Tag: Weight Loss
GW 501516 with Trenbolone
In the domain of bodybuilding and performance enhancement, the confluence of GW 501516 (Cardarine) and Trenbolone represents a particularly intriguing, albeit controversial, strategy. GW 501516, known for its potent endurance-enhancing and fat-burning capabilities, is often paired with Trenbolone, a powerful anabolic steroid celebrated for its muscle-building efficiency. This combination is sought after for its supposed synergistic effects, aiming to exploit the endurance and metabolic benefits of GW 501516 alongside the sheer anabolic power of Trenbolone.
Trenbolone’s notorious for its robust anabolic properties, significantly augmenting muscle mass and strength. However, its use is also associated with a range of potential side effects, including cardiovascular strain and a negative impact on cholesterol levels. Enter GW 501516, which is theorized to mitigate some of these adverse effects. By potentially enhancing lipid profiles and alleviating cardiovascular strain, GW 501516 could offer a counterbalance to Trenbolone’s harsher aspects, making the duo a popular, if speculative, combination among certain bodybuilding circles.
This pairing, however, is not without its risks. GW 501516 has been linked to serious health concerns, including the potential to promote cancer in animal studies. When combined with Trenbolone, which itself carries risks ranging from hormonal imbalance to liver toxicity, the overall safety profile becomes even more precarious. Furthermore, the legality and ethical considerations surrounding the use of both substances for athletic performance enhancement cannot be overstated.
The GW 501516 and Trenbolone combination underscores the lengths to which some individuals will go in pursuit of physical excellence. It serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between risk and reward in the realm of performance enhancement, highlighting the critical need for informed decision-making and consideration of both short-term gains and long-term health.
Best Cutting Steroids to Get Ready for the Summer
When discussing “best cutting steroids,” it’s important to remember that the use of anabolic steroids without a prescription is illegal and can have serious health risks. Steroids are typically prescribed for specific medical conditions and under the guidance of a healthcare provider. In the context of bodybuilding or fitness, “cutting” refers to the phase where…
Best 12-Week Bodyweight Training Plan To Build Muscle Mass and Lose Fat
Most people relate body transformations with high-end training facilities, the latest machines, and jacked trainers. Although these things can add to your workout experience, they aren’t necessary for carving your dream physique. Most people never start their fitness journey because they cannot make the time to hit the gym. Others fall off the bandwagon because […]
The post Best 12-Week Bodyweight Training Plan To Build Muscle Mass and Lose Fat appeared first on Fitness Volt.
The Ultimate Paleo Diet Food List: What To Devour & Resist
In the 21st century, we find ourselves navigating through a myriad of challenges that pose significant threats to our health and overall well-being. Processed foods, added sugar, unhealthy fats, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, alcohol, allergies, artificial additives, mercury poisoning, the list goes on. The paleo diet is offered as a remedy for this lifestyle.
In this article, we delve into the concept of the paleo diet and present the definitive food list, outlining what to include and exclude from this eating plan.
What is the Paleo Diet?
The paleo diet, short for the Palaeolithic diet, is a dietary approach inspired by the eating habits of humans in the Palaeolithic era. The Palaeolithic era refers to the old stone age, before the advent of human settlement and agricultural practices. This was when our ancestors had just invented stone tools, harpoons, and rafts. This diet is also called the caveman diet or the stone age diet.
During the stone age, early humans were hunter-gatherers. They used their simple stone tools to hunt wild animals. They gathered plants, fruits, insects, etc., from their surroundings.
The paleo diet is a modern-day nutritional plan based on the presumed eating habits of paleolithic humans. It encourages consuming whole, unprocessed foods like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. [1]
Related: Paleo Dieting: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners]
How Does it Work?
The reasoning behind this eating style is that the modern diet, which is full of processed food and added sugars, has led to various health issues like obesity, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. Proponents believe adopting a paleo diet can prevent these problems. Loren Cordain, a prominent paleo diet advocate, contends that it perfectly matches our genetic makeup. He states that human DNA has remained relatively unchanged over the last 10,000 years, making us more compatible with the diet. According to this perspective, our bodies are ill-equipped to handle the agricultural and heavily processed foods of the modern era, which is thought to contribute to the rise of chronic diseases. [2] [3]
Paleo Diet Ground Rules
Here are the rules to follow while practicing the paleo diet:
Eat high amounts of animal protein.
No cereals, legumes, processed food, dairy products, or refined sugar are allowed.
There is no calorie count.
There is no macronutrient ratio calculation.
This is a low-salt diet.
The three levels of the paleo diet and the 85-15 rule: The paleo diet offers three progressive levels of adherence. In the first level, 85 percent of your food should be paleo-compliant, while the remaining 15 percent can be non-paleo, which comes out to be approximately three meals per week. Level two reduces the non-paleo food to 10 percent, allowing roughly two non-paleo meals each week. Finally, at the highest level, you can only have one cheat meal per week.
Even though weight loss can be achieved through dietary changes alone, incorporating exercise into your routine can be beneficial.
Related: Paleo vs. Keto: Which Diet is Best?
Foods To Eat
Here is a list of foods you can include in your paleo diet:
Meat
Early humans relied on wild animals for sustenance. Raw meat played a vital role in their diet, making it a fundamental part of the paleo diet. However, it’s essential to be cautious when choosing meat. Be wary of feedlot and grain-produced meats, as they come from animals confined in small spaces and fed excessive amounts of grain. Nutritionally, such meat falls far short compared to grass-fed or pasture-produced alternatives.
Processed meats should also be avoided, as they are artificially produced and contain preservatives believed to cause cancer. For the best nutritional value, opt for fresh meat whenever possible. If fresh meat is too pricey, frozen meat can be a viable alternative. However, steer clear of canned or tinned meat altogether. By making informed choices about the meat we consume, we can better align with the principles of the paleo diet and prioritize our overall health.
In his “The Paleo Diet Cookbook,” Cordain listed a vast array of meat choices. Ignore anything that you cannot find locally or makes you squeamish. [4]
Lean meat is a cornerstone of the paleo diet, as it is considered to be more in line with the natural eating habits of our ancestors. You can enjoy lean beef, such as flank steak, top sirloin steak, extra-lean hamburger (with the fat drained off), and London broil. Chuck steak and lean veal are also excellent choices. Lean lamb, including grass-fed lamb chops and roasts, adds a delicious twist to your meals. And if you’re a pork fan, pork loin, pork chops, or any other lean cut.
Poultry lovers can indulge in white meat with the skin removed, like chicken breast, turkey breast, or game hen breast. For adventurous eaters, there’s rabbit, goat meat, and even escargot for a unique culinary experience.
For those who appreciate organ meats, there are tasty options like the liver, tongue, and marrow of beef, lamb, and pork. The paleo diet offers many exotic choices if you’re interested in game meats. You can try alligator or crocodile, bear, bison or buffalo, caribou, elk, emu, frog legs, goose, kangaroo, Muscovy duck, New Zealand Cervena deer, ostrich, pheasant, quail, rattlesnake, reindeer, squab, squirrel, turtle, venison, wild boar, and wild turkey. [4]
Meats
Poultry
Turkey
Chicken breast
Chicken wings
Chicken leg
Goose eggs
Duck eggs
Chicken thigh
Pork
Pork tenderloin
Pork chops
Bacon
Ground pork
Beef
Steak
Grass-fed beef
Ground beef
New York steak
Bison
Bison steaks
Bison jerky
Bison ribeye
Bison sirloin
Beef jerky
Lamb
Lamb rack
Lamb chops
Lean veal
Chuck steak
Seafood
Shrimp
Lobster
Clams
Salmon
Venison steaks
Buffalo
Wild boar
Reindeer
Exotic Meats
Rabbit
Goat
Elk
Emu
Kangaroo
Rattlesnake
Ostrich
Pheasant
Quail
Turtle
Bear
Head Cheese
Related: Find your daily recommend protein intake
Seafood
Seafood is one of the healthiest sources of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Including it in your diet helps with weight loss.
In the paleo diet, fish and shellfish play a significant role. A variety of fish options are recommended, such as bass, bluefish, cod, drum, eel, flatfish, grouper, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, monkfish, mullet, northern pike, orange roughy, perch, red snapper, rockfish, salmon, scrod, shark, striped bass, sunfish, tilapia, trout, tuna, turbot, and walleye. Additionally, any commercially available fish is suitable for the diet.
As for shellfish, there is a delightful range to choose from, including abalone, calamari (squid), crab, crayfish, lobster, mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, and shrimp. These ocean delights add variety and flavor to the paleo menu, ensuring a diverse and enjoyable eating experience. [4]
Seafood
Fish
Bass
Salmon
Halibut
Mackerel
Sardines
Tuna
Red snapper
Shark
Sunfish
Swordfish
Tilapia
Trout
Walleye
Shellfish
Crab
Crawfish
Crayfish
Shrimp
Clams
Lobsters
Scallops
Oysters
Fish Eggs
Vegetables
Veggies are a nutritional powerhouse packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. The paleo diet advises against consuming vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, yams, or squash, which have high starch or carb content, as their nutritional value is comparatively low. Unless you are an athlete needing more energy, limit your intake of such vegetables. It may hinder weight loss.
A wide range of vegetables is encouraged, including:
Green leafy vegetables: Beet greens, collards, dandelion, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, turnip greens, and watercress.
Root vegetables: Beets, carrots, parsnips, radish, rutabaga, turnips, and yams.
Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and kohlrabi.
Gourd and squash: Cucumber, pumpkin, squash, tomatillos, and zucchini.
Other vegetables: Artichoke, asparagus, bell peppers, celery, eggplant, endive, green onions, mushrooms, onions, parsley, peppers, purslane, and seaweed.
Get creative in the kitchen. Include an assortment of vegetables in each meal. They diversify your plate and ensure balanced nutrient intake.
Vegetables
Leafy Greens
Spinach
Kale
Swiss chard
Arugula
Romaine lettuce
Cruciferous
Brussels sprouts
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Root Vegetables
Carrots
Beets
Sweet potato
Yam
Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Other Veggies
Asparagus
Avocado
Artichoke hearts
Zucchini
Celery
Green onions
Peppers (all kinds)
Eggplant
Mushrooms
Butternut squash
Acorn squash
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Pegan Diet
Fruits
Just like vegetables, fruits can help nourish our bodies and minds. While there are no strict restrictions on the types of fruits you can enjoy on the paleo diet, individuals with diabetes or obesity should be cautious about fruits with a high glycemic index and consume them in moderation. To support your health and paleo lifestyle, here’s a list of fruits with increasing levels of total sugar content that you can include in your diet:
Fruits
Citrus
Lime
Lemon
Grapefruit (white and pink)
Tangerine
Orange
Berries
Strawberries
Blueberries
Elderberries
Blackberries
Raspberries
Tropical
Papaya
Guava
Starfruit
Jackfruit
Mamey Apple
Stone Fruits
Plum
Apricot
Peach
Cherries
Other Fruits
Avocado
Tomato
Kiwi
Pear
Casaba melon
Watermelon
Cantaloupe
Pomegranate
Fruits like raisins, dates, dried figs, papaya, prunes, apricots, pears, mango, bananas, grapes, Pineapple, purple passion fruit, etc., have a very high sugar concentration and should be consumed in moderation. [4]
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are an excellent addition to the paleo diet, as they contain healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They can be enjoyed as a snack, added to salads or various recipes, or used as toppings for dishes, offering flavor and nutritional value to your meals. Here’s the list of nuts and seeds that can be included in the paleo diet:
Nuts: Almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts (filberts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios (unsalted), and walnuts.
Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Although peanuts are commonly referred to as nuts, they are legumes and cannot be consumed in a paleo diet.
Oils
During the stone age, vegetable or cooking oils were nonexistent. Vegetable oils debuted during the agricultural revolution in the Neolithic period and were mainly used for lighting and heating. Cooking oils entered the culinary practices only a few centuries ago. According to Cordain, the introduction of vegetable oils into our cooking has led to a significant rise in omega-6 fatty acids in our daily diets, which is linked to various health issues such as heart and autoimmune diseases and inflammatory conditions.
However, our bodies still need fat as an essential nutrient to function properly. The following oils can be used in cooking to boost your healthy fat intake:
Flaxseed oil
Walnut oil
Olive oil
Avocado oil
Coconut oil
Related: 11 High-Calorie Low-Carb Foods to Include in your Diet]
Non-Paleo Foods to Eat in Moderation
The paleo diet isn’t overly rigid; it offers some flexibility. You can follow the 85-15 rule, allowing occasional indulgence in non-paleo comfort foods.
