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 result 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 the person losing weight will undergo big changes: due to the abundant intake of protein, the body will have to waste its fat energy reserves and make efforts to process and absorb high doses of protein. 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 nutrition 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 next two weeks are aimed at consolidating the results (the menu is predominantly low-carbohydrate, plant-based 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 the results of the diet 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, 12% proteins (ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme, ovomucoid, ovomucin). It contains only 0. 3% fat and 0. 7% carbohydrates, as well as a little glucose and a lot of vitamins and microelements, including B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium. That is, to put it in "fairytale" language, the egg is not simple, but "golden"!
Myths and concerns
Many of you have probably heard at one time the warnings of various therapists and nutritionists that excessive consumption of chicken eggs is fraught with the development of serious diseases - they say they contain more than enough bad cholesterol, and protein takes too long to digest. . . What then, you ask, maybe we are even talking about an egg diet for as much as a month?
Indeed, a similar panic took place about 20 years ago. Namely: scientists sounded the alarm by adding chicken eggs to the "harmful list" - it was reported that their constant consumption causes an increase in cholesterol in the blood and the appearance of cholesterol plaques in the arteries.
However, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (apparently very fond of eggs and worried about their undeservedly damaged reputation) conducted a large-scale study. In its course, it turned out that regular consumption of eggs does not affect "bad cholesterol" in any way - its occurrence is regulated by other factors.
Their colleagues at the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that an egg is one of the healthiest breakfast options. For the same amount of calories consumed, sandwich eaters are at greater risk of becoming obese than egg eaters.
However, when dealing with eggs, you should not relax: one of the approximately 20 thousand eggs that go on sale may be contaminated with active salmonella, a bacterium that causes 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, streaked, or "decorated" with particles of droppings or blood. Experts advise washing even the cleanest eggs after purchasing and boiling so that both the yolk and white are completely curdled (about 5 minutes). It is also important to monitor the expiration date of purchased eggs and, having purchased them, store them in the refrigerator on a separate shelf, away from meat and milk. Eggs should be cut on a separate board, which is recommended to be rinsed with boiling water after each use, just like the knife used to cut the eggs.
How to "sit on 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 where, within a month of "sitting on eggs, " those losing weight lost up to 25 kg (with an initial weight of about 100 kg).
What is 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 satiating).
In addition, food costs on a diet become transparent and predictable. And one more interesting point: overseas researchers have found that regularly eating the same food really helps you lose weight. This is a rather psychological moment: for example, a nutritionist may recommend eating eggs for dinner every Wednesday and Saturday. Of course, this in itself will not help you lose tens of kilograms, but it will create a certain discipline to which the body will definitely respond positively. And knowledge of such a mechanism obviously will 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's. . . not eggy all the time. The main focus is the first two weeks, during which you make sure to eat eggs for breakfast and at least one other time a day.
From the third week, 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 your stool.
During the 4-week egg diet, it is important to get enough liquid (at least 1. 5 liters of plain 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 remove from the intestines. Therefore, fiber and liquid remain indispensable allies for fans of a protein diet.
Drinking juice and soda on the egg diet is strictly prohibited. You can allow yourself a morning cup of coffee without milk or sugar and herbal tea (unsweetened).
Monotony is the bane of any strict eating plan. The 4-week egg diet prohibits additional consumption of fats (although it cannot be called fat-free - eggs themselves, fish, and meat contain essential fats, both saturated and unsaturated), but you can experiment with the form of serving foods with a clear conscience. Vegetables and fruits (as well as meat) can be baked without oil, steamed, or stewed. You can also replace boiling eggs with baking, make scrambled eggs without fat, or poach eggs. The key is to ensure that 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 their 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 cease to be the main dish, easy-to-cook foods are also included;
- the egg diet, like any other protein diet, is well suited for those involved in fitness;
- 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 egg diet for 4 weeks manages to keep your 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, fat and fast carbohydrates become such "default figures") - that is, healthy and balanced to call such a nutrition plan in its original formit is impossible;
- Excess protein and lack of carbohydrates can cause various problems and ailments, 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 hard boiled eggs + ½ orange or 2 eggs + ½ grapefruit.
Monday
- Lunch: one any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: lean meat (boiled or grilled)
Tuesday
- Lunch: Boiled or grilled skinless chicken
- Dinner: salad of cucumber, tomatoes, lettuce, bell pepper and carrots, 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: one any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: lean grilled or boiled meat + lettuce
Friday
- Lunch: one any boiled vegetable in any quantity (beans, green peas, carrots or zucchini) + 2 boiled eggs
- Dinner: boiled or grilled fish + a portion of lettuce + 1 orange or grapefruit
Saturday
- Lunch: one fruit in unlimited quantity
- Dinner: boiled or grilled meat without fat + lettuce
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled skinless chicken + any steamed vegetables + tomato + 1 grapefruit or orange
- Dinner: the same as lunch
Egg diet: full menu for the second week
Breakfast is the same as breakfast in the first week.
Further by day of the week:
Monday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled lean 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 chicken without skin + boiled vegetables + 1 grapefruit
- Dinner: the same as lunch
Egg diet: full menu for the third week
In the third week, all foods allowed on a certain day can be eaten 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 (exclude potatoes)
Wednesday:combination of foods allowed on Monday and Tuesday
Thursday:fish, boiled or grilled + cabbage
Friday:boiled or grilled lean meat or chicken + boiled or steamed vegetables
Saturday and Sunday:one type of fruit on each weekend (for example, only apples on Saturday and only pears on Sunday)
Last week's menu - way out of the egg diet
Products allowed on a certain day must be distributed throughout the day at your own discretion and consumed without reference to a specific time, but strictly adhering to the prescribed quantity.
- Monday:4 small grilled steaks (75 g each) of beef or ¼ boiled chicken without skin, 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 boiled chicken without skin, 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 boiled vegetables, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 toast, 1 grapefruit
The 4-week egg diet requires strict adherence to the 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 keep it at the desired level by monitoring your diet and physical activity.