Ideal for those who believe in the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. The monthly diet developed by American nutritionists actually prescribes the daily consumption of eggs for only half of the period: the remaining time is spent on consolidating the result of losing weight and controlling the habit of being satisfied with little.
The 4-week egg diet is a serious test of patience and intention! This month, the metabolism of weight loss undergoes major changes: due to the abundant protein intake, the body must waste its fat energy reserves and must make efforts to process and absorb large amounts of protein. Thus, the main weight loss occurs in the first two weeks of the diet. However, it is important not to skip the second phase of the monthly nutrition plan, which does not seem very important when you have already achieved good results. If you leave the egg diet incorrectly for 4 weeks, the rapid return of excess weight is almost guaranteed.
Period:4 weeks;
Features:strict, you must strictly follow the prescribed menu. In the first two weeks of the diet, chicken eggs are the main product, the next two weeks are aimed at consolidating the results (the menu is predominantly low-carbohydrate, plant-based, with a small amount of protein);
Result:up to minus 25 kg (depending on the 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 who suffer from kidney and liver disease, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, allergic to eggs and/or citrus fruits.
Before starting the egg diet for a month, consult your doctor!
Chicken eggs consist of 85% water and 12% proteins (ovalbumin, ovotransferrin, lysozyme, ovomucoid, ovomucin). It contains only 0. 3% fat and 0. 7% carbohydrates, as well as little glucose and many vitamins and microelements, including B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, magnesium. In other words, in "fairy tale" terms, the egg is not simple, but "golden"!
Myths and concerns
Many people have probably heard at one time the warnings of various therapists and nutritionists that excessive consumption of chicken eggs is associated with the development of serious diseases - they say that it contains more than enough bad cholesterol and that protein takes too long to digest. What then, you ask, maybe we're even talking about a month-long egg diet?
Indeed, a similar panic occurred about 20 years ago. Namely: the scientists sounded the alarm by adding chicken eggs to the "list of harmful substances" - they said that their continuous consumption causes an increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood and the appearance of cholesterol plaques in the arteries.
However, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (who obviously love eggs and are concerned about their undeservedly tarnished reputation) conducted a large-scale study. In the process, it turned out that regular consumption of eggs does not affect "bad cholesterol" in any way - its occurrence is regulated by other factors.
The Journal of the American College of Nutrition found eggs to be one of the healthiest breakfast options. For the same number of calories consumed, sandwich eaters are at a higher risk of obesity than egg eaters.
However, one should not be complacent when working with eggs: one of the approximately 20, 000 eggs on the market may be infected with active salmonella, a bacterium that causes acute intestinal infections, which is especially dangerous for children.
Therefore, when choosing eggs for the complete 4-week egg diet, avoid those with a damaged shell, streaks or "decorated" with feces or blood particles. Experts advise that you wash even the cleanest eggs after purchase and boiling, so that all the yolks, and the protein should completely fall asleep (about 5 minutes). The expiration date of the purchased egg should also be monitored, and after purchase, it should be stored in the refrigerator, on a separate shelf, away from meat and milk. Eggs should be cut on a separate board, which should be cleaned after each useit is recommended to rinse it with boiling water, just like a knife used to cut an egg.
How to "sit on the eggs" correctly?
"If there is a honeymoon, why not have an egg month? " American nutritionists thought, and based on the success of the 7-day egg diet, they came up with the 4-week egg week. The longer the duration, the better the effect. There have been recorded cases when people who were losing weight lost 25 kg (approx. with an initial weight of 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 thanks to the fact that you eat less in principle - because eggs are perfectly filling).
In addition, the food costs of the diet become transparent and predictable. And one more interesting thing: overseas researchers have found that regular consumption of the same food really helps you lose weight. This is a rather psychological moment: for example, a nutritionist may recommend that you eat eggs for dinner every Wednesday and Saturday. Of course, this alone will not help you lose tens of kilograms, but it creates a certain discipline to which the body definitely responds positively. And knowledge of such a mechanism obviously does no harm to 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, with a month-long egg diet, not everything is so simple. The main surprise is that. . . not always eggy. The main focus is on the first two weeks, during which you must eat eggs for breakfast and at least once a day.