When it comes to beverages, you’re free to enjoy diet sodas, coffee, tea, wine, or beer, but moderation is key.
As for sweets, remember that ancient humans had access to only honey as their primary sweetener, but even this should be consumed in moderation. Dried fruits or a mix of dried fruits and nuts are acceptable treats, but if you aim to shed some pounds, it might be best to limit their intake.
Foods To Avoid
You must avoid ‘modern’ foods that were not part of the Palaeolithic era. Cordain suggests adopting the 85-15 rule as a gradual approach to transitioning away from these foods. Here are some foods to avoid:
Dairy: Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, ice cream, powdered milk, and yogurt, should be avoided. Early humans did not domesticate animals and milk them until much later, and in true paleo spirit, they should not be consumed.
Fatty and processed meats: Reduce consumption of processed meats, such as bacon, sausages, and deli meats, as they often contain additives and preservatives.
Grains: Avoid all grains, including barley, millet, rye, sorghum, wheat, rice, oats, and corn, as they were not consumed during the Palaeolithic era. Foods like bread, rolls, muffins, lasagna, etc., made using these grains must be avoided.
Legumes: These are a group of plants that produce seeds in pods. These foods are rich in protein and fiber. They include:
All beans (black beans, green beans, kidney beans, mung beans, etc.)
Lentils
Lupins
Miso
Peanuts and all products made using peanuts (e.g., peanut butter)
Peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, snow peas, sugar snap peas)
Soybeans and all soybean products
Salt-containing foods: Salty foods like bacon, cheese, canned meat and fish, salami, ketchup, olives, pickled foods, salted nuts, sausages, etc., should also be avoided.
Starchy vegetables: White potatoes, corn, and peas.
Soft drinks and sugary beverages: Cut back on sugary beverages, including soft drinks, fruit juices, and energy drinks.
Sugar and artificial sweeteners: Minimize or eliminate added sugars, including refined and artificial sweeteners. Even honey should be consumed in moderation.
Vegetable oils: Refrain from using vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower, and canola oil in cooking or as a primary fat source.
Remember, the paleo diet focuses on whole, unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods that our ancestors would have consumed during the palaeolithic era. Avoiding these modern processed foods will lead to more wholesome and nourishing dietary habits. [4]
FAQs
Why are legumes not allowed in the Paleo diet?
In the paleo diet, legumes are excluded due to the presence of anti-nutrients like lectins and phytates, which can interfere with nutrient absorption and digestion. While legumes have some health benefits, they are not included in the paleo eating plan to ensure better nutrient absorption and adherence to the diet principles.
What are whole foods?
Whole foods are unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are in their natural state, free from additives, and rich in nutrients.
Can I have eggs on a Paleo diet?
Yes, eggs are allowed on the paleo diet and are considered a staple. For a more paleo-compliant option, organic eggs from cage-free birds are preferable over store-bought ones, as they align better with the principles of the paleo diet.
What are the benefits of a Paleo diet?
The paleo diet is renowned for its abundant protein, fiber, and antioxidants while keeping carbs, sodium, sugar, and processed foods in check. It is believed to positively affect cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation, promoting weight loss, better blood sugar management, improved sleep, and increased energy levels. [5] [6] [7] [8]
What are the potential side effects of the paleo diet?
Eliminating whole grains, dairy, and legumes can lead to calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins deficiencies. For vegans, excluding legumes may result in a lack of a primary protein source. Additionally, a sudden increase in fiber intake can lead to gastric problems. [9]
Conclusion
While the paleo diet has gained traction, it has its fair share of critics. Some nutrition experts argue it can be restrictive, omitting certain nutritious food groups like whole grains and legumes. Another contention is that replicating the exact diet of Palaeolithic humans is not optimal, as their eating habits varied vastly depending on where they lived and what was available. Maybe they never had chronic diseases because they never lived long enough to have them. Opinions and studies provide conflicting views about this. [10]
It is wise to consult a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before starting a new eating plan. They can help you tailor the diet to your health needs and goals.
References
Challa HJ, Bandlamudi M, Uppaluri KR. Paleolithic Diet. [Updated 2022 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan.
Obert, J., Pearlman, M., Obert, L., & Chapin, S. (2017, November 9). Popular Weight Loss Strategies: a Review of Four Weight Loss Techniques. Current Gastroenterology Reports, 19(12).
Gibbons, Ann. (n.d.). The Evolution of Diet. National Geographic.
Stephenson, N., & Cordain, L. (2013, February 21). The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages. Harvest.
Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Ahrén, B., Branell, U. C., Pålsson, G., Hansson, A., Söderström, M., & Lindeberg, S. (2009). Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 8(1), 35.
Steigleder, K. M., Dias, C. B., Ferreira, M. M., & Leal, R. F. (2023). Disease risk and inflammation-associated diets. Natural Plant Products in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, 71–85.
Frassetto, L. A., Schloetter, M., Mietus-Synder, M., Morris, R. C., & Sebastian, A. (2009, February 11). Metabolic and physiologic improvements from consuming a paleolithic, hunter-gatherer type diet. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63(8), 947–955.
Lindeberg, S., Jönsson, T., Granfeldt, Y., Borgstrand, E., Soffman, J., Sjöström, K., & Ahrén, B. (2007, June 22). A Palaeolithic diet improves glucose tolerance more than a Mediterranean-like diet in individuals with ischaemic heart disease. Diabetologia, 50(9), 1795–1807.
Gunnar, K. & Kelly, E. (2023, March 16). The Paleo Diet — A Beginner’s Guide + Meal Plan. HealthLine.
Butler, Stephanie. (2023, May 17). Going Paleo: What Prehistoric Man Actually Ate. HISTORY.
Sleep and Weight Loss: How to Improve Your Sleep Habits
Have you ever wondered why you struggle to lose weight despite your best efforts to eat healthy and exercise regularly? The answer might lie in sleep. The quality and duration of your slumber play a pivotal role in your weight loss journey. It may sound surprising, but numerous studies have highlighted the crucial role […]
The post Sleep and Weight Loss: How to Improve Your Sleep Habits first appeared on .
Swimming Body Transformation: Tips & Drills To Build Muscle & Lose Fat
Swimming is an excellent low-impact cardiovascular exercise that will improve your lung capacity and allow your heart to beat more powerfully. But will it help you transform your body?
The answer to that question is a resounding yes! Not only is swimming a fantastic fat-burning form of workout, but it also helps build strength, endurance, and muscles. To transform your body in the pool, though, you’ve got to know how to do it right.
In this article, we’ll explore how swimming can help you lose unwanted body fat and gain muscle and provide you with the ideal in-the-water workouts to achieve those goals.
Why Swimming is Good For You
Swimming delivers all-around fitness benefits. It will improve a person’s strength, stamina, and suppleness all at the same time. Let’s break down the benefits of swimming regularly:
Improves Cardio Fitness
Swimming at a moderate pace for an extended period gives you an aerobic workout. Better still, it does it in a way that does not stress your joints. Regular swimming will improve your cardiac efficiency so your heart can pump more blood with every beat.
Because swimming works all the body’s major muscle groups, it promotes better blood flow and circulation. Improved circulation will transport oxygen and nutrients to your muscle cells more efficiently.
The controlled rhythmic breathing needed for swimming will boost your lung capacity so that you can take in more oxygen with each breath. [1]
Total Body Workout
Swimming provides a total body workout. Because water is around 800 times more dense than air, your muscles are more engaged, and your heart and lungs have to work harder. It’s also a great way to increase your metabolism and has an extremely low impact on the joints.
Swimming is a challenging form of exercise. It also works different muscles, depending on the stroke. If you do a mixture of back-stroke, freestyle, and breaststroke, you will exercise all major muscle groups, including abdominals, biceps and triceps, glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps.
Swimming also helps keep joints flexible, especially in the neck, shoulders, hips, and groin, as you move your body through the water. So, it truly does provide a total body workout. [2]
Joint Friendly
Swimming is less taxing on your joints than most exercises. This is because your body’s natural buoyancy on the water helps avoid the jarring and bouncing that can lead to injury. When you are in the water, your weight is about one-tenth of your actual weight. You also get a much greater range of motion than on land. In addition, the water will support the weight of your limbs.
That makes swimming a fantastic choice for people that experience joint pains during land-based exercises. This may include people who suffer from arthritis, have back problems, are overweight, or are pregnant. An additional bonus for people with asthma is that the air around a swimming pool is usually very humid, making breathing easier. [3]
Ideal for Rehab
Swimming is excellent for people with injuries. The low-impact nature of swimming provides an option that you don’t get with most exercises — it provides a cushion for your injured body parts. The zero gravity environment allows you to slowly and safely strengthen your muscles and cardiovascular system as you rebuild from an injury. [4]
Safe During Pregnancy
Swimming can be done by most women during any stage of pregnancy. We’ve already covered the low-impact nature of swimming that makes it ideal for pregnant women. The water’s weightlessness and buoyancy can also help relieve pressure on the spine and pelvic area during pregnancy.
Swimming will boost a pregnant woman’s blood circulation and heart health. This will benefit both mother and baby. [5]
Improves Sleep
The combination of physical and mental effects of swimming will enhance your sleep. Swimming has a calming effect on the mind. It helps you relax and lower your stress levels, which can help you unwind before bed.
Swimming in water that is below your core body temperature helps alleviate the overheating that is common with land-based workouts. After a swim, your body temperature will gradually return to normal, which promotes sleep. Add in the physical exhaustion that results from a decent swim session, and you will definitely receive the sleep-enhancing benefits of this exercise. [6]
Boosts Mood
Swimming has a peaceful and calming effect on the psyche. The water’s rhythmic movements and the sense of weightlessness reduce stress and anxiety levels. Swimming encourages the release of endorphins, which are organic mood enhancers. These “feel-good” hormones can promote well-being and serve as a natural stress reliever.
Physical exercise like swimming can enhance cognitive performance and mental clarity. The increased blood supply to the brain encourages improved focus and concentration. Swimming is also a kind of mindfulness and meditation practice because it allows you to concentrate on your breathing and movements. This mindfulness can calm the mind and help reduce mental chatter. [7]
Reaching such swimming goals as improving stroke technique or extending swimming distance can help enhance self-esteem and give swimmers a sense of achievement. Finally, swimming can help develop mental toughness and discipline, particularly during demanding sessions.
Swimming for Weight Loss
People try all sorts of things to lose weight. They run, they skip, and they lift weights. But you rarely hear of people who swim to lose weight. Swimming simply doesn’t register with most people as an effective fat-loss mechanism. The reality is that swimming may just be one of the most effective ways of losing fat.
Can swimming help you lose belly fat?
Yes, swimming most definitely can help you to lose belly fat. Plus, it has a very low impact on your joints and tendons.
Swimming is a great full-body exercise. Unlike jogging or cycling, it incorporates the entire body’s musculature. It also delivers a very effective cardiovascular workout. The heart will be forced to pump oxygen faster to reach all corners of the body. This, in turn, will increase your metabolic rate.
A swimming workout is also very relaxing. A swim in the morning can set you up for a great day. This in itself will help you to lose weight. Stress increases your cortisol levels. This is a hormone that forces the body to store more fat. Swimming will lessen this effect.
What are Some Good Ways To Lose Fat While Swimming?
Let’s take a look at the two exercise approaches that are recognized as among the best when it comes to losing weight on the water:
Mid-Intensity Swimming
Mid-intensity swimming involves swimming at a pace you can maintain for 15-45 minutes. The key to getting the most fat-burning benefit here is to swim uniformly without stopping for the duration of the workout. Aim to work up to 45 minutes of non-stop swimming.
When you perform this type of constant mid-intensity cardio work at sixty percent of your maximum heart rate, your body will be forced to call on its stored body fat for energy. Your metabolism will also speed up, further enhancing the calorie burn.
If you are new to swimming, begin with five minutes of continuous swimming, then slowly build up your time. You will be surprised at how quickly your strength and stamina improve.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
High-intensity interval training is well established as an effective way to lose fat fast. The same HIIT fat loss benefits you get in the gym can be achieved on the water. Here’s how to do it:
Begin with a slow five to 10-minute swim. Then swim for one minute at 90 percent of your maximum speed. Now recover for a minute at a very slow speed. Repeat the cycle five to ten times. If you can complete ten cycles (good luck!), then your training duration will be twenty minutes.
Alternatively, you can do two laps at high speed, followed by two slow laps, and repeat this cycle.
