Ever since I had to take steroids this past Spring for my allergies, my system has completely rebelled. My hormones are out of whack, and my body has become completely resistant to losing weight. No matter how strict I am with keto – even counting calories and cutting out dairy, alcohol, etc. I have not been able to drop pounds.
Even worse, every time I go off plan for the weekend or some event, additional stubborn pounds creep on. I know that a lot of you are struggling with this same problem, so I thought I’d do some research on ways to break through a weight loss plateau.
One tried and true method to bust a plateau and get your weight loss going again is a fat fast. 3 days, 1200 calories per day – almost all fat. Most people just eat an entire block of cream cheese per day, a few ounces at a time. Ew. So much NO. Maybe someday I’ll try it for experiment’s sake, but for now it’s just not for me.
Recently I started hearing about the Egg Fast and was intrigued. I’m planning to try it and track my results. I thought you guys might be interested in trying it too, so I’m posting some basics about it here for those of you who have never heard of it.
What is an egg fast? It’s a (short term) diet that consists of primarily eggs, cheese, and butter. For each egg you eat, you should eat a corresponding Tbsp of pure fat in the form of butter, olive oil, or coconut oil. You can also eat a corresponding Tbsp of full fat cheese per egg. Doing this will result in an extremely low carb, high fat, moderate protein intake that will kickstart your body into fat burning mode.
In my research on the egg fast diet I couldn’t find any scientific reasons as to why it works, but there are a lot of anecdotal cases of people who have had success with it. One of the most popular is from Jimmy Moore of Livin La Vida Low Carb who did it for a month back in 2010 and lost 27 lbs. You can read his story and the guidelines of the plan he followed here.
Low carb maven Dana Carpender also reports having some success with the egg fast to shed some stubborn pounds – you can read her post here. Most recently I read a post from The Ketogenic Woman chronicling her success with the egg fast to break through a plateau, and that’s what finally convinced me to give it a try.
There is a closed group on Facebook called Egg Fast – Stall = Breaker (diet) that I joined (and you can too if you’re interested) to get more information, and after reading through the threads it seems that the biggest issue people have is gaining the weight back when you go back to regular LCHF or keto. Across the board it seems that at least 90% of the people doing it will gain at least a portion of the weight lost back – though there are some who have kept almost all of it off with a careful reintroduction to their normal keto diet.
The key to success seems to be cycling on and off for 4-5 days a week. While on your off days, you should stick to LCHF (keto) and even then, don’t go nuts. It seems possible to lose 8-10 lbs (or more) a month this way and keep it off. To be clear, while I’d love to do that, I’m not (at this time) planning to do the egg fast long term. I’m hoping that this one week egg fast will kickstart my metabolism, and get my body back in weight loss mode so that I can go back to my normal keto routine and start losing consistently again like I have in the past. We’ll have to see how that goes.
I had no trouble losing almost 60lb on keto the first year I started – and kept most of it off until I started having severe seasonal allergies in 2012 that wreaked havoc on my entire system. Stalls can be the result of medications, hormones, age, and other factors. If you’re having issues losing on low carb now, even though you’ve had success in the past, you might need a reset like I do. Hopefully this egg fast will be the thing that works to get my body back on track, (and maybe yours too!)
I’ve customized the egg fast to my own preferences, and here are the basic guidelines of the egg fast that I plan to follow for the next 5 days:
- Bullet Proof Coffee within 30 minutes of waking (coffee with 1 Tbsp MCT oil, 1 Tbsp Kerrygold unsalted butter)
- Eat 3-5 meals of at least 2 eggs each, starting no later than 10am
- Have 1 Tbsp of butter or sugar free mayo per egg consumed
- 6 ounces of full fat cheese (cream cheese, cheddar, brie, etc.) allowed per day (eaten with eggs or separately as a snack)
- No eggs after 7pm (1 string cheese allowed after 7pm if starving, counts as part of the 6oz daily limit)
- Don’t go more than 4 hours between meals or snacks between 10am and 7pm.
- Drink 100 oz of water per day (minimum)
- Supplement with magnesium and potassium (lite salt) daily.
- Small amounts of fresh herbs, hot sauce, no carb sweeteners, and spices will be allowed – as long as they are less than 1g net carbs per serving, not to exceed 5g net carbs per day.
This may sound unduly restrictive, but you’d be surprised how many delicious recipes/combos that you can come up with using eggs, cheese, and butter (cream cheese pancakes anyone?) For those of you that are interested in trying it and want some structure, I’m working on a one week egg fast meal plan that I will post next week. I will strictly adhere to that same meal plan and will update you with my results at the end of my first week.
Update: I lost 7.4 lbs in five days on the egg fast, then gained back .5 lbs over the next two days for a net loss of 6.9 lbs. in one week. Here is a list of some of the egg fast friendly recipes I came up with and posted here on IBIH during the fast:
Buffalo Omelette
Salted Caramel Custard
Easy Deviled Eggs
Snickerdoodle Crepes
Fettuccini Alfredo
Update: Click here for my 5 Day Egg Fast Menu Plan!
A word of caution: If you are not already fat adapted and are eating hundreds of grams of carbs per day in your diet, you may not want to embark on an egg fast until you’ve been in ketosis for awhile. Jumping right in can make you feel really lousy, and may even be dangerous if you have other health conditions. Consider trying my 3 Day Keto Kickstart first and see how you do before trying something as low carb and high fat as this egg fast.
Stuck in a plateau? Is an egg fast something you’re interested in trying? Have you already tried it? I’d love to hear your results/thoughts in the comments!
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Chris Hampton says
I’m a big fella at 6ft and 265lbs. I just started working out 7 days ago and walking 1 mile per day, and also started the egg fast 3 .5 days ago. I have been eating as much as I want when I’m hungry, but being sure to add the 1tbsp of butter per egg. Most days I’ll eat about 14 eggs. I’m steadily losing 2lbs per day, consistently! I’m hoping the transition to keto diet will be smooth with minimal weight gain with my heavy gym routing and watching my diet. This morning when I weighed myself I was 244lbs. I’ve been weighing myself every morning and it’s been a steady 2lbs per day with no adverse effects yet. I’m sticking to the fast for a full 7 days and then transition to keto. I’ve never attempted any type of diet in my life, so I’m having great luck so far!
Rachel says
Starting Day 3 and lost 0.3 lbs. Looking at your lists of what you ate each day, thinking maybe you reduce the butter in other meals to make up for the butter & MCT oil in the BPC? At first it looked like BPC AND 2 eggs, 2 T butter for breakfast. Now I’m not so sure. Trying not to panic when I look at my macros and just trust the eggs. :-) Thanks!
Rachel says
In 2 days on the egg fast I wasn’t losing weight, so I did more research and found the basic Egg Fast is 2 eggs with 2 Tblsp. butter 3 times per day. You CAN have up to 1 oz. of cheese for each egg, but you don’t NEED to eat all that cheese. It also looks like you should substitute 1 oz. of cheese for the Tblsp of butter if you’re eating eggs and cheese for a meal. Once I started having 6 eggs and 6 T. of butter per day, THAT’s when I started losing weight like everyone is talking about. So, I wasted my first 2 days of the egg fast eating way too much fat and cheese. Live and learn, right?
Angela says
Hi – i have been Keto for nearly 2 years. been in a 6 month stall. I have been on your egg fast for the last two days (being home during this Covid19 thing), and my ketones were 4.1 last night, and lost 1.8 lbs. Just letting you know I have to take meds with something other than water, so must have 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, with 1 tablespoon of HWC each day. I’ll let you know how it goes by day 5.
