A Free Guide to Agoge Diet for 2023: Is It Good for Weight Loss?

What Is an Agoge Diet?

The Agoge Diet aims to provide eating habits based on what ancient Spartan warriors ate by prioritising health, physical activities, and longevity.

The diet is based on eating unprocessed foods, including meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Grains and dairy products are used at minimum amounts or avoided altogether.

It also includes intermittent fasting, where there are short times of eating with long periods of fasting throughout the day.

The Agoge Diet focuses on nutrient-dense foods and welcomes healthy fats of olive oil and avocados. It also draws attention to hydration and suggests drinking plenty of water every day.

You may wonder why the diet is named ‘Agoge’ and what it means. The next section will do a little bit of etymology!

What Does Agoge Mean?

The word "agoge" stems from the Greek verb "ago", meaning "to lead" or "to guide", and these days, agoge is translated to "leading" or "guiding".

Ancient Spartans used the Agoge system to educate and train young boys, aiming to create strong, disciplined, and skilled warriors and defenders.

That’s what the Agoge diet aims to do, i.e., following the ancient Spartans’ system to train normal people to achieve warrior bodies with diet and physical activity.

Just note that the exact eating habits of Spartan warriors are not documented, so the Agoge diet is based on a mix of historical knowledge and modern nutrition science.

Let’s see what this combination yields and what are the benefits of the Agoge diet.

Benefits of The Agoge Diet

• Strengthening the digestive system
• A better lifestyle that can result in longevity, easier pregnancies and nursing
• Improving general health, including skin, teeth, and eyes
• Improving the performance of the immune system
• More powerful muscles
• Healthy and strong bones
• Decreasing common diseases related to food like heart diseases, some disorders, and type 2 diabetes

Now that we know the basics and benefits of the Agoge diet let’s see what foods are allowed and prohibited in this diet.

The Agoge Diet Rules

The Agoge diet is simple to follow but can also be super delicious. Here are some of its key rules.

• Whole Foods: Avoid processed food and eat whole, natural foods like meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
• Protein: Every meal should contain a source of protein like meat, fish, eggs, or dairy.
• Processed Carbohydrates: Processed carbohydrates, including bread, pasta, and sweets, are not welcome in the Agoge diet.
• Healthy Fats: The healthy fats allowed in theAgoge diet include oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds.
• Intermittent Fasting: Agoge diet allows intermittent fasting, i.e., periods of fasting followed by periods of eating.
• Hydration: The Agoge diet encourages drinking a lot of water every day.

Considering these dos and don’ts, one might wonder if it’s hard to follow the Agoge diet. The following section will answer this question.

How Hard Is The Agoge Diet?

The difficulty level of almost every diet depends on every individual's lifestyle, body structure, and social preferences, and the Agoge diet is not an exception.

Healthy eating can be challenging for those accustomed to eating junk food or processed stuff. It also encourages intermittent fasting, which can be hard for some.

However, if you’re eager to improve your health, are not used to eating too much fast food, and can avoid eating for some hours during the day, the Agoge diet is your thing.

Following the Agoge diet, you can increase your energy, improve digestion, and manage your weight smartly. Also, intermittent fasting can boost insulin sensitivity and metabolic health.

Now, if you are in favour of improving your eating habits and lifestyle, follow me to the next section to learn what you can and cannot eat on an Agoge diet in detail.

Foods to Eat

• Lean meat like chicken, turkey, beef, and pork
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Low-carb veggies like broccoli, spinach, kale, and cauliflower
• Fruits, including berries, apples, and oranges
• Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and coconut oil

Foods to Avoid

• Processed foods, including chips, cookies, and candy
• Sugary drinks like soda and juice
• Foods high in carbohydrates, like bread, pasta, and rice
• Fast food and fried foods
• High-sugar fruits like bananas and grapes
• Dairy products, including milk, cheese, and yoghurt
• Alcohol

If you still need more details about the foods allowed on an Agoge diet, read through the next section.

Agoge Food List

As mentioned above, the Agoge diet favours whole, natural foods high in protein and healthy fats and low in processed carbs. The following list is your ultimate guide to what to eat on this diet.

Protein Sources

• Meat: beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, pork, etc
• Fish: salmon, tuna, cod, etc.
• Seafood: shrimp, crab, lobster, etc
• Eggs: whole eggs or egg whites

Healthy Fats

• Olive oil
• Avocado
• Nuts: almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.
• Seeds: chia, flax, pumpkin, etc
• Coconut oil

Carbohydrate Sources

• Vegetables: spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, etc
• Fruits: apples, berries, oranges, etc.
• Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, etc

Beverages

• Water
• Coffee
• Tea

Your Daily Calories Plan in Agoge Diet

• In your early days on the Agoge diet, consume about 14 calories per pound of your body weight.
• Manage your food intake to gain 35% calories from protein, 25% from carbs, and 40% from healthy fats.
• After the first month, start adjusting the calorie intake.
• The adjustment doesn’t include major changes. Give or take, 100 or 200 calories per day will be enough. For example, a 200-pound male can take 2800 calories a day.
• 245g of protein, 175g of carbs, and 124g of healthy fats is the macronutrient breakdown.
• If you don’t get your desired results after a month, you can decrease the carbohydrate intake to 125-150g a day.

