hard boiled egg diet

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet: Is it effective for weight loss?

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet is a common fad diet promising a quick weight loss. As the name suggests, the diet involves consuming multiple servings of hard-boiled eggs each day, along with other lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and low carb fruits. While some praise the plan’s structured style and say it may jump-start weight loss, it was also criticized for being overly restrictive, hard to follow, and ineffective.

The hard boiled-egg diet is a form of diet that concentrates on eggs, especially hard-boiled eggs. You eat at least two or three eggs a day and you don’t even need to include them into each meal. Although this diet promotes eating healthy food groups and may support weight loss in the short term, it is also highly restrictive and unsustainable.

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet is an eating plan based on a book that Arielle Chandler published in 2018.

While there are many dietary variants, it usually means consuming with each meal either eggs or another form of lean protein, as well as non-starchy vegetables and one or two low-carb fruit portions each day.

This low carb, low calorie eating pattern can help you lose as much as 25 pounds (11 kg) in just 2 weeks, according to the diet creator.

In addition to promoting weight loss, advocates say the diet offers nutrients that improve the regulation of blood sugar, promote healthy vision, and strengthen the skin, hair, and nails.

The book provides an organized meal plan, recipes, and foods to eat and avoid, making it much easier to personalize the diet to your particular tastes and preferences.

How to follow the Boiled Egg Diet

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet allows for specific foods for every meal of the day, and snacks are not allowed in between.

You should eat at least two eggs for breakfast, along with one serving of a non-starchy vegetable such as tomato or asparagus, and one low carb fruit, such as grapefruit.

Lunch and dinner should include non-starchy vegetables and either eggs or a small portion of some form of lean protein such as chicken or fish.

Although exercise as part of the program is not necessary, moderate physical activity such as biking, aerobics, or speed walking is recommended to maximize results.

Bear in mind that the diet is supposed to be practiced only for several weeks at a time. Following that, it’s recommended a transition phase to help ease you back into a normal diet.

Does Hard Boiled-Egg Diet help you lose weight?

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet is mainly composed of low calorie ingredients such as eggs, non-starchy vegetables, and low carb fruit. Therefore, a calorie deficit will definitely occur after the diet, meaning you will eat fewer calories than you burn all day long. While weight control is influenced by many factors, a calorie deficit is important for weight loss.

Additionally, this diet is low in carbohydrates and can help improve weight loss. However, 12 studies showed that weight loss was significantly increased following the short-term low carb diet, and many other risk factors for heart disease improved, including blood pressure.

In a study in 164 people with a body mass index or BMI of twenty-five or more, following a low carb diet for twenty weeks, a substantially enhanced metabolism and decreased hunger hormone ghrelin were observed in comparable terms to a high carb diet. Having said that, remember that while diets lead to an initial weight loss, once the regular diet is resumed, you’ll regain your lost weight. So it may not be the best choice for long-term, sustainable weight loss.

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet is low in carbs and calories which may cause weight loss in the short term. But when a normal diet is resumed, you can regain the weight. 

Recommended foods to eat

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet consists primarily of eggs, lean protein, low carb fruit, and vegetables. Calorie-free beverages like water and unsweetened tea or coffee are also permitted. 

Some of the foods promoted as part of the diet are the following:

  • Eggs: yolks, whites, and eggs
  • Lean proteins: skinless poultry, fish, and lean lamb, beef and pork cuttings
  • Non-starchy vegetables: such as spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini and tomatoes
  • Low carb fruits: lemons, limes, watermelon, oranges, berries, and grapefruit
  • Fats and oils: small quantities of coconut oil, butter, and mayonnaise
  • Beverages: water, sparkling water, diet soda, and unsweetened coffee and tea
  • Herbs and spices: garlic, basil, turmeric, rosemary, pepper, and oregano

Some of the diet plan’s variations also allow for low-fat dairy products, including skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and cheese.

Foods to avoid

The Boiled Egg Diet restricts the majority of high carb foods, which include starchy vegetables, grains, and many fruits. Sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda, along with processed foods such as sweet and salty snacks, frozen meals, and fast food, are also off-limits.

