Eggs: Do They Help to Lose Weight and Build Muscle?

There’s something about eggs that no other foods have. They are a synonym of breakfast and literal symbol of a healthy eating. It actually depends on the view of the observer but when I see them, I see the lean muscle packed in those nice-looking artistic ovals. I mean, don’t they look like those cute little bicep heads? 

You probably already having eggs in regular basis or at least thinking about including them in your daily diet. Since you are reading this post, it’s not so hard to figure that out 😛  

Eggs are packed with quality protein, some fat, and other stuff like cholesterol etc which you might want to pay attention to. 

I have been regularly eating eggs for a few years now. During this time, I came to know a lot about eggs from my research as well as experience. The way I used to have eggs before and now is completely different. I am sharing my learnings here so you can make the best of this superfood. Wait, are eggs superfood? I would say yes.

Protein and calories in whole eggs

According to USDA, one large (56g) egg has 7.06g of protein and 80 total calories. To make it easier for comparison, eggs have 12.6g of protein and 143 calories per 100g. 

It’s also important to know that eggs come in many different sizes. The protein and calories you get in one small egg is obviously not same as what you get from a large one. 

In Sydney where I live, we get 600g, 700g, and 800g pack of 12 eggs. I mostly get the 700g ones. I would rather get the 800g ones, but they are mostly out of stock or just not available. 

Protein and calories in egg white and egg yolk

In terms of weight ratio, an egg has about 70% of egg white and 30% of yolk, the yellow part. 

Raw egg white has 10.9g of protein and 52 calories per 100g.
Raw egg yolk has 15.9g of protein and 322 calories per 100g.

Doing the math for one large egg (56g), we get the following- 
One large egg white (39g) has 4.2g of protein and 20 calories.
One large egg yolk (17g) has 2.7g of protein and 54 calories. 

As you can see in the above figures, egg white has twice the amount of protein and just half the calories compared to the yolk. This explains all the buzz egg whites get in the fitness community. 

Do eggs have cholesterol?

Matter of fact, eggs do have dietary cholesterol. USDA reports that one large egg (56g) contains 208mg of cholesterol. The good thing is all that cholesterol is contained within the yolk which you can easily separate.  

Egg whites don’t have any cholesterol in them. 

Cholesterol in egg is a controversial topic and you should consult with your doctor if you have any concern. 

I have recently started limiting the egg yolk I eat in a day. Not because of the cholesterol content, but the amount of saturated fat and the resulting calories.

Eating eggs the right way

Although eggs are most common household food and most of us have them almost daily, many of us don’t seem to know how to make them meet your targeted protein amount. 

You may think you are getting enough protein by having one egg after a workout but that is just about 8g of protein. Which is obviously not enough for a meal, especially if you have been active. 

How you should have eggs depends on your fitness goal, whether you are trying to lose weight or build muscle. 

Eggs to lose weight

Eggs are your friend if you are trying to lose weight. The high protein content they have will keep you full for longer, helping you to control your calories. 

When you have a limited number of calories to eat in each day, calories in whole eggs can become a bit too high. For that reason, it’s best to only have the egg whites so that you get the required amount of protein while still staying within the calories cap. 

Here’s a guide for you to aim your protein target- 

4 large egg whites: 16.8g of protein and 80 calories. 
5 large egg whites: 21g of protein and 100 calories. 
6 large egg whites: 25.2g of protein and 120 calories. 

If you are wondering if 6 egg whites will be too many eggs, let me tell you they are not. Because you are not including the yolk, what you are getting is pure protein. The 25g of protein you are getting is equivalent of what you would get from 125g of chicken breast. Not too high.

Eggs to build muscle

For building muscle, protein in eggs is considered as of high quality. The mistakes most of the beginners do is either by not eating enough eggs or eating too many whole eggs. 

If you are not eating enough eggs, you are obviously not getting the protein required to grow your muscle. In other hand, if you are eating too many whole eggs, you end up eating too many calories and also the saturated fat, which isn’t healthy. 

So, the best way to have eggs for building muscle is have one or two whole eggs and a few egg whites. 

Here’s some guide for you to follow-
1 whole egg + 4 egg whites (large): 23.8g protein and 160 calories. 
1 whole egg + 5 egg whites (large): 28g protein and 180 calories. 
2 whole eggs + 4 egg whites (large): 30.9g protein and 240 calories. 
2 whole eggs + 5 egg whites (large): 35g protein and 260 calories. 

I personally have 1 or 2 whole eggs and 3 or 4 egg whites in a meal. Mostly after workout and sometimes in the afternoon. In my early days, I made a mistake of eating 4 to 5 whole eggs in one sitting. That is obviously too much of saturated fat and cholesterol so not healthy at all.

Cooking methods

Boiled eggs: The best method to have eggs in healthiest possible way. You can control exactly how much egg whites and egg yolks you are going to eat. They also can be carried around easily. Eggs for office snack? No problem. 

Fried eggs: Tastiest way to have eggs, in my opinion at least. You should be careful on the amount of oil you add though as it will increase the total calories significantly. An easy way to get around this is to use oil spray. 

Poached eggs: Yea those fancy looking ones that you see in your Instagram feed. They are best to have with an avocado toast. 

Checkout my classic high protein cheese omelette recipe where I used 1 whole egg and 4 egg whites.

Summary

• Have egg whites only to limit your calories intake while getting the good amount of quality protein if your goal is to lose body fat.
• Eat several egg whites and one or two whole eggs to gain the lean muscle if you are trying to build muscle.

A bit of fun?

What do you call a city of 20 million eggs?
New Yolk City!