With the egg diet we should be able to lose up to nine kilos in two weeks. We explain the concept and reveal delicious recipes.
What is the Egg Diet?
The egg diet is one of the so-called low-carb methods and should be able to help us lose weight. This means that a lot of protein is absorbed and carbohydrates are largely avoided. With the egg diet you should eat up to 35 eggs per week – so up to five per day. Since the body no longer has to burn carbohydrates, it falls back on the body's own fat stores. A positive side effect: the protein ensures that no muscle mass is broken down.
How did the egg diet come about?
The egg diet was started almost 40 years ago by the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. At that time, her goal was to get to her desired weight before her election victory. The egg diet is said to have helped that the "Iron Lady" lost 9 kilos in two weeks.
What effects do eggs have on the body?
Eggs have had a bad reputation for years because of their high cholesterol – and wrongly. Because the cholesterol contained in the egg has hardly any effect on the blood values. You are even (surprisingly) healthy, because besides proteins they also contain other good ingredients. These include:
- Vitamins D, B12 and K
- Biotin
- Minerals in the form of iron and selenium
In addition, an egg contains a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, which are considered particularly healthy.
Study shows that eggs help you lose weight
In terms of weight loss, these ingredients help to satiate the body for a long time and get the fat metabolism going. A study by Saint Louis University showed that eggs generally have a positive effect on weight. As part of the study, one group of overweight people had to eat two eggs for breakfast every morning, while another group ate a bagel that had roughly the same number of calories. The result: The test subjects who ate eggs had a 60 percent higher weight loss than their counterparts, ate the bagels. During the day they consumed 330 fewer calories.
Which foods can I still eat on the egg diet?
Unlike what you might initially think, the egg diet is not a classic crash diet – because that would mean that you can only eat eggs. According to the low-carb principle, other foods are also allowed here. These include:
- Vegetables, for example tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, broccoli, spinach
- Fruits, for example apples, bananas, tangerines, strawberries
- lean meat, for example chicken or turkey meat
- lean fish, for example cod, saithe, pikeperch
- low-calorie drinks, e.g. juice spritzers (with a high water content)
- coffee
The following foods should be avoided largely do without:
- Carbohydrates, for example white flour products or ready meals
- Fats
- sugar
- alcohol
Recipe ideas for the egg diet
You want to get started with the egg diet, but you don't know how to best plan your days nutritionally? Then our ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner can help you:
- Breakfast: Process two eggs into scrambled eggs and add tomato pieces. There is also a citrus fruit such as orange, grapefruit or grapefruit and a cup of tea or coffee.
- Having lunch: A small chicken breast fillet and a salad made from tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and olives, for example. For dessert again a citrus fruit like the grapefruit. An apple spritzer tastes good with it.
- Dinner: Two eggs (boiled) with some cottage cheese and a cup of tea.
Criticism of the egg diet
Eggs are healthy, but you should always pay attention to the measure. The amount of protein recommended by the German Nutrition Society (DGE) is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day for adults. For a woman with 60 kilograms that would be 48 grams of protein (a good 3 eggs per day). The upper limit is two grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For example, if you eat an egg for breakfast every morning, you won't do anything wrong.
As a healthy person, you can go on the egg diet for up to two weeks without hesitation, after which you should eat more balanced food again. The one-sided diet can otherwise lead to deficiency symptoms. The yo-yo effect is also not unlikely if you eat the same way after the diet as before. For long-term weight loss, a balanced diet or diets that are considered healthy such as the Mediterranean diet and sufficient exercise are more suitable.
Reading tips: Do you want more help shedding a few pounds? Then take a look at our weight loss tips. We also explain how weight loss can work without hunger and weight loss without exercise.
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DGE: how much protein do we need?