Eggs have become a part of every person's daily life. Some people prefer to have boiled or fried eggs for breakfast, some eat them for dinner with greens, and others make up their entire diet from them.
The egg diet is a quick way to temporarily lose weight, the principle of which is based on extremely low carbohydrate intake. Osama Hamdiy, a professor who developed a new nutrition formula, called his system “chemical”, but on the Internet it became known as “egg”. It is as follows: eggs become the main ingredient in the menu, and you can diversify your diet with lean meat and fish, vegetables and fruits.
This type of nutrition was originally developed for people with diabetes. Later it became clear that by adhering to such a diet, you can also quickly get rid of extra pounds (albeit not for long). The network claims that this diet is most effective for those people whose weight exceeds 100 kilograms.
The most popular version of this approach is the Maggi diet. According to one legend, it was designed specifically for Margaret Thatcher. However, there is no evidence for this. Eggs have long been considered a staple ingredient in many diets. This happened due to the peculiarities of egg white, which is absorbed by the body by more than 95%.
The essence of the egg diet
This type of food restriction is not a mono-diet, that is, the patient does not have to limit himself to eggs alone. You can safely add citrus fruits (especially grapefruit), as well as a large number of vegetables and other products to the menu.
The diet works as follows: energy is needed to process proteins. It comes from carbohydrates. If they come from the outside in insufficient quantities, the body takes energy from its internal reserves. Thus, it begins to process fat to work muscles and break down protein. This diet, like most others, is not aimed at constant weight maintenance. Most often it is designed for a certain period, which does not exceed one month.
Express options are suitable for quickly losing no more than 2-3 kilograms of weight, which then comes back almost faster than they were destroyed.
Content of basic nutritional nutrients in chicken eggs, %
100 grams of chicken protein contains about 7.5 grams of carbohydrates. A serving contains no more than 30 kilocalories, which is approximately equal to 9% of the required energy consumed per day.
If we consider the composition of a chicken egg, we get the following:
- fat content = 0%;
- protein content = approximately 80%;
- carbohydrates = 7.5%.
Chicken eggs, contrary to popular belief, do not contain cholesterol or trans fats. 100 grams of chicken protein will provide the body with more than 105% of its daily requirement, while the fat content will be 0, and carbohydrates will be only 3% of the same norm.
Eggs are an optimal source of protein, which is perfectly absorbed by the body. However, digestibility also depends on the degree of processing of the product.
For example, raw eggs are only 50% digestible. And only when they are heated can their digestibility increase to 92%. At the same time, you should not boil or fry them for a long time; for better results, it is recommended to cook them with fried eggs or soft-boil them.
What is a dietary egg and how does it differ from a table egg?
A diet egg differs from a regular egg only in its shelf life. If a table egg or any other egg can be stored for up to 25 days, then the shelf life of a dietary egg will not exceed one week. There are no other differences (for example, in BJU) between these products.
How much weight can you lose?
According to people who adhere to this diet, in 4 weeks they were able to get rid of 10-12 kilograms. Also, many people who are losing weight claim that such a diet has a long-lasting effect, but after it it is impossible to look at eggs and citrus fruits: after all, they make up the main part of the diet.
Opinions of doctors and nutritionists
The opinions of doctors and nutritionists are not as enthusiastic as those of people far from medicine on the Internet. From a medical point of view, such a diet is considered a protein diet, so many professionals consider this diet to be unbalanced. Even taking into account the fact that the menu is varied, it cannot be called correct. Doctors say that in the complete absence of fats and complex carbohydrates, the body can be oversaturated with proteins. In this case, the person losing weight experiences the following symptoms: headache, weakness, nausea, body trembling, fainting. This is all due to the lack of carbohydrates, which “normally” provide the body with energy, and protein becomes only an alternative for its production.
Experts are very careful about this technique, since with this type of nutrition the balance of the nutritional supplement suffers, which negatively affects the body. Lack of fat affects the functioning of the central nervous system and also causes weakened immunity. People who adhere to this type of diet noted the appearance of irritability and headaches.