Bella says
Hi. I would like to know how you counted 1200kcal on this egg fast. I’m already on 1200kcal everyday. And when I put 6 eggs, 6 ounces of cheese and 6 tablespoons of butter in the app – I hit 1600kcal. My question is, if I’m already on 1200kcal then going up to 1600 Kcal would suggest that I would gain weight instead of lose it since weight loss is about calorie deficit. Any idea?
Robyn says
This was the EXACT question I have. I’m very nervous about going up to 1600 plus calories from my normal 1200. Would really love to have an answer!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You don’t track calories on the egg fast typically.
Rachel says
Today I had a BPC with 2 eggs for breakfast, morning and afternoon snack was string cheese, lunch was 2 eggs, 2 T butter and the same for dinner. Calories – 1232. Read my comment to myself above. I’m now losing weight but wasn’t with all the extra cheese. I also thought the BPC was in addition to the eggs, fat, and cheese. I now count that as 2 fats. Seems simple, but not really!
Kathy says
Day 3 lunch makes no sense to me. 1 cream cheese pancake, what is the 1 Tbsp mayo for? The recipe say sugar free syrup and the deli slice cheddar cheese????
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s basically a mini wrap. Made with 1 cream cheese pancake, spread with the mayo, then the slice of cheese, then rolled up and eaten. The syrup is for use when eating the pancakes as a breakfast if desired – not together with the cheese and mayo.
Monica says
Hi!!! I‘M from Peru and i looooove your page! I have one doubt, if i have a bpc in the morning and i Want another in the afternoon… can i take it? If i have for example 8 eggs and only 5 TBSP of butter…
sorry for my english!!! ?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes!
Laura says
Hi
I would love to know why you have to eat before 10am? I’m having 2 bullet proof coffees before that but can’t stomach the idea of eating before 11/12am.
Thanks!
Michelle says
I’ve done an egg fast before to get out of a stall. It was successful. Somedays I had two bpc and I still lost weight. If I had scrambled eggs I would do 1 tbsp butter for 3 eggs, then have 2 tbsp of butter available for a couple cups of bpc.
I’m starting an egg fast today and will be having egg coffee this time. It’s actually really good. If you decide to look up some recipes for it I just suggest using little to no hwc. Just modify, or find, a recipe that fits the egg fast.
Amber Waldron says
Is sugar free gum (1-2 carbs per piece) okay on the egg fast? Asking because I know it’s a “no” on the beef and butter fast. Thanks!
grace2u says
Just finished a 5 day egg fast.I always find the egg fast easier that after the fast. I am very strict with eating, always below 20 carbs a day. But here is the question..how do i transition back.
When I do an egg fast i am keeping it simple.I hate to cook so its just eggs butter cheese sometime.My eating routine is simple raw spinach some chicken breast ,Renees chunky blue cheese dressing 0 carbs 7 fat ,actually 1 tablespoon, depending how much fat i had so far. Can i eat like that the first day after 5 day fast.Oh I always eat eggs for breakfast.Just thought i was not starting right.
Thanks so much
Jill says
Starting egg fast today. I’m shhoting for 4 days to start then grilled chicken and greens over the weekend. I’m 52 and can’t lose since menopause. I’m also giving up beer for the 4 days…. just woke up and ate an egg in 5 min of waking up.
grace2u says
Hi there.I didn’t even know beer was allowed when eating keto?
Michelle says
I’m on day one and so far I’m over my calories fat and protein by quite a bit. Is this normal? I followed your day one to a T. I usually do IF and about one meal a day maybe two. I’m worried being over my macros so much will make me gain not lose. OR is that how this works?
Rachel says
I am curious about this as well! Anybody have an answer?
grace2u says
How did you figure your macros out?
Shelly says
I am wanting to try the egg fast, but the problem is, I am up at 5:30am daily to start getting my daughter ready for school which she leaves at 7:45a.m. I rarely have time to even fix a cup of coffee during this time and I am never hungry until after 8a.m. Do I need to eat an egg that early in the morning since it states to eat 1/2 hour from waking? I don’t go to bed until 10:45p.m. every night either, but the nothing after 7p.m. is easy. One other question – I have not found any info on how to go back on plan after the fast. Or did I just miss that somehow? Thank you so much. What a great blog..
Mellissa Sevigny says
Shelly it’s fine to eat when it’s easiest for you! The egg fast plan has a two day transition built into the end of it and then go to regular keto afterwards!
grace2u says
Please, where do I find the transition after a 5
Casieopea says
been keto for more than a year… 70 pounds gone… now I am stalled…I am seriously considering an egg fast – more so as a morale booster to kick start my next leg of the journey. I was wondering if counting calories is done on an egg fast? I did a prelim run with it for a couple days and was plugging it into myfitnesspal and Im over the daily allotment for fat and calories… and I am just wondering if this is a concern or if the purpose is to stoke the fires with more fat and calories? any thoughts are appreciated… since no one seems to have a body of juried research on the mechanism of how this works – I thought I would solicit responses from people who has been successful with it. THANKS!
Jessica W says
What about intermittent fasting…. think I could do the egg fast with only eating twice a day?
May says
Hi Melissa, I am doing the keto diet, but weight loss is really slow. I am thinking, if I just want to do a 3 or 5 day fast, can I pick any day’s recipe out of the 7 to follow? Like I like some foods better than others, so, say can I do days 1,2, 3, 3 and 5 for a 5 day diet? Can I substitute string cheese for other cheese as it is not easily available where I live? Tks very much?
Meghan says
I know this post is older but I’m hoping you still see my comment. Do I HAVE to eat cheese? Like if I’m full with the 1:1 ratio of eggs to fats, can I skip the cheese? I’m not a big fan of cheese, but I want to do this right. Thanks!
Mellissa Sevigny says
No you can skip the cheese!
Meghan says
Thanks!
Joanna says
10 eggs and 10 TBS butter and 6 oz of cheddar cheese comes out to 2400 calories! In the beginning of the post, you say that a fat fast is 1200 calories. Please explain the difference and why 2400 calories would ever be ok. Thanks.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Read the comments from all the people who lost weight on this plan. There is more to it than calories in calories out.
Elise Ann Wormuth says
I don’t know if this is “kosher,” but I have some roasted garlic aeoli and chipotle mayo (1 carb each) and I mixed those to make the egg salad. Tasty and kind of spicy. Fighting off the egg overload by making something a little bit different.
Danielle says
So I’ve been doing this for the last 4 days (following the menu) and I’ve consistently lost weight every day, but I’ve only lost 400g. Over 4 days. It’s nice to see the scale moving after ages, but really disheartening seeing other people losing 5lbs overnight while I’ve only lost 0.8lbs over 4 days.
hayley says
It’s probably only water weight and muscle – at the end of the day you really want to be losing fat, which takes a longer time and therefore you won’t get dramatic numbers on the scale. Fast weight loss, while exciting for the scale doesn’t really mean it’s actually fat loss. Keep at it and you will see results, try intermittent fasting and experimenting with your deficit.
Danielle says
I ended up losing 1kg from it – it wasn’t water weight, since I’d been really ill the night before I started this and had dropped my stored water already. I’ve never even seen the number on the scale that I am now and I’ve stayed that number since finishing the fast. I still need some time to see if it’s kicked my body back into fat burning mode (since I’d stalled for about 4 months) but so far I’m pretty happy, even if I didn’t lose a dramatic amount of weight like others did.
hayley says
Hi there, is the weight loss with this actual fat loss (or mainly water weight and/or muscle loss)? Also, is it effective for people who have less than 15 pounds to lose? Many thanks :)
Brian says
I guess if you have to eat something this is probably a good thing to do. But if you can get away with it I highly recommend intermittent fasting. Don’t eat anything from when you get out of bed until dinner, you would end up fasting for about 16 hours depending on how much you sleep, and when you eat dinner. Dinner should be strict keto, and if you have a snack it should be strict keto; but if you’re doing good on maintaining weight and are well below your calorie count, you don’t have to be tooo strict.
