Special K Diet: Cereal for Weight Loss?

Well, duh...if you replace a cheeseburger and fries with a bowl of cereal, you'll lose weight. Personally, I'd get really really sick of breakfast cereal if I had to eat it all the time. Plus, I think the serving size of cereal is kind of small (that's why I don't do breakfast cereal...I'd eat WAY too much of it for a "serving"). But hey, some people need that kind of structure.

"Consume beverages as you normally do." ... i don't know about this guideline, what of those who normally subsist on sugary sodas, gourmet coffees or full-milk based beverages?

I read over the study. I didn't see any claims that these diets kept the weight off. Bet they didn't.

A temporary change in what you eat leads to a temporary change in what you weigh.

Since when is Temporary Weight Loss the goal?

It's another quick fix fad diet that doesn't lead to longer term lifestyle changes. I love cereal but would personally be sick of it after about 2-3 days!

These cereals so also contain some ingedients that aren't so good so it's not really a healthier option!!!

I had Special K with Red Berries for brunch today and it did a good job of keeping me full until dinner. Of course I ate 3 servings of it in my bowl, but hey, I'm not a child so 1 serving wouldn't have been nearly enough.

I think I'll eat it again tomorrow because the taste is delicious!

But there's sugar in the special K, so where's the benefit ? I go with regular old fashioned oatmeal, filling, no sugar added (sweeten as you like, you're in control), and with soy-milk which is good for us ladies.

It doesn't matter what kind of cereals are you eating, I don't thing that this one's are special(in sense of losing weight).

They aren't natural!
If we want to lose weight, but more important to be healthy, then eat natural cereals without any other ingredients.

Try oatmeal - even is fashionated are still the best.

I lost 50 lbs by substituting a whole wheat cereal for 2-3 evening meals a week over 8 months. Cereal fills me up and keeps hunger pangs away. I also like the taste and actually prefer it at times over other meal options. It works!

There is no such thing as permanent weightloss. If you continue to excersise and eat less fatty foods, than u will keep the weight off. If you change ur diet and exercise habbits, you will gain weight back. It's as simple as that.

This is so stupid- every time I see one of these cereal weight loss ads or commercials it makes me irritated.
OF COURSE you're going to lose weight. It has little to do with the cereal- you're eating fewer calories. Once you go back to eating normally, you'll go back to what you used to weigh.
Personally, I think I'd be starving if all I ate for breakfast and lunch was one cup of cereal.

Ummm...yes, you would lose weight eating cereal for two meals a day because it's low in fat unlike some other options for two meals a day. But, this cereal is pretty high in sugar, especially the fruit and yogurt cereal kelloggs has out now. 12 grams in 3/4 of a cup? In my opinion, the weight will go a lot faster if eat regular cornflakes with fresh raspberries (the cereal only has 2 grams of sugar in a cup & 1/4!). Good luck to you all!

Yeah, I've tried the cereal diet-but not with special K, because that cereal never keeps me full and I end up getting shaky later in the day. Oatmeal is best, but it does get a little hard to smell what everybody else is eating at lunchtime. I thought I lost 5 pounds, but which was about 2 days ago--now I weigh all of 5 pounds back, explain that! I'm going crazy--I work out all the time-my knee may have sufferred because of it and I really don't pig out--but I did have that bite of dessert and 1 cookie yesterday---help!

I went on the Special K diet for 4 weeks..I started out at. 114lbs..and I ended at 98.

THe end.

and then slowly i gained it all back..so 2 months later I was 110 again..and now I stand at 130...but I'm 2inches taller than I was then..and I'm a lot more muscular..what I've seen from it is..it takes away your muscule.

crap..i just bought the stuff today...because i'm considering going back on it..
and then having salad for supper.

anyway i have to write a paper.

adios,

You are better off eating kashi's organic cereals and taking a multivitamin.

For one thing, that special K cereal has all kinds of artificial ingredients and it does have high fructose corn syrup in it. If you want to have cereal with fruit, choose an organic based cereal without the fortifications in it, take a multivitamin, and also take fish oil.