Eggs - as a dietary food
Eggs are an excellent source of niacin, a substance necessary for nourishing the brain and the formation of sex hormones. They also contain vitamin K, which ensures blood clotting, and choline, which improves memory and removes poisons from the liver.
In addition, eggs contain vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin, folic and nicotinic acid, phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, iodine, copper, cobalt, as well as valuable proteins and bioregulators.
Many argue that eggs are a heavy food that is difficult to digest. This statement cannot be categorically denied. It's just a matter of how the eggs are cooked.
The pattern here is as follows - the longer an egg is boiled or fried, the slower it is digested by the body. Nutritionists consider a soft-boiled egg to be ideal in this regard.
It takes one to two hours to digest it. But a hard-boiled or scrambled egg requires at least three hours for this. Eggs are not a high-calorie food.
Apparently, the feeling of fullness that occurs after even one eaten egg gave rise to this myth about the calorie content of eggs. In fact, the egg is a unique product for those who want to lose weight.
Containing a whole range of vital substances, it contains on average only 80-100 kcal (depending on size). And by the way, almost all of these calories are contained in the yolk.
Benefits of the Egg Diet
The egg diet is considered one of the few in which there is no constant feeling of hunger. You don’t have to count calories on it, constantly limiting yourself in food.
Other advantages include:
- ease of cooking;
- quick results;
- microelements contained in eggs can have a positive effect on the quality of hair growth, nails, and skin condition;
- The body quickly gets used to small portions and simple food.
However, this method of nutrition has disadvantages and even contraindications.
Omelette recipes
We offer such an easy to prepare dish. You will need 2 eggs, 50 ml of milk or whey, a piece of rye bread, dill, butter - 20 g. Beat the eggs with a whisk, add milk. The bread is cut into cubes and fried until golden brown. The croutons are filled with the egg mixture. The finished omelette is decorated with chopped dill.
For another omelet with fillings you will need 2 eggs, green onions, carrots and vegetable oil. Break the eggs into a bowl, add finely chopped herbs and grated carrots. Pour a ladle of the mixture onto a hot frying pan. As soon as it is fried, it is rolled into a roll. At the end it is browned on all sides.
Contraindications to the egg diet
The list of permitted products may vary slightly. It all depends only on the duration of the diet: will it be one week, two or a month.
Despite the simplicity of the diet, it has a number of strict rules:
- It is forbidden to change the order of food, that is, you cannot eat lunch for dinner or vice versa;
- it is forbidden to remove or add any foods throughout the diet;
- It is necessary to remove sugar, mayonnaise and sweets from the diet;
- Drinking alcoholic beverages is also strictly prohibited;
- the amount of water consumed should increase;
- in case of a breakdown on something forbidden, it is better to start the diet again. It will be useless to continue it.
It is imperative to take into account that rapid weight loss can cause exacerbation of chronic diseases, so you should approach any method with caution.
Advantages and disadvantages
There are many advantages to the protein-citrus diet:
- tasty;
- satisfying;
- effective;
- quenching thirst;
- elimination of swelling;
- blood purification;
- improvement of the body;
- overcoming stress and depression;
- no stretch marks on the skin;
- prevention of muscle wasting.
That is, in addition to guaranteed weight loss, while on a special diet there will be a normalization of well-being, restoration of skin beauty and increased activity. However, it is too early to rejoice. In order not to encounter the pitfalls of the food system, you need to understand that it is not completely harmless.
Firstly, oranges contain acids and, if consumed regularly, can negatively affect the mucous membrane of the esophagus. Regular use of eggs also has a bad effect on the health of the digestive system: discomfort in the abdomen, pain, cramps and intestinal disorders (flatulence, bloating, constipation). Sometimes there may be an acetone odor from the mouth and a whitish coating on the tongue.
Important! Often, a protein-citrus diet is accompanied by sleep disturbances, that is, banal insomnia.