HIIT training will burn fewer calories than medium-intensity work while you are doing the workout. However, it will significantly accelerate your metabolism 24 hours after your workout. It will also release hormones into your system that will assist in the fat-burning process. This enhanced fat-burning process will continue for 48 hours. [8]
HIIT workouts can be very demanding. But they are within your capability. Just remember to start slowly and build up your intensity over time. For your first session, you might do just one sprint and one recovery for a total of two minutes of work time (don’t forget the 5-10 minute easy swim warm-up). Keep pushing yourself until you can complete between 5 and 10 cycles.
How much do you have to swim to lose weight?
Try to work four mid-intensity swim workouts into your schedule per week. However, you should limit HIIT workouts to once or twice weekly as it is very demanding. Any other swimming you do that day should be very low intensity.
Swimming Weight Loss Tips
If you are a beginner, consider training under the supervision of a swimming teacher.
Drink a minimum of two liters (70oz) of water per day
Do not eat within an hour of getting into the water
Reduce your carbohydrate intake
Reduce your caloric intake to maintain a daily caloric deficit
Join a club to increase your motivation
How many calories does swimming burn?
Medium-intensity swimming can burn an average of 0.1 and 0.14 calories per kilogram of body weight per minute. In other words, a 150-pound person will burn about 200 calories after 30 minutes of swimming. This compares to about 190 calories for 30 minutes of running.
From the above comparison, we can see that swimming burns slightly more calories than running over the same period. At the same time, swimming is far less taxing on your joints. So, if you have the choice, you should choose swimming over running.
Swimming is a fantastic way to lose weight. Follow our guidelines to build swimming into your weight loss program, combine it with a sensible nutrition program, throw in a dose of consistency, and you will be well on the way to achieving your weight loss goals.
Check Out: Calories Burned Swimming Calculator
Does Swimming Make You Hungry?
Have you noticed that you tend to get hungry after a session in the pool? There are some physiological reasons for those hunger pangs. One reason is that your body is warming up to return to your core body temperature. That requires energy in the form of calories. You have already burned off many calories in the pool, so combining the two will increase your appetite by stimulating the release of ghrelin, known as the hunger hormone.
Ghrelin release after exercise doesn’t just occur after a swimming workout. It’s common to all forms of exercise. But it is exacerbated by the need to warm the body up. The stimulation of the hunger hormone post-exercise is a reason why many people fail to lose weight. It’s very easy to choose the wrong types of post-workout food and/or to consume too many calories in your post-workout meal.
Research has shown that when you swim in a pool that is close to the ideal body temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit), you won’t feel as hungry after the session as if you were in a colder pool. Most pools, however, are at around 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit). [9]
One way to counter the cooling effect that causes you to feel hungry after swimming is to spend 10 minutes in a sauna or hot tub after you get out of the pool. A warm shower can have a similar effect, allowing you to return to your core body temperature quickly. Having a hot drink will also help.
We also recommend being prepared for your post-swim hunger pangs by packing some healthy snacks you can consume after you’ve changed.
Here a half a dozen great snack choices:
Greek yogurt with berries
Hard-boiled eggs
Cottage cheese with pineapple
Protein smoothie
Tuna salad
Rice cakes with nut butter
Swimming for Muscle Gain
Look at the physiques of top-class swimmers, and it quickly becomes obvious that it can help you build muscle. While they may not possess a bodybuilder’s physique, pro swimmers have an athletically muscled body with a great V-taper and a tight midsection. That sort of body, though, doesn’t happen automatically.
To build muscle through swimming, you have to combine your in-the-water work with time in the gym and nail your nutrition.
Can You Build Muscle from Swimming Alone?
Even though swimming is mainly thought of as a cardiovascular exercise, you are actually working against resistance in the pool. That is due to the viscosity of water. Water is 784 times more dense than air. So, every stroke you take is a form of resistance training.
With swimming, you have limited options for progressively increasing the resistance level. When you are in the gym, you can simply add more weight to the bar. You obviously can’t do that in the pool. However, because swimming is a weight-bearing activity, you can do it for a long period. It is also far safer than doing an exercise on land, allowing you to do it more often with less chance of injury.
Due to the limited potential for progressive resistance, a non-trained person can build strength and muscle mass when they begin swimming. However, this will peter out when their muscles become accustomed to the resistance provided by the water. From that point on, they will continue to develop muscular endurance, but there will be little in the way of hypertrophy.
Muscle Building Swimming Drills
Here are seven drills that will help you create the extra resistance in the water you need to build muscle:
1. Kickboard Resistance
Here’s a drill to help build strength and size in your quads, glutes, hip flexors, glutes, shoulders, and lats. You’ll need a kickboard for this exercise.
Lie in the water with your feet against the wall, with a kickboard in front of you at arm’s length, held vertically, with half of it under the water.
Push off the wall, keeping your arms locked in front of you.
Kick as hard as you can to swim the length of the pool
2. Pool Pulls
This drill focuses on strengthening and developing your arms and shoulders. You will cut out your lower body involvement by placing a pool buoy between your legs. This foam or inflatable device you hold between your thighs helps prevent you from kicking.
Stand in the pool with your back against the wall and a pool buoy between your thighs. If you tend to flutter kick with your ankles, you can also place a band around your ankles.
Swim the length of the pool, using only your upper body to propel you forward.
To progressively increase the resistance, you can wear paddles. This will increase the surface area of your hands, providing more load for the arms and shoulders.
3. Vertical Kicks
Vertical kicks are a leg-focused drill that works the quads, glutes, and hamstrings.
Move into an area of the pool where you cannot touch the bottom.
In an upright position, cross your hands over your chest.
Kick as hard as you can with the goal of driving your body up so that your upper body lifts out of the water.
Continue for 20 seconds.
Rest for 20 seconds, then repeat. Do this four to five times.
To add resistance, wear fins.
4. Pool Jumps
This drill provides an effective glute, core, quad, and upper body workout.
Get into the pool in an area where your feet are touching the bottom and stand facing the wall with your hands on top of it.
Push through your thighs as you pull yourself up to bring your feet out of the water to land on the pool’s edge.
Reverse the motion to return to the pool.
Do three pool jumps in a row.
Rest for 20 seconds and then repeat.
Do three sets of three pool jumps.
5. Dolphin Kick
The dolphin kick is a great move to work your core. Add this to the mix to strengthen and develop your entire core region. To add resistance, do dolphin kicks while wearing fins.
The dolphin kick is a challenging swimming technique that will take some time to master.
Start with your torso long and straight, your arms extended over your head, and your hands clasped together. This is known as a streamlined position. Your face should be staring toward the bottom of the pool, and your head and spine should be aligned.
Just before beginning the dolphin kicks, take a deep breath. Since kicks are usually done underwater, you won’t be able to breathe while performing them.
Bring your feet together and slightly bend your knees to begin the dolphin kick. Instead of merely using your legs, use your hips and core muscles to generate power. The motion must be smooth and wavy, like a dolphin’s tail.
Keep your body line straight by pressing your hips up and your chest down. As your hips rise, your legs should begin to travel down. This downward motion produces the impetus that carries you forward. Keep your ankles supple and your feet close together.
You must use your full body, not just your legs, to do the dolphin kick. A coordinated effort between your core, chest, and shoulders should produce a continuous wave-like movement. Your strength and the length of your swim determine how quickly you kick. Longer, more powerful kicks are typically employed for longer distances, while short, rapid kicks are frequently used for shorter distances. How long you can hold your breath underwater determines the time you do the movement.
6. L-Shape Kick
Here’s another exercise that will get your core firing.
Enter the water with a kickboard. Position yourself as if sitting in a chair, hugging the kickboard to your chest. Your head and shoulder should be out of the water.
Maintaining an upright torso, straighten your legs to a horizontal position. You have now created an ‘L’ shape out of your body.
Begin kicking with your legs to propel yourself backward down the length of the pool.
7. Upright Skull
This is an upper-body-focused drill that makes a good counterpart to the vertical kick, which is lower-body dominant.
Move into an area of the pool where you cannot touch the bottom.
Place your arms just below the water’s surface in an upright position.
Move your arms from side to side in a sculling action to move the water.
Continue this action for 20 seconds.
Pause for 20 seconds, just kicking lightly to stay afloat.
Repeat the drill four more times.
Adding Drag
To increase resistance, you can make use of a pool parachute. This lightweight mini parachute you attach to your body with a harness or belt. The parachute will catch the water as you swim to create drag resistance. This helps to build strength and muscle size in the core and upper body.
Another way to add drag and resistance is to use a bungee cord. The cord is attached to a starting block on one end and clipped to your waist on the other end. You swim out until the cord is fully extended. Now continue swimming against the resistance for 20 seconds, even though you will go nowhere. Then allow the cord to pull you back in.
How to Breathe While Swimming
It wouldn’t be going too far to say that breathing technique is the most critical aspect of successful swimming. Learning to breathe correctly in the water can be challenging. Being anxious about getting enough air without swallowing water is normal.
Let’s break down the key things you need to do to master the art of breathing while swimming.
Whenever you are face down in the water, you need to exhale. This rids your lungs and bloodstream of carbon dioxide. As a result, when you rotate to breathe, you have more time to inhale as you don’t have to exhale first. Yet exhaling into the water is very unnatural for many people. Here is an exercise to help you with this:
Sink Down Drill
Tread water and breathe before bringing your arms down by your side and exhaling into the water. Your aim is to sink straight down to the bottom without any pauses or delays. Experiment between exhaling from your mouth and nose to see which is most natural for you.
When you exhale, you may find that you struggle to sink or that you sink a bit and then come back to the surface. This is a sign that you are not exhaling quickly enough and are subconsciously holding onto your breath.
If you sink a little but immediately return to the surface, do not give up. Keep exhaling. You will soon pass through a tipping point and then start to sink back down again.
Once you can sink to the bottom of the pool with a nice, controlled, and relaxed exhalation, try some easy laps of freestyle swimming, focusing on a smooth exhalation into the water using your normal breathing pattern to whichever side you feel most comfortable.
Using the Bow Wave
When you use a good stroke technique, your head will be low in the water when breathing. Lifting the head into the air excessively causes the whole upper torso to lift and the legs to sink, creating a lot of drag.
The secret to keeping your head low in the water is to breathe into the trough of air formed by the bow wave created around your head. The bow wave is formed as the head pushes forward through the water. This creates a small rise in the water in front of the head and then a trough alongside the chin and neck. This is a convenient channel to breathe beneath the main surface level of the water.
The bow wave forms off the top of your head. It is just deep enough to breathe into by the time it passes the level of your mouth. If you lift your head all the way out of the water to breathe, then the bow wave will not form off the top of your head, and there will be no trough.
On the other hand, if you bury your head in the water to improve your body position, this will also prevent the bow wave from forming.
To develop an effective bow-wave breathing technique, think about keeping the top of your head low in the water. Try to breathe just slightly behind you. Do not crane your head forward, as the bow wave will not be as deep. This will make it much harder to breathe.
Bilateral Breathing
Bilateral breathing is the ability to breathe to the left and the right, swapping sides regularly as you swim. This is good practice as it helps to keep your swim stroke symmetrical. Many people think of bilateral breathing as every three strokes alternately side to side. But there are other patterns, such as :
Breathing 2-3-2-3: This means breathing twice to one side in a row and then performing three strokes to swap to the other side for two breaths in a row. This is the method used by many competitive swimmers.
Breathing 5’s: Breathing every five strokes can be good for those with a fast stroke who find that breathing every three strokes makes them breathe too often.
Swapping Sides Every Lap of the Pool: This is often done in competition to keep an eye on competitors in other lanes.
Many swimmers find it quite a challenge to adapt to bilateral breathing. They find it very unnatural to breathe on their non-dominant side. But, most people find that if they persevere with it for six weeks, they will adapt to it.
Timing Your Breathing
It is important that when you rotate to breathe, your head should rotate with the body at the same time. Yet, swimmers often turn the head slightly later once the body is already rotated. So, if you are breathing to the right, the right arm will already be in the recovery phase over the top of the water before you start breathing. When seen from the side of the pool, this can look like the swimmer will knock their nose with the right shoulder as the arm comes over. Late breathing reduces the time available to inhale, making the breathing feel a little tense and hurried.
Think of turning your head away from your arm as you breathe. So, if you are about to breathe to your left, turn your head smoothly away from that arm as your right-hand passes your head and extends forward. This should happen in one fluid motion, with the head rotting as the hand enters the water.
Most people will find that their breathing timing is better on one side than the other. Interestingly, it is often the preferred breathing side that has late timing.
Swim Breathing FAQs
Why is it sometimes hard to breathe underwater properly?