Ann says
If you read what she says… you eat from 10AM – 7PM — that’s a 15 hour fast. What you are talking about is a 23 hour fast. It might be a little hard eating 6 eggs and all that cheese in one sitting. I’ll be doing it with 2 meals, spaced out by about 4 hours apart, so basically 20 hour fast, 4 hour eating window.
Claire says
Hi! I have followed this plan to a T. From an LCHF diet I started the egg fast and ate the recommended egg/fat/cheese ratio (sometimes leaving out the cheese). I lost about 5 lbs and then gained back 2 lbs. I’m not sure what else I can do, and I’ve just stayed on it for more than a week now because I’m scared of going off and gaining. I have about 25 lbs to lose, and I’m stuck (and feeling desperate!!) … have you or any of your readers had this kind of result?? That is, very little weight loss and another plateau?
Susan says
Can you post a shopping list for the 5 days?
D'Gee says
Did you find that your loss kickstarted again after the fast? I’ve been up and down ten pounds for THREE MONTHS after losing 70 pounds. I’m desperate! It’s so hard not to get discouraged and just give it all up.
Lori says
I would like to introduce myself to you I’m Lori. I am not new to low carb buti am new to egg fasting. I have not eaten a single egg in over 30 years but i am giving this egg fast 7 days . I just finished my second full day and feel great. Ty kindly for all of your stories of encouragement.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hi Lori, so glad the egg fast is working for you!
Leigh says
It was really nice to read the first line of this! I’ve been so frustrated and unable to lose weight now matter how I eat or work out. I too was on steroids, I had a tumor inside my spinal cord and was on very very high doses. By the end I looked like I weighed a million lbs now ten months later I’m still fighting weight. I’m glad it’s not in my head and they actually cause weight to be stubborn.
Amber says
So only eat 1200 calories a day of the eggs and cheese, correct?
Mellissa Sevigny says
No. The 1200 mentioned in this post was for a fat fast. The egg fast has no calorie restrictions.
Lynette Kammerer says
Hi! I absolutely love your site. Your post about the egg fast was intriguing enough to make me want to try it. My problem with LCHF is that I’m good for 3 weeks then I fall off the wagon for about 2-3 weeks. I’ve been yo-yoing like this since the end of April. So, in the middle of one of my self-sabotaging moments, I decided to do the egg fast. It was amazing! I did not get sick of eggs at all and still enjoy them on day 2 of transition back to regular LCHF. I lost a total of 10 lbs in 5 days and have managed to keep losing the last 2 days. I fell in love with the Buffalo Omelet and have added it to my Thanksgiving weekend menu to serve to my family for breakfast one day. I also tried the fettuccine alfredo and really enjoyed that too. Thank you for this blog post. I intend to visit here frequently while planning my upcoming holiday menus.
Lisa says
I am on Day 1. Don’t mind eggs and I have recipes to change it up, but I’m hungry! I’ve lost 80# in 2+ years and now can’t lose at all in months. Over the weekend, I had a roll, some tortilla chips (maybe a handful) and a couple bites of brie that had a brown sugar sauce on it. Not my typical weekend. I’m usually quite strict on keto. I gained 2 lbs! Giving this a shot
Love And Low Carbs says
I LOVE your website. One of the reasons I started my own EF journey.
I’m not very creative with my recipes – so love that you’ve come up with these (along with the beautiful pictures!). Definitely going to try them out.
I started my own blog documenting my journey as I was inspired by yours! :)
Krystal says
Question for you: I plan on having 3 meals of 2 scrambled eggs with a tbsp. of butter per egg (I use Kerrygold Salted butter specifically). I intend to have BPC in the morning too. I’m sitting at 1245 calories with that food plan without even getting any cheese in? I’m a little lost how to make it work best for myself. I don’t need egg noodles and custard (all look delish by the way) I am perfectly fine with just eggs.
Lisa Fielder says
After being on strict keto for six months and reading on your website about the egg fast, I tried it last month. Lost four pounds in five days (even though I consumed more calories per day on the egg fast than I’ve been eating normally) and – even though I was sick to death of eggs! – was thrilled it worked so well. I kept it all off, not regaining a single ounce, and have since lost eight more pounds. I suspect the secret to maintaining the loss is not to go crazy at the end of the fast, but to go right back to normal keto.
Trying it again next week to see what happens.
Karen says
Hey Lisa, I am contemplating to start an egg fast next week. How did you go on yours now?
I started Banting on 15 July, the weight loss has been slow and steady. About 2 to 2.5kg, a bit up and down but not more so I thought to up the ante by going on the egg fast
Kelly says
Starting egg fast today. My weight ballooned from 145 to 174 in just a few months of being stressed and using bad foods as medicine. I started back on Atkins induction and in just a week went down to 167. I’m doing 4 days of solid egg fast and on day 5 I am going to incorporate a salad to reintroduce myself back to Atkins induction for the remainder of those two weeks. With people arguing you have to have fiber to be regular is absurd. The fat helps you keep regular and I can say I don’t need much fiber. The only thing I lack is iron. I have a supplement to help with that. So for my stats I am starting egg fast at 167.20, I’ll update my end weight on Friday.
Jeannette says
I have a few questions about this! Is there a maximum egg limit? Does it have to be every 3 hours or can we do IF with the fast (like 4 eggs for bfast then 4 for dinner?) Thanks!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
No maximum and if you want to split it up and IF it that should work fine!
Boo says
I have been doing an egg fast for two days now. Broke a stall and lost 6 pounds already. I’m so happy :)
azu says
Hi, quick question….this is my first day on the egg fast, can you please critique my daily food and tell me if you think i’m good or over doing the fat? pllllssssssss :( and thank you!
Morning – black coffee
2 eggs scrambled in 1tbs of Kerrigold butter
lunch 4 boiled eggs mixed with 3tbs of mayo, 1 tbs of kerrigold butter, salt, and tapatio hot sauce. 2 oz of monterrey cheese
dinner – 2 egg omellete, 1 tbs of kerrigold butter, 1 oz of cheese
a lot of WATERR!!!!
what do you think? i’m nervous about the fat intake….also if i do incorporate the bullett proof coffeee tomorrow, will I still be fine you think? or too much?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry, I don’t have time to work with people on an individual basis, I’m sure you’ll have good results if you’re following the guidelines though. For personal support and to talk with others on the plan you can try the ibih egg fast forums or one of the many egg fast specific Facebook groups!
Wayne McKenzie says
I am curious to hear how everyone has been doing with their egg fasts. I am considering the egg fast 3 to 4 days a week over the next month. I have supplements to help with energy and base nutrients so I am not concerned about not being in Ketosis. I have been eating a lot healthier than I used to so it shouldn’t be to much of a shock to my body.