To ease you into the Agoge diet, we’ve provided 1-day, 7-day, and 30-day meal plans in the following sections.

1-Day Agoge Diet Meal Plan

Your 1-day Agoge diet meal plan can be organised as follows.

Breakfast

• 3-4 scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1/2 an avocado
• Black coffee or tea

Snack

• A handful of almonds or other nuts

Lunch

• Grilled chicken breast
• Steamed broccoli
• 1/2 a sweet potato
• Lemon water

Snack

• Apple slices with almond butter

Dinner

• Grilled salmon fillet
• Roasted Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• Water with lemon

7-Day Agoge Diet Meal Plan

Here is your 7-day Agoge diet meal plan table. You can use your creativity and make changes, but make sure you follow the diet rules and consume the foods allowed.

30-Day Agoge Diet Meal Plan

If you’ve tested the 1-day and 7-day Agoge meal plans and are looking for a plan for the whole month, look no further! Here’s your 4-week (30-day) Agoge diet meal plan.

The First Week of Four

The following table elaborates on the Agoge diet meal plan for the first week.

The Second Week of Four

The following table shows the Agoge diet meal plan for the second week.

The Third Week of Four

The following table summarises the Agoge diet meal plan for the third week.

The Fourth Week of Four

The following table displays the Agoge diet meal plan for the fourth week.

OMAD Agoge Diet Shopping List

Some people look for OMAD (One Meal A Day) diets, but Agoge cannot be considered an OMAD diet as it contains multiple meals and snacks during the day. It includes intermittent fasting, but it means periods of fasting and eating during the day.

Supplements to Consider on The Agoge Diet

Agoge is meant to be a long-term diet and, in fact, a lifestyle. Hence, it considers the various needs of the dieters, from food to vitamins.

Since the Agoge diet includes vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, and eggs, you won’t need special supplements as you can take the necessary vitamins from the foods included in the diet.

However, you can consult a physician and do some checkups to see if your body needs any supplements.

The Best Agoge Diet Recipes

Luckily, the Agoge diet allows the dieters to make many delicious dishes. The following are some of the best Agoge diet recipes.

• Pan Seared Pork Chops
• Chicken and Broccoli
• Chicken Tenders
• Ground Chicken
• Oven Fried Fish
• Smoked Country Pork Ribs

Agoge Diet Results

Many people follow the Agoge diet to lose weight and always ask if it’s a suitable method for weight loss. To find out the answer, check out some of the Agoge dieters’ reviews on the effectiveness of this diet below.

• I have a hectic work schedule, and it's hard for me to find time to cook healthy meals. Agoge Diet makes it easy with convenient and delicious meal options that fit my busy lifestyle.
• I've been using Agoge Diet for a few months now, and I've noticed a significant improvement in my overall health and energy levels. The recipes are great and easy to prepare, and the meal plans are tailored to my individual needs.
• No fancy ingredients, no expensive stuff (besides certain types of meats). I like it.
• Great purchase. Every day I feel excited to follow my meal plan and do the sports program. 5 stars
• In 4 weeks of following my meal plan, I lost 7 lbs. It’s a good result, as I barely lose anything when I go on other diets.
• Easy to follow and has some nice meal ideas. Giving 3 stars because I wish there were a cheat meal at least once weekly.
• I haven't tried a lot of the recipes, but those I have were good.
• Best diet ever! Little effort for maximum results!

Agoge Diet Alternative

While the Agoge diet works well for many people, some may want to have some alternatives in case this diet doesn’t go with them. Anyhow, here are some diets alternative to the Agoget diet with similar focuses.

• Mediterranean Diet: Similar to the Agoge diet, the Mediterranean is based on whole, unprocessed foods, healthy fats, and grains. However, unlike the Agoge diet, it also allows dairy products, which lets limited amounts of dairy.
• Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet: As the name suggests, this diet is based on eating plant-based foods, like fruits and vegetables, with limited amounts of animal products and processed foods.
• Paleo Diet: The Paleo diet has its roots in foods from the Paleolithic era, including lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. However, it avoids consuming grains, dairy, and processed foods.
• Flexitarian Diet: This diet focuses on a flexible approach to eating based on foods coming from plants. -based foods. Sometimes, it allows meat and dairy products.
• DASH diet: DASH diet aims to lower blood pressure and improve heart health. To do so, it encourages eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and low-fat dairy products, with limited amounts of salt, sugar, and processed foods.

Agoge Diet vs Keto Diet

The Agoge Diet and the Keto Diet are two of the most famous and favoured diets, which have some similarities and differences, as the following table depicts.

Summary

Agoge Diet is a nutritional approach to healthy eating, accompanied by physical activity and a balanced lifestyle. This diet is gaining popularity for its usefulness and effectiveness in weight loss and improving body health.

It’s no secret that making sudden and drastic changes in eating habits must happen after consulting a healthcare professional.

By the way, if it’s hard for you to say goodbye to some of your favourite fast foods, Carnivore diet meal plans can be a good choice for you as this diet is based on meat!

If you want to lose weight, melt some fat, and regain health in 60 days, check out 5 Minute Body and its super delicious and easy-to-make Carnivore Diet Recipes.