Secondly, protein and citrus products are the strongest allergens, and if consumed regularly, intolerance can develop even in those who have not previously noted such a reaction in the body.
Another disadvantage of the system can be considered uniformity. Within a month (this is the longest duration), even their staunch fans may become disgusted with both products.
List of permitted products
- chicken or quail eggs. 3 quail eggs = 1 chicken;
- all citrus fruits are allowed in unlimited quantities. Among other fruits, preference should be given to low-calorie types: for example, peaches, pear, melon, pineapple or apple;
- meat, lean chicken;
- low-fat fish varieties. These include cod, pollock or tuna;
- Vegetables are a great addition to the egg diet. For example, carrots, cabbage, eggplants, beans, peas, beans are also allowed;
- any greens - dill, parsley, onion or garlic - can be used as a seasoning;
- Cheese also has a high protein content; for example, 100 grams of cheese will contain almost 25 grams of protein, while for eggs this number will be in the range of 10-12 grams;
- Any herbal infusions are allowed from drinks (naturally without sugar). You can use kefir, but it must be low-fat.
If cheese appears on the menu, then preference should be given to soft varieties, and all salty varieties should be put aside.
General opinion of doctors and nutritionists
It should be noted that doctors are not particularly enthusiastic about the egg diet. Nutritionists everywhere call for a proper balanced diet, which takes into account not only calories, but also a balance of “proteins-fats-carbohydrates”.
As described above, the egg diet excludes carbohydrates and fats from the diet. With a lack of fat, the activity of the central nervous system can be disrupted and immunity may decrease.
With a lack of carbohydrates, destabilization of the activity of the central nervous system and muscles is possible, physical and mental activity is reduced, and exhaustion of the body as a whole is possible.
It is for this reason that nutritionists are wary of the egg diet, especially since it is quite long, and such an imbalance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates can negatively affect human health.
Fully or partially limited products
It is best to completely exclude salt, pepper, seasonings, and sauces from the diet.
It is worth limiting your consumption of the following products:
- legumes; Although they are not prohibited, they should be used with caution. For example, a good addition to chicken would be a few tablespoons of beans;
- bakery products. Once a week you can treat yourself to toast or one piece of bread;
- cheese is also a food that should be consumed with caution. You can consume about 20 grams of feta, feta cheese or Adyghe cheese per day;
- the consumption of sweet vegetables - for example, beets or corn - should also be minimized;
- It is better to slightly limit the consumption of even not very sweet fruits.
List of prohibited products
- fruits high in sugar. It is worth giving up figs, mangoes, grapes and bananas;
- canned vegetables;
- pasta, confectionery;
- porridge from cereals, even if they are boiled in water;
- sausages and fatty meats: such as pork, duck or lamb;
- milk, kefir fat greater than 2.5%. Cottage cheese should not be more than 5% fat;
- any sweet carbonated drinks.
During the diet, the body experiences stress, so you should not give it unnecessary stress in the form of alcohol.
Egg diet for 7 days
A weekly diet allows you to quickly get rid of extra pounds. Biotin, which is found in eggs, is responsible for the fat burning process. A variety of products allows you to not experience much stress when losing weight. The cost of products will not exceed 2-2.5 thousand rubles. According to those who lose weight using this method, you can lose up to 5 kilograms. Some doctors advise sticking to such a diet once every six months.
The seven-day diet menu may vary. Let us give one of countless examples.
Detailed menu (option)
Breakfast throughout the week will not have much change. In the morning it is best to eat an egg, 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, and citrus. The drink can be diluted freshly squeezed juice, coffee or tea without milk and sugar.
Further, the diet will be written without taking into account breakfast.
- First day:
- Second day:
- The third day:
- Fourth day:
- Fifth day:
- Sixth day:
- Seventh day:
Lunch can consist of 2 eggs, a tomato or another vegetable. You can make herbal tea;
For dinner you can eat 1 egg, grapefruit or orange, and brew a herbal infusion. You can dilute the diet with a vinaigrette of carrots, beets, and 1 potato. The salad does not need to be seasoned with oil.
