What was the Vogue diet plan in the 1970s?

November 19, 2025 •

4 min read

In 1977, a diet promising a 5-pound weight loss in just three days was published in Vogue magazine. This controversial regimen, known as the 'Wine and Eggs' diet, has since become one of the most infamous examples of 1970s fad dieting.

Quick Summary

The notorious three-day 'Wine and Eggs' diet, which was featured in a 1977 Vogue publication, consisted of hard-boiled eggs, steak, black coffee, and up to a bottle of white wine daily. The extremely low-calorie, nutrient-poor plan was highly unsustainable and reflected a troubling era of extreme weight-loss methods.

Key Points

Origin: The diet gained notoriety when published in a 1977 Vogue issue, but was first popularized earlier by Helen Gurley Brown in her 1962 book.
Core Menu: The three-day plan consisted almost exclusively of hard-boiled eggs, steak, black coffee, and a full bottle of white wine daily.
Health Risks: This regimen was severely unhealthy, leading to nutrient deficiencies, rapid intoxication, and other bodily harm.
Unsustainable Results: Any weight loss achieved would primarily be water weight, with rebound weight gain almost guaranteed due to the extreme nature of the crash diet.
Historical Context: The diet represents a past era of extreme fad diets and misguided wellness advice, heavily influenced by fashion and media.
Modern View: Today, the diet is a prime example of unhealthy dieting and is widely criticized by health experts as unsafe and unsustainable.

The Controversial Origins of the 1970s 'Wine and Eggs' Diet

The infamous crash diet published in a 1977 issue of Vogue magazine actually had earlier roots. It was popularized by Helen Gurley Brown, then-editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, in her 1962 book Sex and the Single Girl. The regimen gained further traction when it appeared in Vogue's 'Body and Beauty Book' nearly two decades later, promising rapid weight loss in time for an event. In an era of shifting beauty standards and increasing media influence, extreme diet trends gained significant attention. The promise of a quick fix for weight loss, especially in the context of high fashion, made the so-called 'Vogue diet' a notorious, if dangerous, part of dieting history.

The Daily Menu of the 'Vogue Diet'

For three days, followers of this plan were instructed to consume a daily rotation of:

Breakfast: One hard-boiled egg, one glass of dry white wine, and black coffee.
Lunch: Two hard-boiled or poached eggs, two glasses of white wine, and black coffee.
Dinner: One 5 oz steak (seasoned with pepper and lemon, no salt), the rest of the bottle of white wine, and black coffee.

Notably, the diet discouraged drinking water, a deeply problematic and unhealthy detail of the plan. In addition to the stated items, some accounts mention cigarettes as part of the regimen, further highlighting the diet's disregard for basic health.

Comparing the 1970s 'Vogue Diet' with Modern Nutritional Advice

This comparison table illustrates just how far nutritional science has progressed since the era of 1970s fad diets.


Feature	1970s 'Vogue Diet'	Modern Nutritional Advice
Diet Duration	Extremely short-term (3 days).	Focuses on sustainable, long-term lifestyle changes.
Caloric Intake	Severely restrictive and insufficient.	Caloric needs based on individual factors, promoting a healthy deficit.
Nutrient Balance	Highly unbalanced and nutrient-deficient.	Emphasizes a balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients.
Hydration	Discouraged water intake in favor of alcohol.	Recommends ample daily water consumption for health.
Food Variety	Extremely limited to just eggs, steak, and wine.	Encourages a wide variety of whole foods.
Health Focus	Driven purely by rapid weight loss and appearance.	Prioritizes overall health, energy, and sustainable habits.
Sustainability	Not sustainable and prone to rebound weight gain.	Encourages lifelong healthy habits to maintain weight.

The Dangerous Health Consequences of the 'Wine and Eggs' Plan

The 'Vogue diet' was not only ineffective for long-term weight management but also posed serious health risks. The extremely low caloric intake could lead to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, the high alcohol consumption in the absence of solid food could cause rapid intoxication, leading to impaired judgment and physical coordination. This, combined with the lack of hydration from water, put extreme stress on the body and could cause a range of negative side effects. The focus on crash dieting often results in what is known as 'yo-yo' dieting, where weight is lost and quickly regained, which is detrimental to metabolic health. Testimonials from those who attempted the diet in modern times confirm its unsustainability and damaging effects, with one writer reporting physical discomfort and mental fogginess. The diet also lacked fiber, leading to digestive issues and bloating.

The Legacy of 1970s Fad Diets

The 1970s were a hotbed of questionable dieting trends, and the 'Wine and Eggs' regimen was one of many. The Cabbage Soup Diet and the Grapefruit Diet also gained popularity, all promising rapid weight loss through restrictive, unsustainable methods. The prevalence of these fads reflects a time when less was known about proper nutrition and the dangers of extreme calorie restriction. While today's diet culture has its own issues, there is now a much greater scientific understanding of healthy and sustainable weight management. The notorious Vogue diet serves as a stark historical reminder of how far we've come in understanding the true meaning of wellness. For those interested in the broader history of dieting, the Social and Health Research Center provides a detailed look at diet culture through the centuries.

Conclusion: More Than Just a Meme

While the 1970s 'Vogue diet' has resurfaced as an ironic meme, its history is a serious lesson in nutrition. The plan's combination of severe caloric restriction and high alcohol intake was never a pathway to health or sustainable weight loss. It represents an era where quick fixes and extreme measures were glamorized by the fashion industry, often at the expense of well-being. Today, the diet is seen not as a viable option, but as a cautionary tale illustrating the dangers of prioritizing fleeting appearance over genuine, long-term health and wellness. {Link: Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/DH9GakRSLhI/}.

Frequently Asked Questions

The menu consisted of a daily intake of hard-boiled eggs, steak, black coffee, and up to a full bottle of white wine for a duration of three days. Breakfast was one egg and one glass of wine, lunch was two eggs and two glasses of wine, and dinner was a 5 oz steak and the rest of the bottle of wine.

No, the 1970s 'Vogue diet' was not healthy and is considered unsafe by modern health standards. Its severe calorie restriction, lack of essential nutrients, and high alcohol content posed significant health risks, including nutrient deficiencies and intoxication.

The diet was a crash course meant to be followed for a very short period, specifically three days. It was intended for rapid, temporary weight loss rather than sustainable health.

While published in Vogue in 1977, the diet was first featured in Helen Gurley Brown's 1962 book, Sex and the Single Girl. Brown was the editor of Cosmopolitan at the time.

Dangers include extreme nutrient deficiencies, metabolic issues, liver damage from alcohol, and dehydration due to the restriction of water. The rapid, unsustainable weight loss is also often followed by quick weight regain.

Yes, many people did follow this and similar fad diets in the 1970s, fueled by media and the era's diet culture. However, as with most fad diets, long-term adherence was rare due to its extreme and unsustainable nature.

It exemplified the 1970s obsession with rapid, often unhealthy, weight loss methods for aesthetic purposes. It prioritized extreme results over sustainable health, a common theme among fad diets of that era like the Grapefruit and Cabbage Soup diets.