Is anyone willing to share their egg fast experiences and results?
grace says
I had been in keto for two weeks, and I already began to stall. It has happened to me before, so I was frustrated, and decided to try the egg fast. I did break the stall, I am on day 4. I only dropped 2 pounds in three days though….could it be because I am on my last 10 pounds to lose? I am 5’1 and 122 pounds today. I would love to take it to 110 to 115…
Mellissa Sevigny says
Definitely expect it to come off a lot more slowly that close to goal Grace! Still sounds like you’re doing great though, congrats!
grace says
I also wanted to comment that I used heavy cream in my coffee for the first day, and then did the bulletproof coffee the 2nd and third day….lost .8 lbs the first day, .8 the second, and .6 the third…. for me it does not seem to make a difference whether I use the heavy cream or not. I prefer the cream to butter, so I switched to cream today. Just in case anyone else wants to know.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for weighing on your results with and without cream Grace! I think it’s different for everyone depending on their sensitivity to dairy – I’ve been drinking cream in mine while we travel because it’s easier than making bulletproof! But when I’m home I still prefer the butter to the creamer!
Kathy says
I was skeptical at first, as I’m sure most people are. What a whacky concept. I just complete 3 days and lost 4 lbs. I’m in the middle of the 4th day and am only doing it now because I pre-made a lot of stuff to save me time and I don’t want to waste food but, like you warned, I am. so. sick. of. eggs. I’m hoping this will also help me lose interest in butter and cheese. I so desperately want to give up dairy altogether but those 2 things are big strongholds for me. Anyway, It wasn’t very difficult to stick with. Yes, I was usually hungry when I went to bed, but not so much I couldn’t sleep. And each day became increasingly more difficult to exercise. But I see the light at the end of the tunnel and this has done exactly what I wanted…broke through that stubborn plateau and got me into the 140s which I never thought I’d see again! I’m a little concerned about weight gain when I recover from this but will be as diligent as I can to avoid that. I love your blog by the way. What a happy discovery!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great news Kathy – so glad it’s working out for you!
Jonathan says
I’m on day 3 of another EF. The last one didn’t seem to do anything for me. And, I think I figured out why. I like my coffee sweet. Think 4 splenda-or-stevia (though stevia tends to taste ‘off’ in that quantity) per 10oz mug of coffee sweet. And 4-5 mugs of coffee per day. AND granular 0-cal sweeteners actually have some carbs I’ve (belatedly) come to find. I was consuming about 8-10 grams of carbs and I had no idea.
This time around, I’m using liquid 0-cal sweeteners which don’t have ANY carbs (as far as I can tell from my research). At the beginning of my 3rd day, I’m about 7 pounds down. Woot!! I’ll do two more days of this (today and Thursday) before switching back to a diet where I won’t crave a solitary baby carrot. I know I’ll gain a couple back at that point. But, I’ll also focus on continuing the weight-loss trend. I *really* need my cow-orkers to stop leaving candy on their desks!!!!! :(
Brittany Gros says
I’m not understanding why heavy cream wouldn’t be allowed on the egg fast if you can have both butter and cheese. HWC is basically the main ingredient in cream cheese, marcarpone, etc., right?
Cheryl says
Hi there, can you drink any milk during the egg fast? I put them in my black coffee. I am also not doing the BPC. The thought of putting oil in my coffee just puts me off.
Petra says
I don’t even drink milk on a normal week…… too much lactose sugars. I have thin pouring cream in my coffee.
Steph says
I’m doing really well on the diet. But I am wondering how about something like egg drop soup there are times when I’m really busy. And that would be a quick and easy option to get and all I would have to do is add that to it.
Susan says
Nevermind, I’ve read the answer on the meal plan :)
Susan says
Hi,
I’m sorry, but I have a weird question. While eating so little (weight-wise) and no fiber do you still go to the toilet? This fast sounds like a week without #2.
Crystal says
Hey Melissa,
Thanks for the this post! Two days into the egg fast and I’ve finally broken through my month long plateau with a whopping 3 pounds! My question is: Do you think it’s okay to fry eggs in bacon fat. I know that egg is suppose to be the only protein, but is bacon fat okay for cooking?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Yes I would say bacon fat is definitely egg fast friendly!
Tracey says
Hi,
I am on day 2 of the egg fast diet. I feel sick so I know I must be into the ketosis. Does the nausea get better? Im only doing this for 3 days.
Christina Johannesen says
Hi Melissa,
I am just starting my egg fast today – and very excited – so far it’s taken me 6 months to go down about 22 lbs, so I’m desperate for some progress…
Could you let us know, how it went on for you after the egg fast. I understood you managed to regain only very little after the fast ended, but did it also help your stall, more long range? I mean, did your slow and steady weight loss set in again after the egg fast?
Christina
Mellissa Sevigny says
When I behave myself I see a loss, but we’ve been traveling A LOT this month, and I have indulged in lots of carbs. So the egg fasting right now has been keeping me from gaining – I do a few days after a weekend of indulging and it gets me back to where I started which is great – problem is, I still want to lose 30lbs so I need to stop cheating and start behaving! Hopefully we’ll be home for awhile and I can get back into a normal keto routine and finally start making some progress in the right direction! But the egg fast does work and it’s helped me a lot!
Christina says
Thanks for your reply.
I am on day 4 right now and this morning – after three days – I was down about 3 lbs. So not the huge losses I am hearing about from other people, but as i am a really slow loser and had been stalling for the last couple of months, I am really just happy to see some kind of downward movement on the scales… Just hope that it will also re-kickstart a normal, steady weight loss on normal strict lchf after this…
I have been fealing quesy after each meal – is that normal?
br
Christina
Keva says
Mellissa, i came across your instagram page last week and instantly became interested in doing the Eggfast. Ive been following a HFLC diet since last november and have had success with it, ive lost 23lbs (That was mainly in about 4 months) and maintained since then even though ive been a little off track!! The final blow came a few weeks ago i was on a weeks holidays and over indulged!!! – I put on 8lbs in a week, i couldnt believe it, i tought once i got back on track id lose the majority of it pretty quickly as id put it on so quickly!! :( Im 2 and a half weeks back on track and sticking to it religiously and ive only managed to lose 4lbs, and that was in the first few days and ive plateaued ever since. Im getting really annoyed now as i have a wedding im attending in 5 days so i decided to start the egg fast this morning, hoping this works!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Can’t wait to hear back Keva! Hope you drop a bunch in time for the wedding – keep me posted!
Linn Hagen says
Hi. I’m planning to do the egg fast. But I was wondering, is it possible to combine fried eggs with just ONE slice of bacon? or a slice of ham on my omelett? and what about a little slice of smoked salmon? That can’t ruin the whole thing…? They have no carbs!
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s the excess protein that’s the problem Linn – the egg fast works because it’s almost zero carbs, low protein, and very high fat which gets you into optimal nutritional ketosis. If you want the meat go ahead – it’s just not the egg fast anymore.
Linn Hagen says
I understand .. But I have heard of people doing the egg & meat fast with even grater results than just the egg fast.. What do you think about that?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I think you need to decide what’s right for you. If you think an egg and meat fast is more to your taste then that’s what you should do. I just put the information out there, whether you decide to follow exactly or tailor it to your own needs is really up to you! Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!
Donna says
What if you don’t drink coffee?
Hélène says
You don’t need the coffee but you do need the fat. So I’m going to drink bone broth with coconut oil or you could use the butter. And–no need to emulsify IMO AND there’s some fat in the broth too. Fat is your FRIEND; on this fast especially. FYI the broth is not part of this fast as it could have some carbs lingering in it but I’m chancing it as a) I think there’d be miniscule carbs in it and b) I can put dulse and turmeric in it also which are great for you and a different flavor besides egg lol
Donna says
Helene,
Thanks for the reply. I’ll add a bit more fat since I don’t drink Coffee or Tea (caffeine is not my friend). Thanks for the broth tip.