For lunch you can eat fruit, but only one type. It could be 2 apples, an orange or a grapefruit.
Dinner can consist of boiled beef, a portion of vegetable salad without oil.
Lunch: boiled chicken fillet without skin, green tea without sugar. You can also allow yourself to eat a piece of bread once a week.
Dinner: 100-150 grams of lean fish, small grapefruit.
Lunch: steam cutlets from lean minced meat, you can add cauliflower.
Dinner: 2 eggs, 150 grams of fish, vegetable salad without oil.
Lunch: 2 eggs, any salad without oil. For example, you can make a salad of carrots, cucumber and green apple. All ingredients must be either finely chopped with a knife or grated.
Dinner: steamed fish, side dish can be tomato or spinach salad. You can also eat 1 orange.
Lunch: any fruit from the permitted list, but only one type.
For example, 2 apples or a small orange. Dinner: any kind of vegetable salad. For example, pepper, spinach, tomato.
Lunch: boil 150-200 grams of chicken fillet without skin, steam vegetables.
Dinner: you can steam cauliflower and broccoli. Grapefruit, orange.
What can you cook using the egg weight loss method?
Chicken breast baked with garlic
Chicken breast is an ideal dietary meat. You can prepare a fragrant and tasty dish from it.
Ingredients:
- chicken breast - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- juice of one half lemon.
Chicken breasts should be washed, skin removed and small cuts made in the meat. Peel the garlic cloves and cut into thin slices. Insert a garlic clove into each pocket.
Preparing chicken breast for baking
Place the prepared breast in an oven preheated to 200 °C and leave to bake for 30–40 minutes. Then pour lemon juice over the meat and place in the oven for another 2 minutes.
Vegetable stew
To prepare the dish you should take:
- cabbage - ¼ fork;
- zucchini - 1 pc.;
- tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- garlic - 1 clove;
- water - 200 ml
First, all the vegetables need to be prepared: chop the cabbage, scald and peel the tomatoes, and then chop them. You should also chop the zucchini and onion and pass the garlic through a press.
Pour water into a frying pan with high sides and add cabbage, onion and garlic. Simmer with the lid closed until done. Then add the zucchini to the vegetables and cook covered for 15 minutes. After this, place the tomatoes in a frying pan and simmer over low heat until fully cooked.
Stewed vegetables - a tasty and nutritious dish
Egg diet for 2 weeks
An egg diet for 2 weeks makes it possible to get rid of almost 10 kilograms of excess weight. The feeling of hunger on this type of diet may only be present for the first 2-3 days. At this time, the body is just rebuilding and getting used to the new regime.
Breakfasts for a two-week diet depend only on the choice of the person losing weight. It is best to eat one small grapefruit, orange or any other citrus for breakfast. 1-2 hard-boiled eggs, black tea or coffee without milk, sugar. You can replace it with a glass of diluted freshly squeezed juice.
Detailed menu
The menu for the second week could be as follows:
Day | Dinner | Dinner |
Monday | 200 grams of lean meat can be boiled or steamed. Vegetable salad. | 2 soft-boiled eggs, one citrus. |
Tuesday | 150-200 grams of fish (for example, pollock), salad of any vegetables. | 200-250 milliliters of low-fat kefir, vinaigrette without oil, beans and pickles. |
Wednesday | 150 grams of cottage cheese, fat percentage no more than 5, steamed vegetables. | Vegetable salad with boiled meat. |
Thursday | Boil or bake skinless chicken leg and vegetables. | Eggs, cucumber or tomato. |
Friday | Lean meat can be steamed with vegetables, apple, pear or orange. | 150 grams of fish, tomatoes with onions or garlic. |
Saturday | 100-150 grams of low-fat cheese, 1 piece of toast, vegetables. | One type of any fruit without restrictions on quantity. |
Sunday | Boiled meat with vegetable salad, apple or plum. | You can prepare zucchini stew by adding some peas (not canned) and carrots. 2 boiled eggs, orange or other citrus. |
Reviews and results of losing weight
Antonina, 32 years old
I learned about this diet last year from the Internet. It captivated me with its affordability (my husband and I are supplied with eggs by relatives from the village, and buying citrus fruits is not a problem at all). Oranges and eggs also won over reviews of the diet. Girls on the forums wrote that they were able to lose weight great.
