective. And you can eat not only eggs on it. The nutritionist recommends how to diversify your diet on the egg diet so that you don’t crave forbidden delicacies.

• Reviews from those who have lost weight

Author: Kristina Lobanovskaya, doctor, practicing nutritionist Article updated: 11/10/2020

Diets don't just help you lose weight. They are also an excellent workout of endurance and willpower. These qualities are necessary for self-control, on which maintaining the achieved results and gaining self-confidence depends.

One of the diets that is designed for self-discipline is the egg diet. This method of combating extra pounds is very popular. The egg diet does not suggest eating eggs alone! But it is chicken eggs that are the key ingredient in her menu. And the action is based on chemical reactions occurring in the body. Therefore, it requires strict adherence to all rules. However, the reward of weight loss is worth it. Plus, the egg diet for weight loss will not make you starve. This nice feature is that the diet is rich in protein, which provides a long-lasting feeling of fullness.

General rules

The egg diet for weight loss is a type of protein-low-carbohydrate diet, the main product of which is chicken eggs. The essence of diets of this type is a sharp restriction in the diet of foods containing carbohydrates and fats with sufficient availability of foods containing protein. Among such diets for weight loss, the egg-white diet based on chicken or quail eggs occupies a special place. A chicken egg, being a low-calorie product, at the same time has a high nutritional value due to its chemical composition.

Content of basic food nutrients in chicken eggs,%

The composition of egg whites includes ovalbumin , ovotransferrin , lysozyme , ovomucin , ovoglobulins , containing an optimal set of essential amino acids that are extremely important for normal human life - isoleucine , methionine , leucine , threonine , valine , histidine , phenylalanine , tryptophan . The yolk contains 2.8 g of protein, 134 mg of cholesterol , 4.50 g of fat and 0.61 g of carbohydrates. The fat composition is represented by phospholipids and triglycerides and contains both polyunsaturated (linolenic, linoleic acids) and monosaturated (oleic, palmitoleic) and saturated fatty acids (stearic, palmitic).

A chicken egg contains almost all the main macro/microelements (sodium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, chlorine, copper, iodine, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, fluorine), fat/water-soluble vitamins and provitamins ( A , E , PP , β-carotene , B1 , B6 , B12 , B2 , B5 , D , H-biotin , K , Choline ).

The chemical composition of eggs can vary within small limits and is determined by the breed of chickens, the diet of the birds, their age, and living conditions (home-grown in a confined space, home-fed in a confined space, free-range, in a poultry farm). Cooking eggs, unless an additional product (for example, oil) is introduced, does not change the chemical composition and calorie content of eggs. Only dietary eggs are used for the diet.

What is a dietary egg and how does it differ from a table egg? What can you replace eggs with?

A dietary egg is an egg whose shelf life is no more than seven days after laying. There is another group of eggs - table chicken eggs, the shelf life of which is 25 days. There are no qualitative or quantitative differences in dietary and table eggs. Eggs are the optimal source of protein among all natural products, both in content and digestibility, which is at the level of 92% and exceeds the digestibility of proteins in meat, fish and dairy products. Therefore, there is no similar substitute for eggs.

The digestibility of eggs depends on the type of cooking. Raw eggs are the worst digestible (about 50%), which is due to the presence of antitryptase trypsin inhibitor that is actively involved in the process of protein digestion. Therefore, a diet on raw eggs is not practiced. When an egg is exposed to heat, as the protein structure denatures, their digestibility increases to 92%, since structural changes in the protein allow digestive enzymes to act relatively easily on the peptide bonds of proteins. However, complete denaturation of proteins also reduces their digestibility, so there is no need to boil or fry eggs for a long time. The best option is fried eggs or soft-boiled eggs, the digestibility of which is the highest.

There are several options for the egg diet. The most strict is the mono-diet on eggs, which is based on hard-boiled eggs (up to 5 pieces per day) and a ban on the consumption of any other foods. During this diet, you are allowed to drink only unsweetened green tea and water. This diet is most often designed for 3 days or 5 days. A strict egg diet is extremely unbalanced and is psychologically difficult to tolerate. As an option for such a diet, there is an egg-grapefruit diet, in which you are allowed to eat ½ or a whole grapefruit at each meal, which accelerates fat burning.

