It is suitable for those who believe in the effectiveness of a low-carb diet. The monthly diet developed by an American nutritionist actually prescribes eating eggs every day for only half of the period: the rest of the time is spent consolidating the results of weight loss and checking the habit of being satisfied with a little.
The 4 Week Egg Diet is a serious test of patience and intention! During this month, the metabolism of people who have lost weight will undergo major changes: due to the high protein intake, the body has to waste its fat energy reserves and strive to process and absorb high doses of protein. Therefore, 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 so important when good results have 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:strictly, you must adhere to the set 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 mostly low-carb, plant-based with a small portion of protein);
Results:up to minus 25 kg (depending on initial weight);
Recommended Frequency:not more than once a year;
Additional effects:long-term preservation of diet results due to the use of fat reserves;
The egg diet is not suitable for 4 weeks:strict vegetarians with kidney and liver disease, during pregnancy and lactation, with allergies to eggs and/or citrus fruits.
Before starting a month-long egg diet, you should consult your doctor!
A chicken egg consists of 85% water, 12% protein (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, to put it in "fairytale" language, the egg is not simple, but "golden"!
Myths and concerns
Many of you may have heard 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're talking about a month-long egg diet?
In fact, the same panic happened about 20 years ago. That is: scientists sound the alarm by adding chicken eggs to the "dangerous list" - it is reported that their continuous use 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 undeserved 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 controlled by other factors.
Their colleagues at the Journal of American College of Nutrition found that eggs are 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 can not relax: one of the approximately 20 thousand eggs sold may be contaminated with active salmonella, bacteria that cause acute intestinal infections, especially dangerous for children.
Therefore, when choosing eggs for a full 4-week egg diet, avoid those whose shells are damaged, streaked or "decorated" with particles of feces or blood. Experts advise washing even the cleanest eggs after purchase and boiling them so that both the yolk and white are completely thickened (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 board, which is recommended to be rinsed with boiling water after each use, just like the knife used to cut eggs.
How to "sit on an egg" correctly?
"If there is a honeymoon, why don't we have an egg moon? " thought American nutritionists, and, based on the success of the 7-day egg diet, they created a 4-week egg week. Longer duration means better effect. Cases have been recorded where, within a month of "sitting on eggs, " those who lost 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 filling).
In addition, the cost of food on the diet becomes transparent and predictable. And another interesting thing: 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 might 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 the knowledge of such a mechanism will obviously not harm those who watch their figure and try to control their weight.
Do you like chicken eggs? The 4-week egg diet is a good way to test how strong these food cravings are.
However, not everything is so simple with the egg diet for a month. The main surprise is that. . . not eggs all the time. The main focus is the first two weeks, where you make sure to eat eggs for breakfast and at least once a day.
From the third week, the protein component is replaced with other protein-rich foods (fish and beef or chicken), and the menu becomes rich in fruits and vegetables. The abundance of fiber helps with intestinal motility, which is especially useful if chicken eggs have a firming effect on your stool.
During the 4-week egg diet, it is important to get enough liquid (at least 1. 5 liters of plain water per day). As you already know, protein is a complex substance. During its processing, indigestible waste is formed, which is very important to be removed from the intestine. Therefore, fiber and liquid remain indispensable allies for protein diet enthusiasts.
Drinking juice and soda on the egg diet is strictly prohibited. You can allow yourself a cup of morning coffee without milk or sugar and herbal tea (without sugar).
Monotony is the bane of any strict diet plan. The 4-week egg diet prohibits the use of additional 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 food servings with a clear conscience. Vegetables and fruits (as well as meat) can be baked without oil, steamed or boiled. You can also replace hard-boiled eggs by baking, making scrambled eggs without fat, or hard-boiled eggs. The main thing is to make sure the eggs cook evenly.
You cannot eat raw eggs during the 4 week egg diet.
Benefits of 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 does not require a separate time resource. 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;
- egg diet, like other protein diets, is very suitable 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 successfully suppresses your hunger.
Cons and risks of egg diet for 4 weeks
- Despite its relative diversity, the egg diet remains a trend diet, which involves an almost complete rejection of certain types of macronutrients (in the four-week egg diet, fats and carbohydrates quickly become "default numbers") - that is, healthy. and balanced to call such a nutritional plan in its original form is impossible;
- Excess protein and lack of carbohydrates can cause a variety of problems and diseases, from migraines to bad breath. If you notice any unwanted 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 of the week - 2 boiled eggs + ½ orange or 2 eggs + ½ grapefruit.
Monday
- Lunch: any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: lean meat (boiled or baked)
Tuesday
- Lunch: Boiled or grilled chicken without skin
- Dinner: cucumber, tomato, lettuce, bell pepper and carrot salad, 2 eggs, + 1 toast + 1 grapefruit or orange
Wednesday
- Lunch: any amount of low-fat cheese, slightly salty + 1 slice of toast + tomato
- Dinner: lean meat, boiled or baked
Thursday
- Lunch: any fruit in any quantity
- Dinner: grilled or stewed meat without fat + salad
Friday
- Lunch: one boiled vegetable in any quantity (peas, green beans, carrots or zucchini) + 2 boiled eggs
- Dinner: boiled or grilled fish + part of salad + 1 orange or grapefruit
Saturday
- Lunch: one fruit in unlimited quantity
- Dinner: stewed or grilled lean meat + salad
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled chicken without skin + any steamed vegetable + tomato + 1 grapefruit or orange
- Dinner: 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 + salad
- Dinner: 2 eggs + salad + grapefruit
Tuesday
Same as Monday's menu
Wednesday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled lean meat + cucumber salad without sauce 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 (eg apple, pear, tangerine) without dressing
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled chicken without skin + boiled vegetables + 1 grapefruit
- Dinner: same as lunch
Egg diet: full menu for the third week
In the third week, all foods allowed on a given day can be eaten at any time without restrictions on number and quantity.
Monday:fruits (except bananas, grapes, mangoes, figs)
Tuesday:any boiled or steamed vegetables and fresh vegetables in salad form (excluding potatoes)
Wednesday:food combinations allowed on Monday and Tuesday
Thursday:fish, boiled or baked + cabbage
Friday:boiled or grilled lean meat or chicken + boiled or steamed vegetables
Saturday and Sunday:one type of fruit each weekend (for example, only apples on Saturday and only pears on Sunday)
Last week's menu - a way out of the egg diet
Products allowed on a given 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) beef or ¼ skinless poached chicken, 1 tin 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 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 recommendations and does not tolerate violations of the regime. The result of following this relatively long and complex diet will be a number on the eye-pleasing scale. The 4-week egg diet allows you to reach your "dream weight" and only you can maintain it at the desired level by monitoring your diet and physical activity.