Listen, one person had said this: "I have been on the Special K diet, and allready, I am developing cravings for the cereal. It turns out a common pitfall of this diet: Carb addiction. Quite simply. this two-bowl diet turned into 5 bowls a day, with excessive amounts of milk! Yikes! Also, my blood sugar was horrible, and I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and my blood sugar was fine when I started! And I say, _____ them, and I am going back to my favorite bison sandwich and coconuts, even some brownies. Suprisenly, my diabetes was cured! Oh, how they lie all the time. They say it's saturated fat that caused diabetes, well, it's CARBs that causes diabetes.

Beef cattle stinks. Buffalo and bison rules!"

It's no wander that the MyPyramid is another a fad lie to the american public. And they don't cover people who are 80 or over.

I'm doing the post diet. I have changed my diet completely. More fruits and veggies rather than low fat snackcakes and cookies (I always go overboard on these, probably why I gained in the first place). For the most part, the whole grain cereals keep me full. And then I'm allowed a reasonably sized dinner. This is only my third day, but it seems to be working well because I have no desire to cheat.

To me this is not a 'fad' or a quick way to lose weight. Changing the way you are eating now by eating whole grains, fruits, veggies, and lean meats is how everyone should go about losing weight. And I'm finding myself enjoying fruits and veggies a lot more now than I did before.

Its my 10th day on the Special K diet.. Having my breakfast is the toughest part of the day cause i never did take breakfast.. i havent lost any weight.. im still the same, but people do tell me that i have started giving a thinner look.. but i feel extra fat right now!!! i started off with 57kgs and i'm still the same.. im gonna wait another 4 days to see what happens...

Personally, i find the Special K to be yummy and i'm still not sick of it.. yes, i do tend to get slightly hungry, but i keep away from anything and everything that i can.. an extra gum does help though!!!

Theres only one issue, i check my weight everyday, sometimes 3 times a day, and my weight keeps jumping from 57 to 59 to 57 again.. thats just really confusin for me.. what is my real weight??? maybe i should stop checking it.. im heavier in the morning and lighter in the evening!! its really weird!!!

Can anyone explain why?

"I'm doing the post diet. I have changed my diet completely. More fruits and veggies rather than low fat snackcakes and cookies (I always go overboard on these, probably why I gained in the first place). For the most part, the whole grain cereals keep me full. And then I'm allowed a reasonably sized dinner. This is only my third day, but it seems to be working well because I have no desire to cheat."

How can you feel full with whole grain cereals? They are, to me, addictive and wind up eating a few huge bowls a day, and still hungry. And, you need to add some fat to your diet, or else your body isn't going to function properly.

Heavier in morning because the fluid and salt you took in has got to come out,morning,then set,the cereal diet was not for me,I was hungry after ,more than if i had coffee,gum works for a while,stomach growls for food though

I started the Special K diet a little over two weeks ago. I lost exactly 5 lbs in 2 weeks. Before the Special K diet I was 160 lbs and had not been able to get below that for the past 8 years. Now I am 155 lbs. I enjoy the diet and find it definately satisfies me. I don't even find myself looking for snacks often. I don't stick to the 1 cup that they recommend. I eat a regular bowl.
I eat whatever I want for lunch... it doesn't even have to be super healthy... and for dinner I do special K. I have been working out about 2 times a week too.
I plan to continue with this diet but change it slightly. I want to continue with Special K for breakfast but only eat it for dinner sometimes. Other times I will have a low calorie high protein dinner. Hopefull it will keep working for me. I want to lose another 15 lbs.

This cereal sucks

I've been doing the Special K diet now for 5 days and I don't have any complaints. I regularly ate the cereal before starting the challenge so I don't mind it, especially since their are 4 different kinds of cereal to choose from. I exercise 3-4 times a week and I've lost a couple pounds already. After the 2 weeks are over, I probably won't eat the cereal for 2 meals, but will eat smaller proportions because my body will not need such large meals anymore.

I agree with you Isabel C,

I remember reading Tom Venuto's BFFM book, and one of the mentions in there was to stay away from cereal because it's full of sugar.

Which i think is completely true of course, since consuming a 3/4 cup of whole wheat cereal such as Cinnamon toast crunch has 170 calories, and 10g of sugar. and that's if you use 1/2 cup skim milk.

I myself have stopped eating cereal, and started eating oatmeal, it's healthy, way less sugar, fat, and calories, and actually makes you full, while cereal does the opposite because it's artificial.

umm my friends and I tried the special K diet at school. Our dorm rooms were full with all kinds of special K. I'm pretty sure we ate 3 boxes in one day..it didn't really work for us. But i commend anyone who can do it!

i was wondering .

would you still lose weight with the speical K diet even if you arent over weight? because it seems for people who are over weight its easier to lose weight than peopel who are at a normal weight but just want to lose a few poudns.

thanks

hmmm....
the serving amount for one bowl of cereal is a cup. i dont know about you guys, but unless you are a walking stick, that's not satisfying. the marketing industry gets you. they tell you that you can lose weight by eating a serving of cereal in replacement of a meal. but what they dont tell you is that that so called serving is most likely 1/3 or 1/2 of your normal sized meal. so, yeah, if you do do the cereal diets, you'll lose, but what youre doing is actually cutting down on your average calorie intake and meal size. i guess all im saying is that there are easier ways to cut down on meal size and calories, then filling (well, hardly filling) yourself with cereal! instead of eating cereal in replacement of a meal, eat something healthier, that will fill you, such as drinking a banana and strawberry smoothy (a fresh one of course), made with nothing but fruit, milk, and ice. they are delicious, healthy, and will fill you up. i suppose all im saying is that there are better alternatives to losing a couple pounds than eating cereal all the time. :)

I have been doing the special k diet for just over a week now and have lost a couple of pounds however, I awoke today to find that the scales have gone back up to 11stone. I am not going to allow this to bother me and will continue for another week. I don't particularly enjoy the tast but its bearable and I keep going to the toilet more regularly. The only down side is the smell its awful and I have to use oust and another product to try and disguise it.

hmm i think i should try this diet but actually i made up my own diet instead and lose 4 pounds in 3 days. the special k diet seems to work but you WOULD be eating less, which it not really a good thing.

i am going to attempt this diet for a month! i love cereal, so this may work.i dont get bored of eating the same foods-i did it for 5 and a half months and lost 56 pounds!! breakfast- fat free yogurt lunch 4 onces of chicken, no skin or white fish with 8 oz of lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes sometimes celery..and dinner the same... 2 fruits in between, mainly strawberries or apples for months and it works...
its alll WILL POWER--
i maintained the weight loss for a year and a bit but had 2 weddings in a row and a shower so i gained 4 pounds and will try this diet to lose it..
when i felt like a brownie or other fat snack, i would treat myself once every other week and had it in the morning...
if your serious about losing weight,,
stick to healthy eating and maintain it afterwards
when u see u ve lost 8 pounds, be proud and keep it up, dont cheat,,, ull go back to the beginning
so those who dont agree with fad diets,,,you have no will power..its easy to do for a week or two, the harder part is keeping it off..if you go back to burgers and junk, of course it wont stay off
if your lazy to exercise,,just go walking around the block everyday
Good luck! and remember will power and u can do it
you ll be happier in the long run :)

i just started the special k diet and i'm really excited about it! Which is odd but i dont know i feel confident about it.I'm gonna stick to it too i have 3 brothers and sisters and my mom is keepin an eye on wut i'm eatin. I also posted notes on the fride and the pantry doors to remind me of the diet! I think people shouldn't say something's stupid unless they try it first.If the diet works then i'm problly gonna keep doing it till i'm little ha ha!

IM JUST A NORMAL WOMAN WHO HAD WEIGHT ISSUES..WITH SPECIAL K CEREAL AND/ OR CEREAL BARS FOR TWO MEALS A DAY AND A BALANCED DINNER AS WELL AS ADDING EXERCISE 3 TIMES A WEEK.. IVE LOST 32 LBS IN 6 WEEKS!!!!! I FEEL GREAT AND LOOK GREAT. I THANK AND OWE MY SUCCESS TO SPECIAL K ..IT REALLY WORKS!!!!!

What eating wheaties everyday?

