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Home arrow Nutrition arrow Weight Management arrow 3-Day Egg Diet: Can It Help You to Lose Weight Safely?

3-Day Egg Diet: Can It Help You to Lose Weight Safely?

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Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
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Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: August 7, 2023
6 min read 1763 Views 0 Comments
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Is the egg fast a safe and sustainable weight loss method to try?

3 day egg diet

The diet world is forever producing new methods to help us lose weight and become the healthiest version of ourselves. 

Knowing which approach to take with so much choice can be challenging. We’re constantly fed information about the latest diet trends and promised spectacular results. 

Unfortunately, not every diet is safe, sustainable, or practical. 

The 3-day egg diet is one such diet that edges toward the more extreme methods of losing weight. Can eating eggs and cutting out most food products be beneficial to health? 

We give you the full explanation of the egg diet, from how to practice it to advantages and potential risks. From here, you can make a conscious decision as to whether the method can aid your weight loss journey.

What Is the Egg Diet?

The 3-day egg diet, also known as the egg fast or keto egg fast, is a strict diet that entails eating only eggs, butter, and cheese over a short period of 3 to 5 days. It is a low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein diet that you should only follow temporarily.

The primary ethos of the egg fast is to lose body fat without losing muscle mass in the process.

Some describe the diet as a variation of the keto diet, as many keto dieters practice it as it is low in carbs.

It’s said to help people overcome a weight plateau by triggering the switch to the metabolic state of ketosis. The body morphs into a fat-burning mode in ketosis, using stored fat for fuel.

Can I Eat Eggs While on Keto? 

Yes! You can enjoy eggs on the keto diet as they are an excellent food source, high in healthy fats, protein, and low in carbs. 

Per the USDA, one large egg contains 4.76 grams of fat, 6.3 grams of protein, and only 0.36 grams of carbs.

And according to some research, eggs may increase feelings of satiety which is great for keto as you try to curb hunger pangs.

Eggs are nutrient-dense whole food free from processing and harmful ingredients.

It’s best to consume eggs whole (egg yolks and egg whites) for optimal health benefits.

Egg Diet: Is It Safe & Effective? 

The 3-day egg diet is an extreme meal plan. As with any diet, it is not safe or appropriate for everybody. 

It’s essential to understand that you should only follow this diet for a short period (no more than five days). It is not a highly nutritious diet as it limits other healthy food groups. Prolonging it can put your health at risk. 

If you practice the egg fast sensibly and don’t exceed the recommended time, it’s generally a safe way to kick a weight loss plateau and get your body burning fat again.

It is also effective for weight loss, as you reduce your calories over the period. Consuming fewer calories is vital to creating a calorie deficit. It also promotes ketosis, which helps you shed pounds quickly as your body turns to fat as an energy source, making ketogenic diets so popular.

The egg diet may be an ideal method to increase levels of ketone bodies in the blood.

With the potential risks, it is not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding moms or those with eating disorders. 

The diet also doesn’t suit vegans or people with an egg allergy or intolerance. 

As with any weight loss program, you should always seek medical supervision, especially with extreme diets such as this.

How Does Egg Fast Work?

The egg fast works to promote weight loss by facilitating ketosis.

Ketosis is a metabolic switch that occurs when you starve your body of glucose with a low-carb diet. Ordinarily, the body uses glucose from carbohydrates as its preferred fuel to give you energy. 

As ketogenic diets drastically reduce carbohydrate intake, your body finds another way to fuel itself. The liver produces ketone bodies from fat stores and produces energy that way.

A typical ketogenic diet allows a carb budget of only 20–50 grams per day. You take your remaining daily calories from a high-fat, moderate-protein diet.

A keto egg fast diet is harsher than the traditional ketogenic diet, as you primarily consume eggs and temporarily stop eating most other foods.

You immediately reduce your caloric intake, which leads to weight loss. 

There are several variations of the egg fast meal plan and lots of keto egg fast recipes, but there are some standard guidelines, including how many eggs to eat per day.

  • Eat a minimum of six whole eggs every day. You can have scrambled eggs, deviled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, and more
  • You should eat the first egg of the day within a half-hour of waking up
  • For every egg consumed, eat a tablespoon of healthy fat such as grass-fed butter, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or any other healthy oil
  • Add up to 1 ounce of full-fat cheese per egg, such as blue cheese or cream cheese

Benefits of the 3-Day Egg Diet

The egg fast diet is gaining popularity due to the following benefits.

