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- What is An Egg Fast?
- Egg Fast Rules
- 3-Day Egg Fast Meal Plan
- 8 Easy Keto Egg Fast Recipes
- Egg Fast Diet FAQs About Weight Loss
- FAQs About Egg Fast Rules
- How To Avoid Egg Fast Pitfalls
- How To Transition Out Of An Egg Fast
- Important Reminders Before You Start…
- Conclusion: Should You Try The Keto Egg Fast Diet?
The keto egg fast has seen a lot of hype – and I get questions about it often. It was about time I compiled all my research into a handy guide for you. How does the egg fast diet work? What are the egg fast rules? And, can you make different enough egg fast recipes so you won't get bored? If you're asking these questions, this egg fast keto guide is the ultimate resource for the answers – complete with delicious recipes starring eggs.
First and foremost, know that an egg fast is not a permanent diet or a replacement for a healthy keto diet – and it's best to consult your doctor before doing one. Much like a whole30 – but way more restrictive and on a shorter timeframe! – this is a reset. If you're just getting started with a low carb lifestyle, these keto beginner tips are worth reviewing first.
What is An Egg Fast?
The egg fast diet is a naturally ketogenic, temporary diet, typically lasting 3-5 days, that focuses on eating eggs, cheese, and pure fats, with the goal of losing weight or breaking a stall. It is intended to be very short-term and can act as a reset, but not a replacement for eating well long-term.
Since eggs are naturally keto, an egg fast creates the perfect conditions for low carb, moderate protein, and high fat macros that encourage fat burning and ketosis.
Many people do this fast as part of new year's resolutions, but it's a good option for keto dieters anytime that a reset is needed.
Why does an egg fast diet work?
While there haven't been any scientific studies to support this topic specifically, there are several reasonable theories, which do have scientific evidence:
- Eggs are more satiating than many other foods. [*] This allows you to go for longer periods of time without feeling hungry and achieve more benefits from fasting between meals.
- Eggs are loaded with choline and amino acids that improve the body's fat burning ability. [*]
- Daily calories consumed during an egg fast is naturally lower. Temporarily reducing the variety of foods has been shown to translate to consuming less [*], and supports weight loss.
- Extraordinarily low carbs ensure consistent ketosis. Daily carbs on an egg fast diet are much lower than even the strictest long-term keto diet.
How long should you do an egg fast for?
A 3-day egg fast is ideal, but you can do it a little longer if you want – up to 5 days.
Avoid going any farther than a 5-day egg fast. You don't need something drastic like a 30 day egg fast to break your stall, and it would certainly lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Egg Fast Rules
Many people modify the rules to suit their needs, but below are the basic egg fast guidelines. I've broken them down into the most critical so that they aren't overwhelming, and the additional recommendations to follow for best results.
Most important egg fast rules:
- Eat at least 6 whole eggs per day. This is the basis of the diet.
- Eat a tablespoon of pure fat for every egg you eat. These can be butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil. (Either with the egg, or separate.) Ideally, incorporate at least 1 tablespoon of MCT oil into your daily fat intake.
- Eat up to a tablespoon of full fat-cheese with every egg. All full-fat hard or soft cheeses will work, and you have lots of options – get the full keto cheese list here.
Additional (recommended) egg fast rules:
- Use the highest-quality eggs, cheese, and fats possible. Even if you don't usually buy cage-free eggs or grass-fed butter, this would be a good time, since they are the only things you'll be consuming for multiple days.
- Eat one whole egg within 30 minutes of getting up in the morning. This will keep you full.
- Have an egg fast meal every 3-5 hours, even if you're not hungry, and stop eating at least 3 hours before bed.
- Use seasonings, spices, and (sugar-free) condiments in small amounts. Keep them under 1 gram of net carbs per serving and up to 5g net carbs total per day. That means you can keep flavors fresher with sugar-free condiments or small amounts of spices from this keto food list.
- Use small amounts of keto sweeteners in moderation, but no sugar alcohols. Pure liquid monk fruit, liquid stevia, or monk fruit allulose blend (my favorite!) are all fine.
- Enjoy zero-carb, unsweetened drinks like coffee or tea. This includes butter coffee with no milk or cream. Since we encourage clean keto here at Wholesome Yum, try to avoid diet soda, but if you feel like you need it to get through, limit yourself to 1-2 cans per day.
3-Day Egg Fast Meal Plan
It's easy to make an egg fast keto… but what keto egg fast recipes can you make? If you're worried you'll get bored or sick of eggs, don't be. This 3 day egg fast plan will be your guide and keep your meals varied!
TIP: This sample menu focuses on breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but you'll probably want to also keep hard boiled eggs on hand, as well as cheese cubes, slices, or sticks, for snacks.
Day 1 Egg Fast Menu:
- Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes + 1-2 Tbsp Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup
- Lunch: Egg salad (omit the celery and onion) + cheese cubes
- Dinner: Omelette filled with havarti cheese and fresh dill
Day 2 Egg Fast Menu:
- Breakfast: Sweet cinnamon cloud bread (add a combo of Besti Brown and cinnamon to the yolks before folding with the whites), slathered with butter
- Lunch: Deviled eggs (skip the bacon) with paprika
- Dinner: Sunny-side-up eggs + cheddar parmesan crisps
Day 3 Egg Fast Menu:
- Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes + 1-2 Tbsp Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup
- Lunch: Cloud bread with butter or mascarpone
- Dinner: Coddled eggs with cheddar and fresh chives
8 Easy Keto Egg Fast Recipes
Who knew there were so many ways to enjoy eggs and cheese? See for yourself with these delicious keto egg fast-friendly dishes.
Easy Hard-Boiled Eggs
Can't go wrong with a classic! You'll definitely want a big batch to have on hand for your egg fast, for snacks, fighting cravings, and making some of the other recipes below that rely on them.
Get The Hard Boiled Eggs Recipe
Keto Deviled Eggs
Omit the bacon to make them egg fast-friendly!
Get The Keto Deviled Eggs Recipe
Keto Cloud Bread
To make it sweet, mix equal parts keto brown sugar and cinnamon, and stir into the yolks before folding them with the whites. You could also sprinkle over the top before baking.
To make savory cloud bread, add up to 1/8 teaspoon of your favorite dried herbs and spices to the "dough" before baking.
Get The Keto Cloud Bread Recipe
Easy Egg Salad
Omit the celery and onion to make this dish fit a keto egg fast diet.
Get The Egg Salad Recipe
Keto Omelettes
Omit the veggies in the recipe and opt for fresh herbs and any cheeses you like inside, instead.
Get The Keto Omelette Recipe
Coddled Eggs
Firm whites, runny yolks, and a sprinkle of cheese — can't get any more egg fast-worthy than that!
Get The Keto Coddled Eggs Recipe
Cream Cheese Pancakes
Cream cheese allows these crepe-like cakes to brown and bubble perfectly. Delicious with keto maple syrup!
Get The Keto Cream Cheese Pancakes Recipe
Cheddar Parmesan Crisps
As long as you eat an egg with them, they're a perfect snack or garnish!
Get The Cheddar Parmesan Crisps Recipe
Egg Fast Diet FAQs About Weight Loss
This diet is pretty strict, so you might be wondering, is it worth it and what results can you expect?
What egg fast results can you expect?
The egg fast diet ramps up many of the main benefits of standard keto dieting. You can expect to see less hunger, fewer cravings, deeper ketosis, and weight loss.
Can you lose weight by eating only eggs?
Yes, and that's what the egg fast is! Anecdotally, you can lose weight by eating eggs because they're highly satisfying on their own – and I say anecdotally because I'm not aware of any studies on this specifically. An egg fast diet also ensures you can enter ketosis by increasing your fat intake, which can also support weight loss.
How fast can you lose weight on the egg diet?
Based on anecdotal evidence, people following egg fast rules lose between 5 and 10 pounds in the 3-5 day fasting period. I lost 6 pounds when I did the fast, and kept off 4 of them after resuming to normal eating.
Can you do the egg fast if you are not following a keto diet?
Yes, you can, but it will be a lot more difficult, and you are more likely to experience the keto flu. If you're new to low carb eating, I recommend transitioning to a regular low carb or keto diet first, then try an egg fast once you've gotten used to that. It will be much easier on your body.
FAQs About Egg Fast Rules
With so many rules, it's easy to get confused about how egg fasts work. Here are some of the most common questions about what you can and can't have:
What fats can you have on an egg fast?
Eat the highest-quality, pure fats you can find. Excellent choices include:
- Grass-fed butter
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil
- Quality lard
- Ghee
- Mayonnaise
- MCT oil
Can you have coffee on a keto egg fast? Can you drink tea on an egg fast?
Yes. Coffee and tea, as well as any zero-carb and unsweetened drinks, are acceptable.
Butter coffee and butter tea (make these without any added milk or cream!) are okay too, as long as you're eating an egg with them.
Can you put cream in your coffee?
This is a common question, but the answer is no. Cream is not included in approved egg fast ingredients.
Can you have fruits and vegetables?
No. Sorry.
Can you have (fill in the blank) on an egg fast?
If it's not on the list in the egg fast rules above, then the answer is no.
Is it possible to still have success if you modify it? Sure, it's possible. But it's only a 3-day egg fast, I recommend just sticking to the rules to get maximum results.
How many eggs do you eat on an egg fast?
At a minimum, you need to eat six eggs a day. If you're really hungry, you can add more eggs — one at a time.
Can you take vitamins and supplements?
Yes, as long as they aren't the sugary gummy kind. 😉 Take whatever you'd normally take, and as always, consult your doctor on any supplement intake.
How To Avoid Egg Fast Pitfalls
Like the regular keto diet, adjusting to ketosis can cause unpleasant side effects — however, they're avoidable! There are 2 main things to watch for:
Drink enough water.
Constipation during an egg fast can happen, since you won't get fiber from keto vegetables. A magnesium citrate supplement can help with this, which brings us to our next point…
Get enough electrolytes.
Take the same ones you would normally take to avoid keto flu, particularly potassium (you can also use a potassium salt like this) and magnesium (get this one for a calming effect or this one to alleviate constipation).
Most importantly, be sure to use salt on your food generously to get enough sodium. Eggs are delicious with salt!
How To Transition Out Of An Egg Fast
When the egg fast is over, what comes next?
First, just be prepared: expect to gain at least a little weight back, but not all of it. That's normal! You'll most likely have a net loss after the fasting period.
Here is how to transition – anecdotally, this approach will help keep most of the weight off:
- For 2 days after the fast, continue to eat eggs for 1-2 meals per day. The easiest method is usually to have eggs for breakfast and lunch, and have a regular keto dinner.
- After 2 days, transition back to your everyday low carb to keto diet. It helps to continue to eat clean, unprocessed foods. See the keto food list here for inspiration, or start planning your own custom keto meal plans right away.
- Re-evaluate your everyday approach to keto to make it as healthy and sustainable for your goals. This fast is a short-term solution for weight loss plateaus, so you'll need to keep experimenting with what works in your day-to-day eating habits.
Important Reminders Before You Start…
While fasting itself has been heavily researched, there aren't any studies that support the specific benefits of egg fasts. So, proceed with caution! Just some reminders:
- Check with your doctor before starting an egg fast, especially if you have a health condition. Don't do this if you're pregnant or breastfeeding. Please don't take this article as a substitute for medical advice – it is not.
- Avoid the egg fast diet if you have egg allergies, a history of disordered eating, or trouble with yo-yo dieting. It will do more harm than good in these cases.
- If you're already used to following a keto diet and haven't seen results from it yet, consider getting into the rhythm of things first. Use this beginner's guide to make sure you're on the right track.
- Limit egg fasting to 3-5 days. This is not meant to be a long-term plan and can lead to nutrient deficiencies if you do it long-term.
- Listen to your body. If you feel really bad, it's okay to stop. Everyone is different and if it's not for you, that's okay!
Conclusion: Should You Try The Keto Egg Fast Diet?
Only you can answer this question, based on where you are today, your mindset, and your goals. If you're used to a keto way of eating and stuck in a weight loss plateau, an egg fast might be the reset you need. Follow egg fast rules, avoid keto flu, and make a plan for going back to clean keto eating after the fast is over.
Source: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/egg-fast/