It is sometimes hard for people to breathe properly underwater because most of us feel anxiety when underwater. This is made worse when it comes to the idea of breathing underwater. We fear that we will be unable to breathe. There is a worry about getting a mouth or nose full of water. So, the first step in breathing underwater is learning to relax.
What is the Alexander breathing technique?
The Alexander technique is a method of breathing that connects posture with breathing ability. Alexander stated that working on one’s poise is more likely to have a positive effect than doing breathing exercises. This principle applies equally to swimming. You can prove this to yourself by doing the following:
Sit forward on a chair with both feet on the ground. Rock forward from the hips, maintaining the length of the neck, and your body is 45 degrees with the eyes looking forward and down.
Gently say ‘Aah’ and see how long you can comfortably sustain this sound.
Now, without altering your position, take a breath and pull the head back so your eyes look ahead. Say ‘Aah’ again, and note the changes in the duration or quality of the sound. You will see a reduction in time because your breathing has been strained.
You can, therefore, improve your swimming breathing by improving your posture.
A Dozen Tips to Improve Your Swimming Technique
Swimming does not come naturally to most people. Here are a dozen practical tips to help improve your swimming form:
Tip #1: Master Your Freestyle Stroke Technique
Freestyle is also known as the flutter kick because the feet seem to flutter at the water’s surface. Keep the legs relaxed and begin the movement at the top of the legs. The legs should flex slightly at the knee on the downbeat and straighten on the upbeat.
Hand entry must be smooth, with a high wrist and elbow action. Entry should be made on the shoulder line, with the index finger and thumb entering the water first. After the entry, the hand slides forward and slightly downward.
The catch is made following the entry of the hand, with the wrist slightly flexed.
At the completion of the catch, the elbow begins to flex, and the hand begins a downward and outward path. As the hand approaches its deepest point, the down sweep is rounded into an up sweep.
The push phase begins at the end of the down sweep, with the hand moving outward and up.
The recovery phase starts with a high elbow action initiated by a shoulder roll with the hands passing close to the side of the body. The hand travels upward, slightly outward, and forward during the first half of recovery, with the palm facing either inward or backward.
Tip #2: Practice Your Power Stroke Technique
The power stroke is a continuous arm stroke style where the arms move almost opposite each other. When one arm is in front, the other is at the back. At no time should both hands be seen in front of the head. Practice short distances at first, with the face in all the time. Then slowly move to longer distances, adding breathing.
Tip #3: Practice ‘Chicken Wings’
This drill is used to develop a high elbow style. On recovery, the elbow is lifted high, with the thumb drawn along the side of the body until the thumb reaches the armpit.
Tip #4: Evaluate Your Freestyle Technique
Look out for:
Smoothness as one arm takes over from the other for the pull
High in the water body position
Good body alignment, first on one side, then on the other
Balanced movements
Economical use of legs
Tip #5: Perfect Your Breathing Technique
The following drill will help you to develop an efficient breathing pattern:
Hold a kickboard with one hand, thumb, and fingers on top and the elbow extended.
Bend the knees to allow the shoulders under the water, turn the head to the side and place the face flat onto the water.
Breathe naturally and gently rotate the head until the eyes face the pool’s bottom. Without a pause, gently rotate the head out again.
Tip #6: Master Your Backstroke Technique
Develop confidence in gliding on your back in a streamlined position with the body slightly angled in the water.
The depth of the head determines the position of the body. The ears should be just under the surface, the eyes looking up at about a 70-degree angle, and the body straight and relaxed.
Keep a continuous kick action going while learning the stroke. The toes should make a splash on the surface while the knees remain below.
The feet should be smooth, as ankle flexibility is very important. The toes should be turned naturally inward.
Breathe naturally and avoid holding your breath.
Follow a down-up-down arm recovery action. The body should rotate from side to side to assist the entry and recovery of the hands and arms.
During the upward, backward, and inward arm movement, the hand should begin to accelerate.
Once the shoulder is level with the hand, the palm begins a downward and outward motion until the hip passes the hand.
The shoulder lifts, followed by the arm and then the hand. The back of the hand of the recovery arm is uppermost as the hand leaves the water.
When the recovery arm reaches the vertical position, the palm faces outwards, ready for a smooth, turbulence-free re-entry with the little finger entering first.
Tip #7: Evaluate Your Backstroke Technique
Look for:
Head back, chest up, streamlined position
Continuous kicking action
Breathing naturally
Arm recovery starting with the little finger leading
Straight arms during the recovery phase
Down-up propulsive arm action
Body rotates on the long axis, but the head remains still
Tip #8: Do the Periscope Drill
With one hand held by the side (palm down), the other arm is raised to a near-vertical position, with the wrist relaxed and the back of the hand uppermost. Maintain a good body position and kick strongly over a distance of 10 meters (33 feet).
Rise and lower the arms alternately through 90 degrees to a count of ‘right-2-3-left-2-3.’
This drill will help you develop a vertical movement pattern in the recovery, with the arm reaching up and straight, except for a relaxed wrist.
Tip #9: Master Your Breaststroke Technique
From gliding, rotate the hands out to catch the water.
Bend the arms and forcefully pull them back to shoulder level. Make sure the elbows are pointed forward.
Bring the arms together under the body. Bend the legs, pull the heels slightly, and breathe deeply and quickly through the mouth.
Rotate the feet out and pull the toes toward the knees. The knees are about hip-width apart, the feet a little wider. The head should go back into the water.
A quick and powerful kick comes during the arm extension. Push the shoulders forward. Exhale through the mouth and nose as you glide.
Tip #10: Evaluate Your Breaststroke Technique
Look for:
Shoulders and body straight, hips flexed
Butt under the water
Eyes fixed straight ahead
Pull both heels to the rear simultaneously — do not jerk them!
Do not pull your knees under your stomach
Turn the toes out and upward toward the knees
Lower legs kick back quickly and forcefully
Push off the water with the bottoms of your feet
Fully extend the legs. Move the legs in a semicircle
Bend the arms as you pull back
Fully extend the arms, pushing the shoulders forward
Inhale deeply as you bring your arms together under your body
Kick as you extend your arms
Tip #11: Master Your Crawl Technique
After catching the water, the bent arm is pulled through the water under the body
The arm is bent the most when it reaches shoulder level. The legs move continuously, six kicks to one arm movement
The extended arm enters the water in front of the head. The head turns to the opposite side.
The other arm quickly and forcefully pulls back towards the thigh. This is when you should inhale.
Once the hand has left the water at the thigh, the relaxed arm again swings forward above the water. The face turns into the water to exhale.
Tip #12: Evaluate Your Crawl Technique
Look for:
Shoulders are up and straight
Don’t rock
The body is straight and hips are flexed
Eyes are level with the water surface
Place your feet on the water
Leg movements are the same as the backstroke, but in a prone position
Ankles are relaxed, toes extended
Bottoms of the feet break the water surface
Leg movements are round
Arms move continuously
Arms move alternately
The extended arm enters the water in front of the head
The fingers are together, and the palms are straight
Inhale quickly and deeply and the hand passes the thigh
Only turn your head to the side as you breathe; the shoulders stay straight
Exhale long and completely underwater through the mouth and nose
Alternate sides for breathing
Wrap Up
Swimming is a terrific form of exercise that combines aerobic and anaerobic effects like no other. It can also help transform your body, both in terms of losing fat and gaining muscle. In this article, we’ve covered several drills, strategies, and training methods that will help you burn fat and build muscle faster.
We recommend combining this pool work with weight training in the gym, and a nutrition plan designed to complement your goal. If your goal is to lose body fat, reduce your caloric intake by 500 calories below your maintenance level. To gain muscle mass, increase by 500 calories. Add two or three-hour-long sessions in the pool per week and watch your body transform.
References
Tanaka H. Swimming exercise: impact of aquatic exercise on cardiovascular health. Sports Med. 2009;39(5):377-87. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200939050-00004. PMID: 19402742.
Lee BA, Oh DJ. Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women. J Exerc Rehabil. 2015 Oct 30;11(5):266-71. doi: 10.12965/jer.150242. PMID: 26535217; PMCID: PMC4625655.
Alkatan M, Baker JR, Machin DR, Park W, Akkari AS, Pasha EP, Tanaka H. Improved Function and Reduced Pain after Swimming and Cycling Training in Patients with Osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol. 2016 Mar;43(3):666-72. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.151110. [4] Epub 2016 Jan 15. PMID: 26773104.
Marinho-Buzelli AR, Zaluski AJ, Mansfield A, Bonnyman AM, Musselman KE. The use of aquatic therapy among rehabilitation professionals for individuals with spinal cord injury or disorder. J Spinal Cord Med. 2019 Oct;42(sup1):158-165. doi: 10.1080/10790268.2019.1647935. PMID: 31573458; PMCID: PMC6783731.
Juhl M, Kogevinas M, Andersen PK, Andersen AM, Olsen J. Is swimming during pregnancy a safe exercise? Epidemiology. 2010 Mar;21(2):253-8. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181cb6267. PMID: 20110815.
So BCL, Kwok SC, Lee PH. Effect of Aquatic Exercise on Sleep Efficiency of Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. J Phys Act Health. 2021 Jun 30;18(9):1037-1045. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2020-0476. PMID: 34193628.
Bashiri H, Enayati M, Bashiri A, Salari AA. Swimming exercise improves cognitive and behavioral disorders in male NMRI mice with sporadic Alzheimer-like disease. Physiol Behav. 2020 Sep 1;223:113003. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113003. Epub 2020 Jun 6. PMID: 32522682.
Schaun GZ, Alberton CL, Ribeiro DO, Pinto SS. Acute effects of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training sessions on cardiorespiratory parameters in healthy young men. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2017 Jul;117(7):1437-1444. doi: 10.1007/s00421-017-3636-7. Epub 2017 May 9. PMID: 28488137.
King JA, Wasse LK, Stensel DJ. The acute effects of swimming on appetite, food intake, and plasma acylated ghrelin. J Obes. 2011;2011:351628. doi: 10.1155/2011/351628. Epub 2010 Oct 3. PMID: 20953411; PMCID: PMC2952805.
How Many Calories To Eat During Intermittent Fasting 16:8?
We cannot pinpoint the beginning of fasting, as it has been a part of several cultures since time immemorial. The last few decades have seen the rise of diets like the Paleo diet, the Mediterranean diet, the South Beach diet, and the Atkins diet, each with its unique practices and guidelines. The current trend is Intermittent Fasting (IF). Before jumping on the IF bandwagon, let us dig deeper into this trend.
What is Intermittent Fasting (IF)?
Intermittent Fasting (IF) involves alternating between periods of fasting and eating. IF entered the mainstream because of the TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer (2012) [1]. However, fasting is nothing new and has been a part of various cultural and religious traditions for centuries. [2]
There are various methods for practicing intermittent fasting:
The 5:2 or Fast diet involves five days of eating normally and two days of fasting. The 5:2 diet incorporates a planned intake of around 500-600 calories on fasting days.
Eat Stop Eat diet involves a 24-hour fast once or twice a week.
Time-restricted fasting is the most commonly followed IF approach. There is a broad palette for this type of IF. To get the best results, it is recommended that people fast for more than 13 hours. For example, the Warriors’ diet, or the 20:4 fasting method, involves 20 hours of fasting and four hours of normal eating. Similarly, variations like 12:12, 14:10, 15:9, and 16:8 exist.
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
In 16:8 IF, you chow down on your regular meals in an eight-hour time frame and say ‘Thanks, but no thanks’ the other 16 hours of the day. Piece of cake, right? You will likely skip one meal per day on this diet. You can consume zero-calorie beverages like green tea and water during fasting. Most people follow an 11–7 eating timeframe.
However, you can choose your own routine based on the following factors:
Are you a morning person, or do you need coffee to kickstart your engine?
Are you grumpy when you skip your breakfast?
Do you hit the sack early or stay up till late?
Do you start your day with an intense workout?
People who generally sleep late can start their eight-hour timeframe later. On the other hand, individuals who cannot function without breakfast can skip dinner and have breakfast. Keeping yourself busy can take your mind off food. This can help align your fasting window with your working schedule.
Read more on 16:8 Intermittent Fasting 7-Day Meal Plan
How Do You Fast?
Pick your eight-hour slot. As mentioned earlier, it depends on your lifestyle and preferences. Once you cross this task off your list, you can light the fuse on your new food groove and try to stick to it. If it doesn’t work for you, experiment with different time slots until you find the most sustainable one.
The golden rule is to eat strictly within your chosen eight-hour timeframe. Remember, it does not mean you must eat all three or four meals in the eight-hour window. Skipping a meal that now lies in the eight-hour fasting window can help you enter a calorie deficit.
