The boiled egg diet is egg-zactly what it sounds like — a weight-loss program that features boiled eggs for at least one meal each day.
But is the egg diet all it’s cracked up to be? And how healthy is eating eggs every day? Experts have a few insights into the diet, which promises to help people lose up to 25 pounds in just two weeks.
The diet was first described in the 2018 book “The Boiled Egg Diet: The Easy Fast Way to Weight Loss!” by Arielle Chandler. The diet is also widely promoted on TikTok, with the one boiled egg diet site garnering over three million views.
There’s even some celebrity cachet to the diet: Nicole Kidman reportedly ate hard-boiled eggs prior to starring in “Cold Mountain.”
The diet isn’t complicated or hard to follow: Breakfast includes at least two eggs and one piece of fruit, with the option of including a low-carb vegetable or protein. Lunch and dinner consist of eggs or a lean protein, plus low-carb vegetables.
Other than that, dieters are welcome to include other foods and drinks such as calorie-free beverages, lean meats, non-starchy vegetables, lower-carb fruits, fats and oils, and whatever spices or herbs you like.
In that regard, the diet resembles dozens of other low-carb diets. “This is a version of a low-calorie, low-carb diet that will promote weight loss but will not be sustainable long-term and does not provide your body with balanced nutrition,” New York City-based dietitianErin Palinski-Wade told Women’s Health.
But there are lots of foods that are restricted on the boiled egg diet, including:
- Grains like bread, pasta, quinoa, couscous and barley
- Dairy products including milk, cheese and yogurt
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Peas, beans and other legumes
- Fruits like bananas, pineapples and mangos
- Sweetened beverages such as soda, juice, sweet tea and sports drinks
Because of these restrictions, the diet might be difficult to follow long-term for many people. “This is a restrictive, unbalanced way to eat that could result in nutritional deficiencies long-term and is not sustainable,” Palinski-Wade said.
Despite these problems, people who followed the diet reported some short-term success with it. “5 lb down in 1 week!” said one TikTok dieter. “Definitely worked,” said another.
But one person offered up a more common complaint: “The egg diet will burn you out on eggs. Done it and it works but hate eggs now.”
Palinski-Wade agrees that dieters might see some weight loss, since the egg diet is low in both calories and carbs. “The initial weight loss will include water losses, resulting in ‘exciting’ results, but not much actual loss of body fat,” she explained.
While nutrient-packed eggs can be a healthy part of a well-rounded diet — providing high levels of vitamin A, vitamins B12, vitamin D, riboflavin (vitamin B2), biotin (B7), selenium and iodine, to name just a few — they also contain high amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat, which might be questionable for people who are concerned about their cholesterol levels. So, it’s important to speak with a doctor before jumping into the egg-heavy diet.
The biggest concern, according to Palinski-Wade and other experts — as well as people who’ve tried it — is that the diet might be fine for a couple of weeks, but isn’t sustainable for the long term.
Afterward, you’ll end up regaining all the weight you lost and more, since people often overeat following a highly restrictive diet, Palinski-Wade said. A smarter approach is to talk to a doctor or registered dietitian to discuss the healthiest, long-term diet plan for you.
