Keto Means
Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava Pexels Logo Photo: Dziana Hasanbekava

What is the 3 day egg challenge?

The 3 day egg diet, otherwise known as an egg fast, is a diet in which one consumes primarily eggs, butter, and cheese for a short period of time. This temporarily restrictive diet is low-calorie, low-carb, and high-protein and typically results in fat loss mass without losing muscle.

Do you poop less when losing weight?
Do you poop less when losing weight?

Healthful weight loss diets usually include lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. These are all high in fiber. Including more fiber in the...

Read More »
What foods are off limits on keto diet?
What foods are off limits on keto diet?

List of Foods You Can't Eat on the Keto Diet: Grains. Starchy vegetables and high-sugar fruits. Sweetened yogurt. Juices. Honey, syrup or sugar in...

Read More »

The 3 day egg diet, otherwise known as an egg fast, is a diet in which one consumes primarily eggs, butter, and cheese for a short period of time. This temporarily restrictive diet is low-calorie, low-carb, and high-protein and typically results in fat loss mass without losing muscle. While some variations of the diet date back to the 1970s, today this diet is commonly practiced by people on a ketogenic diet because of its low-carb nature. This meal plan is to help people push through a weight plateau because it’s believed to help trigger ketosis (a state in which the body is burning fat for fuel)(1). It may sound strange, but could this egg diet really help to promote fat loss and ketosis? Let’s take a deeper look.

Rules of the 3 day egg diet

Following a 3 day egg diet may seem simple, however, there are some specific rules some claim are crucial in order to get the maximum benefits. The following is a list of requirements: Consume a minimum of 6 whole eggs every single day making sure to eat every 3 to 5 hours (hard boiled eggs are allowed) The first egg needs to be consumed within 30 minutes of waking up For every egg consumed, you need to eat 1 tablespoon of fat (butter, olive oil, or any other healthy oil) and up to 1 ounce of cheese (cheddar, blue cheese, swiss, mozzarella, string cheese)

You should stop eating 3 hours before bedtime

Drink plenty of water and other zero-calorie beverages

The fast should last anywhere from 3-5 days. Anything longer than that can cause potential health risks.*

What to eat besides eggs

It’s important to note that even though this diet is called an “egg diet”, you can also consume other foods. This includes:

Lean proteins (fish, skinless poultry, lean beef, lamb, pork)

Low-carb vegetables (dark leafy greens, spinach, collard greens, steamed vegetables)

Some fruits (tomatoes, lemons, limes)

Black coffee is fine in small amounts

Foods that are prohibited

It is vital for optimal results to omit the following foods:

Sugar

Fried foods

Processed foods

Starchy vegetables

Health benefits of an egg diet

Quick Weight Loss

The yolk in the eggs contain high amounts of choline (an essential nutrient in the body), which helps to enable the liver to be able to metabolize fat. As mentioned before, when the body metabolizes fat for energy it’s referred to as ketosis. Ketosis therefore promotes fat loss. The diet is also more restrictive than most which means fewer calories are consumed, which also aids in the burning of stored fat as energy.

May Reduce Cravings and Increase Satiety

How many white eggs can I eat a day?
How many white eggs can I eat a day?

The American Heart Association suggests(link opens in new window) one egg (or two egg whites) per day for people who eat them, as part of a healthy...

Read More »
How do you fix water retention on keto?
How do you fix water retention on keto?

5 ways to reduce water weight on keto Consume nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamin B1. ... Increase vegetable...

Read More »

Eggs are high in protein which means they will keep you satiated for longer periods of time and also help from consuming more calories throughout the day. Because the diet is super strict with what you can and cannot eat, you learn to stop eating processed foods that are traditionally seen in the Western diet.

Health risks and side effects of an egg diet

Irritability and Increased Constipation

The diet is pretty restrictive in both caloric consumption and what you can eat specifically. Common symptoms include increased hunger, low energy, headaches and irritability. Similar to the keto flu, the diet puts you in a state of ketosis and doesn’t use carbohydrates to boost energy. The diet is low in fiber, which can also cause constipation.

Nutritional Deficiency

The diet restricts many other healthy food groups, which is important for overall health and wellness. As a result, if continuing this diet for too long it may increase your risk of nutritional deficiency and actually cause more harm than good.

Who should and shouldn’t try an egg diet

The 3 day egg diet is definitely not for everyone and the following are specific groups of people who are better suited for this plan. People who have reached a weight loss plateau and need to kickstart their weight loss (This will help you lose weight quickly.)

People looking to increase ketones levels

People intending to lose weight or kickstart a low-carb, or keto diet

There are other groups who shouldn’t try this diet and include:

Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers

People allergic to eggs

People who have been guided by a physician to stay away from this type of diet As always, it’s always a safe bet to consult your doctor before trying an extreme diet such as this.

What fruit to eat after dinner?
What fruit to eat after dinner?

Citrus fruits after a fatty meal Two antioxidants, naringin and hesperidin, neutralize the oxidative stress and inflammation generated by a...

Read More »
How much weight do you put in ketosis?
How much weight do you put in ketosis?

The lowdown. The keto diet changes the way your metabolism works by encouraging it to use ketone bodies instead of glucose for energy production....

Read More »
What does Rinsing meat in vinegar do?
What does Rinsing meat in vinegar do?

Additional studies show that washing the surface of meat with an acidic solution like vinegar or lemon juice reduces the number of bacteria on raw...

Read More »
Can you eat the meat in the tail of a shrimp?
Can you eat the meat in the tail of a shrimp?

Yes, you can eat shrimp tails and they are edible, but are not meant to be eaten. They are kept on mostly for flavor and presentation purposes, not...

Read More »