A more popular long-term diet option is various variations of more gentle egg diets, the diet of which is allowed to include other protein foods - dietary meats, citrus fruits and fruits with minimal carbohydrate content. Thus, an egg diet for 7 days allows the inclusion of boiled or steamed dietary meat or lean fish in the diet. That is, for 7 days you are allowed to eat 200-250 g daily for lunch and at each meal, together with eggs, eat 1 orange or grapefruit.

It is the combined effect of biotin contained in chicken eggs and citric acid in citrus fruits that can significantly speed up metabolism, which leads to rapid weight loss. Therefore, the combination of eggs and citrus fruits is a must for a weekly diet. The egg diet for 1 week allows you to lose 3-4 kg of body weight. In addition, an extended weekly diet is easier to tolerate than a strict 3-day mono-diet on eggs.

The most popular option is the egg diet for 2 weeks. The menu for 2 weeks alternates foods containing protein (eggs, fish and meat) with citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits) and non-starchy vegetables and fruits, which promotes effective and rapid breakdown of fat. With such a diet, there is practically no feeling of hunger, and the increased content of vegetables and fruits saturates the body with vitamins and macro/microelements. For an egg diet for 2 weeks it is recommended:

• Eliminate any type of fat from your diet. For dressing, it is recommended to use soy and tomato sauces or ketchups that do not contain oil.
• Eat vegetables in a variety of forms (raw, in salads, boiled or stewed) without adding oil. Season vegetable salad with lemon juice.
• Eggs can be eaten in any form (except raw) - hard-boiled, soft-boiled and fried without oil.
• Salt and sugar are completely excluded from the diet.
• Strictly observe the drinking regime - the amount of free liquid is at the level of 2 l / day, mainly in the form of herbal, fruit and green tea, rosehip decoction, non-carbonated mineral water.
• It is not permissible to replace products on the menu, you can only exclude something altogether (for example, fish for dinner on a given day).
• The diet is strict three times a day. Snacks between main meals are completely excluded.
• Dietary nutrition should be accompanied by increased physical activity within reasonable limits, since the diet contains a sufficient amount of protein.

On an egg diet, in 2 weeks, as evidenced by reviews from practitioners of such a diet, you can “lose” 5-7 kg of weight. A slightly more strict option is the egg white diet. The only difference is that the eggs are not consumed whole, but only the egg white.

The closest thing to a balanced diet is the 4-week egg diet. Her diet is further expanded by the additional inclusion of such products as low-fat cottage cheese or low-fat cheese, wholemeal bran bread, and low-fat fermented milk products without additives. Almost all vegetables (except potatoes and cauliflower) and fruits (except banana, grapes, dates) are allowed.

Fruits and vegetable dishes cover the body's need for water-soluble vitamins, and their presence in the diet improves the digestibility of animal proteins, and also normalizes the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract and intestinal biocenosis. In a more gentle version of the egg diet, it is allowed to use vegetable oil for dressing salads for a month in an amount of no more than 1 teaspoon per day.

With any version of the egg diet, the inclusion of any other foods in the diet, as well as the consumption of alcoholic beverages, is not allowed. It is recommended to take vitamin-mineral complex tablets.

During a long-term diet, it is extremely important to exit it correctly:

• In the first week after completing the egg diet course, continue to include 2 eggs and 1 orange (grapefruit) in your daily diet.
• Switch to split meals: 4-6 meals, increase portions and expand your diet gradually: first, lean red meat, cheeses, dried bread, higher-fat fermented milk products, vegetable oil, and only in the third week after the diet introduce fried, smoked and fatty foods into your diet products and dishes.
• Don't overuse sugar and salt. Maintain drinking regime.

Authorized Products

The egg diet includes chicken (quail) eggs prepared in any way (hard-boiled, soft-boiled, fried eggs, egg white omelet). Citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange) are an essential product in the diet. With an expanded version of the diet, the diet includes boiled (without skin) meat of chicken, turkey or rabbit, as well as low-fat varieties of river and sea fish.

