The Keto Egg Fast is said to be the solution to weight loss plateaus. This short term diet is gaining popularity recently especially among those who have been following the ketogenic diet for quite a while and are no longer seeing any weight loss results.
The diet involves eating mainly eggs, butter, cheese, and other keto fat sources. But there are some people who have argued that this diet is a mere fad and won’t actually work. In fact, it could potentially lead to some harmful side effects. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of the Keto egg fast to understand what this diet is all about and whether it’s good or bad.
What Is Keto Egg Fast?
Just like the keto diet, the keto egg fast is also a type of high fat, low carb diet. However, this diet is only short term and will usually last for only five days. Followers of the diet must only consume eggs, grass-fed butter, cheeses, and some other healthy fat sources within the five-day period.
Keto dieters who got stuck on a weight loss plateau and are no longer seeing any weight loss results often turn to this diet to break through it. Since it’s a fasting diet, it’s quite restrictive and is only meant to help people who wanted to break through their weight loss plateau. According to an article in Healthline,
“The purpose of an egg fast is to help you bust through weight loss plateaus. These are discouraging points in a weight loss plan where your fat loss stalls.”
There are also some people who use the diet to get into ketosis fast. They follow the keto egg fast at the start of their ketogenic diet.
The basic rule of the diet plan is to eat organic or pastured whole eggs, both whites and yolks for fat and protein. Along with this, dieters must also consume 1 tbsp. (15 grams) of butter or other healthy fat such as coconut oil or olive oil.
The eggs must be eaten within 30 minutes of waking up in the morning and an egg-based meal must be eaten afterwards every 3 to 5 hours even if you are not hungry. For every whole egg you consume, you can eat up to an ounce of full-fat cheese. You should be able to consume at least six whole eggs in a day.
Pros and Cons of Keto Egg Fast Diet
There are various versions of egg fasts that people do but as already mentioned the keto egg fast diet is a short-term diet intended to help those who have reached a plateau on their keto diet. It typically lasts for up to five days, which should be enough time to overcome weight loss plateau.
There have not been any scientific studies done on the keto egg fast yet. And while it may have benefited some people, there are also disadvantages that come with following this type of so called fast. Let’s take a look at its pros and cons:
Pros:
May reduce appetite – the diet is mainly about eating whole eggs, which is very filling. They are rich in protein and can make you feel full longer, which prevents overeating.
Can help with weight loss – the restrictive diet limits your food options, which naturally lower your daily intake of calories and may lead to weight loss.
Reduce insulin resistance – as a low carb high-fat diet, the keto egg fast may help to reduce insulin resistance, helping your body to manage blood sugar levels more efficiently.
Cons:
Comes with potential risks and side effects – the biggest disadvantage of the diet is that it comes with lots of potential risks and side effects, such as sleep issues, nausea, headaches, irritability, low energy, and many more.
May lead to nutritional deficiencies – Although eggs are full of nutrients eating only eggs for every meal is not a well-balanced diet and some say could lead to nutritional deficiencies if followed for longer than 5 days.
Disrupt digestive function – eggs don’t contain fiber so if your meal consists mainly of eggs, your body’s digestive function will be disrupted and you could suffer from severe constipation.
Related reading: How to Fix Low Carb Constipation
Hard to stick to: the diet is very monotonous, restrictive and boring so can be hard to stick to.
Temporary weight loss: any weight lost on the egg diet may only be temporary. Many people report that they put the weight back on once they go back to their usual way of eating.
Is the Keto Egg Fast Diet Safe?
There are lots of risk factors associated with the keto egg fast diet, which is why many experts would not usually recommend it.
The Medical News Today stated that although eggs are a healthy source of protein, they have to be eaten moderately because they are high in cholesterol. This seems irrelevant because in a different article they report that there is little evidence, if any, that there is a relationship between cholesterol found in food and heart disease or blood cholesterol.
According to the article,
Some research has indicated that eating eggs in high quantities may increase the risk of certain medical conditions.
Aside from the many side effects that come with following a very low carb diet, the egg fast diet could also put you at risk of depriving yourself of some important nutrients. Although eggs are truly healthy, you simply cannot survive on them alone.
You also need to feed your body with other important nutrients found in fruit and vegetables order to stay healthy. Some versions of the egg fast do include them.
In addition evidence based Healthline has also indicated that the diet is not suitable for people suffering from eating disorders, diabetes, and those who have their gallbladder removed.
Safer Alternative to Breaking a Plateau on Keto
There are just so many risks and side effects associated with the keto egg fast diet and in my view the benefits are just not worth these risks. So if you have reached a weight loss plateau while on keto, you’re probably wondering what other alternatives you have aside from the keto egg fast. Plateaus happen due to various reasons and here are some other ways on how you can break it:
Change your calories – try to change your meal plan while making sure that you stick to eating low carb, moderate protein, and high fat.
Exercise often – sometimes, the reason why people hit a weight loss plateau is that they are eating too much and not getting enough exercise. So try to find time to exercise while following the keto diet.
Related reading: Burn Some Body Fat With Bodyweight Exercises
Intermittent fasting – try to incorporate intermittent fasting on your keto diet. When you fast, your body could go into deeper ketosis and will start burning more fats for fuel.
Related reading: 5 Bad Weight Loss Habits That Can Sabotage Your Efforts
Conclusion
Just because the keto egg fast diet is promoted on social media these days does not really mean that it’s good for you. As stated above, this short-term restrictive diet comes with many risks and side effects and are just not worth it.
If you’ve reached a plateau on your keto diet, there are other alternatives in which you can break the plateau. They are much safer and have no harmful risks and side effects.