Whether you do this for a few days or all the days of a week is up to you. That said, this diet is not for children, pregnant women, or people with eating disorders. [3]
How Does Intermittent Fasting Work?
The primary mechanism behind intermittent fasting is ketosis. Our body depends on glucose from food for energy. When we fast, the primary source of energy is systematically depleted. So our body turns to the glycogen stored in our liver and muscles for energy, which also runs out in a few days. At this point, the liver breaks down the fat stored in the body into ketones to use as fuel. [4]
When we fast regularly, our body reduces reliance on glucose for energy, and fat gets burned faster. Ketones enhance satiety and fat metabolism. All of this contributes to better weight loss and health.
How Many Calories Should You Consume?
There are no dietary restrictions on this diet regimen. This diet is not about what you eat; it’s about when you eat. You can continue eating what you usually eat. But since most people start this diet to lose weight or become healthier, it is better to stop eating processed or junk food.
IF is not a dry fast. You must keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. To maintain energy levels, you can have low-calorie beverages like green tea or other herbal teas and unsweetened black coffee.
For Weight Loss
If losing weight is your endgame, it is smart to keep tabs on your calorie intake. To lose weight, you should burn more calories than you consume. That’s a no-brainer, right?
Our bodies carry out vital processes continuously, even when we are asleep. Breathing, heartbeat, muscle relaxation or contraction, nutrient absorption, temperature regulation, hormone regulation, and detoxification are just a few of our body’s activities that require energy. The food we consume is digested, broken down, absorbed, and transported to our thirty-something trillion cells. They are further broken down to generate energy for all the metabolic activities. The excess energy is converted to fat and stored as an energy reserve.
Weight Loss
Fat
Before we talk about calories and metabolism, let’s talk about fat.
Fat has a bad reputation among those trying to lose weight. But here’s the thing, our body needs fat. The fat under our skin insulates our body and prevents heat loss on cold days. Our vital organs have a layer of fat protecting them. Without fat, our bodies cannot absorb fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K. Every nerve and cell in our body has a fatty layer surrounding them to enable their functionality. However, the fat reserves have to be regularly emptied and refilled. It is when there is no healthy balance between usage, storage, and consumption that problems arise. In short, fat is necessary in healthy amounts. [5]
How Many Calories Does Your Body Need?
Our body needs calories for all the basic metabolic activities mentioned earlier. Everyone needs a minimum amount of calories in their daily diet to keep them alive. This is different for different people. It depends on age, gender, height, weight, sleep patterns, stress, etc.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the minimum calories your body needs for basic metabolic activities at rest. You can find this out by using an online calculator like this one. Alternatively, you can use the following equations to calculate your TDEE: [6]
Men: (13.397 x weight in kg + 4.799 x height in cm – 5.677 x age in years) + 88.362
Women: (9.247 x weight in kg + 3.098 x height in cm – 4.330 x age in years) + 447.593
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) is the number of calories your body requires or burns daily based on your activity levels.
Amount of Exercise/Activity
Description
TDEE/Maintenance
Sedentary
Little or no Exercise/desk job
TDEE = 1.2 x BMR
Lightly Active
Light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week
TDEE = 1.375 x BMR
Moderately Active
Moderate Exercise, sports 3-5 days/week
TDEE = 1.55 x BMR
Very Active
Heavy Exercise/sports 6-7 days/week
TDEE = 1.725 x BMR
Extremely Active
Very heavy exercise/physical job/ training twice a day
TDEE = 1.9 x BMR
So if you are a 6-foot-1, 35-year-old male weighing 95 kilograms and living a lightly active lifestyle, then:
Your BMR = (13.397 × 95) + (4.799 × 185.42) – (5.677 × 35) + 88.362 = approximately 2,052 calories.
Your TDEE = 2052 × 1.375 = 2,821.5 calories.
You need approximately 2,821.5 calories to stay in shape. To lose weight, you must enter a calorie deficit.
Related: Should You Exercise While Intermittent Fasting?
How Many Calories Should You Cut?
Try not to consume less than your BMR. Losing around 1-2 pounds (approximately 0.5–1 kg) per week is considered safe and healthy Attempting to lose more can have severe repercussions.
One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. As a general rule of thumb, shaving off 500 calories from your daily intake can cause a weight loss of 1 pound per week.
What Should You Eat?
More protein and whole grains: More energy is required to digest or metabolize proteins and whole grains. Also, consuming these foods makes you feel full and can curb your hunger.
Less processed food: A small serving (70g) of French fries has over 200 calories and still doesn’t make you feel full, because of which you might end up ordering more food. By the time you are satiated, you’ll have mostly likely overshot your daily calorie intake goal.
More healthy food: Fruits and vegetables are an excellent option. They are nutrient-dense, have low calories, and are very filling.
Combine with other diets: You can practice intermittent fasting with other weight-loss diets like the keto and low-carb diets. Despite their intense calorie restriction, such diets allow you to meet your daily macro and micronutrient intake goals. Losing fat may be good, but vitamin or mineral deficiency can harm your overall health and well-being.
Related: How long does it take to see results from Intermittent Fasting?
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
Here are the advantages of practicing intermittent fasting:
Easier weight loss: IF might improve your eating habits. You don’t binge-eat before bed or snack when you are bored at any point when you practice IF. Plus, IF can train your body to use its stored fat. You will experience weight loss even if you don’t restrict your calories. [7] [8]
Reduces insulin resistance: Our food is broken down into glucose and absorbed into the bloodstream. Insulin is responsible for glucose absorption by the body’s cells (they need it to generate energy for cell metabolism). When there is Insulin resistance, the cells cannot absorb glucose easily. Because of this, more Insulin has to be produced, and blood sugar levels increase. Studies have shown that IF can reduce insulin resistance and, as a consequence, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. [9] [10]
Reduces inflammation: A study by the University of Toronto showed that IF reduces oxidative stress. This, in turn, reduced inflammation induced by oxidative stress. Inflammation is responsible for several chronic diseases like asthma and arthritis that can be avoided through IF. [11]
Supports brain function: Healthy food gives you more mental clarity and energy. Some studies suggest that IF promotes the growth of new nerve cells and can help prevent Alzheimer’s. [12]
Detoxification: Even your stomach and intestines need to take a breather. With time-restricted eating, it is easier for the body to remove toxins that are generated due to metabolic activities and other external factors.
Improves heart health: IF reduces bad cholesterol and promotes good cholesterol in your body. This can lower your blood pressure and improve your heart health. Improved blood sugar levels and a healthy body weight reduce heart disease risk. [10]
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any side effects to Intermittent Fasting?
A sudden change in diet and reduced food intake can cause nasty side effects like hunger, headache, dizziness, irritability, digestion problems, fatigue, and dehydration. Some of these may disappear after you get used to the new diet regimen or make changes to suit your needs. However, extreme and prolonged calorie restriction can cause malnutrition.
Is 16 hours the minimum fasting duration?
Sixteen hours is not mandatory for intermittent fasting. There are other variations to choose from. However, you need to fast for at least 13 hours to squeeze every drop of goodness out of it. Plus, 13 hours doesn’t feel long since you will be sleeping through most of it.
What should I avoid doing while fasting?
You should avoid:
Drastic dietary changes without consulting a dietician or a nutritionist
Overeating to make up for the lost meal
Snacks, sugary drinks, and processed food
Not drinking enough water
Eating heavy dinners
Consuming very-low calories and starving yourself
Hardcore exercise if you are in a calorie deficit
Can I exercise while fasting?
Yes, you can. It accelerates fat metabolism and weight loss. However, it is better to stick to low-intensity workouts to avoid side effects like dizziness, fatigue, and low blood sugar. Stay hydrated and try exercising during the eating window.
How long does intermittent fasting take to work?
This depends on your goal, diet, calorie intake, health, sleep routine, etc. Your body takes a few days or weeks to switch to your fat reserves for energy, so don’t step on your scale right away. Within a month, you will have improved gut health. Most people notice weight loss results after 10 weeks. Longer fasting durations offer better benefits.
Conclusion
The number of calories you need to eat during intermittent fasting depends on several factors, including your current physique, lifestyle, and goals. But remember that a significant calorie deficit will make you lose more muscle mass than fat.
Muscles are essential for movement and metabolism. Decreased muscle strength will reduce metabolism and make losing fat much more challenging.
References
Intermittent fasting: The positive news continues – Harvard Health. (2018, June 29). Harvard Health.
Patterson, R. E., Laughlin, G. A., LaCroix, A. Z., Hartman, S. J., Natarajan, L., Senger, C. M., Martínez, M. E., Villaseñor, A., Sears, D. D., Marinac, C. R., & Gallo, L. C. (2015, August). Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(8), 1203–1212.
Not so fast: Pros and cons of the newest diet trend – Harvard Health. (2017, October 1). Harvard Health.
Wilhelmi de Toledo, F., Grundler, F., Sirtori, C. R., & Ruscica, M. (2020, June 10). Unravelling the health effects of fasting: a long road from obesity treatment to healthy life span increase and improved cognition. Annals of Medicine, 52(5), 147–161.
Calder, P. C. (2015, July 15). Functional Roles of Fatty Acids and Their Effects on Human Health. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 39(1_suppl), 18S-32S.
Roza, A. M., & Shizgal, H. M. (1984, July). The Harris Benedict equation reevaluated: resting energy requirements and the body cell mass. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 40(1), 168–182.
Klempel, M. C., Kroeger, C. M., Bhutani, S., Trepanowski, J. F., & Varady, K. A. (2012, November 21). Intermittent fasting combined with calorie restriction is effective for weight loss and cardio-protection in obese women. Nutrition Journal, 11(1).
Gabel, K., Hoddy, K. K., Haggerty, N., Song, J., Kroeger, C. M., Trepanowski, J. F., Panda, S., & Varady, K. A. (2018, June 15). Effects of 8-hour time restricted feeding on body weight and metabolic disease risk factors in obese adults: A pilot study. Nutrition and Healthy Aging, 4(4), 345–353.
Sutton, E. F., Beyl, R., Early, K. S., Cefalu, W. T., Ravussin, E., & Peterson, C. M. (2018, June). Early Time-Restricted Feeding Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Blood Pressure, and Oxidative Stress Even without Weight Loss in Men with Prediabetes. Cell Metabolism, 27(6), 1212-1221.e3.
Ahmed, A., Saeed, F., Arshad, M. U., Afzaal, M., Imran, A., Ali, S. W., Niaz, B., Ahmad, A., & Imran, M. (2018, January 1). Impact of intermittent fasting on human health: an extended review of metabolic cascades. International Journal of Food Properties, 21(1), 2700–2713.
Mandal, S., Simmons, N., Awan, S., Chamari, K., & Ahmed, I. (2022, January). Intermittent fasting: eating by the clock for health and exercise performance. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 8(1), e001206.
Gudden, J., Arias Vasquez, A., & Bloemendaal, M. (2021, September 10). The Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Brain and Cognitive Function. Nutrients, 13(9), 3166.
What is the Best Intermittent Fasting Window to Lose Belly Fat
Belly fat can be stubborn and annoying. Despite a balanced diet and exercise program, losing it may take a long time. Intermittent fasting is a viable weight loss method adopted by thousands of people worldwide.
One of the unique features of intermittent fasting (IF) is its flexibility. It allows individuals to choose eating and fasting periods suited to their lifestyles. Hence, you may have heard of people on a 16:8 or 24-hour IF protocol.
In IF, the fasting window requires abstaining from calories. Moreover, the eating period doesn’t prescribe any dietary restrictions. However, adopting a balanced IF diet for the eating window can help you achieve your weight loss goals faster.
There are several IF patterns to choose from. Each pattern offers a different fasting and eating window. The 16/8 has become a pretty popular IF method. While IF has several health benefits, they vary for each protocol. [1]
I have you covered if you are scouting for information on the most effective IF window to lose belly fat. But before that, let’s learn a little about belly fat.
What is Belly Fat, and Why is it Harmful?
Belly fat can hamper your physical fitness and aesthetics. Fat accumulating around your belly is known as visceral fat and can be very harmful. This kind of fat typically accumulates within the abdominal cavity and pushes the stomach out due to the space it takes around the stomach and intestines.
Several factors, including an unhealthy or sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, metabolic complications, or other underlying diseases, can cause fat accumulation. [2]
These fat deposits around your belly can lead to other health issues, such as obesity, if not checked at the right time. Hence, finding safe ways to prevent an increase in your waistline is essential.
Start by determining your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI can is a quick way to check if you have a healthy weight.
How Intermittent Fasting Can Help Lose Abdominal Fat
In a fasting window, you must avoid consuming calories. Depriving your body of calories for a certain period can benefit your metabolism.