From the third week, the protein component will be replaced by other protein-rich foods (fish and beef or poultry), and the menu will be especially rich in fruits and vegetables. The abundance of fiber helps bowel movements, which is especially useful if the hen's egg has a stool-strengthening effect.
Adequate fluid intake is important during the 4-week egg diet (at least 1. 5 liters of plain non-carbonated water per day). As you already know, protein is a complex substance. During its processing, indigestible residues are produced, which are very important to remove from the intestines. Therefore, fiber and liquid remain indispensable allies for those who follow a protein diet.
Consumption of fruit juice and soda is strictly prohibited on the egg diet. You can afford a morning cup of coffee without milk or sugar and herbal tea (unsweetened).
Monotony is the danger of any strict meal 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 the way the food is served. clear conscience. Vegetables and fruits (as well as meat) can be fried without oil, steamed or steamed. Boiled eggs can also be replaced by frying, fried eggs can be made without fat, or poached eggs can be made from it. The main thing is that the egg cooks evenly.
You cannot eat raw eggs during the 4-week egg diet.
The benefits of the egg diet
- eggs are a delicious food. Even if we take into account the restrictions on the use of fat, there is room for culinary imagination in the egg diet;
- the egg cooks quickly, which means that the diet does not require a separate time resource. In the second part of the 4-week egg diet, when eggs are no longer the main dish, easy-to-prepare dishes are also included;
- the egg diet, like any other protein diet, is well suited for those involved in fitness;
- egg white and the trace elements in eggs have a positive effect on the skin, hair and nails;
- eggs keep you full for a long time - even with small portions, the egg diet lasting 4 weeks can calm the feeling of hunger.
The disadvantages 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 certain types of macronutrients (in the four-week egg diet, fat and fast carbohydrates become such "default numbers") - that is, it is impossible to call such a nutrition plan in its original form healthy and balanced;
- An excess of protein and a lack of carbohydrates can cause a variety of problems and diseases, from migraines to bad breath. If you notice any 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 amount of fruit
- Dinner: lean meat (boiled or grilled)
Tuesday
- Lunch: Boiled or grilled skinless chicken
- Dinner: cucumber, tomato, salad, bell 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 amount of fruit
- Dinner: lean grilled or boiled meat + salad
Friday
- Lunch: one cooked vegetable in any quantity (beans, green peas, carrots or zucchini) + 2 boiled eggs
- Dinner: boiled or grilled fish + a portion of salad + 1 orange or grapefruit
Saturday
- Lunch: an unlimited amount of fruit
- Dinner: boiled or grilled meat without fat + salad
Sunday
- Lunch: boiled or grilled skinless chicken + any steamed vegetable + tomato + 1 grapefruit or orange
- Dinner: same as lunch
Egg diet: full menu in the second week
Breakfast is the same as the first week.
Continue 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 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: same as lunch
Egg diet: full menu for the third week
In the third week, all foods allowed on that day can be eaten at any time without restrictions on quantity and quantity.
Monday:fruits (except bananas, grapes, mangoes, figs)
Tuesday:any boiled or steamed vegetables and fresh vegetables in salad form (except potatoes)
Wednesday:combinations of meals are 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 every weekend (for example, only apples on Saturday and only pears on Sunday)
Last week's menu - a way out of the egg diet
The products allowed on one day must be distributed at your own discretion during the day and without reference to a specific time, but the prescribed quantity must be strictly observed.
- Monday:4 small grilled steaks (75 g each) beef or ¼ cooked chicken without skin, a tin of canned tuna in its own juice, 4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, 1 piece of toast, 1 grapefruit
- Tuesday:200 grams of cooked meat, 4 cucumbers, 3 tomatoes, 1 piece of toast, 1 grapefruit, 1 apple or pear
- Wednesday:300 grams of cooked vegetables, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 piece of 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 piece of 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 cooked vegetables, 2 cucumbers, 2 tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese, 1 piece of toast, 1 grapefruit
The 4-week egg diet requires strict adherence to the recommendations and does not tolerate violations of the system. The result of this rather long and complex diet will be numbers on the scale that are pleasing to the eye. 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.