#1 Helps With Weight Loss 

Egg fast recipes help you lose weight, similar to the ketogenic diet. It can help you reach ketosis more quickly by restricting your carbs. 

Eggs promote satiety, so you’re left feeling fuller for longer. This can prevent you from overeating, developing cravings, and exceeding your daily calorie count.

Overall, you consume fewer calories than usual, facilitating a calorie deficit in which you burn more calories than you take in, promoting weight loss.

#2 Nutritious 

Eggs are an excellent source of healthy fat and protein, containing all essential amino acids. They are minimally processed and don’t contain additional ingredients. 

The high protein intake reduces hunger, suppresses appetite, and protects your muscles.

#3 Can Reduce Insulin Resistance 

An egg fast may reduce insulin resistance, as low-carb diets like ketogenic diets may improve the body’s ability to control blood sugar. 

However, it’s vital to consult your doctor before trying the keto egg diet if you have diabetes. 

Side Effects of the 3-Day Egg Diet

As always with fad diets, the keto egg fast diet has some drawbacks. You should consider the following possible side effects before approaching an egg fast. 

#1 Possible Constipation 

Constipation is a common side effect of following an egg fast. 

The egg fast diet restricts most foods, including many that are high in dietary fiber. Your body relies on fiber for a happy gut as it keeps things moving. Without enough fiber in your diet, you’re likely to experience irregular bathroom habits.

#2 Not a Sustainable Way to Lose Weight 

The 3-day egg fast is unsustainable because you can only practice it for a very short period. 

While it may facilitate fat loss, the results are only temporary for many. You may quickly regain the lost weight when you return to your usual eating habits.

If you find success with the diet, you mustn’t prolong it. Continuing the diet for longer than the recommended 3–5 days can cause a nutritional deficiency with multiple adverse effects. 

It’s impossible to get your essential vitamins and minerals from an egg fast. 

#3 Dangerous for People With Eating Disorders

Individuals with a history of disordered eating or those who are more at risk of developing an eating disorder should avoid the egg fast. 

Placing harsh restrictions on your eating habits can encourage an unhealthy relationship with food. 

Drastically reducing your calorie intake can lead to excessive hunger, resulting in binge eating, creating a vicious cycle. 

How to Lose Weight Easily? 

Any health expert will tell you that the best technique for effective weight loss that is healthy and sustainable is to combine a balanced diet with regular exercise. 

The following list includes the most efficient and clinically proven ways to fight the fat and shed excess pounds:

  • Eat a healthy balanced diet that covers all nutritious food groups and focuses on whole foods
  • Eliminate refined and highly processed foods from your diet 
  • Increase your water intake 
  • Reduce your calorie intake 
  • Increase your physical activity 

A Word From RD

The 3-day egg diet is gaining popularity as an effective weight-loss tool.

It focuses on a short-term diet primarily consisting of eggs, healthy fats such as butter and olive oil, and other lean proteins (beef, poultry, fish). You may also include some low-carb vegetables (spinach, collard greens, etc.) in moderation.

The egg fast is a stringent diet that eliminates many foods. For this reason, you should not follow the rules for more than the advised period (five days maximum).

Doing so can lead to nutritional deficiencies and other health risks associated with a harsh diet plan.

Some people try an egg fast when they reach a stall during the keto diet journey. Taking drastic control over your eating habits for a 3–5 day period can help you beat a weight loss plateau.

Always talk to your health provider before approaching egg fasts.

The Takeaway

Whether you want to start fighting belly fat or break a weight-loss stall, the 3-day egg diet can boost your efforts.

However, the egg fast is a fad diet that healthy adults should only use as a temporary measure. It is in no way a sustainable weight-loss method, and you should obtain your doctor’s advice before trying it. 

Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
Edibel Quintero is a medical doctor who graduated in 2013 from the University of Zulia and has been working in her profession since then. She specializes in obesity and nutrition, physical rehabilitation, sports massage and post-operative rehabilitation. Edibel’s goal is to help people live healthier lives by educating them about food, exercise, mental wellness and other lifestyle choices that can improve their quality of life.
The article was fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
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HR_author_photo_Edibel
Written by Edibel Quintero, RD
HR_author_photo_Rosmy
Fact checked by Rosmy Barrios, MD
Last update: August 7, 2023
6 min read 1763 Views 0 Comments
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