If you are on a diet for a long time, the diet includes low-fat cottage cheese and fermented milk products, low-fat cheeses, fruits and non-starchy vegetables - cucumber, asparagus, all types of cabbage (except cauliflower), green peas, garlic, spinach, onions (leeks, shallots, onions, chives), lettuce, sweet peppers, both raw, in the form of salads, and boiled, stewed and baked. For drinking you can use still table water, rosehip decoction, herbal, fruit and green teas.

Table of permitted products

What can you eat?

Alcohol and sweet soda are contraindicated. Dried fruit compote without sugar is allowed, but the quantity is strictly limited - 1 glass per day. You need to drink green tea or plain water. For gentle diet options, you can have black tea with lemon without sugar or unsweetened coffee.

From bakery products, you can have no more than 1 piece of cereal bread per day, as it contains fiber, which helps in the absorption of protein. A little durum wheat pasta is acceptable. No buns, scones, pies or donuts.

The only fruits are grapefruit, orange, green apples. You need to consume more green vegetables, they promote weight loss.

Fully or partially limited products

The egg diet does not allow the inclusion in the diet of any red meat and products made from it (offal, bacon, sausages, canned meat, ham, sausages), animal and cooking fat, butter and vegetable oil, cereals, white rice, pasta, baked goods . All salted vegetables, smoked meats, and preserves are excluded.

The consumption of honey, sugar, jam, ice cream, chocolate, preserves, sweets and cream-containing products is prohibited. All fatty fermented milk products - sour cream, cheese, cream, kefir/ryazhenka with a high fat content - are completely excluded from the diet. The consumption of salt and alcohol-containing drinks, black tea and coffee is prohibited.

Table of prohibited products

Menu (Power Mode)

The egg diet menu is determined by a set of permitted/prohibited foods. Three meals a day without additional snacks. Below is the weekly menu for reference:

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

The menu for 2 weeks repeats the seven-day menu. In the second week, you can additionally include unsweetened fruits.

Recipes for dietary egg dishes

Dietary egg dishes are extremely simple dishes that do not require special knowledge or cooking skills. There are not many of them and you can get acquainted with some of them below.

How to cook a diet omelet

In order for those who are on an egg diet not to have questions “is it possible to eat scrambled eggs or is it possible to eat an omelet while on a diet”, we answer, yes, it is possible if it is prepared correctly. To do this, prepare a dietary version of an omelet or fried egg.

Diet omelette in the oven

2 eggs, water. Beat the eggs with a fork, add water at a ratio of one teaspoon of water per egg. Beat again. Pour into a mold and place in the oven, preheated to a temperature of 180-2000 C. During the cooking process, the oven must not be opened, otherwise the omelette will not be fluffy. To ensure that the omelette has a crust and is well baked, cover the pan with parchment before putting it in the oven and remove it after the dish has cooled. If you need to add additional ingredients to the omelette (vegetables, garden herbs, spices), add them to the beaten egg mass.

An omelet can be prepared in the microwave in the same way. To do this, place the beaten egg mass in the microwave for 3-5 minutes at medium power.

Diet scrambled eggs

It's even easier to prepare. Pre-break the eggs without damaging the yolk and place each in a separate tea cup. Pour 2 tablespoons of water into a heated frying pan with a thick bottom, and after it boils (at the stage of large bubbles), carefully move the eggs into the frying pan and immediately turn off the heat. Cover the frying pan with a lid (plate) and place in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 3 minutes. Remove, sprinkle with herbs and spices to taste.

Basic principles of the buckwheat diet for 14 days

For the diet to be effective, buckwheat must be prepared correctly. Experts do not recommend cooking cereals, since during long-term heat treatment most of the beneficial substances are destroyed. Buckwheat is best steamed.

There are recommendations that porridge should be eaten without salt and spices. Nutritionists point out that sharply limiting salt in the menu will have a negative impact on a person’s well-being. Fatigue will increase and malaise will appear. Therefore, salt can be added to buckwheat, but in moderation.