Studies reveal that abdominal obesity can be caused by poor metabolism. IF can help improve your metabolic rate. While IF, you will restrict your eating window, which can help lower insulin levels. A slow metabolism can make you feel starved, making your weight loss efforts all the more challenging. [3][4]
How can lowered insulin levels impact your belly fat? Well, insulin is one of the principal drivers of fat storage. When you eat constantly throughout the day, your insulin levels spike. With increased insulin levels in your blood, your cells begin resisting insulin, and as a result, the body is pressured to make more of it. Hence, decreasing the insulin levels the body produces can lower insulin resistance.
When you don’t eat for a certain period, such as in an IF fasting window, you allow your body to rest and the insulin levels to drop significantly. While this can work wonders for fat burning, it can also lower the risk of developing certain health conditions such as diabetes. [5]
How to Find the Best-Suited IF Window for Losing Belly Fat
If you are an intermittent fasting beginner and unsure about which IF routine will work the best for you, you must begin by choosing a protocol that fits your lifestyle. Remember, no fasting or dieting plan can give overnight results; introducing a sustainable IF fasting pattern and maintaining consistency can fetch the best results. This may require dedicated practice and patience.
There is no harm in experimenting with different fasting windows. You can alter the eating and fasting window depending on what accelerates your abdominal fat loss. If you started with shorter fasting windows, you can try increasing it by an hour or two to see if there’s any difference. Be consistent with your IF regimen if you want to see visible changes. Hence, select a fasting pattern that fits your lifestyle.
Here are the IF methods you can pick from for losing belly fat:
16:8 Intermittent Fasting
The 16:8 method involves 16 hours of fasting and an eight-hour feeding window. You can choose the eating and fasting durations you think are the easiest to maintain. For instance, if you finish your dinner by 7 pm, you could continue fasting until 11 am the next day. So, you can consume meals between 11 am and 7 pm.
Drink plenty of water during the fasting phase, as it can help combat dehydration and keep you feeling full. Although some people consume unsweetened black tea and coffee during the fasting window, it could cause dehydration.
5:2 Intermittent Fasting
5:2 fasting method involves eating a normal diet five days a week while limiting your calorie intake to 500-600 calories for any two non-consecutive days.
24-Hour Fast (Eat-Stop-Eat)
If you can go without food for 24 hours twice a week, the Eat-Stop-Eat IF method is for you. In this fasting pattern, if you eat on a Monday, say at 8 pm, you can only resume eating again on Tuesday, 8 pm. This 24-hour fast should be done twice a week for the best results. You can drink calorie-free beverages during the fasting windows and eat normally on non-fasting days.
Although considered effective, not everyone can easily adopt such prolonged fasting diets. It is best to consult your dietician or health professional before undertaking prolonged fasts.
Warrior Diet
The Warrior Diet involves 20 hours of fasting and a four-hour eating window. This form of eating and fasting is inspired by the eating habits of ancient warriors who fasted through the day and feasted at night. While the Warrior Diet may not be easy for many, some swear by its efficacy and benefits.
Regardless of your IF plan, you must track the food and beverages you consume during the eating window. Eating the wrong foods during the feeding window can make getting rid of stubborn fat all the more difficult.
Now, did you know that aside from metabolism, inflammation, and bloating may have a role to play in your belly fat?
Getting rid of your belly fat may take a while, but you can at least control inflammation by consuming the right foods. Sometimes, chronic diseases can elevate stress hormone levels in the body, causing inflammation. Cortisol is often associated with belly fat. Moreover, deficiencies in certain vitamins are also linked to weight gain and inflammation.
Several studies reveal inflammation is directly associated with abdominal fat, especially in diabetic people. Your dietary choices can help manage symptoms of inflammation to a large extent. Hence, a nutritious and balanced meal can help regulate inflammation and manage your weight. [6]
Research findings suggest that most of the body weight lost through intermittent fasting primarily comes from fat loss. As a result, IF can be effective in belly fat reduction as well. Intermittent fasting has benefitted people with obesity. Abdominal fat indicates obesity and higher BMI and needs to be managed for weight loss. [7][8]
Role of Hormones in Belly Fat and How IF Can Help Get Rid of Belly Fat
Intermittent fasting can lead to eating nutrient-dense calories and stabilizing your hormones. In the process, it can help maintain muscle mass. Your body stores energy in the form of fat. When you fast for a certain period, your body sends norepinephrine to the fat cells, catalyzing the fat to break it into fatty acids that are then burnt for energy. IF can fasten this fat-burning process and prevent high insulin levels. As these levels naturally drop and enable fat burning, it can help eliminate belly fat faster.
It is essential not to break your fast with a meal that can trigger an insulin spike, as it can rob you of your progress. Combining a healthy diet with IF and eliminating sugary beverages, starch-rich foods can work in your favor. Try including more protein, good fats, and fiber in your eating window for better results.
Things to Consider for Optimizing IF for Belly Fat
After selecting the preferred fasting window, adopt the following tips while practicing IF:
Avoid overeating during your eating window. Reduce the intake of sugary items that can cause insulin level spikes. Avoid foods with trans fat and cut down on refined carbs. [9]
Pay attention to sleep quality, as poor sleep can increase insulin resistance, cortisol, and weight gain around the belly. [10]
Make light exercise such as walking or yoga a part of your lifestyle. As stress can trigger cortisol levels, it can also lead to hunger pangs and enhance belly fat storage. A low-intensity workout like walking can reduce stress hormones and boost fat burning.
Lower your alcohol consumption, as it has been linked to a risk of developing excess fat around the waistline. [11]
FAQs
Do I need to worry about losing muscle with intermittent fasting?
During fasting, your body burns fat for energy. Eating a high-protein diet will ensure you don’t lose muscle mass while intermittent fasting.
How long will it take to see a reduction in my belly fat with intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting duration needed for a noticeable reduction in belly fat may vary from person to person. You must stay consistent and patient, allowing your body time to adapt to the new IF regimen.
Is intermittent fasting only effective for belly fat, or can it reduce overall body fat?
Intermittent fasting can be effective in reducing overall body fat. IF can restrict your overall calorie intake and put you in a calorie deficit, where your body burns more fat than it consumes. This is one of the most effective ways to lose body fat.
More on Fasting and Fat Burning:
Concluding Thoughts
Intermittent fasting has holistic health benefits and can be a powerful tool for reducing unwanted belly fat.
You must select an intermittent fasting pattern that fits your lifestyle. However, pay attention to a few things when fasting for belly fat loss, including what you eat during your eating window. You can start with the 16:8 method, as it is relatively easier to manage.
You must not undermine the importance of incorporating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and other essential nutrients in your eating window. Also, maintain a calorie deficit and avoid unhealthy fats in your eating window. Whether your fitness goal involves weight management or targeted belly fat loss, the results hinge on consistency and patience.
Reference
Research on intermittent fasting shows health benefits. (2020, February 27). National Institute on Aging.
Jensen, M. D. (n.d.). Role of Body Fat Distribution and the Metabolic Complications of Obesity. PubMed Central (PMC).
Metabolic Syndrome | MedlinePlus. (2020, January 17). Metabolic Syndrome | MedlinePlus.
Vasim, I., Majeed, C. N., & DeBoer, M. D. (2022, January 31). Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Health. PubMed Central (PMC).
Albosta, M., & Bakke, J. (2021, February 3). Intermittent fasting: is there a role in the treatment of diabetes? A review of the literature and guide for primary care physicians. PubMed Central (PMC).
Bawadi, H., Katkhouda, R., Tayyem, R., Kerkadi, A., Raad, S. B., & Subih, H. (2019, November 22). Abdominal Fat Is Directly Associated With Inflammation In Persons With Type-2 Diabetes Regardless Of Glycemic Control – A Jordanian Study. PubMed Central (PMC).
Welton, S., Minty, R., O’Driscoll, T., Willms, H., Poirier, D., Madden, S., & Kelly, L. (n.d.). Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review. PubMed Central (PMC).
Kim, J. Y. (2020, October 27). Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. PubMed Central (PMC)
Comparison with ancestral diets suggests dense acellular carbohydrates promote an inflammatory microbiota and may be the primary dietary cause of leptin resistance and obesity – PubMed. (2012, January 1). PubMed.
Mesarwi, O., Polak, J., Jun, J., & Polotsky, V. Y. (n.d.). Sleep disorders and the development of insulin resistance and obesity. PubMed Central (PMC).
Relationship of abdominal obesity with alcohol consumption at population scale – PubMed. (2007, October 1). PubMed.
Clenbuterol Cycle Guide
Clenbuterol Cycle Guide: Introduction Clenbuterol is a powerful and popular thermogenic compound that belongs to the category of beta-2 adrenergic agonists. Although originally developed as a bronchodilator to treat respiratory conditions, it has become highly sought after by bodybuilders for its fat-burning and performance-enhancing properties. When used responsibly, Clenbuterol can aid in sculpting a lean and…
Is the Hard Boiled Egg Diet the Weight Loss Breakthrough You’ve Been Looking For?
With the advent of social media, fad diets have taken on a life of their own, having the ability to go viral almost overnight. So, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing more and more fad diets gaining traction. Amongst the recent crop of diets, the hard-boiled egg diet has been heavily promoted as a way to lose weight fast.
Eggs are one of the most healthy foods. As a result, a diet built around the humble egg may sound like a good idea. Its advocates claim you can lose up to 20 pounds on the egg diet in two weeks. So, does it really work?
Read on for the most complete analysis of the hard-boiled egg diet you will ever need.
What is the Hard Boiled Egg Diet?
Hard Boiled Egg
The hard boiled egg diet is a short-term diet centered around consuming hard-boiled eggs. The diet has several variations:
Traditional:
The boiled egg diet’s traditional version is a variation of the Atkins diet. You do not have to limit yourself to eggs on this version, but most of your protein will come from this source. Carbohydrate intake is restricted. This version requires two or more eggs, a low-carb veggie, and fruit for breakfast. You may also consume lean protein in place of a low-carb veggie. Lunch might consist of a lean protein source or another serving of eggs.
Typically, chicken or fish are included. More eggs or lean proteins like fish or chicken will be served for dinner. You can have as many low-carb veggies and salads as you like on this diet. One or two portions of fruit are allowed daily, and carbohydrate intake is closely regulated, so you’ll eliminate foods like bread, pasta, and potatoes.
Read also: 14-Day Boiled Egg Diet: Should You Try It?
Egg and Grapefruit Diet:
The egg and grapefruit diet involves consuming half a grapefruit per meal. Apart from that, it is similar to the traditional boiled egg diet. Grapefruit is believed to accelerate weight loss. It is an extremely nutrient-dense fruit that is especially high in vitamins A and C, potassium, and folate. It is also very high in fiber and low in calories. Adding grapefruit will compensate for the low fiber content of the other versions of the boiled egg diet.
Egg Only Diet:
This is the most extreme version of the diet, requiring you to eat nothing but eggs and water (which may be infused with electrolytes). In this diet version, eggs may be boiled, scrambled, or poached. This diet does not represent a balanced form of eating, as it is very low in fiber. It is a very restrictive diet that can be maintained for a short period. Most people usually follow this diet for a week.
Egg Diet Pros
Here are the benefits of the egg diet:
Reduced Hunger: A high-protein, low-carb diet can suppress hunger, making you feel fuller even when dieting.
Faster Calorie Burn: You’ll burn calories more quickly due to the greater protein content.
Vitamins: Eggs are a rich source of vitamins in addition to being a wonderful source of protein.
Weight Loss: Eggs, particularly during breakfast, are proven to accelerate weight loss.
Egg Diet Cons
These are the disadvantages of adopting the egg diet:
Not a Balanced Diet: This is not a balanced way of eating because it cuts out whole food groups, including many vegetables.
Low Carbohydrate Intake: Lack of carbohydrates might make engaging in any intense activity challenging, especially at the beginning.
Nausea: Many dieters experience nausea and exhaustion for the first few days. This is because the body must adjust to reduced carbohydrate consumption.
Boring: Since you consume the same foods daily, you can easily become bored while on the diet, making it difficult to maintain.
Benefits of Eating Eggs
There are many health-related benefits of eating more eggs. Here are seven reasons to up your egg intake:
Eggs are Nutrient Rich
Vitamins A, D, B-6, and B-12 are some of the essential vitamins and minerals found in eggs. Iron, calcium, and magnesium are also present. 10% of the recommended daily intake of vitamins B-12, A, B-6, B-3, and D can be found in one boiled egg. It also has 2% of your daily iron and calcium requirements.
Eggs are a Superior Form of Protein
Chicken eggs contain more than six grams of protein per egg. The protein content of one egg is equal to around thirty grams of meat, making it a higher-quality protein option. Additionally, the protein content of eggs is considered greater than that of chicken or beef, and they are also considerably more affordable than those foods.
Eggs have one of the highest biological values of any protein source. That means they contain all the essential amino acids in the right proportions. This makes them more readily available for protein synthesis, leading to greater muscle gains and post-workout tissue repair.
The protein in eggs is easily digestible, so it can be quickly broken down and absorbed into the body. The body can use the amino acids more effectively thanks to this digestibility.
Improved Eyesight
Your eyesight will deteriorate with time, a condition known as macular degeneration. Lutein and zeaxanthin, two essential nutrients abundant in eggs, are present in the eyes and help protect them. If you’re concerned about your eyesight, eggs are a terrific addition to your diet as they can help to shield them from harmful light wavelengths.
Balanced Blood Sugar
Eggs’ combination of protein and fat will help maintain stable blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, this may help avoid problems because such issues raise blood sugar levels. Remember that eggs won’t boost your cholesterol if you’re following a low-carb diet. Eggs can help gradually lower your total cholesterol when you follow a low-carb diet. As a result, especially when considering the advantages of weight loss, this can aid in lowering the risk of heart disease.
Brain Health
A nutrient called choline, abundant in eggs, is crucial for your mental well-being. It promotes brain development as well as memory activation. It’s also vital for pregnant women because a growing child will cause a mother’s choline levels to drop dangerously low. According to estimates, as many as 90% of people have low choline levels. Therefore, you are doing your brain a huge favor by giving it a nutrient it sorely needs by eating eggs.
Promotes a Feeling of Fullness
Eggs do a great job of filling you up, helping control your caloric intake. As we’ve already discovered, eggs are a fantastic source of high-quality protein. Protein can aid in lowering appetite and boosting feelings of fullness because it is more satiating than carbohydrates or lipids. The amino acids in eggs promote the release of hormones that signal to the brain that you are full.
The essential amino acids in eggs promote a feeling of fullness. The rich supply of nutrients in eggs also helps control appetite and advance general health. Eggs take longer to digest since they include more protein and fat. This gradual digestive process enables you to feel satisfied for extended periods and can minimize blood sugar spikes, which can cause cravings and increased hunger.
Hair, Nail, and Bone Health
Eggs are great for the health of your hair, bones, and nails, especially if you cannot consume dairy products. That’s because eggs will boost your calcium and vitamin D levels. Eggs are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which also support your hair, nail, and bone health.
Is It Best To Eat Scrambled Eggs or Hard Boiled?
The name of this diet is the hard-boiled egg diet, which leads to the question, ‘Why hard-boiled?’ After all, one of the benefits of eggs is that there are so many ways to cook them, helping to prevent eating monotony. So, is there a reason why you should stick to hard-boiling your eggs on this diet?
To answer that question, let’s consider the best way to cook an egg to preserve its nutritional goodness. We first need to appreciate that fats oxidize when heat is applied. This can potentially turn good fats into bad fats. Eggs contain a lot of good fats, so we don’t want to do anything that will take away from that goodness. Excessive heat can also damage the micronutrients contained in the egg.
So, with these points in mind, let’s look at the various way you can cook eggs:
Hard-Boiled
Hard-boiled eggs are the winner in terms of convenience. They require minimal work to cook and provide a convenient snack you can take with you when you’re away from home. Hard boiling also lets you leave the shell and the protective membrane on as you cook the egg. This will help to protect the nutrients and the fats from the heat that is applied.
Soft-Boiled
The difference between a soft-boiled and a hard-boiled egg comes down to timing. With a soft-boiled egg, you reduce the time under heat, so the yolk remains runny. As a result, you are applying less heat, which further protects the fats and micronutrients from damage. In fact, because you are not really cooking the yolk, its contents will not have a detrimental effect.
Poached
Poaching eggs well is a skill that takes time to acquire. It involves filling a saucepan with 2-3 inches of water and heating it to a gentle simmer. You then crack the egg into a small bowl and slide it into the simmering water. Cook the egg for 4-6 minutes for a soft yolk and 7-8 minutes for a hard yolk.
Poaching is an excellent way to cook your eggs, as it reduces the heat applied to the yolk.
Scrambled
Scrambling is probably the most popular way to eat eggs. However, from a nutrient point of view, it’s also the worst way. That’s because you are applying a lot of heat to the mixed-up egg from every angle. This can potentially destroy some micronutrients and convert good fats into bad.
Over Easy
Over-easy cooking involves putting the egg in a frying pan and cooking it on both sides. This method also applies a lot of heat to the egg, providing a greater chance of damaging the micronutrients within the yolk.
Sunny Side Up
Sunny side up involves only cooking the egg on one side. This is a healthier way to cook the egg as it means leaving the yolk in a close to raw state. Because you’re not applying a lot of heat to the yolk, you won’t destroy its micronutrients and fats.
Raw
Eating raw eggs ensures you’re not destroying any of the micronutrients or fats. However, you are missing out on the advantage of heat, which effectively eliminates bacteria such as salmonella. This risk, though, is minimal, especially if you store your eggs properly.
To summarize, we can list different ways of cooking eggs based on their nutritional value, ranking them from the most beneficial to the least.
Soft-boiled
Hard-boiled
Raw
Sunny side up
Over easy
Poached
Scrambled
When it comes to the hard-boiled egg diet, there is no particular benefit to hard boiling rather than soft boiling, apart from the convenience factor (it’s easier to eat a hard-boiled egg on the run than a soft-boiled one). Feel free to use either method to prepare your eggs.
Here’s how to boil an egg to ensure you end up with your preferred level of hardness:
Add enough water to a pot to cover an egg by about an inch
Place the egg in the pot and bring it to a boil
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer
Cook for:
Four minutes if you want a runny yolk
Five minutes for a slightly firmer yolk
Six minutes for a yolk that is almost set
Transfer the eggs to a bowl of cold water until it is cool enough to handle
Why You Lose Weight on the Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
Proponents of the boiled egg diet do not claim that eggs have any magical weight loss properties. Still, many cases of extreme fat loss are reported online from following this diet. By extreme, I mean up to 20 pounds in two weeks.
Not all that weight loss, however, will be fat loss. Our bodies can store fats and carbohydrates. When we store carbohydrates, we also hold water. Those carbohydrates are used to fuel exercise and other daily activities. We can lose weight quickly when we cut back our carbohydrate intake. Much of that weight loss, though, will be water.
Here’s what a typical day of following the hard-boiled egg and diet might look like:
Meal One: Two hard-boiled eggs and a piece of fruit
Meal Two: Green vegetables and chicken salad
Meal Three: Chicken and salad
The first thing you’ll notice here is that this is not a lot of food. In fact, if you were to calculate the calorie content of the above three meals, it would come out at less than 1,000 calories for the entire day. That is an extremely low total, especially for active people.
The daily carbohydrate content is also extremely low on this diet. As a result, you will see quite a dramatic reduction in the amount of fluids held in your body if you follow this eating plan.
Most people following a weight loss diet will increase their activity levels. They may begin a workout program at the gym or simply start using the stairs rather than the elevator at work or parking their car a couple of blocks away from their work location. This will help with the calorie burn that ensures that they maintain a daily caloric deficit, which is the key to weight loss.
The hard-boiled egg diet’s effectiveness in quick weight loss is undeniable. However, the main reason for the weight loss is not that you’re eating eggs, even though they are extremely healthy, but that you are dramatically cutting back on your calorie intake. Most people require 2,000 or more calories daily to maintain functionality. The hard-boiled egg diet cuts that number in half. This creates a daily caloric deficit of over 1,000 calories, forcing your body to turn to stored body fat reserves to make up the energy difference.
The hard-boiled egg diet is meant to be a short-term intervention, with most people only sticking with it for a couple of weeks. And that is its biggest problem. It is not a sustainable diet because it involves such a dramatic calorie reduction. Most people will regain the lost weight, and then some, after going off the diet.
When you take in fewer calories and, at the same time, increase your energy levels, your metabolism adjusts so that it becomes more efficient at not burning calories. This is part of the body’s built-in survival mechanism. So, when you go on an ultra-low calorie diet, such as the hard-boiled egg diet, your metabolic rate will adapt, so you burn calories slower.
What do you think will happen when you go off the diet?
When you return to your pre-diet caloric intake, you will see rapid weight regain. Your slowed-down metabolism will not be able to cope with the high caloric intake that it is now experiencing. As a result, more and more calories will be stored as body fat, and you will end up heavier than when you began the diet.
Hard-Boiled Egg Diet vs. 36 Eggs a Day Diet
While the hard-boiled egg diet has gained traction over the past few years, another egg-based diet has been popular, especially among bodybuilders, for decades — the 36 eggs-a-day diet.
When I first heard of the hard-boiled egg diet, I thought it was a version of the 36 eggs-a-day diet. You may have thought the same thing. So, to avoid confusion, let’s see how the 36-eggs-a-day diet differs from the hard-boiled egg diet.
The 36 eggs-a-day diet was promoted in the 1970s by legendary bodybuilding trainer Vince Gironda. Known for his unconventional training methods (he banned squats from his gym) and nutrition advice, Vince reportedly said that eating 36 eggs daily was as beneficial in building muscle as going on a Dianabol cycle.
Vince referred to his diet as the hormone precursor diet. It was designed to do the following:
Get you in a state of positive nitrogen balance
Put 30-50 grams of protein into your body every three hours
Release the precursor hormones to put you in an anabolic state
Vince was aware that cholesterol, which eggs contain a lot of, is a precursor that is a building block for growth hormone and testosterone. The high-quality protein in eggs also helps put you in a positive nitrogen balance.
Vince believed that the best way to consume eggs was raw. So, rather than eating the eggs, he had his athletes drink them as a special shake. The shake contained 12 raw eggs and was consumed three times per day.
Here’s the full contents of the raw egg shake:
12 oz (360 ml) half-and-half milk
12 raw eggs
⅓ cup of milk and egg protein powder
1 banana
This shake is to be consumed for breakfast and then between your lunch and dinner meals. Lunch and dinner would consist of a palm-sized serving of meat and a salad.
Vince also advocated the use of the following supplements on this diet:
Zinc
Multivitamins
Kelp
HCL
Digestive enzymes
Liver tablets
Apart from the small amount in the banana and your lunch and dinner salads, this diet has no carbs.
There is some scientific backing for this diet. In a 1975 study, doctors put severe burn patients on a diet consisting of 35 eggs per day. None of the patients suffered negative side effects. They all experienced normal serum protein levels more quickly than patients in the control group. The researchers concluded that a high-protein diet is safe for treating severe burns. [1]
The 36-eggs-a-day diet should be followed for six to eight weeks. You then switch to a vegetarian detox diet for a week before resuming your normal eating pattern. While Vince advocated the diet for hard gainers, he also promoted it as a way for advanced bodybuilders to break out of a muscle plateau.
Key Differences Between the 36-eggs-a-day and Hard-Boiled Egg Diets
Here are the differences between the two egg diets:
36 eggs a day is primarily for muscle gain
The hard-boiled egg diet is mainly for weight loss
36 eggs a day diet has you drink raw eggs
The hard-boiled egg diet has you cook the eggs
The hard-boiled egg diet is shorter, usually lasting no longer than two weeks, compared with six to eights weeks on the 36 eggs-a-day diet
How to Succeed on the Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
As we’ve seen, the major problem with the hard-boiled egg diet is not the fact that you’re eating eggs but that your total daily caloric intake is simply too low. But it doesn’t have to be that way. By increasing your daily food intake, while still focusing on eggs, citrus fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, you will be able to find success on this diet. While your weight loss will not be as dramatic as it would be if you were eating less than 1,000 calories a day, your weight loss will be far healthier and more sustainable.
You need to make the following two key adjustments for the hard-boiled diet to be successful:
Track your Calories
Your first step in planning a healthy hard-boiled egg diet should be calculating your current caloric maintenance level. This figure, also known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE), tells you how many calories you must consume daily to meet your energy needs. There are several formulae that you can use to work this out. However, the easiest way is to use an online calculator such as this one.
Once you know your total daily energy expenditure, you should reduce that figure by 500 calories. This will ensure that you end each day with a caloric deficit. To meet your daily energy demands, your body will have to call on its stored fat energy reserves. Reducing your daily food intake by 500 calories is safe and sustainable.
Now that you know how many calories you need to consume each day, it is up to you to track those calories. Don’t just leave it to chance. You can use online food tracking apps like MyFitnessPal to track your calories and protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake.
