It is ideal for those who believe in the effectiveness of low carb diets. The monthly diet developed by American nutritionists actually prescribes eating eggs every day for only half of the period: the rest of the time is spent on consolidating the weight loss results and checking the habit of being content with little.
The 4 Week Egg Diet is a serious test of patience and intention! During this month, the metabolism of those losing weight will undergo major changes: due to the abundant intake of proteins, the body will have to waste its energy reserves of fat and make efforts to process and absorb high doses of proteins. Thus, the main weight loss will occur in the first two weeks of the diet. However, it is important not to skip the second phase of the monthly nutritional plan, which may not seem very important when good results have already been achieved. If you leave the egg diet incorrectly for 4 weeks, a quick return of excess weight is almost guaranteed.
Duration:4 weeks;
Peculiarities:strict, you must strictly follow the prescribed menu. Chicken eggs are the main product in the first two weeks of the diet, the following two weeks are aimed at consolidating the results (the menu is predominantly low in carbohydrates, vegetable with small portions of protein);
Result:up to minus 25 kg (depending on initial weight);
Recommended frequency:no more than once a year;
Additional effect:long-term preservation of diet results due to the consumption of fat reserves;
The egg diet is not suitable for 4 weeks:strict vegetarians suffering from kidney and liver diseases, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, with allergies to eggs and/or citrus fruits.
Before starting an egg diet for a month, you should consult your doctor!
A chicken egg consists of 85% water and 12% proteins (ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme, ovomucoid, ovomucin). It contains only 0. 3% fat and 0. 7% carbohydrates, as well as a little glucose and many vitamins and microelements, including B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium. That is, speaking in "fairy tale" language, the egg is not simple, but "golden"!
Myths and concerns
Many of you have probably heard the warnings of various therapists and nutritionists that excessive consumption of chicken eggs is fraught with the development of serious diseases - they say that they contain more than enough bad cholesterol and proteins take a long time to be digested . . So, you ask, maybe we are talking about an egg diet for up to a month?
In fact, a similar panic occurred about 20 years ago. Namely: scientists raised the alarm by adding chicken eggs to the "harmful list" - it was reported that their constant consumption causes an increase in blood cholesterol and the appearance of cholesterol plaques in the arteries.
However, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (apparently they really like eggs and are worried about their undeservedly damaged reputation) conducted a large-scale study. In its course, it turned out that regular consumption of eggs does not in any way affect "bad cholesterol" - its occurrence is regulated by other factors.
Their colleagues at the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that eggs are one of the healthiest breakfast options. For the same amount of calories consumed, those who eat sandwiches are at greater risk of becoming obese than those who eat eggs.
However, when dealing with eggs, one should not relax: one of the approximately 20, 000 eggs on sale may be contaminated with active salmonella, bacteria that cause an acute intestinal infection, especially dangerous for children.
Therefore, when choosing eggs for the egg diet for the full 4 weeks, avoid those whose shells are damaged, ridged or "decorated" with particles of feces or blood. Experts advise washing even the cleanest eggs after purchasing them and boiling them so that the yolk and white are completely curdled (about 5 minutes). It is also important to monitor the expiration date of purchased eggs and, after purchasing them, store them in the refrigerator on a separate shelf, away from meat and milk. Eggs should be cut on a separate cutting board, which is recommended to rinse with boiling water after each use, as well as the knife used to cut the eggs.
How to "sit on your eggs" correctly?
"If there is a honeymoon, why shouldn't we have an egg month? ", thought American nutritionists and, based on the success of the 7-day egg diet, they invented the 4-week egg week. Longer duration means better effect. Cases have been recorded when, within a month after "walking on eggshells", those who lost weight lost up to 25 kg (with an initial weight of about 100 kg).
What's good about the egg diet and why for 4 weeks? With chicken eggs you get pure protein, without excess fat and fewer unnecessary calories (also due to the fact that, in principle, you eat less - because eggs are perfectly filling).
Furthermore, food costs in a diet become transparent and predictable. And one more interesting point: foreign researchers have found that regularly eating the same foods really helps you lose weight. This is a very psychological moment: for example, a nutritionist may recommend eating eggs for dinner every Wednesday and Saturday. Of course, this alone will not help you lose dozens of kilograms, but it will create a certain discipline to which the body will certainly respond positively. And knowledge of such a mechanism will obviously not harm those who watch their figure and strive to control their weight.
Do you like chicken eggs? The 4 week egg diet is a good way to test how strong this food craving is.
However, not everything is so simple with an egg diet for a month. The main surprise is that. . . It doesn’t stay egg-y all the time. The main focus is the first two weeks, during which you eat eggs for breakfast and at least once more a day.
From the third week onwards, the protein component is replaced by other protein-rich foods (fish and beef or poultry), and the menu becomes especially rich in fruits and vegetables. The abundance of fiber helps intestinal motility, which is very useful, especially if chicken eggs have a strengthening effect on the stool.
During the 4-week egg diet, it is important to drink enough fluids (at least 1. 5 liters of still water per day). As you already know, protein is a complex substance. During its processing, indigestible residues are formed, which are very important to be removed from the intestine. Therefore, fiber and liquids continue to be indispensable allies for those following a protein diet.
It is strictly forbidden to drink juice and soda on the egg diet. You can allow yourself a morning cup of coffee without milk or sugar and herbal tea (without sugar).
Monotony is the bane of any strict eating plan. The 4-week egg diet prohibits the consumption of additional fats (although it cannot be called fat-free - eggs, fish and meat themselves contain essential fats, both saturated and unsaturated), but you can experiment with how to serve the food with a clear conscience. Vegetables and fruits (as well as meat) can be roasted without oil, steamed or stewed. You can also substitute hard-boiled eggs for baked eggs, make fat-free scrambled eggs, or poach eggs. The key is to make sure the egg is cooked evenly.
You cannot eat raw eggs during the 4 week egg diet.
Pros of the egg diet
- Eggs are a delicious food. Even taking into account the restrictions on the use of fat in its preparation, there is room for culinary imagination in the egg diet;
- eggs cook quickly, which means the diet will not require separate time resources. In the second part of the egg diet for 4 weeks, when eggs are no longer the main dish, easy-to-cook foods are also included;
- the egg diet, like any other protein diet, is suitable for those who exercise;
- egg protein and trace elements contained in eggs have a positive effect on skin, hair and nails;
- eggs keep you full for a long time - even with small portions, the 4 week egg diet can keep hunger at bay.
Cons and risks of the egg diet for 4 weeks
- Despite its relative diversity, the egg diet remains a fad diet, which involves an almost complete rejection of a certain type of macronutrients (in the four-week egg diet, fats and fast carbohydrates become these "standard values" ) - that is, healthy and balanced, it is impossible to name such a nutritional plan in its original form;
- Excess protein and lack of carbohydrates can cause various problems and illnesses, from migraines to bad breath. If you notice undesirable changes in your condition, stop the diet and consult a doctor.
Egg diet for 4 weeks: detailed menu for the first week and reviews
Breakfast is the same every day this week - 2 boiled eggs + ½ orange or 2 eggs + ½ grapefruit.
Monday
- Lunch: any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: lean meat (boiled or grilled)
Tuesday
- Lunch: Boiled or grilled skinless chicken
- Dinner: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, pepper and carrot salad, 2 eggs, + 1 toast + 1 grapefruit or orange
Wednesday
- Lunch: any amount of low-fat, lightly salted cheese + 1 piece of toast + tomato
- Dinner: lean meat, boiled or grilled
Thursday
- Lunch: any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: grilled or boiled lean meat + lettuce
Friday
- Lunch: a cooked vegetable in any quantity (beans, peas, carrots or zucchini) + 2 boiled eggs
- Dinner: boiled or grilled fish + portion of lettuce + 1 orange or grapefruit
Saturday
- Lunch: unlimited fruit
- Dinner: boiled or grilled meat without fat + lettuce
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled skinless chicken + steamed vegetables + tomato + 1 grapefruit or orange
- Dinner: same as lunch
Egg diet: complete menu for the second week
Breakfast is the same as the first week's breakfast.
More by day of the week:
Monday
- Lunch: lean boiled or grilled meat + lettuce
- Dinner: 2 eggs + lettuce + grapefruit
Tuesday
Identical to Monday's menu
Wednesday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled lean meat + cucumber salad without dressing and salt
- Dinner: 2 eggs + grapefruit
Thursday
- Lunch: 2 eggs + boiled vegetables + cottage cheese
- Dinner: 2 eggs
Friday
- Lunch: grilled or boiled meat + 2-3 tomatoes
- Dinner: 2 eggs
Saturday
- Lunch: Friday lunch menu + grapefruit
- Dinner: fruit salad (e. g. apple, pear, tangerine) without dressing
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled skinless chicken + boiled vegetables + 1 grapefruit
- Dinner: same as lunch
Egg diet: complete menu for the third week
In the third week, all foods permitted on a given day can be consumed at any time, without restrictions on volume and quantity.
Monday:fruits (except banana, grapes, mango, fig)
Tuesday:any boiled or steamed vegetables and fresh vegetables in the form of salads (except potatoes)
Wednesday:combination of foods allowed on Monday and Tuesday
Thursday:boiled or grilled fish + cabbage
Friday:boiled or grilled lean meat or chicken + boiled or steamed vegetables
Saturday and Sunday: one type of fruit each weekend (e. g. only apples on Saturday and only pears on Sunday)
Last week's menu – well outside the egg diet
The products permitted on a given day must be distributed throughout the day at your discretion and consumed without reference to a specific time, but strictly respecting the prescribed quantity.
- Monday:4 small grilled steaks (75 g each) of beef or ¼ skinless cooked chicken, a can of canned tuna in its own juice, 4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit
- Tuesday:200 grams of boiled meat, 4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit, 1 apple or pear
- Wednesday:300 grams of boiled vegetables, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit
- Thursday:½ cooked skinless chicken, 1 cucumber, 3 tomatoes, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit
- Friday:3 tomatoes, 10 lettuce leaves, 2 boiled eggs, 1 grapefruit
- Saturday:2 boiled chicken breasts, 1 toast, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 120 g of cottage cheese, grapefruit, 1 glass of kefir
- Sunday:1 can of tuna in its own juice, 200 grams of cooked vegetables, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit
The 4-week egg diet requires strict adherence to recommendations and does not tolerate violations of the regime. The result of following this rather long and complex diet will be numbers on the scale that are pleasing to the eye. An egg diet for 4 weeks allows you to achieve your "dream weight" and only you can maintain it at the desired level by monitoring your diet and physical activity.