I tried the Special K diet for a the two weeks and lost the weight. It's not so much that you're eating it, it's the smaller portions. Eating a bowl of cereal is going to be a lot less than say throwing a hot pocker in the microwave. For me, it started a habit which I have continued for almost a month. I'm not as hungry at lunch anymore. But, I have found that my stomach isn't as accepting to other foods.

I'm actually on my third day of the Special K diet, and despite many negative comments about it, I'm optimistic! I'm aiming to lose five pounds so I can have a little jump start on what I'm calling my "lifestyle change." I feel it will be easy to stick to this diet because I have already begun changing my eating habits, and have been keepin it up for about 3 weeks. I never starve myself, and actually eat frequently throughout the day. The key is, I'm careful in what I chose to eat, and I've started exercising at least 3 times a week.

I'm not a fan of fruit, but I've gotten quite used to grabbing a banana or some grapes as snack. Trail mix is a good snack too because nuts have lots of protein and good fats, which are essential to the body. Low fat fruit yogurt is also excellent. I drink lots of water, and besides that I only drink orange juice and 2% milk. No soda and no fruit juices! Also, eat whole-grain or whole-wheat bread, instead of white bread.

I haven't lost any significant weight with my new eating habits, but I definitely feel better, and I find that I'm less inclined to eat junk. I hardly even crave it anymore. So in the long run, this will definitely be good.

So, I definitely think the special k diet will work out for me, and I'm confident I'll be able to keep the weight off. I'm probably going to have more cereal than the serving suggestion, but as long as I have healthy snacks and good dinner, it should be fine.

Good luck to anyone else who is trying this out!

The Special K Diet is a joke! As many posters have noted, the cereal is high in sugar - no wonder they're starving later or want to eat several bowls. Special K is a highly processed, high sugar, low GI food - eat that and your blood sugar will spike, then crash a while later making you tired, cranky and hungry. Processed sugary cereals are the last thing anyone who wants to lose weight should eat.

What about some filling, healthy, low GI porridge made from rolled oats?

I just had a bowl of home-made muesli made from rolled triticale, rolled oats, rolled barley, oat bran and flax seeds with some pumpkin and sunflower seeds and no-added-sugar dried fruit. It's delicious, filling, low GI, high in fibre and has no added sugar. Best of all, I know exactly what's in it. And it's a fraction of the cost of commerial breakfast cereal.

The Special K Diet has been discredited for years. It's just a marketing exercise to sell more highly processed, low nutritional value junk food.

Wake up people!

Well, I think that if losing weight is important to you in life then do what you have to do to get to get to that point. Whether it's for the summer, a wedding, a party or whatever it is that you want to conquer be serious and do it. If that means eating Special K, or going on other diets then YOU need to be the one to be serious about your body and not anyone else, you know how you look when your clothes is off -- so quit knocking the cereal and DECIDE. COMMIT. and SUCCEED!

Personally I LOVE the Special K Almond and when I do eat it I will eat it for breakfast , then a regular lunch and again for dinner with grapefruit (beacuse it's my favorite).

Well after hearing all these comments I would say that it is a 50/50 chance, and more will power. I will be staring the Special K diet and hopefully lose the weight that I am anticipating about. Well I wish Luck to all those intrested and will keep all of you posted.

My husband and I will try the Special K diet. BUT, I was wondering a couple of things:

1. Can we also mix the Post (diet) cereals too?

2. I need to actually lose about 100 pounds-so do ya'll think this will work for me since I need to lose so much? Or is this diet for the ones who need only to lose no more than 20pounds?

Thanks for ya'lls time!

For Josie
I recommend looking into the dr bernstein diet clinic..i ve done it, and lost a little over 50lbs
try out the special K, but you may get bored of the cereal and that mite not help since you want to lose alot of weight,
the special k diet is good if you want to lose a little amount o weight, and actually stick with the diet and not cheat

I love Special K, but since I found out I was gluten intolerant, I stopped eating it. I feel better body wise, but my brain isn't too happy!

I started this diet a week and one day ago!! I eat the special k in the morning...a small lunch and special K for dinner. I have lost 6 pounds so far!! Its a wonderful diet to keep you on track if u are not good at making set meal plans..cause ultimately all this diet is doing is just lowering your calorie intake. I love it only because It keeps me on track!!