The TikTok trend that really CAN help you lose weight… but absolutely no dietitian would recommend it

Whether scrambled, poached or fried, millions of us enjoy eggs for breakfast. But could you bear to scoff at them for breakfast, lunch and dinner for ten days?

That's what a viral diet on TikTok suggests you do in the name of weight loss, with the trend racking up millions of views.

Some boast of losing up to 22 pounds after the diet, which involves cutting calorie intake to just 900 per day and consuming dozens of eggs, which are packed with protein and thought to suppress hunger levels.

However, dietitians say it is dangerously restrictive.

Aside from not being particularly enjoyable, eating only eggs for ten days straight is not a solution for long-term weight loss, says Dr. Duane Mellor, a registered dietitian based at Aston University in Birmingham.

According to Dr. Frankie Phillips, a registered dietitian with the British Dietetic Association, it can also lead to deficiencies because the meal plan lacks essential vitamins and minerals.

The egg diet involves eating nine boiled eggs a day, split between breakfast, lunch and dinner, as seen in this TikTok video posted by @tshudu_t (left). For dinner she has boiled eggs, green tea and a bowl of cornflakes (right)

A video posted by @nayrhodes on TikTok, pictured, admits that after ten days of dieting she 'got sick' and that 'it's not healthy'

The diet involves starting the day with three boiled eggs (66 calories each) and a mug of unsweetened green tea to wash down the day.

For lunch it's another portion of three eggs, this time served with an apple (100 calories) and green tea.

Dinner consists of a bowl of cereal or oats made with fat-free milk (200 calories), an apple, green tea and three more boiled eggs.

But you can eat a carrot and an orange as a snack, according to the meal plan, which is widely shared on TikTok.

In one video, TikTok user @nayrhodes admitted that following the diet for 10 days made her “feel sick” and concluded that “it's not healthy.”

She admitted it wasn't the 'best way to lose weight', but said it did help her lose 5.4kg in ten days.

One user @mercygirldevell, who has 6,346 followers, claimed that the egg diet can help you lose up to 10 kg (22 lbs) in just ten days. It shows her following the diet for a day and eating only hard-boiled eggs, an apple and porridge.

A TikTok video posted by @msvshley shows her weight loss progress before (photo left) and after five days on the egg diet (photo right)

Another TikTok video posted by @tshudu_t claimed she lost six pounds on the egg diet, even though she only followed it for eight days.

There is logic behind including eggs in your diet if you are trying to lose weight.

Because they're packed with protein, they can reduce hunger levels, according to Dr. Phillips.

Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, which suppresses appetite. This can help reduce calorie intake, which is essential for shifting the scale.

Dr. Mellor said eating protein-rich foods helps people feel full longer, especially if accompanied by diabetes foods rich in fiber, such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits.

However, eating only eggs for breakfast, lunch and dinner is far from recommended.

Dr. Phillips said: 'Absolutely no dietitian would recommend this diet. It is not nutritionally balanced in any way, contains very little whole grains and fiber, which is likely to make you constipated.

'It would be a very boring way to eat and not suitable for people with a medical condition, nor for children.'

She is also concerned that the diet lacks many essential nutrients; for example, it contains a very low amount of fiber and not much calcium and vitamin C.

According to British Lion Eggs, there are approximately 66 calories and 6.4 grams of protein in a medium egg.

Most adults need about 0.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight. That's about 45 grams for women and 55 grams for men.

As a guideline, men should not eat more than 2,500 calories per day. For women, it is recommended to stick to 2,000 or lower.

This makes the 900 calorie egg diet well below the recommended level of energy intake.

Even among those who want to lose weight, health chiefs only recommend very low calorie diets for those who have an obesity-related complication and would benefit from rapid weight loss. And they should only be followed under the supervision of a healthcare professional, they warn.

A video from @mercygirldevell, who has 6,346 followers, claims that the egg diet can help you lose up to 10 kg (22 lbs) in just ten days (left). The video shows @mercygirldevell following her diet for a day, eating only hard-boiled eggs, an apple and porridge (right)

A video posted by @ketixoxo1 claims that the egg diet 'allows you to lose weight by adhering to a low-carb, low-calorie, but high-protein diet'

The egg diet is a short-term solution and a 'quick fix' that could lead to weight gain after the 10 days of dieting are over, according to Dr Mellor.

He said: 'It's a quick fix. It will not improve your health in the long term.

'Furthermore, it will do little to improve someone's relationship with food or view of their own body image.'

But that doesn't mean eggs can't serve as a good food for a balanced diet.

Eggs are “a fantastic power food,” containing vitamin B12 and iron, but are also a complete source of protein and provide all the essential amino acids the body needs, Dr. Phillips said.

She added: 'As part of a balanced diet, eggs are a great food to include – but not at the expense of excluding other foods from the diet.'

Dr. Mellor suggests using one to two eggs to replace less healthy foods, such as processed red meat.

He also encourages people to eat them alongside other healthy foods such as vegetables and salad.

WHAT SHOULD A BALANCED DIET LOOK LIKE?

• Eat at least 5 portions of varied fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count;
• Basic meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole wheat;
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole wheat cereal biscuits, 2 thick slices of whole wheat bread and large baked potato with skin;
• Provide some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) and choose lower fat and lower sugar options;
• Eat some beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily);
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume in small quantities;
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water per day;
• Adults should have less than 6 grams of salt and 20 grams of saturated fat for women and 30 grams for men per day.

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide