What is an Egg Fast (and why would anyone do it?!)

The other day, someone asked, "What the heck is an Egg Fast". Curious about the term, I decided to look into it and see what this "fast" was all about.

Who created the Egg Fast?

This is an answer that I can not tell you. I did lots of research and can not find the creator of this fast. However, I did find 2 bloggers, The Ketogenic Woman as well as Jimmy Moore, who have done several rounds of the egg fast.

What the heck is an Egg Fast?

An Egg Fast is exactly what it sounds like. For 3-5 days, you pretty much only eat eggs, fats and cheese. It is meant to help people who are already on a keto diet break through stubborn weight loss plateaus.

There are some pretty strict rules when it comes to the egg fast:

Here is are the guidelines that I was able to find online:

Whole eggs — yolks and whites — are the main source of fat and protein.
You must consume 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of butter or healthy fat per egg consumed.
You must eat a whole egg within 30 minutes of waking up.
You must eat an egg-based meal every three to five hours.
You must eat a meal even if you’re not hungry.
You can eat up to 1 ounce (28 grams) of full-fat cheese per egg consumed.
You must eat at least six whole eggs per day.
Eggs should be local, pastured eggs whenever possible.
You should stop eating three hours before bedtime.
You can drink up to three cans of diet soda per day but aim for one or less.

Although these are the original rules, many of these rules do not seem overly healthy. So, for my egg fast, I will create my own "healthified" version of the egg fast which will certainly NOT include diet pop! (Keep reading for the rules that I will follow.)

Why does the egg fast work?

An egg fast works by inducing the metabolic state of ketosis.
Ketosis occurs when your body has little access to glucose, its preferred fuel source.
To compensate, your body makes ketone bodies out of fat and uses them as fuel.
To reach ketosis, people typically need to eat 50 grams of carbs or less per day.
They get the rest of their calories from a high-fat, moderate protein diet.
A ketogenic diet can aid weight loss by promoting feelings of fullness, restricting food options, increasing protein intake, and potentially decreasing fat storage.
What’s more, some studies find that ketogenic diets may promote more weight loss than conventional low-fat, low-calorie diets.
The diet plan is more restrictive than conventional ketogenic diets, as it reduces the number of food items you can eat. This restriction can slash your calorie intake and further promote weight loss.
Though an egg fast will help you lose weight, your overall results depend on several factors, such as your starting weight, height, age, gender, and total food intake.
That said, most people claim they lose 5–10 pounds (1.4–2.7 kg) in 3–5 days.

Why am I doing an Egg Fast

Because I'm crazy, right?

In all seriousness, we really don't know why some people lose weight at different rates. The old belief was "calorie in versus calorie out" but that no longer holds true as we have clearly seen in studies on low carb diets.

I am curious to see my results but weight loss is not my primary focus (especially because I do not weigh myself but rather go with the feeling of my clothes).

Since I am still suffering from gastrointestinal issues, I figured this would be a good way to do an initial elimination diet. A typical elimination diet lasts 5-6 weeks which and this egg fast is only 3-5 days. However, since I am "bombarding" my system with only eggs and a little cheese, I am assuming that if I am intolerant to eggs or lactose, I will have some pretty clearcut symptoms.

Pros and Cons of an Egg Fast

Pro:

breaking through a weight loss plateau (if that is your thing!)
helps clean out the liver as egg yolks are extremely high in Choline, which as it turns out is critical to our liver being able to metabolize fat. Much of the US population is deficient in choline which can lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Since our livers are the primary organ responsible for detoxification of our system, we definitely want it to be as healthy as possible.
easy meal prep
cheap as eggs are relatively inexpensive

Cons:

eggs, fat and a little cheese can get pretty boring so this may be hard to sustain!
nutritionally deficient since no vegetables or fruits are allowed
possible headaches due to the limitation of carbs

So now that we are all on the same page and have a slightly deeper knowledge of the egg fast, let's get into the rules I will follow.

My Crash Test Life Egg Fast Rules:

You must consume 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of butter or healthy fat per egg consumed
Eat only when you are hungry
You can eat up to 1 ounce (28 grams) of full-fat cheese per egg consumed but I will try to keep this lower if possible
Eggs should be local and pasture-raised eggs
Take electrolytes as well as magnesium
Use only a very limited amount of sweetener
No sodas or any other sugar-free drink
Drink plenty of water (coffee and tea are permissible in moderate amounts)

What to do after completing an Egg Fast

It seems from my research from the web that this is a key component to successfully completing an egg fast. After you have completed your 3-5 day egg fast, it is important to slowly transition back into your low carb lifestyle. The first and second-day post egg fast, continue with the egg fast rules for breakfast and lunch. As for dinner, change up your protein but do not include any other vegetables or fruits, only eat protein. After the first 2 days of transitioning, slowly add in vegetables with each meal.

Depending on the outcome and how I feel in general, I may alter, repeat or NEVER do an egg fast again!

Final Thoughts

This is absolutely an extremely restricted diet so make sure that you are healthy enough to follow it. My plan is to do anywhere from 3-5 days with 2 transitional days and see how well I feel. If I love doing the egg fast, then I may continue to do a 3 day fast followed by 2 transitional days every week. Then, the weekend can be a time to rack up my nutrients by eating nutritionally dense fruits and vegetables.

HERE WE GO....!

PS - Here are some other blogs to check out with regards to the Egg Fast as well as the bloggers' personal results:

Jimmy Moore - he stuck with the egg fast on and off for a month.
The Ketogenic Woman - she did the egg fast on and off for a year and broke through her weight loss plateau and lost another 50 pounds.
I Breath I'm Hungry - she has some awesome recipes for an Egg Fast

PPS - Here are all the links to my Egg Fast recipes: