Special K Diet: Cereal for Weight Loss?
Over the last few months there has been a lot of cereal promotion going on. Kelloggs' Special K brand have been promoting their very own Special K Diet Challenge (for a number of years now). Not to be outdone, Kraft have "lose 10 pounds" emblazoned on virtually the entire line of "Post" brand cereals (called Eat 2 Lose 10)
Both cereal "diets" are bold and upfront with their claims: "Lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks!" shouts Special K. Is this for real? Is it valid?
The Special K Diet
• Eat a serving of Kellogg's® Special K®, Special K® Red Berries, Special K® Vanilla Almond, Special K® Fruit & Yogurt or Special K® Low Carb Lifestyle Protein Plus cereal with 2/3 cup skim milk and fruit for two meals a day.
• Eat your third meal as you normally do.
• For snacks, choose from fresh fruits and vegetables or a Special K® Bar.
• Consume beverages as you normally do.
Special K claim that the diet is "based on valid research conducted at leading universities". In typical hard-sell fashion, they fail to provide the reference or provide a link to the "valid research". After some digging, I found the aforementioned study.
Yes - People Lost Weight
It made interesting reading, and effectively backed up some of the claims from Special K. According to my reading, the mean weight loss was less than 2 kg (4.4 pounds) in the 2 week period.
A basic low fat diet
So what's the magic? There is no magic. The women in the study ate less than they normally did. According to the study, the women in the Special K group were eating about 2200 kcals per day. When they started substituting the cereal meals they dropped daily intake by about 640 kcals per day. Furthermore, a lot of those calories were from fat (~39 grams or 351 kcals).
Good or What?
Personally I think incorporating some cereals into your diet can be good - but there are some caveats here:
Satiety - From experience, I've noticed that wolfing down a bowl of cereal doesn't always curb the hunger pangs. However having a bit more protein in the mix does keep the pangs at bay.
Nutrition - The simple truth is - Special K is better than what most people eat, but it still contains such gems as High Fructose Corn Syrup. Serving for serving, it has less potassium and fiber than oats, and more sugar. Compare here and here.
The Claim
"Lose 6 Pounds in 2 Weeks"
The Interpretation
"If you currently have a poor diet, but substitute it with our cereal - you may lose 4.4 pounds over the first two weeks. You will be probably feel very hungry while restricting your calories, and will may find eating cereal for dinner or lunch to be untenable after a while. Boredom could well set in. History shows that a low-fat, higher-carb diet can work, but in the long run it may backfire".
That said - you could do a lot worse than eating cereal, skim milk, and fruit - it's a lot healthier than the average American meal...
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hey,
i've been thinking about doing the Special K diet. i have been eating healthy for the past month and lost 10 pounds! i still want to keep my goal, and loose more. my friend also has done this diet and kept the weight off.. the key is to slowly go back to eating reguarly. if ur doing a strict diet for 2 weeks, and then all of a sudden the next day eat Burger king and all bad food, of course ur going to gain it all back, and maybe even some more. that happened to me, and i've learned my lesson. if anyone is on any weightloss diet, it shouldnt be a one month thing. once u eat healthy and loose weight, ur whole body changes and adjusts to the change. meaning, eat healthy all the time for stay healthy in the long run.
good luck to everyone who's trying this diet. DECIDE.COMMIT.SUCCED!
ReplyI just wanted to say I tried your Special K chocolate and was very disappointed. It tasted nothing like chocolate. I've been eating your cereals for years and have never been so disappointed before. I don't know what those little brown squares are but they are definately not chocolate!
ReplyI started the Special K diet 6 days ago along with exercise.
I eat 1 cup for bfast, 1 cup for lunch and a smart ones meal for supper.
I eat tons of veggies and fruits now and occasionally a granola bar.
I started at 165 and as of Sat evening i was 158. Oh, and i quit drinking so much mt dew. The cereal satisfies me and im not so hungry all the time.
ReplyI am currently on the Special K diet. I have been on this diet for almost a month, and I lost close to 10 pounds. I personally enjoy it and am going to continue to be on it. I usually have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, or one of the special K waffles with no sugar syrup, then for lunch I have the Special K protein bars, and dinner I make a lean cuisine. For snacks I have fruit or granola bars. Also I have been doing pilates so that really helps. I highly recommend the special K diet....
ReplyThis only works on people older than 50 especially not on teenagers . My daughter started the Special K Diet and she gained 15 pounds, instead.
Replymaybe her big ass should of used fat free milk instead of heavy Cream?
ReplyHas anyone ever found information that tells you how many people have taken the Special K Challenge? ...and have succeeded or failed? (
ReplyI am on the diet as well and it is working out well for me. I don't think I will do it for more than a month, but it is definitely a great way for me to recognize what I was eating before and how I can be healthier.
ReplyIm about to try the special k diet for the first time. I hope it works, i will update you in 4 weeks! my freinds that are on this diet, are loosing weight.Its up to you to keep the weight off, its a personal choice everybody has!!!!!
ReplyI personally went on this diet myself and it was fantastic. Granted, when I went on it they only had the regular Special K... which is not particularly tasty.
I lost 15 pounds from the diet in 3 weeks by just following the guidelines they post for you.
After I got off the diet, I dropped more weight because I did not get hungry as often as I used to. Even now, four months later, the weight is still off.
Just in case you believe that I was one of those very overweight people who pigged out on everything, let me give you the facts.
