This past week, I put my eggs all in one basket!
For some odd reason, it seemed like lots of people I follow on social media were trying an “egg fast”. I am so keen on switching things up all the time – so I figured “why not?!?” Also, although I’m at a healthy weight, I’m very interested in moving my body fat percentage down still. Maybe this egg fast thingy would help that?
Another reason is the fact that I haven’t been able to shake the three extra pounds since I’ve returned from Ireland. I mean, what gives? Oh yeah, my cortisol is sky high – but that’s for another post. So maybe the egg fast would allow me to drop them permanently?
I scoured the interwebs for ideas on how to do this egg fast. After reading quite a few experiences, I decided to do the following for three days because that’s how many I had before a social engagement on Friday (most people do three to five days):
- 2 eggs per meal time – up to three meals per day
- 1 tablespoon of healthy fat for EACH egg (butter, avo mayo, bacon grease)
- 1 ounce of cheese for EACH egg (love my cheese!)
- Eat every three hours and don’t go any longer than five hours between meals
- Hydrate well
- Continue my normal electrolyte balancing (pink salt, my magnesium supplement)
- 1 egg with 1 tablespoon fat as a snack IF NEEDED (and despite eggs being satiating, I did need a snack two of the three days)
I have always considered eggs to be an ideal food for my Keto lifestyle. High in fat, perfect in protein. By the time I cook them in some fat (bacon drippings or grass fed butter) or added some Avocado Mayo for an egg salad, I have a pretty good keto ratio.
Or so I thought.
Here’s my Keto macronutrient ratios for the three days:
I ate way more fat than I probably ever have on this keto journey. I ate WAY more calories than I ever do on a daily basis. I was not HANGRY at any time, however, I did eat when I was hungry. Plus, I was adhering to all the advice that you have to eat the eggs! And the fat. And I wanted my cheese! I followed my parameters exactly for the three days.
This was my result on my Aria scale – which also measures body fat percentage:
My weight went down, but my body fat percentage went way up! Definitely NOT what I was looking to achieve. In fact, it ticked me off. My overall thoughts on my egg fast: FAIL. I stuck with the routine for the full three days. I’m pretty positive I won’t be doing an egg fast again anytime soon.
Because I like experimenting with and hacking my diet, I thought I would share these results with you. I do believe that an egg fast could be very beneficial to anyone that is trying to bust a weight loss plateau on the scale. I often tell friends that are “stuck” to “eat fat to lose fat” and to “not fear the fat”. Don’t be afraid to experiment with Keto or LCHF options to see what works for your goals.
Ohh, additionally and just because I wouldn’t be having any heavy whipping cream for those three days – I decided to also give up COFFEE for three days! CRAZY, I know! But I did it! I didn’t have coffee for three whole days and I didn’t pass out cold. I’m really most pleased with myself for achieving that goal.
Now I’m two days past the egg fast. I went back to my normal, strict Keto routine with 18:6 Intermittent Fasting. My weight is back up 1.4 lbs but my body fat percentage is creeping back down .7%, so far. Sigh. But the good news – my jeans all still fit comfy. That’s really all I should be concerned about. Maybe someday I’ll write about “ditching the scale”. It’s a struggle.
Have you tried an egg fast? What were your results? Does this sound like an experiment you would try? Share your story!
(Disclaimer: I am not a health care professional. I am writing about my personal experiences to encourage others to research a low-carb lifestyle. You should always work closely with a health care professional to manage your health. I work with three MDs to manage my health: functional medicine, cardiology, and sleep/pulmonology. They treat my metabolic dysfunctions along with monitoring my important blood markers routinely. Keto or LCHF may not be an appropriate way of eating for your metabolic health or other health needs. Please check with your personal health care professional before making any changes in your diet.)