Rebuild Your Caloric Intake
By reducing your daily caloric intake less dramatically, you can sustain the hard-boiled diet for longer. While most people only stay on this diet for 14 days, you should be able to do so for at least six to eight weeks when you reduce your intake by 500 calories per day.
Even though you are only reducing your daily caloric intake by 500 calories, your metabolism will still slow down. If you suddenly return to your maintenance calorie level when you finish the diet, you risk unwanted weight gain. That is why you should slowly return to your pre-diet calorie intake.
For example, if your daily maintenance caloric intake is 2,500, you should consume 2,000 calories daily on the hard-boiled egg diet. Rather than going straight back up to 2,500 calories, you should increase by 50-100 calories per day for the first week. Then, continue adding another 50 calories daily for each passing week. By doing this, after 10 weeks, you will have returned to your maintenance level. Slowly transitioning back up in this manner will give your body the time needed to readjust your metabolism. This strategy will help you avoid the rebound weight gain that plagues so many dieters.
What Type of Egg To Use on a Hard-Boiled Egg Diet
While most people use chicken eggs for the hard-boiled egg diet, other options exist. Here’s an overview of the various types of eggs available and their benefits:
Brown Chicken Eggs
You’ve probably seen brown eggs on the supermarket shelf. You may have also noticed that brown eggs are considerably more expensive than white ones. The difference between the two comes down to the breed of chicken producing the egg.
Brown eggs as produced by the Marans, Reds, Sussex, and Plymouth Rock breeds. All of these breeds have brown feathers and produce eggs with brown shells. White eggs are laid by chickens with white feathers, such as White Rocks and Leghorns.
Despite the price difference, Brown and white chicken eggs have no major nutrition differences. The macro and micro nutrient content does not change depending on the color of the eggshell.
Omega-3 Enriched Chicken Eggs
Eggs promoted as omega-3 enhanced have been laid by chickens fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids that provide a wide range of health benefits, including controlling inflammation, improving brain power, and enhancing heart health.
Omega-3-enriched chickens are fed with foods like flaxseed, algae, and fish oil. This increases the omega-3 content of the eggs they lay. The eggs will be especially high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).
The amount of omega-3 fatty acids in these eggs can change according to how the chickens are fed. Check the nutritional label to identify the exact omega-3 content.
Vegetarian Chicken Eggs
If you notice the vegetarian label on an egg carton, it signifies that no animal protein was given to the hens who laid the eggs. This may sound good for you, but it’s not. A hen is naturally not vegetarian because its diet typically includes insects and worms.
Duck Eggs
Duck eggs tend to be bigger than chicken eggs in size. Compared to chicken eggs, their shells are a bit thicker and harder, which might make them stronger but harder to shatter.
Here is a comparison of the nutritional content of chicken and duck eggs:
Chicken Egg:
Calories: 71
Total Fat: 5 Grams
Cholesterol: 211 mg
Carbs: 0 Grams
Sodium: 70 mg
Protein: 6 Grams
Duck Eggs:
Calories: 130
Fat: 10 Grams
Cholesterol: 619 Grams
Carbs: 1 Gram
Sodium: 102 mg
Protein: 9 grams
Duck eggs typically have larger yolks than chicken eggs. They also have around double the fat content and a third more protein. In addition, their levels of micronutrients like selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 are higher. The cholesterol level in duck eggs is often higher than that of chicken eggs.
Although there are notable differences between chicken and duck eggs, they have comparable nutritional profiles.
Duck eggs have a distinctive flavor that is richer and creamier than chicken eggs. Duck eggs’ yolks have a deeper flavor and a slightly different texture since they are bigger and contain more fat. While some people prefer the taste of duck eggs, it may be too strong for others.
Duck and chicken eggs can be substituted in many dishes, but there are several key distinctions to remember. Duck eggs are frequently preferred in baking and pastry preparation because of their bigger size and higher fat content. Some baked foods can contribute to a richer texture and help produce a higher rise. Custards, puddings, and other desserts frequently use duck eggs as an ingredient. However, the availability and adaptability of chicken eggs make them more popular in regular cooking.
Some people may find that duck eggs are more tolerable for them than chicken eggs. Duck eggs can trigger allergies in some people, so those with egg allergies should proceed cautiously. Duck eggs are more expensive than chicken eggs because of limited supply and greater production costs.
You should give duck eggs another one to two minutes in hot water when boiling because they naturally have a thicker shell and are larger.
Organic Eggs
Organic eggs are promoted as being healthier than standard eggs. As a result, they command a significantly higher price. However, there are variations among organic labeling. You can’t just assume that since something is labeled organic, it is healthy. A few labels the USDA allows to describe an organic product are ‘one hundred percent organic,’ ‘ninety-five percent organic,’ and ‘created with organic ingredients.’
If a carton of eggs is marked organic, you know it was produced in an environment free of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. However, “organic” won’t tell you anything about your hen’s living conditions or nutritional worth. In other words, just because you buy organic eggs doesn’t guarantee they are more nutrient-dense. All you can be sure of is that they won’t have any pesticide traces.
What is the Grade of an Egg?
Grading systems, which may differ between countries, are used to rate the appearance and quality of eggs. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) established the USA’s grading system. It is based on the following grades:
Grade AA:
Grade AA eggs are the best in terms of look and quality. The shell must be unscratched, intact, and without leaks or cracks. The air cell, or pocket of air, should be small and not deeper than 1/8 inch at the wide end of the egg. The egg white has to be crystal clear, solid, and barely spread. The yolk should be solid, spherical, and either slightly off-center. The egg should be neat and appealing in terms of aesthetics overall.
Grade A:
While Grade A eggs are still of great quality, they might not seem quite as flawless as Grade AA eggs. The shell must be undamaged and clean. Small imperfections or stains are acceptable but should be kept to a minimum. The air cell may be slightly bigger than in Grade AA eggs, but it shouldn’t be deeper than 3/16 inches. The egg white should be moderately distributed, transparent, and firm. The yolk should be solid and spherical, but it can be slightly off-center or flattened. The egg should have a respectably tidy and decent appearance overall.
Grade B:
Grade B eggs are generally not offered as table eggs in stores because of their poor quality. They are frequently employed in processed egg goods or industrial settings. The shell may be rough, have little fissures, or both. The air cell may be larger than Grade AA or Grade A eggs. The egg white may be more evenly distributed and thinner, and the yolk may be more delicate and flatter. Compared to Grade AA or Grade A eggs, Grade B eggs are less aesthetically pleasing.
It’s important to remember that the grading standards primarily evaluate the outside quality and do not point out variations in nutritional value or flavor. Eggs of all grades can be equally nutrient-dense and safe for ingestion. Check the carton when buying eggs for the grade, usually marked on the box. Before choosing, look for any indications of damage or abnormalities in each egg.
Freshness is another important factor to consider when buying eggs. Check the carton for the Julian date, which is the date the eggs were packed. The closer it is to that date, the fresher the eggs.
Where to Store Eggs
Should eggs be kept on the kitchen counter or in the refrigerator? While most individuals worldwide keep their eggs in their pantry or on the counter, most Americans keep them in the refrigerator. The main distinction is that Americans often wash their eggs and store them in refrigerators to prevent salmonella.
Salmonella can be transferred to eggs in one of two ways:
From a contaminated hen
From poop
To ensure there are no feces on their eggs, Americans have a habit of washing them after returning from the shop. By doing so, however, they unintentionally reduce the egg’s safety. The cuticle is a coating of proteins and other substances that protects eggs. Salmonella cannot enter the egg through the permeable shell because of this built-in defense mechanism. This barrier is removed by washing the egg.
In Europe, egg washing is avoided to prevent cuticle loss. In contrast to the USA, many European nations also immunize their hens against salmonella. Salmonella contamination in American eggs is, therefore, more likely.
Bacterial growth is slowed by refrigerating the eggs. According to research, eggs with salmonella contamination, whether on the outside or inside, will become dangerously contaminated after three weeks of storage at room temperature. However, even after six weeks of storage in the fridge, there won’t be much bacterial development. [2]
So, let’s return to our original query — should eggs be refrigerated?
Store eggs at room temperature if they have not been washed and have received a salmonella vaccination. Condensation may accumulate on the shell of an egg when you retrieve it from the refrigerator. The resulting wetness promotes the growth of bacteria, which may penetrate the porous shell.
You should keep your eggs in the refrigerator if you live in the United States or another country where you buy them from the grocery store’s refrigerated section.
Hard-Boiled Egg Diet Tips
I have personally tried the hard-boiled egg diet, both in its strictest form and in the more traditional version. This has given me insight into the practicalities of the diet and how it can be modified to make it more user-friendly. Here are half a dozen tips that I’ve come up with:
Don’t limit yourself to hard-boiled eggs. Include soft-boiled, poached, and raw eggs if you can handle them.
Only reduce your calories by 500 calories below your maintenance level.
Add vegetables to the diet, including cucumbers, tomatoes, and leafy greens. This will ensure that you’re getting a sufficient amount of fiber.
Count your calories with the help of an app like MyFitnessPal; don’t leave it to guesswork.
Use hard-boiled eggs as a snack when you are away from home.
Add chopped-up hard-boiled eggs to your salads
FAQs
Is the hard-boiled egg diet expensive?
No, the hard-boiled egg diet is not considered an expensive diet compared to other diet options. The bulk of your protein will come from eggs, which are relatively inexpensive. If you follow the eggs-only diet version, you will probably find that your shopping bill will be dramatically reduced. Yet, even the traditional version will reduce your food bill as the other foods you eat are relatively inexpensive (such as fruits and vegetables).
Should you eat fats on the boiled egg diet?
Yes, you should consume fats on the hard-boiled egg diet. Fortunately, eggs themselves are a healthy source of fat, especially omega-3 fatty acids. This source of fatty acids has been shown to positively impact heart health, reduce triglyceride levels, and lower blood pressure. They also have cognitive benefits. A type of omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a component of brain tissue and is vital for brain function and memory.
You can buy eggs that are omega-3 enriched. These are more expensive than standard eggs but will provide a higher amount of essential fatty acids.
If you are following the traditional version of the boiled egg diet, you can get extra fats by consuming avocados, nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish. You can also consume grass-fed butter and sugar-free mayonnaise.
Can I have any sweeteners on the hard-boiled egg diet?
No, you should not add sweeteners to any version of the hard-boiled egg diet. However, if you follow the traditional version, you will get natural sweeteners in the form of fructose in the fruits you consume. You should, though, limit your fruit intake to control fructose content. I recommend limiting your intake to three pieces of fruit per day.
Will I get constipation or diarrhea on the hard-boiled egg diet?
You might experience some digestive discomfort on the hard-boiled egg diet, including constipation or diarrhea. This is due to the diet’s high protein, low carbohydrate nature.
You increase the likelihood of constipation when you restrict your fiber intake and increase your protein intake, as you do on the hard-boiled egg diet. Fiber, which is abundant in whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, plays a big part in controlling your bowel movements. To avoid this, you should make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of fiber. You can do this by adding citrus fruits, vegetables, and nuts to your diet. You should also stay well hydrated, drinking at least half a gallon (around two liters) of water daily.
When you drastically change your food intake, especially one that involves increasing your protein intake, you may experience diarrhea. This should only last a day or two as your body adjusts to your new diet.
How long does the hard-boiled egg diet last?
The length of the hard-boiled egg diet will depend on the version of the diet you follow. If you follow the strict egg-only version, you should not go beyond one week on the diet. That’s because this version is nutritionally unbalanced, and doing it for longer than a week may be dangerous. The traditional version of the diet is usually followed for two weeks.
Summary
The hard-boiled egg diet can help you lose weight and keep it off, but only if you follow it smartly. By reducing your caloric intake by no more than 500 calories, adding leafy green vegetables to get the needed fiber, and gradually rebuilding your caloric intake as you come off the diet, you can avoid the metabolic reset that leads to weight regain.
Why not try the hard-boiled egg diet — you’ve got nothing to lose but those unwanted pounds!
Research
Hirshowitz B, Brook JG, Kaufman T, Titelman U, Mahler D. 35 eggs per day in the treatment of severe burns. Br J Plast Surg. 1975 Jul;28(3):185-8. doi: 10.1016/0007-1226(75)90127-7. PMID: 1191862.
Khan S, McWhorter AR, Moyle TS, Chousalkar KK. Refrigeration of eggs influences the virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium. Sci Rep. 2021 Sep 9;11(1):18026. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-97135-4. PMID: 34504138; PMCID: PMC8429434.