Eva says
I tried your SnickerDoodle Crepes today…. or should I say I attempted it as I wanted to try something different. Now, I must admit, I am not a cook. But my consistency ended up extremely runny and when I poured this consistency into the pan, it was very thin and whilst trying to turn it, it turned into mush.
The mush tasted very nice especially when I mixed it with the butter with cinnamon and xylotol.
What did I do wrong?
I’d appreciate some help.
It is very rich. Have been banting for 5 weeks now.
Mellissa Sevigny says
The batter is definitely on the thin side Eva but firms up into a perfect crepe when cooked. It sounds like your pan wasn’t hot enough if it turned to mush – next time try a higher temp and let the pan heat up a bit until the butter is sizzling before you add the batter!
Marion Harvie says
Eva most of the crepe cooks on one side. Watch for all the little bubbles that appear at the top of the crepe. Once most of them have popped then flip it over. Count slowly to twenty and slide it onto a plate. Voila!
Kim says
I’m contemplating trying this… But the only place I see Kerrygold available near me on the kerrygold website is SAMs club. Does it have to be Kerrygold?
Cameron says
Have you checked at Wal-Mart? That’s where I buy kerrygold and it is legit the best butter out there. Also, Wal-Mart usually has a pretty good sale on it!
Hélène says
So have you lost more now? Did it truly restart ur loss/break the plateau?
I think even if it did for me, i’d just gain it back when I ate fruit or starchy vegs again :(
Mellissa Sevigny says
I hate horribly for almost a week afterwards Helene and still kept several of the pounds off!
Toni says
Also wondering, is anyone excercising during the fast?
Starla Lester says
Thank you for posting about this over the last week. I’m in a similar position as the one you describe: I reach a point where I have zero quality of life/am literally sick with allergies. Then I give in to steriods to “get my life back”…. and then gain crazy weight which makes me feel lousy and saps my energy/endurance. I’ve been reaching a point of desperation and will be trying your egg fast. What you are doing here with your blog is important, please never doubt that!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thank you so much Starla! I’m so sorry to hear that you are having similar issues as I am – I know how frustrating and debilitating it is! Like that isn’t bad enough without gaining weight on top of it – sheesh! I hope that this helps you – please keep me posted on your progress!!!!
Marion Harvie says
I’ve done 4 days now and lost 7 lbs! I’m going back to LCHF tomorrow, but have been thinking aboit doing a version of the 5/2 diet. I would egg fast for 2 days a week and normal LCHF for the following 5 days. Does anyone have any views on this?
Pat says
That’s pretty much my plan until I hit my goal. For me, the Egg Fast was a huge success. I lost daily and am in full Ketosis at the end of Day 4, my last day. Can’t wait to weigh in tomorrow morning. I’ve struggled months to lose and this has been the best short-term method to start the scale moving in the right direction.
Big thanks to Melissa. I noticed a new msg from her w/ the Egg Fast Menu and recipes. The next fast will be even tastier.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hope you have at least as much success the second time around Pat! And let me know how the 5/2 thing works for you Marion! I’m thinking 3 days on/4 days off for the next few weeks to see what happens – don’t know if I could do 5/2 more than once!
Marion Harvie says
Thanks Melissa, when I said 5/2 I just meant two days of egg fast then 5 days of LCHF ! However I am now joining in with the Facebook egg fast group and am also doing the 3 day 5 day one! As of this morning after coming off the egg fast over the weekend very carefully, I am down a total this week of 5 1/2 pounds. For me this is amazing! I am so happy and grateful to you for communicating and sharing your information and knowledge with us. Thank you.
Pat says
Marion, I too am coming off my first Egg Fast, very carefully, and am still losing. I would have been happy not to gain but to continue losing is wonderful. I’m also going to try to do an Egg Fast 2 days, off 5 staying LCHF, of course. I think that will result in a solid weekly loss. I have a long way to go, like 30 more lbs or so.
Good luck!
Pat says
More good news! Completed 2nd day of breaking the fast (with 2 egg meals; 1 Low carb meal that even included light beer). Not only did I not GAIN – I LOST another .5 lb for a loss of 7 lbs in 5 days. I did the Egg Fast 4 days. Can’t wait to weigh again tomorrow. I’m also using Keto sticks daily and am in the ‘moderate’ Keto level. No dark purple yet, but who cares, this is amazing for me to lose every single day. The other amazing thing is reading this thread that is on fire with encouragement and success stories. So many of your followers have lost 30 to 50 lbs following LC. Hearing that motivates me even more to stay the course.
Can’t thank you enough for sharing the Egg Fast with us and did I mention….I LOVE IT! Have a great day everyone.
Jan says
CONGRATULATIONS PAT!!!!
Cindy says
Just finished the 5 day egg fast lost 8.4lbs. It wasn’t that boring thanks to your recipes. I have to say though day 5 was hard. Now to see what happens while I am on vacation next week. I am thinking of doing this 4 days egg fast three days keto for a while if I don’t continue to lose. I will update you on any regain of weigt lost on the fast.
Pat says
Cindy – I am on Day 4 today and have lost 6 lbs as of Day 3. What a boost to see a weight loss every day. I am stopping at Day 4 due to a birthday party on Sunday, but I’ll stay Keto compliant. I’ve found this remarkably easy to do, and have felt good since Day 1. I also plan to use this weekly or bi-weekly to push myself along and have a steady weekly loss until I reach my goal.
Another trick I used was to cook up the next day’s meals the night before. They sit in the fridge waiting for me to eat or heat and I’m free from cooking anything all day. And a tasty, crispy, salty snack I enjoyed was 2 slices of natural cheddar or Jack cheese fried til crisp. That and the one diet coke I allowed myself was a real treat.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Please do Cindy! Here’s hoping that you don’t gain it all back!!!
Cindy says
So day one post egg fast I regained 0.8lbs. Still hanging on to a loss of 7.6lbs.
Mellissa Sevigny says
That’s not bad Cindy – hopefully you’ll only gain a tiny bit (or nothing) the second day off like I did – then I just stayed in one place for 2 days which was ok for now. I’m hoping I’ll see a drop now that I’m doing another three days this week! Let me know how you do tomorrow!
Sherri says
I’ve never heard of the egg fast but have been stuck for a month at my current weight, after losing 30 pounds in 3 months on kero. The cream cheese fat sounds like a dream come true! I’m looking forward to reading about your results.
Mellissa Sevigny says
If you can stand it, lots of people have great results on the fat fast eating only cream cheese Sherri! Let me know if you decide to try it!
Jan says
Day 2 on Egg fast. Too chicken (or too vain or too in denial) to weigh myself before I started, I am going to let my capris from last year be the measure!!! Instead of cheese, I have substituted avocado. Yesterday I think I had 9 eggs, no issues yesterday even as my boys & husband chowed down on an awesome-looking, great smelling pizza (no one understands why I am mostly paleo). Today, so far, 5 + 1/2 avocado. Friday will be capri pants day! Keep it up everyone!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I like your strategy Jan, the scale is a big jerk! :)
Cindy says
I just started the egg fast. I too had stalled then the Dr put me on a new med which caused me to gain a few pounds so I decided to try this. I am down 4lbs on day 1. I am hoping this will help combat the new meds.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Congrats Cindy, hope you were able to keep it off!
