When you think you’ve heard about all the diets, the world comes up with another. There are almost all kinds of diets nowadays. It is not like we are complaining. More diets mean it is easier to find something for everyone. The problem with many of these diets is that some have not been proven to be safe and healthy. All of these diets claim to promote weight loss. The 3 day egg diet is one diet that is quickly gaining popularity.
Is the 3 day egg food plan safe? What is the 3 day egg diet? What are the benefits associated with this diet? These and more questions about this diet that is spreading faster than wildfire will be answered in this informative read.
What Is The 3-Day Egg Diet?
The 3 day egg diet, also known as “the egg fast”, is a diet that involves a short period of eating primarily eggs, butter, and cheese (13). Just as the name suggests, the diet usually takes between 3 to 5 days (5 days being the most). Due to its restrictive nature, this diet should not be prolonged, as this might cause some harmful health factors. It is a low-calorie, low-carb, and high-protein diet. The main aim of this diet is to help an individual lose fat mass without losing muscles.
Just because you are hearing of this diet now, it does not mean it is a new diet. Some variations of this diet date back to the 1970s. This diet is mostly practiced by people on the keto diet.
A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate protein diet, with the main aim of forcing one’s body into a state of ketosis (14). Ketosis is the process in which your body starts using fats as a source of energy. Here fats are broken down into ketones in the liver.
The 3 day egg diet or the egg fast meal plan is known to help people go through a weight plateau, especially in keto people. A weight plateau or a weight stall is a stage in your weight loss journey where you stay at a certain weight for a certain period. This diet is believed to help trigger ketosis.
Read More: Benefits And Disadvantages Of The Cucumber & Egg Diet
Why Eggs?
I know you might be asking, “Why eggs?” It is because eggs are highly nutritious (20). They are a good source of proteins, fat, vitamin D, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin B, and many other nutrients. The fact that eggs are low-calorie foods also pleads their case. A single egg contains approximately 75 calories. It has 5 grams of fat, 6 grams of proteins, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fiber.
In this diet, you have to eat a tablespoon of healthy fat (butter, olive oil) for each egg consumed and up to 1 ounce of cheese for each egg consumed.
Just because this diet is called an egg diet, it doesn’t mean only eggs can be eaten in this diet. Lean proteins, low-carb vegetables, and fruits, among others, are also allowed in this diet.
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Rules Of The Egg Fast Diet
Unlike most crash diets, which are freestyle, this diet has a few rules that should be followed. The people who are pro in this diet believe that when these rules are followed they enable one to get its full benefits. These are the rules of the 3 day egg diet are (4, 5):
- Firstly, you are supposed to eat a whole egg within 30 minutes of waking up.
- You should eat a minimum of 6 whole eggs every single day.
- For every 1 whole egg consumed, you should eat 1 tablespoon of butter, extra virgin olive oil, or any other healthy oil.
- For every 1 whole egg eaten, you can consume up to 1 ounce of full-fat cheese.
- You are supposed to eat an egg-based meal every 3 to 5 hours, even if you are not hungry. If you are not hungry, you should eat at least 1 whole egg.
- You should stop eating 3 hours before bedtime.
- You should go for foods of the highest quality. Local pasture-raised eggs and 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised cheese and butter are best.
- You should drink plenty of water, at least 3 liters in a day.
- You can drink up to 3 cans of diet soda, although you should aim to take a lower number than 3 in a day.
- Other zero-calorie drinks like coffee and tea are also allowed.
- All other foods and drinks that contain calories are off-limits in this diet.
It is important to remember that this fast should last not more than 5 days. 3 to 5 days is enough time to go past your weight plateau.
Foods To Eat While You Are On The 3-Day Egg Diet
Since this is a restrictive diet, you need to know what you should eat and what you should avoid once you are on this diet. While on this diet, you can eat (7, 11):
- Eggs. The whole diet is based on eggs, thus you must be ready to eat so many eggs if you are on this diet.
- Skinless poultry
- Fish
- Lean Beef
- Lamb and Pork
- Low-carb vegetables. This mostly includes dark leafy vegetables like kales, spinach, collard greens, and so on.
- Low-carb fruits. This includes fruits such as tomatoes, oranges, lemons, limes, etc.
- Zero-calorie drinks like water, coffee, and tea
- Butter
- Healthy oils like coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc.