On the Hard Boiled Egg Diet below are some foods to avoid:

  • Starchy vegetables: including potatoes, sweet potatoes, legumes, maize and peas
  • High carb fruits: bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and dried fruit
  • Grain: bread, pasta, quinoa, couscous, farro, barley, and buckwheat
  • Processed foods: bacon, convenient meals, fast food, chips, pretzels, cookies, and sweets
  • Sweetened drinks: soda, juice, sweet tea, and sports drinks

This diet consists of eating just three meals a day, each consisting of non-starchy vegetables, low carb fruits, and eggs or other lean protein. Snacks between meals are not permitted.

Potential benefits of Hard Boiled-Egg Diet

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet promotes a variety of nutritious foods, including lean proteins, meat, eggs, fruits, and vegetables, which are abundant in many health-important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The diet frequently excludes unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar-sweetened beverages and fried foods. 

Studies show that, in addition to being high in calories, carbs, and added sugar, sugar-sweetened beverages can contribute to issues such as cavities, high blood pressure, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Research also indicates that consuming processed foods can be associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and cancer.

This diet can be useful if you’re on a diet and looking for more guidance, as it offers advice on recipes, meal plans, and what items to consume and avoid. This diet allows many nutritious ingredients to be consumed and restricts other unhealthy foods. It also offers more clarity and advice than many other nutrition plans.

Potential downsides of Hard Boiled-Egg Diet

The Hard Boiled Egg Diet is overly restrictive and has little variety, allowing only a few particular foods and eliminating pretty much the entire food groups. It will not only make the diet difficult to maintain in the long term but also challenge the nutritional needs to be fulfilled. Since only a few specific foods are allowed, your risk of nutrient deficiencies may significantly raise, particularly if you follow the diet on a long-term basis.

For instance, starchy vegetables such as potatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, whole grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. None of those food groups are approved on the diet.

Long-term restriction of calories can cause serious side effects, including low levels of energy, impaired immune function, decreased bone density, and menstrual disturbances. The program can also encourage unhealthy eating habits by removing whole food groups and severely limiting the intake of food.

Lastly, remember that while eggs have historically been regarded unhealthy since they contain cholesterol, researchers have discovered consuming eggs only minimally affect the cholesterol levels in your blood.

This diet is extremely restrictive, unsustainable, and has no choice to offer. It also reduces your calorie intake significantly and may promote unhealthy eating habits.

Is the Hard Boiled-Egg Diet Safe for You?

The main ingredient of the diet — eggs — is good and healthy food for you — but not as your only or primary meal. The American Heart Association recommends a balanced diet should include one or two egg whites a day. The positive thing about the eggs is they have a high protein content. According to the US Agriculture Department (USDA), one large boiled egg provides 71 calories, 6 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 0.4 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of fiber.  

In medical communities, the overall consensus is that a boiled egg diet is not the healthiest way of losing weight. If you follow the hard boiled-egg diet for a short time and you are generally healthy, it is unlikely to cause any problems.

If you follow any egg diet version, your calories will get in at less than 1,000 calories per day. It’s unhealthy for women to eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day, and for men to eat less than 1,500 when monitored by a medical professional, according to Harvard Medical School.

For certain research, consuming up to seven eggs a week or more appears to be healthy for the general public, with no significant effect on cardiovascular risk. In addition, doing so could reduce the risk of strokes. In a 2015 study, even people with diabetes have been confirmed to be eating eggs more freely than previously believed, approximately 12 a week without deteriorating cholesterol or blood sugar levels.

That said, according to one study, a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet may be associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease. The downside of this specific study is that it did not control or prioritize types of carbohydrate or protein sources that could affect the study outcome significantly.

To nourish gut bacteria, consuming enough fiber every day is important. Americans are well below the recommended daily intake of fiber. Fiber may complicate an already low fiber diet because it is found primarily in legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

A 7-Day Boiled Egg Diet Plan 

You can try to follow this simple boiled egg diet plan for starters.

