Eggs are one of the most common and healthiest foods. They are rich in protein, healthy fats and many essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, many people are using the egg diet to lose weight.
It is said that Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, lost 18 pounds with eggs and grapes.
Her specific way is:
- Breakfast: grapes, 1-2 eggs, black coffee or tea
- Lunch: 2 eggs, grapes
- Dinner: 2 eggs, mixed salad, 1 piece of toast, grapes, coffee
However, there is a problem with this weight loss method. With this method, it’s easy to experience gastrointestinal side effects which can lead to constipation. Therefore, it is best not to follow this diet for a long time.
In this article, we are going to introduce how to use the egg diet to lose weight.
How Do Eggs Help You Lose Weight
1. Eggs are nutritious, low-calorie food
The easiest way to lose weight is to reduce your daily calorie intake.
A large egg contains about 78 calories. While a general egg diet includes 2-3 eggs and plenty of vegetables, this meal only has 300+ calories.
In addition to being rich in protein, eggs contain several important nutrients:
- Lutein and zeaxanthin: They are strong antioxidants that help maintain healthy vision.
- Vitamin D: Can promote bone health and enhance immune system function.
- Choline: Promote metabolism and help fetal brain development.
2. Eggs are rich in protein and can increase satiety
A large egg contains about 6 grams of protein. Compared with low-protein foods, high-protein foods can reduce appetite and increase satiety. [*]
Studies have also shown that eating a protein-rich breakfast can reduce your caloric intake for the rest of the day.
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3. Eggs can promote metabolism
Eating a high-protein diet can promote metabolism through a process called the thermic effect of food (TEF).
This is because the body needs to use extra calories to digest and process the nutrients in food. Although carbohydrates and fats also promote metabolism, they are less effective than protein.
One study in 2014 has shown the following results:
- Protein can increase the metabolic rate by 15-30%.
- Carbohydrates increase the metabolic rate by 5-10%.
- Fat increases the metabolic rate by 3%.
In other words, eating a high-protein diet, including eggs, can help you burn more calories.
How To Lose Weight With The Egg Diet
No matter which egg diet you use, one thing they have in common is that they mainly focus on eggs. You can not eat any snacks other than your three meals a day.
The following are some of the popular egg diet methods:
1. 14-day egg diet
With this method, you can eat three meals a day, in a 14-day cycle. You need to avoid any high-calorie snacks and drinks.
Specifically, one meal is mainly boiled eggs. The other two meals are different high-protein foods, such as chicken and fish.
Don’t forget to add some low-carb vegetables, fruits or nuts, such as broccoli, spinach, strawberries, raspberries, almonds, etc.
2. The egg and grapefruit diet
This method evolved from the first method.
In this version of the diet, people eat half a grapefruit with eggs or other protein-rich foods per meal. Avoid other fruits.
3. Complete egg diet
This is a more extreme way of dieting. This method is eating only boiled eggs and drinking only water for two weeks.
This method is relatively unhealthy and cannot last for a long time because there is no intake of other nutrients except protein.
Moreover, since you may feel very tired, it is not recommended to exercise during this period.
4. Random egg diet
In this version of the egg diet, you can eat eggs and a piece of bread three times a day. You can also eat fruits and vegetables at will. Allowed beverages include water, black coffee, green tea or other zero-calorie beverages.
As long as no calories are added, you can eat the eggs in many different ways such as raw, boiled, or roasted, but you cannot use oil or fats.
5. Keto-egg diet
A ketogenic diet requires strict control of carbohydrate intake and increased fat intake to keep the body in a state of ketosis.
This version of the egg diet recommends that you consume eggs with butter, coconut oil or cheese to make your body produce ketones.
The examples above are the most common egg diet methods. You can choose the method that suits you best according to your living habits and physical condition. However, please note that with any kind of egg diet it can be difficult to maintain balanced nutrition.
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Which Foods Should You Eat and Avoid
Since there is no standard egg diet method to help lose weight, what you eat depends on the type of diet you follow.
Generally speaking, you can eat a lot of eggs, other lean protein, some low-carb vegetables and fruit.
1. Foods you can eat
- eggs
- other lean protein, such as poultry and fish
- fruits, such as grapefruit, citrus
- green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and kale
- non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, mushrooms and green peppers
- zero-calorie beverages such as water, black coffee and unsweetened tea
2. Foods you can’t eat
- wine and alcoholic beverages
- candy and other sweets
- refined carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta
- fried food
- other caloric beverages, such as juice and milk
How Many Eggs Can You Eat Every Day
Researchers conducted a 9-year follow-up survey of nearly 500K adults in China. The result showed that eating one egg a day can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In addition, according to a 2018 research report, eating at least 12 eggs a week for 3 months does not increase cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes or prediabetes.
However, these participants all followed a diet designed specifically for weight loss. Therefore, as long as you add eggs to a balanced and healthy diet, a moderate amount of egg intake may be good for health.
However, the egg yolk is high in cholesterol, so the American Heart Association recommends that people with heart disease should only eat 1-2 egg whites a day.
Summary:
The egg is a low-calorie food rich in protein and other nutrients. Eggs can promote metabolism and increase satiety. Using the egg diet can help to lose weight, especially when you include them in a low-carb or low-calorie diet.
However, the egg diet method cannot guarantee balanced nutrition, so it is only suitable for short-term use.
Moreover, the cholesterol content in egg yolk is relatively high, so it is best for people with cardiovascular disease to eat only egg white and monitor their cholesterol intake at any time.