Naturally, I did not fast during my marathon. I chose a weekly one (3-4 days seemed to me not enough). What is a diet week? It seems that you can be patient, and the weight is coming off well. I ate like this: several boiled eggs and a whole orange for breakfast and dinner, and in the middle of the day I ate vegetable salads, drank kefir and sometimes treated myself to boiled chicken meat, only without the skin. I also drank green tea with a small amount of honey (I know it’s not allowed, but I can’t drink unsweetened tea!) and plain water. I lost 4.5 kg in a week. I don't need any more, because bones are ugly!
Maria, 38 years old
Several years ago I worked as a consultant in a branded clothing salon. Of course, it had to look 100%, otherwise there would be no sales. So, after the New Year holidays, my weight increased by 3.7 kg. I started looking for a method to lose weight, and quickly. And I found a protein-citrus system. The menu for 4 weeks did not please me. Firstly, it’s somehow meager, and secondly, it’s too long. I found a five-day option. To be honest, I expected that dieting would be more difficult. But no. I survived 5 days easily and lost 2.8 kg. How happy I was then, I would have known that it was in vain. The pounds came back as quickly as they had gone.
Anastasia, 26 years old
I followed this diet for the prescribed month. She has many options, but I chose this one because I wanted to lose a lot at once. In addition to eggs and oranges, she ate boiled chicken breast, low-fat cottage cheese, stewed vegetables and drank kefir. I also drank green tea and a lot of clean water without carbon. My result is minus 16 kg. The advantage of the diet is that the result becomes noticeable within a week. By the way, I don’t feel like eating, the diet is quite filling. I didn’t play sports, I just walked a lot. Overall, I liked it, but it's not for everyone. If you have stomach and liver problems, experts do not recommend such a diet. I think this is correct.
Egg diet for 3 and 4 weeks
A long-term diet can negatively affect your health, so if signs of illness appear, you should stop it immediately and immediately seek help from a specialist. This way of eating causes a lot of stress in the body, so the result may not live up to expectations.
Detailed menu
From the 3rd week the diet changes completely. Every day you can eat only 1-2 products from the list of permitted foods. In this case, eggs are excluded, and the main emphasis in the menu is on vegetables, fruits, fish or meat.
A detailed menu for the 3rd week might look like this:
- Monday: for breakfast you can eat any fruit from the list of allowed ones. Prohibited: bananas, grapes, mangoes, dates. Throughout the day, you can eat the same foods that you ate for breakfast.
- Tuesday: in the morning you can cook steamed vegetables (only potatoes are prohibited), any vegetable salad. For lunch and dinner - also vegetables.
- Wednesday: all day you can eat any fruits and vegetables in unlimited quantities.
- Thursday: During the day you can eat lean fish with steamed vegetables.
- Friday: boil or bake lean meat; it is better to give preference to vegetables during lunch and evening.
- Saturday/Sunday: on these days you can choose one type of permitted fruit - and eat it without restrictions.
The 4th week is the most difficult period in the diet; more stringent restrictions appear here. The foods listed below should be eaten throughout the day, in any quantity. It is strictly forbidden to exclude or add anything to the menu.
- Monday: 200 grams of any lean meat, it can be prepared in any way, for example, boiled or baked. Canned tuna without oil, 3-4 tomatoes, one small orange or other citrus.
- Tuesday: almost no different from the diet on Monday, only citrus can be replaced with any other fruit.
- Wednesday: 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, toast from rye flour bread, any vegetables, citrus fruits.
- Thursday: 200 grams of chicken fillet, tomatoes, cucumbers, one type of any permitted fruit.
