The Egg Diet: Can You Lose Weight with The Boiled Egg Diet?
The egg diet is a popular diet to lose weight because it is low in calories and high in protein. There are several versions of the egg diet, but all of them highlight the consumption of scrambled, poached, or boiled eggs as the main source of protein while cutting down on carbohydrates and calories. The only drinks allowed on the egg diet are water or calorie-free drinks.
The egg diet works to help you lose excess pounds because eggs are a good source of dietary protein. This will help make you feel fuller for longer and reduce the tendency to snack during the day. Protein is also needed by the body to balance hormones, build muscle mass, and keep your blood healthy. Also, eggs contain necessary minerals, vitamins, iron, and nutrients to keep your body healthy.
There are many variations of the egg diet plan for weight loss. Most egg diet recipes include other forms of lean protein as well as low-calorie vegetables. Also, followers of the egg diet plan should keep themselves well-hydrated by drinking zero calorie drinks and reduce carbohydrates intake.
In this article, you will find out the principles of the egg diet and how to lose weight by following this diet. You will also learn about the health benefits of consuming more eggs and how eggs can help boost your metabolism and reduce levels of body fat.
I will also discuss if the egg diet is a safe way to lose weight quickly or just another fad diet, including its advantages and disadvantages. This is because many people are worried about the link between increased egg consumption and high levels of cholesterol.
What is the Egg Diet?
The egg diet increases the number of eggs you eat daily to provide you with a healthy source of protein while cutting out carbohydrates.
The diet plan helps to enhance weight loss and shed excess pounds of body fat quicker. The boiled egg diet is a type of high protein, low-carb diet that usually lasts for 14 days. In most cases, eggs are eaten at breakfast time, and other lean meats are consumed at lunch and dinner time.
Can eating more eggs for breakfast actually help lose weight? According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, eating more eggs for breakfast can help to lose weight effectively. It was found that participants of the study who followed the egg diet experienced a 61% greater reduction in BMI than those who followed a bagel diet.
The researchers concluded that the egg diet can help to boost weight loss. They also mentioned that: “the inclusion of eggs in a weight management program may offer a nutritious supplement to enhance weight loss.”1
The Health Benefits of Eating Boiled Eggs as Part of a Diet Plan
What are the health benefits of eating more eggs as part of a diet plan to lose pounds in a few weeks? Many studies into the health benefits of eggs have found that eggs are not bad and don’t increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease.
For example, the journal The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society reported that eggs contain better quality protein than beef and dairy products. Research into the effect of eggs on cholesterol has found that eggs only slightly affect levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, or “bad” cholesterol). It was found that eggs don’t increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases when compared to other lifestyle and diet factors.2
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, high egg consumption (eating around one egg per day) did not adversely affect cholesterol levels in people with type-2 diabetes. In fact, the study found that people with type 2 diabetes can benefit from increased egg consumption because eggs can help with weight management.3
The journal Nutrients published a review of various studies on the value of eating more eggs in the diet. Many studies have shown that consuming eggs helps you feel fuller for longer and has other health benefits. Research has also shown that eggs can help to reduce inflammation in the body and contain antioxidants.4
Egg Diet Meal Plan for Weight Loss
The egg diet meal plan can help you lose weight in as little as 2 weeks. Usually, the diet plan includes eating eggs in the morning for breakfast and portions of lean protein. Therefore, it’s important to plan your egg diet properly to prevent snacking throughout the day.
Types of lean protein to include in the egg diet
According to Dr. David Derrer on WebMD, eating the right kind of protein in your diet can help you get rid of body fat effectively. Some of the best sources of lean protein on the egg diet are skinless chicken breast, turkey, fish, and other seafood.5
Dr. Derrer recommends eating eggs for breakfast to feel fuller and eat less throughout the day.
The best fruits and vegetables for the boiled egg diet
The boiled egg diet works because it also includes only one or two fruit serves per day and low-carb vegetables.