Day 1

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, spinach, orange
  • Lunch: Grilled salmon on salad
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Grilled pork chop with broccoli
  • Dessert: None

Day 2

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, tomatoes, cantaloupe
  • Lunch: Grilled chicken on a salad 
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Ahi tuna with kale
  • Dessert: None

Day 3

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, orange
  • Lunch: Sliced steak on a salad
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Baked salmon with mushrooms
  • Dessert: None

Day 4

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, asparagus, strawberries
  • Lunch: Egg salad on lettuce
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Beef roast with cauliflower
  • Dessert: None

Day 5

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, slice of ham, strawberries
  • Lunch: Baked cod with asparagus
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Grilled chicken skewers with bell peppers and onions
  • Dessert: None

Day 6

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, cantaloupe
  • Lunch: Egg salad on lettuce
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Mahi-mahi with green beans
  • Dessert: None

Day 7

  • Breakfast: Two eggs, watermelon
  • Lunch: Grilled salmon on salad
  • Snack: None
  • Dinner: Pork chop with bok choy
  • Dessert: None

Boiled Egg Diet Plan For 14 days

If you are seeking to follow this 2 weeks boiled egg diet, you can try this boiled egg diet menu. In fact, this effective weight loss program is a low-calorie diet designed for rapid weight loss, but not as a long-term weight loss. It’s a clear indication that your body needs calories for energy and you can damage your body, break your metabolism and increase your risk for various health conditions by depriving your body of nutrition for an extended period of time.

If you want to lose weight fast, though, you have to try this egg diet and see the outcome for yourself.

Day 1:

  • Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, 2 oranges, 1 cup of low-fat milk
  • Lunch: 6 ounces of boiled skinless chicken, 1 cup of yogurt
  • Dinner: 1 boiled egg, 5 ounces of boiled skinless chicken and one orange

Day 2:

  • Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs with juice squeezed from one lemon
  • Lunch: 5 ounces of roasted fish, 1 grapefruit
  • Dinner: 3 hard boiled eggs

Day 3:

  • Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup of warm water with 1 squeezed lemon
  • Lunch: 6 ounces of boiled beef, 1 grapefruit
  • Dinner: 3 hard boiled eggs.

Day 4:

  • Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs with onion, parsley, and dill 
  • Lunch: 5 ounces of cooked chicken with salad
  • Dinner: 1 hard boiled egg, 2 oranges

Day 5:

  • Breakfast: 2 carrots, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 tablespoon of soured cream
  • Lunch: 2 carrots, 1 cup of fresh orange juice
  • Dinner: 3 ounces of boiled fish, 1 boiled egg

Day 6:

  • Breakfast: 5 ounces of low-fat yogurt, 1 freshly squeezed lemon or orange
  • Lunch: 2 boiled eggs, 2 grapefruits
  • Dinner: 1 glass of water with squeezed lemon

Day 7:

  • Breakfast:2 boiled eggs, half a grapefruit
  • Lunch: 6 ounces of beef, 1 orange
  • Dinner: 1 glass of water with squeezed lemon

Eggs are very nutritious since they are full of proteins and nutrients. Their consumption allows the majority of vitamins and foods needed for your body. You will build up the metabolism dramatically and start losing weight through their intake and removal of unhealthy foods for a week.

When you see this diet first, there does not seem to be a lot of food, just the eggs are going to provide satiety. Within 7 days, with this egg diet, you’ll have lost 12 pounds for weight loss.

It’s easy to follow the hard boiled egg diet for weight loss but you only need to use it for two weeks. Drinking plenty of water during the diet is recommended.

If you can stick to it, any type of extreme crash diet designed to help with a sudden weight loss could work. Such diets usually come with the trade-off of unhealthy consequences though. The egg diet is not sustainable and almost as soon as they resume a normal diet, most of the people who follow it will put the weight back on. Increasing exercise and choosing well-balanced meals which limit calories, high-sugar foods, and processed foods is more effective.

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