- Mayonnaise
- Full-fat cheese. Make sure the cheeses you buy and use have less than 1 gram of net carbs per ounce. Examples of such cheeses include cheddar, parmesan, swiss, mozzarella, and blue cheese.
Those are some of the foods you can eat while on this diet.
Foods To Avoid While On A 3-Day Egg Diet
Here is a list of foods that you should avoid for this diet to work (12):
- Sugar
- Fried foods like French fries
- Refined carbohydrates. Such as pasta and bread
- Desserts of any kind. Like cakes and ice creams
- Starchy vegetables. The likes of potatoes, corn, and squash
- Fast foods like pizzas
How Does Egg Fast Work?
What makes the 3 day egg diet able to help one overcome the weight plateau?
It is necessary to know how this diet works and what makes it successful in helping people get into ketosis, as well as enable people to lose weight. Some people say this diet can promote weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds in a day. There is no proof that this is true, which is why you should not get into this diet expecting rapid weight loss. The reason this diet can help you go past the period of weight stall is:
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Eggs Contain Choline
The egg yolks contain high amounts of choline, and a single egg contains around 145 milligrams of choline (20). Choline is essential to the liver and people in a keto diet, as it enables the liver to be able to metabolize fat (6). The process of metabolizing fat for energy is what we refer to as ketosis. Thus, choline is important in promoting ketosis.
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Presence Of Casein And Methionine In The Diet (6)
Casein is a nutrient present in dairy products. This diet has its fair share of dairy products, especially in the cheese eaten often. On the other hand, Methionine is an amino acid that is found in high amounts of egg whites. Just like choline, these two nutrients also help the liver to metabolize fats. These are some of the reasons why eggs are the perfect food for the liver, as it provides all the nutrients the liver requires to effectively do its job.
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The Egg Fast Is More Restrictive Than The Normal Keto Diet (7)
Although sometimes this diet is referred to as “the keto egg diet” or “the ketogenic egg fast”, it is more restrictive than the keto diet. Which means it allows fewer foods and has more rigid rules. This leads to a person consuming less food and ends up encouraging the burning of the stored fat into energy.
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Whole Eggs Promote Satiety (7)
Eggs are known to make you feel fuller for longer, and this effect makes you consume less food. Consuming less food creates a calorie deficit, which then promotes weight loss.
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Eggs Help Curb Cravings And Suppress One’s Appetite (7)
When you don’t have a high appetite, you won’t be able to eat as much. Thus, it helps promote weight loss.
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Eggs Are Low-Calorie And Low-Carb Foods
An egg contains approximately 75 calories. It also contains around 0.4 grams of carbs. This means that when you are on this diet, you will not be consuming those many calories. As a result, an easy to achieve weight loss. The fact that eggs are low-carb foods means that they will not interfere with the process of ketosis.
So one can say that the 3 day egg diet works by providing the liver with everything it needs to promote ketosis and weight loss (6). It also works due to the properties the egg contains. It has a filling effect, helps reduce cravings and one’s appetite, and is a low-calorie and low-carb food.
Read More: Steak And Eggs Diet: Powering Your Body Up With A Load Of Protein
Who Should Try The 3-Day Egg Diet?
This diet is not for everyone. This diet is recommended for the following groups of people (7):
- People who are experiencing a weight stall. This diet is designed for people who have reached a weight plateau. It is highly effective for people on the keto diet.
- People who want to kickstart their keto diet journey. This is a simple meal plan to get new people on keto to experience the benefits of keto.
- People who are looking to increase their ketones levels. This is because it promotes ketosis, and ketosis results in the production of ketones.
- People aiming to promote liver fat loss.
- People intending to lose weight.
There are, however, a group of people who should not try this diet. These are:
- Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. This diet is not able to cater to the nutritional needs of pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Hence be avoided.
- People who have been told to stay away from it by dietitians or physicians. If a professional health worker or any other expert tells you not to try this diet, then you should not try it.
Those are some of the people who should and should not try this diet.
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Amounts Of Macros In The 3-Day Egg Diet
There are 3 macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is necessary to know the amounts of these main macronutrients that you should take once on this diet. It is also important to remember that this is a more restrictive keto diet. The amounts of macros are as follows:
Fats. Just like most keto diets, fats hold the highest amount. This is because fats are the sources of energy, and you need to consume enough fats to provide you with the necessary energy. On a keto diet, 60% of your energy should come from fats (8). 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories.