Lucille Brocato says
As I posted in the Facebook egg fast page, I lost 6 1/2 lbs during June. I had difficulty getting off of the fast “cold turkey” without adding weight back on. I chronicled my gradual reintroduction of food. First I added raw vegetables with the eggs. Then cooked veggies. Next different protein. Both one meal at a time. Sadly, I discovered cheese stalls me or makes me gain. Initially I lost 5 lbs, then with the gradual reintroduction of LCHF food I lost another 1 1/2 lbs. It is easy to do and surprisingly I didn’t get tired of eggs. I would definitely do this again. Best of luck.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks Lucille, I appreciate you sharing your method with us! I need to figure out how to keep my body losing after the egg fast – for now it gains a little and then just stops again. Hoping I’ll crack the code this week!
Laura says
Dear Mellissa,
Thank you sharing your story and challenge dropping since going on steroids. I too am on them for 1 1/2 years for chronic recurrent pericarditis, which was a complication following my open heart surgery in 8/12. I gained about 40 lbs on top of what I needed to lose after acquiring that insatiable hunger that steroids cause. I’m also hypothyroid and have read that inflammation stalls weight loss when low carbing. I’ve lost all 40 lbs in a year (mostly within the first 4 months) since changing my lifestyle and consume fruit per day (mainly berries) as ordered by my doc to help with cognitive issues due to a stroke I had following my surgery. Your website and amazing recipes have been a lifesaver for me and can’t stop gushing about it to friends when I get the chance. I’m going to try the egg fast after consulting w my m.d. and might start off by doing a day here and there first. Best of luck to you on your journey and thank you again.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for sharing your story Laura! I’m sorry to hear about all of your chronic health problems but I’m thrilled to have played a part in helping you lose the weight! Let me know if you try the egg fast and how you do on it!
Laura says
Thank you and I sure will!
Sarah says
I really admire the fact that you’re making an effort to take control of your health. However, I must warn you, this method is one of the most (if not THE most) dangerous of dieting methods I have ever heard. What I say, I say because I am concerned. Not because I’m trying to make you feel ashamed about what you’re doing. It’s just that this is so dangerous and people need to know this. First, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTfvdypnAgg. Also, for more on this, watch the film “Forks Over Knives.” (It’s available on Netflix). Even if you are skeptical about these sources, you are still going to run into one HUGE problem with only eating things like eggs/cheese for that long period of time. These things contain little to NO fiber at all. Fiber is found in plant foods. You will get MAJORLY constipated, short of breath, and just plain sick on a diet without foods that contain fiber, at least SOME carbohydrates (which are REQUIRED because without them the body receives NO energy!) and also, plant foods naturally contain water. Animal foods do not provide any of these things, but instead provide cholesterol, which is definitely not necessary to the body because our bodies create their own cholesterol. With that excess cholesterol, the body has to store it in our arteries because there’s nowhere else for it to go, hence “clogged arteries.” As I said, I admire your conviction in doing something you feel is right for your body. It just greatly concerns me for your health and I just wanted to offer another perspective on this. I wish you luck in your pursuit of health. :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and express your concern Sarah! I really appreciate it! I see that you are a vegan, so it must be hard to reconcile with my way of eating! I’ll just tell you that I have seen forks over knives and it was definitely an eye opener especially as to how irresponsibly animals are raised commercially! It changed the way I shop at least. I’ve done the vegan thing – in fact I’ve gone so extreme as to do raw vegan about six years ago. I felt tired all the time, and ended up with severe candida issues. This way of eating works for me, and I don’t think five days of eating eggs and butter is going to hurt me (my blood pressure is fantastic btw), though I’m looking forward to eating a salad and some cauliflower when I come off the fast for sure. The bottom line for me is that I choose not to be dogmatic about one right path to health. Any diet that eliminates processed foods and refined sugars, with a focus on whole foods (plant or animal) is going to be better than the alternative Standard American Diet. For my body, low carb, high fat gets the best results and makes me feel great! Thanks again for taking the time to comment and show genuine concern for my health! :)
Mihir says
I just wanted to chime in and say that carbohydrates are not required for energy. Some amounts of glucose may be required, that doesn’t necessarily need to come from carbohydrates. Check out the following article for a more in depth explanation:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-much-glucose-does-your-brain-really-need/#axzz36nDT9fb6
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for leaving that link!
Lia says
I want to try this too! I’m wondering if the fat can be in the form of organic heavy cream (0carb) in addition to butter and oil. I only really like eggs in the form of your cream cheese pancakes… so it would be a cream cheese pancake diet for me. Being able to count the cream in my coffee for the fat would make it more doable. What do you think?
Mellissa Sevigny says
I think it’s worth a try Lia – if you don’t get good results you can always try cutting out the heavy cream and see if that makes a difference!
Lyndsay says
I want to try this! The only thing that would concern me ( i know this could be tmi, but oh well) would be how do you stay regular? Or is it not really an issue as i hear that protein actually moves through fine without fiber etc. I eat LCHF mostly and don’t have issues but i still normally eat 25-30f fiber and worried this might seriously constipate me. eek. advice?
Mellissa Sevigny says
The high ratio of fat should help smooth things along, and supplementing with magnesium is also going to help that problem. So far I’m on day three and no issues!
Nikki says
I just got done with a 5 day egg fast (you actually “liked” my photo about it on my Instagram which kinda made my day btw!), and I found that I had the opposite problem… After Day 1, I found that my stomach got upset about 3-4 hours after eating breakfast, like clockwork. Quite embarrassing since I work with some slightly immature people. -_-
Would you have any ideas or suggestions about how to remedy this issue, since I definitely plan on doing more Egg Fasts, but I’d prefer to do them without the embarrassing side effect from this past round. :-(
Kim Watson says
Hi from Cape Town, South Africa!
I have been eating Keto for the last year now, inspired by your amazing blog & cook book. It was the best thing I ever did health wise! In the first 6 months I lost 30 lbs, I felt so encouraged. It has taken me another 6 months to lose only 6 lbs grrrr! & I am discouraged to say the least.
Then I saw this blog post.
Yay! I am going to start on this egg fast tomorrow… maybe it will kick start my metabalism again & I can start losing the last 6 lbs.
Thank you for all you do to share your keto-wisdom with the world.
You are an inspiration to so many!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You’re so welcome Kim! Hoping you had great success last week!
Randi Stellar says
I was eating keto for 3 months and never lost anything! I felt great, and liked the food, but the whole reason I was eating keto was to lose weight. I am almost 50, and hypothyroid, so I know I have issues. I also have only 10-15 pounds to lose, and those last few pounds seem to be the hardest for everyone. About 3 weeks ago, I stopped tracking and have been just eating low carb. I figured why bother with all the tracking and trying to hit my macros when I was just maintaining. I can do that without tracking! But I do want to lose some weight quick – trip to Hawaii in 2 weeks! So I am starting the egg fast today. Wish me luck!!
Jan says
Oh Randi, we’re singing the same song for the same #lbs!!! I have a huge event to go to in 3 weeks and NOTHING seems to be working! Starting Monday. Best of luck to you! –Jan
Mellissa Sevigny says
How’d you do Randi?????
Randi Stellar says
Well, I only ended up doing it for 2 says, and I thought it was quite easy. I had unexpected guests, and it just wasn’t working to do while they were here. I want to get started back on it tomorrow, and now with the meal plan, it should be a breeze! Hawaii here I come – ready or not.
Susan says
I am definitely going to try this. I really need a jump start. I have lost 54 pounds on low carb in the past but nothing seems to be working for me now ! Very frustrating!!! I have been on steroids & antibiotics for a sinus problem & thought those might be the culprits for no weight loss. We shall see!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sounds very similar to my problem Susan! I’m late replying to this but did you try the egg fast last week? If so, how did you do????