During the diet, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, use spices and sauces to improve the taste of porridge, or add sugar to it. All sweet foods will also be prohibited.

Advantages and disadvantages

Contraindications

Any diet is a test for the body. Consider the general condition of the body.

A buckwheat diet is contraindicated in several cases:

1. Diseases of the stomach and intestines.
2. Diseases of the cardiovascular system.
3. Pregnancy, lactation period.

After illness or injury, it is worth holding off on losing weight. With caution - during menstruation. If, even in the absence of contraindications, you feel weak or unwell, you should abandon the technique and return to your usual diet.

Comments from nutritionists

The main products of the egg diet (chicken egg and citrus fruits - grapefruit, orange) are highly allergenic foods. Therefore, those who have a tendency to allergic reactions need to abandon such a diet or be wary and stop the diet at the slightest allergic reaction. In order to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, it is recommended:

• Wash citrus fruits thoroughly under hot water, since specific hypersensitivity often develops to chemicals used in the processing of citrus fruits to extend shelf life and preserve their presentation - waxes, biphenyl, paraffins, antiseptics, sulfur dioxide and fungicides used to protect against pests.
• Do not overuse citrus fruits and chicken eggs in your diet, since many people experience a “dose-dependent” pseudo-allergic type of food intolerance. That is, an allergic reaction occurs when a threshold that is significant for a particular organism is reached (the number of citrus fruits or eggs eaten).
• The egg diet must be accompanied by increased physical activity. Otherwise, weight loss results may be less than expected.

How to fight hunger

Buckwheat is a filling grain that will keep you from feeling hungry throughout the day. However, out of habit, it may appear. The process of losing weight is characterized by “spiritual” hunger - a craving for forbidden foods despite physical satiety.

You should not strictly limit yourself so as not to face a breakdown later. Allow yourself a light snack with an approved product.

Between main meals, drink a glass of kefir or natural unsweetened yogurt. In a lighter version, you can eat low-fat cheese, some dried fruit or an apple. Sweets and flour remain prohibited.

Egg diet: reviews and results

Reviews of the egg diet for 2 weeks among those who practiced it, as well as the results, vary significantly. Some who have achieved good results even present photos of the results and describe the whole process in detail to confirm their words.

• “... The diet is just super! We have been practicing it with our friends for the third year now. So to speak, it’s more fun together, and we support each other psychologically. We try to choose the summer months to lose weight on eggs, since in winter it is more difficult to tolerate. Once we tried to eat only egg whites, but it was more difficult to maintain such a diet. We are satisfied with the results. On average, we lost 5-7 kg in two weeks. I present our photos before and after the diet. I think this is a clear example of the effectiveness of the diet. Besides, there were no difficulties for us.”
• “...The egg diet may be good, but it’s certainly not suitable for everyone. I ate strictly soft-boiled eggs, because I didn’t know for sure whether it was possible to eat boiled eggs on a diet with grapefruits. Lasted only 4 days. On day 5, I started having hunger pains in my stomach and became constipated. I decided that this diet was not suitable for me and began to carefully exit it. I lost 3 kg, but I decided for myself that such a diet was the first and last time. Dissatisfaction, strong feeling of hunger, weakness, constipation, bad mood. I saw those who were on this diet. She seems to have lost weight, but she looks terrible, her skin is sagging, her face is gray and haggard. No, I’d rather watch my diet and actively engage in aerobics in the water and move more than to torment my body like this by periodically going on some kind of diet.”

Disadvantages of a cereal mono-diet

A mono-diet is a strict dietary restriction in which you can consume only 1-2 foods. This diet is quite complex, so it is not recommended for people with various diseases. A diet based on one product gives good results, especially a diet based on cereals.

Attention - without following the recommendations, deadlines, and the correct exit, negative consequences are possible.

A long-term cereal mono-diet can cause:

• Digestive disorders, development of gastrointestinal diseases.
• General weakness of the body.
• Deterioration of the condition of hair, nails, skin.
• Lack of vitamins and nutrients.
• Changes in eating habits and appetite (undereating or overeating).
• High probability of failure.