You’ve all heard it. The Keto Egg Fast. Have you thought about it? Wondered what it is and if it is for you? Check out my Surviving the Keto Egg Fast Guide for maxium success!
Surviving The Keto Egg Fast
I have always quietly scoffed at the egg fast. I felt it was one of those things that when people do it, they lose weight, and then gain it back once they are done so what is the point.
That is partially true, but partially not true.
I get so many questions about the keto egg fast and I really couldn’t answer them other than to give my uneducated opinion. I say uneducated because I had never taken the time to learn about it.
But I really wanted to be able to write about it, so I decided to just research a bit and do it to see what it is all about.
Make sure to see My Keto Egg Fast Meal Plan if you decide to dive in!
So, let’s start with the basics.
What is the Keto Egg Fast?
The egg fast was originally designed to help bring you through a weight loss plateau.
Some claim that the egg fast is nothing more than an incredibly strict keto diet.
On a side note, it is said that the egg fast is not appropriate for people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, eating disorders, etc… That is not an exhaustive list, but just a few. So if you ever venture into egg-fast-land, make sure it is safe for you with any health conditions you have. I have Type 1 Diabetes and I did just fine, but that is me and my body.
At a real basic level, the keto egg fast is a way of eating such that you primarily eat eggs, healthy fats and cheese for a time period of 3-5 days. Nothing else in terms of actual food.
Why Does the Keto Egg Fast Work?
- First, you will usually be in a calorie deficit by default. And even though keto is great, calories still matter. You will need to be in a deficit in order to lose weight.
- Second, it is incredibly low carb. Most my days were under 5g of net carbs per day. And like fasting, it is a fast track into ketosis if you are not already in ketosis.
- Third, due to the high fat nature of the egg fast, you will feel full and won’t be hungry all day.
- Fourth, your body is detoxing
What Are the Health Benefits of an Egg Fast?
Well, one obvious benefit is weight loss of course! Most people will see a reasonable weight loss over the course of their egg fast.
Another nice benefit is lower blood sugar and lower insulin. As a Type 1 Diabetic myself, I can tell you that high blood sugar and high insulin levels pretty much negatively affect every system in the body.
So maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels and insulin levels is on top of my list, certainly.
My blood sugars were incredibly stable, which was nice. I mean, keto keeps them to be stable, but they were even more even keel.
What Are the Risks of an Egg Fast?
The most common risk that most people think about is a deficiency in vitamins and minerals. I continued taking my daily vitamins, as an FYI. Some argue that since it is only a few days, a true deficiency doesn’t take place. But every *body* is different so it is still a general concern.
And then, of course, there is the digestive upset. People can experience both diarrhea as well as constipation. I experienced the former.
What Can I Eat on the Keto Egg Fast?
Following are the official food rules for the egg fast.
- Whole eggs (at least 6 per day)
- 1 tablespoon of healthy fats per egg consumed
- Up to 1 oz of cheese per egg consumed
- Up to 2 diet sodas per day (not the best, but your decision. I actually did take advantage of the diet sodas and it did help for some reason. Maybe it was the sodium in it, or the caffeine, who knows)
How Did I Modify the Keto Egg Fast Rules?
Now, here is how I modified the keto egg fast to fit with what I wanted to do.
- Up to 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk per day
- Up to 1 teaspoon of low carb spice per day
- Up to 20 drops of pure liquid stevia (avoid sugar alcohols) per day
I added psyllium husk because, well, it’s almost entirely fiber. In 1 tablespoon of psyllium husk there is 4g of carbohydrates and 3.5g of fiber, which leaves us with a net of .5g of carbs.
I think adding psyllium husk will help with regularity but will also help with some bulk in the food.
I added the spices because we need to enjoy the food, period.
Lastly, I added stevia because it is a natural no carb sweetener with no sugar alcohols. So if you want a sweetener, use it sparingly, but use pure LIQUID stevia. Do not use something like swerve or monkfruit as they contain sugar alcohols.
SO you might be wondering about salt, right?
Should I Salt My Food on an Egg Fast?
Yes, sprinkle some salt on your eggs. Your salt will be greatly decreased, so it is always a good idea to make sure you are still getting all your electrolytes. It is not for me to say how much as it is individual to the person.
Just be mindful of your electrolyte intake, specifically salt.
How Long Should You Do an Egg Fast?
That is up to you. The most common lengths are 3-5 days. I did mine for 4 days, just because I’m a non-conformant. Kidding. Sort of.
But seriously, I did mine for 4 days with a 2 day integration back to keto.
What Did I Eat on the Keto Egg Fast?
See My Keto Egg Fast Meal Plan below for recipes. These are the pictures of my ACTUAL food. No fancy photos, just pictures of my meals!
I’m going to walk you through my exact day in terms of wake up time, bed time and when/what I ate!
Day 1 Egg Fast Meal Plan
Woke up 6:30am
9:30am Standard Egg Breakfast with 1 oz cheese
2:00pm 1 biscuit
6:30pm 2 souffles
Bed 10pm
Eggs: 5 2/3
Fat: 5 2/3
Cheese: 4 ounces
Calories 1387
Net carbs: 8
Fat: 132
Protein: 53
Day 2 Egg Fast Meal Plan
Woke up 7am
10:00am Standard Egg Breakfast with browned butter + 1 oz cheese
2:30pm 3 deviled eggs
6:30pm 4 donuts
Bed 10pm
Eggs: 7
Fat: 7
Cheese: 4
Calories 1467
Net Carbs: 2
Fat: 143
Protein 42
Day 3 Egg Fast Meal Plan
Woke up at 7am
8am 2 hard boiled egg for snack
11am 2 T butter, 2 eggs, 1 ounce mascarpone cheese
Snack 1 oz cheese
6:00 pancakes
Bed 10pm
Eggs: 6
Fats: 6
Cheese: 5
Calories: 1485
Net carbs 3
Fat 144
Protein 48
Day 4 Egg Fast Meal Plan
Literally the same as Day 3
Should I Add Transition Days?
