Your Ultimate Guide to Quick and Effective Results
What is the egg fast diet | Benefits of an egg fast | How to do a 3 day egg fast | Sample egg fast meal plan | Tips for egg fast diet
Fasting is a well-known practice that has been done for thousands of years. While there are many types of fasts out these days (like fruit fast and water fast), one that has gained popularity is the egg fast. Unlike some complicated diets, the egg fast is pretty straightforward: eat a diet consisting mainly of eggs for three to five days.
While there are several reasons to try the egg fast diet, many use the egg diet for weight loss. The egg fast is a variation of the ketogenic diet by inducing ketosis in order to burn fat and lose weight.
The egg fast was first created in order to break through a weight loss plateau. It’s used as a short-term diet and should not be done for an extended length of time.
If you have ever asked questions like What is an egg fast? Or how to follow an egg fast? Then this article is for you. Below we will explore what the egg fast is, some benefits, as well as a sample one-day menu. With these tips, tricks, and sample menu, you will be well on your way to mastering the egg fast.
What is the egg fast diet?
Originating as a spin off of the keto diet, the egg fast diet was first published in 2010 by blogger Jimmy Moore. Since that time, it has gained in popularity as a way to break a plateau in weight loss.
A weight loss plateau often occurs if you have been following a particular diet for a long amount of time and are no longer seeing results. In order to break a weight loss plateau, you will have to change something in your current exercise routine or diet to continue to lose weight.
An egg fast is a short term approach to losing weight quickly. The egg fast diet is typically done over a period of 3 to 5 days. The basic idea is to only eat eggs (along with a small amount of fat and cheese) during this time.
Proponents of this diet claim that by eating a diet consisting mostly of eggs, you can lose weight even up to 5-10 pounds. They also state that you can get into a state of ketosis quicker (and ultimately lose weight faster) through the egg diet.
For many that follow a ketogenic diet, a 3 day keto egg fast is a small change that can lead to more weight loss. The ketogenic diet, or keto diet, is an eating pattern that severely restricts carbohydrates, has a moderate amount of protein, and higher fat intake.
By eating this way, the body undergoes ketosis and begins to burn fat for energy. When glucose is not available for the body to use as energy, it begins to use stored fat which is the main component of ketones.
These ketones can then be used as a source of energy, similar to glucose. Using up stored fat leads to weight loss and a decrease in body fat. The keto diet is used as a weight loss strategy and to improve overall health leading to more energy.
The keto diet can also be used with other weight loss strategies such as intermittent fasting. Since intermittent fasting is a schedule of when to eat instead of a list of foods not to eat, it works well with a variety of diets like keto, paleo, and Mediterranean.
Combining the keto diet with intermittent fasting is also a way to break a weight loss plateau and could provide faster weight loss results.
The difference between keto and egg fast keto is that the keto diet allows a small amount of carbohydrates (about 50 grams or 1 cup of cooked white rice) while the egg fast diet doesn’t allow any carbohydrates. Additionally, the egg fast diet is meant to be a short term diet while the keto diet can be used long term.
Due to the limited variety of food groups consumed on an egg fast, nutritional deficiencies would occur if followed for an extended period of time. Both approaches do result in ketosis and following a traditional ketogenic diet may be easier to follow if you are trying to achieve ketosis for the first time.
Benefits of an egg fast for quick and effective results
Although there hasn’t been any research directly on the egg fast diet, there are several benefits that may occur after following a 3 day egg fast.
Weight Loss
Eating a diet primarily of eggs will most likely lead to a calorie deficit for the average person. By eliminating high carbohydrate containing foods, there will be less calories consumed which can lead to significant weight loss. Maintaining an energy deficit has been shown to be the most important factor to lose weight.
Improve Satiety
Eggs have been shown to improve satiety in those wanting to lose weight in part because of their high protein content. In the study, participants reported greater feelings of fullness and consumed less food in the short-term after eating a breakfast consisting of eggs. Eggs also can reduce cravings which can help you to stay on track with your eating plan.
Help lose belly fat
When following an egg fast, you may or may not achieve ketosis in 3-5 days. Sometimes it can take up to a week for your body to enter ketosis. If ketosis is achieved, it can lead to more than just weight loss. Research shows that ketosis can actually promote belly fat loss when compared to other low-fat diets.
How to do a 3 day egg fast
There are several rules you must follow when doing a 3 day egg fast. It’s important to follow these rules if you want to achieve ketosis and quick weight loss during the 3-day timeframe. Here are the rules of a keto egg diet:
- Consume eggs at each meal with a minimum of six eggs per day
- Eat a tablespoon of fat (like butter, oil, or mayonnaise) along with each egg
- Eat a meal consisting of eggs every three to five hours
- Last meal should be eaten at least 3 hours before bed
- A small amount (1 tablespoon) of full fat cheese is allowed with each egg
- Diet soda, coffee, tea, sugar-free condiments, herbs and spices are allowed
- Choose the highest quality eggs, butter, and cheeses
Following these rules will ensure you get the most out of your 3 day egg fast, leading to more effective results.
Sample egg fast meal plan
Now that we know what the egg fast is, let’s take a look at what a sample day of meals could loo like while following the egg fast diet. It’s important to consider your individual tastes and preferences when deciding what to eat on your egg fast.
Egg fast recipes can be fairly simple such as an egg and cheese omelet or egg salad so you won’t need to spend hours in the kitchen during your egg fast.
- Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes consisting of 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of cream cheese blended together
- Snack: 1-2 cheese cubes of choice
- Lunch: Deviled eggs
- Snack: 1 stick of string cheese
- Dinner: Fried eggs cooked in butter
Tips for success on the egg fast diet
Even though this diet consists only of eggs, cheese, and butter, there are certain things that you can do to set yourself up for success. It can be challenging at first to stick with such a restrictive diet, so following these tips can help you achieve your goals.
- Plan ahead. While there aren’t many foods involved in the egg fast diet, you will still need to ensure that you have enough eggs, cheese, and butter or mayonnaise on hand to last for three days. When eating at least six eggs per day, you will likely need to buy more eggs than you usually buy.
- Use spices and seasonings. There are plenty of egg fast recipes online, so make sure to include a variety of spices and seasonings that will help prevent burnout and help you stick with the diet.
- Know your why. Anytime you start a new diet or eating routine, it can be a difficult adjustment. When you feel like giving up, it’s important to remember why you are doing this diet in the first place. Whether breaking through a weight loss plateau or kickstarting your weight loss journey, keeping your reason for starting the egg fast will help you to stick with it.
As a short-term strategy, the egg fast diet could provide quick and effective results when it comes to weight loss. By following the simple rules and avoiding all other foods except for eggs, cheese, and butter, the egg fast could be a way to break through weight loss plateaus.
Similar to the keto diet, the egg fast keto is more restrictive and may result in the body entering ketosis faster. It’s always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before starting any new extreme eating pattern.