- Friday: hard-boiled eggs (no more than 2 pieces), 3-4 tomatoes, any boiled vegetables, orange.
- Saturday: 200 grams of boiled or steamed chicken, 150 grams of low-fat cottage cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, low-fat kefir, orange or grapefruit.
- Sunday: cottage cheese, tuna without oil, a piece of rye bread, orange, grapefruit.
How to cook and what to eat with
Most culinary recipes for scrambled eggs involve frying them in vegetable or animal fats. Because of this, the calorie content of the dish increases, so the priority method of preparing the dietary version is steam, or according to the principle of stewing with the addition of oil. Here are some important recommendations that will help those losing weight to properly prepare and introduce scrambled eggs into their diet:
- The optimal number of chicken eggs for a portion of a diet dish is 2 pieces.
- The choice for frying between butter (with a calorie content of 748 kcal) and vegetable oil (for example, the calorie content of sunflower oil is 899 kcal) should be decided in favor of the first.
- The best option is scrambled eggs without the use of oils. Here frying pans coated with modern non-stick materials, a multicooker, an oven, etc. will come to the rescue.
- The usefulness of the dish increases if eggs are combined with vegetables and herbs.
Quitting the egg diet
Diets are always stressful for the body, so they must be completed correctly. A sudden transition to the usual type of diet almost always causes the return of excess weight. There are several universal rules that will help you get out of the diet without harm to your health. Firstly, familiar foods should be introduced into the diet gradually. This way, the risk of overloading the stomach is minimized.
Secondly, for 7 days after the diet you should continue to eat those foods that were the basis of your diet. You can’t completely exclude eggs, chicken, fish and vegetables from the menu.
Thirdly, flour and sweets should be added to the menu gradually, 2 weeks after the end of the diet.
Also, do not forget about water; maintaining water balance is simply necessary. Proper nutrition after a diet will allow you to maintain the results for some time.
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.
Results of egg diets
The Internet is full of rave reviews about this method of losing weight. Girls claim that excess weight really goes away quickly, that over the entire period of the diet you can lose up to 20 kilograms, some sometimes write that their former fat does not return to them immediately, and even that when switching from this diet to the previous diet, the ideal shape for some it supposedly stays for a long time.
Of course, “Internet reviews” do not reflect the true picture of the egg diet. In fact, few people manage to lose 15-20 kilograms in 3-4 weeks. During the entire course, you may lose only 2-3 extra kilos, which will happily return soon after its completion. In addition, it is quite difficult to meet such a deadline, and any disruption to the process means that the entire course must be started all over again.
In general, as always when discussing diets, the issue of maintaining the weight loss results achieved by conscious dietary restrictions comes to the fore. But when this need is translated into habit, it ceases to be a problem. So why choke on already hated eggs and grapefruits week after week, only to see your previous numbers on the scales after the same number of weeks, when thanks to psychotherapeutic methods you can acquire the habit of eating right for the rest of your life?
To summarize the above, let us recall that diet is always an individual process. Without undergoing a preliminary examination by a doctor, it is impossible to say in advance what results you will have in the notorious 1-4 weeks and how these egg experiments will affect your health in general, so it is better to first discuss any idea about limiting yourself in your usual diet with a specialized specialist.
Side effects and contraindications
The egg diet for a week is not suitable for everyone, because it is fast, unbalanced and requires special endurance. If there are any restrictions, it is necessary to interrupt the diet or not start it at all, otherwise it can cause serious complications or side effects.
Side effects:
- Constipation;
- Irritability;
- Fatigue;
- Weakness;
Contraindications:
- The weekly egg diet is not recommended during pregnancy and lactation.
- People who are allergic to eggs and citrus fruits should not choose this diet.
- In case of chronic diseases of the kidneys, liver, or gastrointestinal tract, before any diet, be sure to consult with your doctor.
- If you have high cholesterol levels, you need to be careful, because egg yolks contain cholesterol and consuming them in large quantities can be harmful to health.