Yes, I believe you should. I think your body does better when you ease the transition back to a clean, keto lifestyle.
Two days is generally sufficient, but take more if you need them. Each day that goes by – try to get closer and closer to your regular, clean keto eating.
What Should I Eat On My Egg Fast Transition Days?
On the first transition day, I ate my normal egg fast style breakfast, lunch and snacks, but I added a small keto dinner.
On the second transition day, I ate my normal egg fast breakfast and lunch, but I had a regular keto snack and a regular keto dinner.
On the 7th day, I went back to a regular keto eating plan.
My Keto Egg Fast Results
For reference, I am 5’7”.
Starting weight: 132 pounds
Ending weight after 4 day egg fast: 125.4
After 2 day transition: 126.4
So basically, I lost 6.6 pounds but gained one pound back after the 2 day transition and therefore I had a net loss of 5.6 pounds which was about 4.2% of my body weight.
I was very happy with that.
What Was Great About the Egg Fast
This is a tough one.
I lost the weight I wanted. I was shooting for 4% of my body weight and that is what I came in at. So that was cool.
I felt better overall because there wasn’t much variety going into my system and I feel like it had a bit of a rest.
What Sucked About the Egg Fast
Ok, prepare for TMI here… I had massive diarrhea on the first day. I did the egg fast twice and the same thing happened both times.
I’m not sure if it was because of the egg fast itself or because I still took my regular magnesium the night before. Either way, I got cleaned out pretty good. Many times.
As each day that went on, though, it lessened. So, perhaps it wasn’t the magnesium.
Additionally, the first 2 days were a bit reminiscent of the keto flu. I mean, my kids survived, so it wasn’t that bad. But I did warn them that I felt like I was ready to scoop some eyeballs with a spoon so tread lightly around me. They did well. So did my hubby.
I felt great on day 3 and 4, however.
And by the time I was back to keto, I was rockin’ it!
Do I recommend the Keto Egg Fast for Weight Loss?
If done properly, sure. If done haphazardly, no.
If you can listen to your body and know if it is handling it ok, sure. If you can’t recognize when you might need salt, for example, then no.
As I said, I’ve never been a supporter of an egg fast because I truly believe in sustainable change, not quick fixes. But sometimes, mixing things up a bit is needed just as is the case with carb cycling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my experience was ok. Not great. Not horrible. I lost the weight I wanted and ended up feeling great. I give the entire experience a B-.
Be sure to check out my Keto Egg Fast Meal Plan.
Have FUN!
References
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/egg-fast
Trina Krug is a Holistic Nutritionist, Integrative Health Coach and host of the Carbless Conversations Podcast. With a Master’s Degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, her single mission in life is to facilitate self-healing in herself and those around her through awareness, lifestyle shifts and low-carb eating. As a current Doctor of Science student, she continues her studies in functional nutrition.
How many days do you wait between egg fasts?
It is different for everyone. I don’t do them close together.
You lost credibility saying it will detox your body. Pro tip: in a healthy individual your kidneys liver and skin (to name a few) are constantly detoxing regardless of what you eat. Otherwise you’d be dead
You are correct about those detoxification routes. Pro tip: our body’s detox systems are incredibly overloaded with a toxic environmental load (both with what is in our food as well as what we come in contact with in our environment) in which case lessening the load on occasion does our bodies good.
I’m confused with the biscuit, pancakes and donuts if it was a egg fast???
If you look at the recipes, you’ll see that they are mostly egg. There are many things you can do with eggs and a fat!
Just a comment for Jess: Modern humans under a toxic load that was unprecedented in our evolution, as Trina notes. Also, sadly, not all of us have healthy liver and kidneys. I personally follow a ketogenic diet for my stage 4 cancer and treatment-related seizures. While you’re right that I technically should be dead (years past my prognosis), I’m thrilled to be living my best life thanks to metabolic and nutritional strategies – including a reduced toxic burden for my poor liver and kidney that would otherwise have collapsed under the burden of chemo (in addition to all the other ubiquitous toxins introduced this century). I can see how you developed your perspective based on your personal experience but it may help to become aware of the many other humans with their own experiences out there. Wishing you the best in health and personal growth!
I am type 1 diabetic doing egg fast as well! Currently on my 4th day, so tempted to just stop here but I think I’ll push thru the 5th, one more day!!
I actually had quite a few lows. I didn’t know on 1st day and took 18units of basal and half woke up (from phone calls) severely low. Still managed to make all the eggs for the day (6 eggs a day, been doing egg salad only because I’m lazy) and took a few bites and managed thru the day. I learned to check my blood sugar before I sleep and it was at 130, which I decided not to take my basal. Woke up next day, blood sugar at 78. And since then I haven’t been taking my basal, which thankfully my blood sugar hasn’t dropped too low or gone too high without any insulin at all, so far.
I’m beyond excited it’s almost over. I’m hoping my best with transition but I already got an AYCE Brazilian steak house dinner planned on the 6th day lol but I’ll mostly do only meat and cheese and try not to touch any veggie. Hoping for the best!