According to the American Diabetes Association, the best vegetables that have a low carbohydrate content are kale, broccoli, bok choy, beets, cucumber, and asparagus.6 Among the best fruits to include on the egg diet are grapefruit, kiwifruit, berries, and apples.7
What carbs are good on the egg weight loss diet?
Because the egg diet for losing weight is a low-carb diet, starchy and simple carbohydrates are not included. However, completely cutting out all carbohydrates may result in not getting enough vitamins and minerals.
According to nutrition expert Elaine Magee, “good” complex carbohydrates that contain fiber are important in a well-balanced diet. Fiber is found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables and can help prevent spikes in sugar levels. Like with eggs, fiber helps a person feel full for longer and helps to avoid snacking while dieting.8
While on the egg diet, you should avoid all foods containing refined grains like white bread, white pasta, cakes, and pastries.
For more information on low-carb diets and precautions that you should take, please read my article that discusses the pros and cons of low carb diets.
Meal Plan for the Egg Diet
Let’s look at some specific egg diet recipes that you can use to lose weight in a short space of time. Remember that snacking is not permitted while on the egg diet plan.
Typical egg diet meal plan for weight loss
Here is a typical meal plan for an egg diet if you want to start losing weight quickly.
- Breakfast: Two boiled eggs and a low-carb fruit or vegetable.
- Lunch: Half-roast chicken breast and one serving of broccoli or cabbage.
- Dinner: 1 serving of poached fish accompanied by a green salad.
Drink plenty of water or calorie-free beverages throughout the day. In fact, did you know that drinking “flat tummy” water can help you lose weight even quicker?
Egg diet meal plan with grapefruit
This egg diet meal plan includes half a grapefruit along with each meal serving. This is what you should eat:
- Breakfast: 2 poached eggs done to your liking with half a grapefruit.
- Lunch: One serving of turkey breast with a small fresh green salad and half a grapefruit.
- Dinner: Lean protein of your choice and half a grapefruit.
Egg diet meal plan with omelet and green veg
To keep things interesting while you are losing weight on the egg diet, this delicious recipe includes an omelet with green vegetables.
- Breakfast: An omelet made with 2 eggs and spinach and mushrooms added.
- Lunch: 1/2 roast chicken breast with the skin removed. Add a serving of low-carb vegetables of your choice.
- Dinner: 1 serving of fish and a serving of your favorite steamed vegetables.
Egg diet meal plan with extra eggs
It’s good to remember that eggs also count as part of your lean protein and this diet plan includes more eggs.
- Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs with half a grapefruit or other citrus fruit.
- Lunch: One serving of turkey breast with a selection of steamed vegetables.
- Dinner: 2 poached eggs with a warm green salad.
At the end of the article, you will learn why eating more than 2 eggs a day for a long period of time on the egg diet may be unsafe for you.
Hard-boiled egg diet
Hard-boiled eggs are convenient for the egg diet because they can be prepared beforehand and then taken with you for lunch or dinner. Here is an example of using hard-boiled eggs in the egg diet.
- Breakfast: 2 hard-boiled eggs with a citrus fruit of your choice.
- Lunch: One small grilled chicken breast with your favorite steamed vegetables.
- Dinner: 2 hard-boiled eggs with a half a grapefruit.
What Kind of Egg Diet Version Should You Avoid?
Although eggs are full of goodness and healthy protein, it’s important to maintain a balanced healthy diet while losing weight.
The extreme version of the egg diet suggest eating nothing but eggs for 14 days to lose weight. However, you should avoid this kind of egg diet if you want to get rid of excess weight safely and stay healthy. Only eating eggs for 2 weeks in an attempt to lose weight will deprive you of essential nutrients, vitamins, and fiber that fruits and vegetables provide. It is also difficult to maintain and you may find that you pile on the pounds when you stop the diet.
Pros of the Egg Diet for Losing Weight
Losing weight quickly is the main benefit of eating more eggs on the egg diet. The egg diet tends to restrict calorie intake to around 1,000 calories a day and this will result is rapid weight loss.
Cons of the Egg Diet
The cons of the egg diet are that egg yolks are high in cholesterol and the diet itself doesn’t provide enough vitamins, nutrients and fiber that are found in complex carbohydrates.
Even though eggs contain important nutrients and vitamins, eating too many eggs over a long period of time may have unwanted health consequences.
Cholesterol content of eggs. Many studies have shown that egg consumption has an almost negligible effect on levels of cholesterol, and the Mayo Clinic says that studies show that eating up to 7 eggs a week won’t increase cholesterol levels significantly.
However, eating the number of eggs required in the egg diet may not be recommended if you already have high levels of cholesterol or have diabetes. Doctors from the Mayo Clinic say that people with diabetes should limit their egg intake. Some studies show that eating too many eggs may increase the risk of heart disease in some diabetic patients.12 However, there are conflicting studies on the effects of eating 1-2 eggs per day on cholesterol levels in diabetic patients.3
Lack of “good” complex carbohydrates on the egg diet. Sources of complex carbohydrates like brown rice, wholemeal flour, and other whole grains contain an abundance of vitamins and nutrients. A high-protein, low-carb diet can help with rapid weight loss in the short-term. However, it’s good to remember that complex carbohydrates have their place in a well-balanced diet.
According to doctors from the Mayo Clinic, healthy carbs are found in unrefined foods like seeds, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and vegetables. These contain healthy sugars and fiber that give your body energy and also keep your digestive system working properly. Complex carbs also protect against disease and help to control weight in a balanced diet program.13
How Safe is the Egg Diet?
Although there are definite benefits to eating more eggs, the egg diet is more of a fad diet and may not result in lasting weight loss. In some cases, eating the number of eggs per week that many egg diets recommend is unsafe and may cause more health problems.
For example, the egg diet cuts out important complex carbohydrates from the diet. Also, the excessive restriction on your daily intake of calories is not recommended.
For example, researchers from Harvard Medical School say that it’s unsafe for men to consume less than 1,500 calories a day and 1,200 for women. However, the egg diet limits calories to 1,000 a day.14
The egg diet may cause extra health complications for people who are already at risk from cardiovascular problems or who have diabetes. For example, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition said that even people with diabetes could eat 1-2 eggs a day without health complications. However, some egg diets include 4 or even 5 eggs a day.3
Also, a study published in the journal BMJ found that low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet can increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases in some people. This is because some high-protein diets allow for eating fatty protein sources and cut out fiber, which keeps your gastrointestinal system health and can lower cholesterol.15
The lack of enough fiber in the egg diet is another reason why the egg diet could be unsafe for many people. According to the journal Nutrients, dietary fiber and the consumption of whole grains is already well below recommended amounts in the general population. Therefore, cutting out more fiber from your diet may not be a good idea. In fact, in many cases, we should be increasing the amount of dietary fiber we consume daily.16
According to Doctors on WebMD, a lack of fiber in the diet leads to weight gain, constipation, spikes in blood sugar levels, and diet-related tiredness.17
Additional Benefits of Eating More Eggs
Although eating too many eggs in a week is not good for you, it’s important to remember that you can get many health benefits by eating 1-2 eggs per day.
Nutrition content of eggs. First of all, eggs are one of the most nutritious foods that you can eat. According to available data, one large egg (50 g) contains 6-7 grams of protein, vitamins A, D, and many B-group vitamins. It also contains calcium, potassium, and selenium. A large egg also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.9
Eggs boost brain health. Eating more eggs will also boost your brain health. Eggs contain an essential nutrient called choline. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, increasing choline in the diet also improves cognitive function and boosts memory.10
Eggs help keep bones strong and healthy. Eggs contain vitamin D and calcium which are essential for bone health and to prevent loss of bone mass. Dr. Brunilda Nazario on WebMD says that eggs are good sources of vitamin D and can help to prevent osteoporosis.11
Eggs Promote Good Eye Health. Egg yolks contain high level of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin which are potent antioxidants that can reduce your risk of developing macular degeneration and other common eye problems.18
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