Proteins. Proteins come in second. 30% of what you consume should be made up of proteins (8). 1 gram of proteins contains 4 calories.
Carbohydrates. This is a very low-carb diet, and you should make sure to consume the least amount of carbs. Your diet should only have less than 10% of this macronutrient (8). 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories.
3-Day Egg Diet Plan
It is hard to come up with a meal plan. That is why BetterMe has you covered. Below is an example of the 3 day egg diet plan you can follow (9):
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Day One
Breakfast: Egg, Cheese, and Bacon Omelet
1 extra-large egg, 3 egg whites that have been separated from the yolk, 3 slices of fully cooked bacon, and 3 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese
Calories: 347.7, Carbs: 1.5 g, Fat: 21.6 g, Protein 34.2 g
Lunch: Egg, Avocado, and Bacon Scramble
2 strips of bacon, 2 large eggs, 3 egg whites, and ¼ fruit of the avocado
Calories: 362.3, Carbs: 2.6 g, Fat: 24.5 g, Proteins: 29.4 g
Dinner: A Serving of Low Carb Asiago Baked Eggs
2 tablespoons of butter, 2 large eggs, and ½ oz of Asiago Italian
Calories: 396.6, Carbs: 1.2 g, Fat: 36.6 g, Proteins: 16.3 g
Snack: A Serving of Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Mexican-blend Cheese
½ tsp of olive oil, 1 cup of spinach, 2 large eggs, and ¼ cup of shredded Mexican cheese
Calories: 249.5, Carbs: 2.8 g, Fat: 17.4 g, Proteins: 20.4 g
Total Calories for the day: 1356.1, Carbs: 8.1 g, Fat: 100.1 g, Protein 100.3 g
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Day Two
Breakfast: Pesto Scrambled Egg Whites
1 tablespoon of butter, 4 egg whites, and 2 tablespoons of basil pesto
Calories: 350, Carbs: 3.7 g, Fat: 26.8 g, Proteins: 20.6 g
Lunch: Ham, Pepper, and Tomato Scramble
1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 medium red bell pepper, 1 medium whole tomato, 1 large egg, 1 sliced ham, and 1 ounce of cheddar cheese
Calories: 410.6 Carbs: 9.4 g, Fat: 30.9 g, Proteins: 20 g
Dinner: A Serving of Ham and Asparagus Frittata
½ teaspoon of butter, ¼ cup of asparagus, 2 ounces of sliced ham, ⅛ cup of sliced red bell pepper, 3 large eggs, ½ tablespoon of parmesan cheese, ½ dash of salt, and ½ dash of pepper
Calories: 344.6, Carbs: 3.7 g, Fat: 21.8 g, Proteins: 30.1 g
Snack: 2 Easy To Peel Hard-Boiled Eggs
2 large eggs, ⅔ teaspoons of vinegar, ⅓ dash of salt, and 1 cup of ice cubes
Calories: 143.7, Carbs: 0.7 g, Fat: 9.5 g, Proteins: 12.6 g
Total Calories for the day: 1248.9, Carbs: 23.5 g, Fat: 89.2 g, Protein 83.3 g
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Day Three
Breakfast: 2 servings of Scrambled Eggs with Bell Pepper and Feta
1 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 medium green bell peppers, 4 large eggs, and 1 ounce of feta cheese
Calories: 448.2, Carbs: 9.7 g, Fat: 30 g, Proteins: 31.2 g
Lunch: Eggs, Cheese, and Tuna Omelet
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 large egg, 3 large egg white, 1 can of tuna, and 1 oz of cheddar cheese
Calories: 497.9, Carbs: 1.4 g, Fat: 29.5 g, Proteins: 55.9 g
Dinner: A Serving of Tarragon and Chive Eggs
⅜ cup egg, ½ dash of salt, ½ dash of pepper, ½ tbsp butter, ½ tbsp chopped chives, and ½ tbsp ground tarragon
Calories: 188.9, Carbs: 2 g, Fat: 14.6 g, Proteins: 12.1 g
Snack: Zucchini Hash
4 tablespoons of chopped onions, 1 cup of chopped zucchini, 1 dash of salt, 1 dash of pepper, 1 spray of pam cooking spray, 2 extra-large eggs, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of onion powder
Calories: 218.3, Carbs: 10.1 g, Fat: 11.3 g, Proteins: 16.8 g
Total Calories for the day: 1353.3, Carbs: 23.2 g, Fat: 85.4 g, Protein 96 g
That is an example of a 1300 calorie 3 day egg meal plan you can try in the comfort of your home.
The 3-Day Egg Diet And Weight Loss
The question that most people want to be answered is if this diet does promote weight loss. The 3 day egg diet does help one lose weight. It does so in many different ways.
First and foremost, the egg fast diet helps one lose weight by reducing one’s appetite, and this diet is primarily based on eggs. Furthermore, eggs can be very filling. Several studies have been done to prove this.
A study on the short-term effect of eggs on satiety in overweight and obese subjects was conducted (10). The participants were divided into two groups. One group was to eat a breakfast consisting of eggs, and the other group was to eat a breakfast of equal weight but consisting of bagels. The aim was to see if the egg breakfast would induce greater satiety, reduce cravings, and reduce appetite.
The results showed that egg-breakfast induced greater satiety and significantly reduced short-term food intake, which proves that eggs do have a filling effect. This helps in weight loss since you won’t take as many calories as you would, which leads to a calorie deficit, resulting in weight loss.
People lose weight by consuming fewer calories than they burn. This diet promotes this, and, in another way, it also promotes weight loss. Most foods in this diet are low-calorie foods. The eggs, which are the main food in this diet, are a mere 75 calories each. When you consume fewer calories than the body burns, your body is forced to use the stored fats for energy, hence promoting weight loss.
Weight Loss
High-protein diets are known to promote weight loss. They are more effective if they are keto diets. This diet happens to be a high protein keto. A study on the effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum was conducted (3). The results of the study showed that high-protein, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets reduce hunger and lower food intake significantly compared to other diets. This is another way you lose weight through this diet.
This diet (as it is with more ketogenic diets) is effective when it comes to losing belly fat, as well as overall fat. A study on the comparison of energy-restricted, very low-carbohydrate, and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women was conducted (2). The study put different men and women in different diets: certain groups in very low-carbohydrate diets and other groups in low-fat diets.
The results showed that the very low-carbohydrate diet was able to achieve weight loss, total fat loss, and trunk (abdominal) fat loss in both men and women. The trunk fat loss was highly favorable in women. This shows that ketogenic diets like the 3 day egg diet not only help one lose weight but may also help one lose belly fat, which is something most people nowadays are struggling to get rid of.
The Bottom Line
The 3 day egg diet boasts of many benefits when it comes to weight loss. It should be noted that this is not a highly nutritious diet, as it restricts certain important foods from being consumed. This diet is also not recommended for a long period and should only be followed for 3 to 5 days. 5 days being the most number of days. If followed correctly, 3 days are enough for a person to go past their weight stall. However, before you try this, make sure to consult a dietician.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any medical conditions. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
SOURCES:
- 20 Reasons Eggs Could Be Your Secret Weight Loss Weapon (2020, eatthis.com)
- Comparison of energy-restricted very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets on weight loss and body composition in overweight men and women (2004, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- Effects of a high-protein ketogenic diet on hunger, appetite, and weight loss in obese men feeding ad libitum (2008, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- EGG FAST DIET RULES, RECIPES, & BENEFITS (2019, lowcarbyum.com)
- How to Do an Egg Fast: Rules, Benefits, and Sample Menu (2019, healthline.com)
- Keto Egg Fast Diet Menu Plan & FAQs – Low Carb (n.d., ibreatheimhungry.com)
- Keto Egg Fast: Rules, Recipes, Meal Plan, and Risks (2020, ruled.me)
- Keto Egg Fast: Rules, Risks, and Can It Help You Lose Weight? (2019, perfectketo.com)
- Put your diet on autopilot (n.d., eatthismuch)
- Short-term effect of eggs on satiety in overweight and obese subjects (2005, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
- The Boiled-Egg Diet: Does It Really Work? (2019, everydayhealth.com)
- The Egg Diet: Facts or Fad? (2020, greatist.com)
- What is an Egg Fast? (n.d., ibreatheimhungry.com)
- What Is the Egg Diet? (2020, verywellfit.com)