Nikki Parry-Wulff says
oh, this sounds very interesting indeed! I have not heard of it before and was thinking of using a fat fast to break my stall but this sounds even more do-able :) I am a slow loser and have been good with my low carb but am seeking to find the best thing that works for me. I did a whole30 in January, lost 6 kilos (!!!) and went back to low carb from there, lost another 3.5 kilos over the following 4 months but have been stalled at 80.4 kilos for ages now. Just finished my second whole30 and it did zip for my weight (feeling great otherwise though so all good there). I know I shouldn’t be doing it for weight loss alone and I am sleeping loads better and feeling good but it’s just getting on my wick being stuck just above that 80 kilo mark (I’l 5’2… I still have enough to lose). I am always a great fan of yours and will be watching you like a hawk to see how you do :) xxx from Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Mellissa Sevigny says
Let me know if you decide to go for it Nikki, and how you do! I finally posted the 5 day menu plan so check it out! I was happy with my results overall and plan to start another three days tomorrow!
Nikki says
Thanks Mellissa! I was waiting for your recipes and menu plan as I don’t get much further than the scramble and pancakes :) I have just had a ‘naughty’ weekend food wise (out of my hands as we ate out of doors at friends for the whole weekend). I’m LCHF it today and tomorrow, Wednesday I have mates over who also low carb so a three course home made lc meal is in the offering (ending with your delish chocolate cake and still to be made mint/chocolate chip ice cream :D and THEN I am diving head first into your menu plan!! Thanks so much for all you do and the feed back you give us too!
Mary I. says
Interesting stuff, Mellissa. I wish I could try this. I’ve got rheumatoid arthritis, so I’m on a more or less paleo diet for that, though I have eaten two fruits a week for nutrition’s sake. I’ve lost about 20 lbs. doing this, though I have lots left to lose, but my priority is anti-inflammatory. Soooo, I won’t be able to do the egg fast, since I’m allergic to eggs. I’ve also cut out dairy for the arthritis part. I have had no net loss for the past two months! I’ve gone up and down in a four pound range, but nothing stays off! That’s in spite of being pretty religious about my eating. I’m going to try dropping the two fruits for awhile to try to get back to it. We’ll see.
I love that you’re posting these ideas, and that others are commenting too. It makes me feel less alone in this. I’m 62, so I agree about age being a big factor. Rats! I’m not able to exercise much due to health problems, so that’s a factor too. But you and the commenters give me a push to keep trying, so thanks for all you do! xoxo Mary I.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry the egg fast won’t work for you Mary! I think experimenting with dropping the fruit is a good idea to start – have you ever tried the Whole 30? It’s a very strict Paleo plan that might help you lose – it’s dairy free, and eliminates a few other things that normal Paleo allows, It always works for me but I didn’t want to commit to a whole month! Another thing you may want to try is a dairy free fat fast to kickstart your losing again – you can do it with bacon, avocado, coconut oil, etc. If you google it you’ll find lots of info! Hope that helps – and you’re definitely not alone! We’re glad you’re here! :)
Mary I. says
Thanks so much, Mellissa — these sound like great suggestions. I’ll let you know if/when I see results!
Claire says
Hi from the UK!
I too am in my very early 40’s & weight loss has been slow & has now stopped. Carb creep set in after my sons birthdays (2 within 10 days of each other) but this egg fast might be just what I need to get back on track.
Thanks for all your fantastic ideas and funny chat!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Let me know if you decide to try it Claire! I’m thrilled with my results so far – hopefully you will be too!
Mary says
Hi Melissa! Great idea. I’m going to do this with you. I’ve been in ketosis for a few months, feeling great, but just not losing weight the way I could when I was in my thirties. Lately, I’ve suffered from “carb creep.” Time to get back on track! Thanks for the fabulous blog!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You’re so welcome Mary! Let me know how you do on it!
karis says
Try paleo. I started it after you posted books on here. It says excluding dairy from your diet for 30 days helps with allergies and inflammatory issues.
Mellissa Sevigny says
That’s true for a lot of people but I was in the midst of a Whole 30 when I had the worst of my allergies unfortunately! Never had them until I moved to South Carolina – now I have extreme oral allergy syndrome which means I can’t eat any fruits or veggies during the month that the worst pollen is out – among other things. But I’m working on ways to combat it without the steroids so that I (hopefully) won’t have to take them next Spring!
Marion Harvie says
Ooh, I’ve been thinking of doing this too! I’ve lost 50 since January but the last month – nothing. I’m nowhere near my goal and I keep control of my carbs to less tan 20 a day and 1700 for calories. But no weight loss
Mellissa Sevigny says
Isn’t it SO frustrating to just STOP losing even when you’re being super strict? It makes it much harder to stay the course! It felt good to see a drop in the scale this morning even if it was mostly water weight! I highly recommend giving it a try – what have you got to lose (besides more weight lol?!?)
Alison @ Butter Is Not a Carb says
Mellissa,
Sounds interesting! I’ve not heard of an egg fast but have heard of fat fasts before. I’ve been fortunate to not hit a plateau yet to date but I know if I did I would fat fast to get back to losing, so I’m excited to see your meal plan! Hormonal imbalance is chaos for the body, so I hope the issues can be resolved soon. Best of luck!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Alison! Hey if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – hopefully you’ll never hit a plateau!!! I may still try a version of the fat fast, but so far this is pretty painless and it’s working well so I’ll see it through!
cindy says
I am super interested in trying this. I look forward to your menu and results. To me this seems much easier and tastier than a fat fast.
Mellissa Sevigny says
The fat fast is something I would try if this doesn’t work, but this seemed so much easier to undertake! So far so good – I’ll keep you posted!
Marion@Life Tastes Good says
Mellissa, This is very interesting. I’ve not heard of it before, and I’m going to be watching for your results! I wish you great success with it, and I may follow in your footsteps. I have not been a very good girl since Blogher in Miami, so I’d like to get back on track, but will heed your advice about slowly moving into ketosis before going all out on the egg fast. Since I’ve gotten older it is more difficult for me making that transition. Good luck!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hey girl! I have struggled with on again off again since Miami too! So far so good though – down 5lbs this morning which felt awesome! Let me know if you try it and how it works for you!
CommonSense says
Interesting, thanks for the post! I haven’t technically plateaued, i.e. going at least a month with no weight loss or loss in inches, but I have slowed down considerably. The first 4 months, I lost about 40 lbs very easily, but only about 20 lbs during the last 6 months. I’m happy if I see .5 lb a week. I’m also menopausal, so that is really screwing with me, although the perimenopause wasn’t so great either. I joke that I’ve run smack into my genetics, my build is just like my Italian great-grandmother. I should say my build before keto. I still have 15-20 lbs to lose and it would be nice if it didn’t take another year. I now have clothes in 4 different sizes!
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve taken to eating only twice a day, breakfast and dinner. It’s much easier to manage my carbs, and since I’m adapted, going 8 hours or more without eating is actually pretty easy. I sure hope I’m burning fat during those hours! I also stop eating at least 4 hours before bed. I was having serious sleep issues and that practice has really helped. Those changes work better for our lifestyle too, since my husband works from about 2am to sometimes as late as 5 or 6.
I may just try this, I do love your cream cheese pancakes, so does my husband!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I’ll be curious to see how you do if you try this – especially with your hormone issues! I will be 41 this summer and wonder if that’s part of my problem. I found that intermittent fasting didn’t work for me – I wasn’t hungry, but I wasn’t losing either! I think eating smaller meals more frequently helps my metabolism rev up and keep burning more consistently even when I’m sleeping. I’m wondering if part of my stall is due to slowing my metabolism down since I started having only coffee until 11am or later. Thyroid problems run in my family as well, though last time I was tested I was still in the low end of normal range. Let me know if you decide to try this and keep us posted on your progress! I’ll post my updates daily through this week, as well as the recipes I’m developing for use in the menu plan which I’ll post next week!
Petra says
This point is really interesting……. for the past 6 months I haven’t really lost, but I’ve stayed strictly to my keto eating plan (I lost the first 17 kilos easily…. and have stopped.) I haven’t thrown it away with the thought that maybe my body is getting rid of toxins/ ect, and I was too scared I’d put that 15 kilos back on. Plus, I love the way I eat now. But, I did start intermittent fasting roughly 7 or 8 months ago, purely because I just wasn’t hungry until lunchtime…… I’m 42….. I might need a kick start to my metabolism too………
I’ve just done an egg fast, (4 days- ) I’m very happy with the results…. I have started to lose. Directly after the fast, I gained every day a tiny bit, (panic stations!!) but then, about 4 days ago, the scales start d to go back down, and this morning I am the lowest I have been in this cycle of weight loss. and I’m very hopeful that the weight loss will continue……. fingers crossed.
Jan says
Pat, you must be right down the road from me-I was thinking the exact same thing-Not til this holiday weekend is over with all its Chesapeake traditions! I will be joining you ladies on this adventure as soon as I figure out a dairy-free sub for the cream cheese (graciously taking suggestions!) I am 51, hypothyroid, recovering from a hip replacement 8-9 weeks ago. This time in 2012, I was at least 10-15# lighter than BEFORE adopting grain-free paleo habits. I put in lots of physical activity, have been meticulous about what I eat & drink, but can’t seem to budge an inch. Reset it is!
I’ll check in on Monday!
–Jan
Pat says
I bet I am close by. Ocean City, MD right now and soon to be living in Bethany Beach, DE. Life is good, except how slowly I lose weight.
Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Spread is an alternative to cream cheese, vegan and only $2.49. I love dairy myself and don’t seem to have an issue, except w/ milk. Now I use Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk in the dairy case. Best tasting of any I’ve tried and has a very long refrigerator shelf life as opposed to dairy milk. Hope the brand names don’t prohibit the post.
Jan says
Pat-thanks for the tip, I will check it out when I go grocery shopping today(I’m from Baltimore, living in Columbia-maybe I’ll see ya downne Oshin, hon!)). I must steer clear of soy (wreaks havoc with thyroid issues) so I WILL find something! Good luck to everyone!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Is it just cream cheese or is it all cheese that you have to steer clear of Jan? If it’s all cheese that will make it tough – but you can do it with just eggs and coconut oil or olive oil if you can’t tolerate butter either. You just won’t have as many recipe options available so it will get even more boring. Might be worth a try still if nothing else is working though!
Jan says
HI Melissa, I am trying to avoid dairy (I do use ghee, tho) as a suggestion by Drs. WmDavis & Tim Noakes to a stalled hypothyroider. I’ll see how far I get & insert it as a last resort! Just bought 4 doz eggs, will start Monday!
erin says
Hi Jan, you may have already resolved this, but my boyfriend is severely lactose intolerant and I thought I’d chime in. We’ve made a ton of cream cheese pancakes (and waffles) using Tofutti Dairy Free Cream Cheese over the last year. For other dairy-free cheeses, the most affordable and delicious we’ve found are Trader Joe’s Yogurt Cheese and (some) Cracker Barrel sliced cheeses and cheese sticks.
Lisa says
Try testing for food sensitivities with an Alcat or similar test. Most people have leaky guts which can lead to difficulty in losing weight among a myriad of other symptoms.
Alexandra says
On the excess diet, what else can I eat in place of cheese as I’m lactose intolerant and I have celiac’s so I can’t eat anything with wheat or dairy. Any suggestions for foods and a diet meal plan would help. I have been doing phentermine, and have been yo-yoing. I’ve also been recovering from being on steroids with cancer for which I’m cancer free thank gosh. Any suggestions for food and her meal plan for lactose People would be appreciated for me. Thank you
Willow @ Will Cook For Friends says
Fascinating… I’ve never heard of an egg fast before, but now I’m really intrigued. I’ll be curious to see how it goes for you!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Me too Willow! I’m hoping it will be a success – so far so good, I’m down 5lbs after the first day! Don’t expect to keep losing at this rate, but even another 2lbs a day for the next 4 days would be SO AWESOME! I’ll keep you guys posted!
Michael Dieu says
Can’t wait to see your results and see your meal plan and give this a try! Love your page so much!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Michael! I’ll be posting daily updates so be sure to check back often!
native says
Definitely interested in trying this. +1 for a menu!
Pat says
Oh my, do I ever need this right now. I’ve been struggling lately and wondering what is going on with my not losing. I had no trouble losing a few years ago but this time, it has been very, very difficult. I am older now which may account for this, but I really love this WOE for so many reasons, especially how good I feel when I don’t eat sugar or grains. I follow your blog religiously and when you posted this today, I jumped for joy. I cannot wait to try this and also cannot wait for your ingenious Egg menu and recipes. You have a gift for being creative. As often as I eat your cream cheese pancakes, I did not immediately think of them as a great Egg Fast meal. You are our leader! And grateful for it.
I will wait patiently for the week of Egg Fast menus. I absolutely love eggs and I hope by the end of it, I still do!
Lastly, I cannot believe you lost 70 lbs. I did not know that. Truly amazing. I’m even more inspired. Did you ever post a before picture on your site? I just can’t picture you anything but thin, like your photo.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks so much Pat! Actually the 70 was a typo (which I just fixed!) – I lost almost 60lbs, not 70 (58 to be exact) – but it was still a lot on my 5’7 frame! I never did before and afters, but the photo on my about page was taken last week and it shows me back up by a little over 30 lbs in it. I’ll post an after when I get to goal someday! I’m already mad at myself for letting this happen, and can’t bear to gain another ounce, which is what led me to try something drastic like this egg fast. It will hopefully get my body reset somehow so that I can start losing again. I’m fine with losing slow and steady, but I’ve got to see some loss or I’ll go crazy! When I read that ketogenic woman was older and a slow loser but that it helped her, I was determined to try it! I’m excited and will hopefully see some real progress this week. Can’t wait to update you guys and I’m working on some egg fast recipes this afternoon that I’ll share throughout the week! If you decide to do it keep me posted!!!
Pat says
Oh, I absolutely will let you know if works for me. My plan is start after Tuesday as I have a crab feast w/ neighbors here at the beach that evening. I suppose I could just eat deviled eggs when Chesapeake Bay steamed crabs are staring at me. Nah! Not gonna happen..I start after Tuesday.
Wishing us both success.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Hopefully by Tuesday I’ll have a really clear picture as to whether or not this is going to work for me – and a few more recipes up for you to start with! Enjoy the crab – totally jealous!!!! :)
sunflower956 says
Ho w long can you do the egg fast diet. Would three weeks be too long?
Mellissa Sevigny says
As long as you can stand it, but I recommend two days off per week to get some veggies in!
Jennifer says
I know you dont recommend doing the egg fast if not yet fat adapted but want to try it
Phelonise says
How long can you safely do the egg fast?
Phelonise says
nevermind….see my answer above… Sorry!!
Phyllis says
I started this today and I have a nagging headache that won’t quit. I took an Aleve about 3 hours ago and it went away for a little bit. Is this suppose to happen for the first 3 days or what?
Mellissa Sevigny says
Drink water, get lots of salt, supplement with magnesium if necessary!