ReplyI am 6'0" and weighed 170 lbs prior to the diet. After three weeks, I was down to 155. Now I bounce between 145 and 150.
HELLO I AM STARTING THE SPECIAL K DIET TODAY WITH RED BERRIES I HAVE READ SOME VERY GOOD COMMENTS AND IT ENCOURAGES ME TO LOOSE SOME OF THE WEIGHT. I AM 5'3 AND WEIGH 162 POUNDS I AM TRYING TO LOOSE 30 POUNDS NOT JUST BY EATING THE CERAL I ALSO EXERCISE 3 TIMES A WEEK.
ANYWAY I HOPE THIS WORKS I WILL HAVE AN UPDATE TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW HOW ITS GOING.
ReplyI HAVE BEEN ON THE SPECIAL K DIET FOR 2 DAYS, IM 8 STONE AND I JUST WANT TO LOSE A LITTLE BIT OF WEIGHT. IT DOES SAY ON THE SPECIAL K WEBSITE THAT IF YOU FEEL HUNGRY IN BEETWEEN MEALS THEN GRAB AN APPLE OR A BANANA OR SOMETHING HEALTHY, HAVING SPECIAL K FOR BREAKFAST AND THEN SOMETHING HEALTHY FOR LUNCH (I HAVE A JACKET POTATO WITH COTTAGE CHEESE AND STRIPS OF CHICKEN, OR A PITTA BREAD STUFFED WITH SWEET SALAD AND COLESLAW AND CHICKENSTRIPS) AND THEN A SPECIAL K FOR DINNER REALLY DOES WORK ! AS LONG AS YOU DONT STUFF YOUR FACE WITH COOKIES AND CRIPS WHEN YOU GET HUNGRY IN BEETWEEN.
ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO IT HASNT WORKED FOR STOP PUTTING ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE DOWN, IT WONT WORK FOR EVERYONE AND ITS NOT GONNA WORK FOR OBESE PEOPLE, AND ALSO EXERCISE, YOU CANT SIT ON YOUR ASS ALL DAY AND EXPECT THE WEIGHT TO DROP OFF... DO SOME EXCERSISE AND YOU WILL SEE A DIFFERENCE.
ReplyWhen I was a senior in High School. Me and my friends wanted to go on a diet to make sure our dresses still fit! It was the best thing I had ever done. After a few days I could see and feel a difference. It helped because all of us wanted to do it and having that support really helped.
ReplyEven though some people our saying bad things about this diet I dont believe it. You have to have self control and keep your self busy. You need the sugar in your diet to give you energy.
It worked wonders for me. I am even thinking about going back on it so i can loose a little weight before bathing suit season.
If you look at this diet with a positive attitude, you will see and feel those wonderful results!
I love it!
I went on the Special K diet two years ago and lost 40 lbs in a little over 2 months. I ate a medium sized bowl at breakfast with 1% milk and it kept me full until lunch when i had a second bowl. I would then eat a very light supper and then an apple or fruit salad for a snack in the evening. I also had orange juice in the morning with my breakfast and then would drink water with my other meals. I lost the weight along with aerobic exercises and some light weight training I would do 4 times a week. The Special K diet does really work. Honestly it does. It's what did the trick for me. So don't buy into these other expensive weight loss programs if they don't work for you. In fact, I think I'm going to get started again and lose some more weight so I can look good in my swim suit for the summer and look and feel healthy and energized again. Best of luck!
Replydon't you think you loss weight because of your working out
ReplyI started the special k diet 5 day ago. I got on the scale and lost 12 pounds!! I never at breakfast when I get up. I ate around 10:00, then at 2:00, and ate at 5:00. Never ate past 6:00. And yes, at every meal I had a bowl of speceal k. I only drink water and take a multivitamin. I dont exercise, I hate it. I think I do enough by running around playing with my grandchildren and mopping the floors and other household chores I tackle everyday. So, for some people it will work. I hate deciding what to eat for lunch. Now I know it's a bowl of cereal. I don't get bored of things real easily. Thats why it works for me.
ReplyJENNA, YOUR RIGHT, IT DOES WORK!!
Reply
Why do I have such a hassle with trying to buy Special K with yougart and Strawberries? Other varieties of Special K are loaded on the shelves but with yougart I am lucky to find one. This is true at Food Lion, Wal*Mart, etc. What is the problem?
Replyspecial k does work
Replyit is the best stuff in the world to lose
10 pounds in one week...
Anyone who is here chatting about how they wouldnt get full from cereal and they would get sick of it, then dont come int he blog, obviously you are just hopeless and have to eat a huge amount of food which is why diets arent for you, you spend more time complaining about fad diets than you do actually practicing them and loosing weight. Special K is good for you, and it tastes good. changing your diet will provide long term weight loss, if you start eating fast food again after 3 weeks of dieting your going to gain it all back, NIC.
Replyhey i think that this would really work out better if you not only ate healthy but also had atleast 30min. of work out every day at least week days and you'll see results quicker.then you wont feel as guilty if you ate something you werent soppose to.reporting mizz happy feet!
Replyummm whoever you are. I COMPLETELY understand!! I weigh 155 too and I am 17 (18 in May)..I have to lose 20 pds in the next month for graduation, and going to Cali/Mexico in June/July....so have any of your diets helped u so far??
ReplyI have been ont he Special diet for almost a week now and I haven't lost a single pounbd and I am terribly bored with my diet. Sure the cereal tastes good, but after a while you smell "real" food and you want it. I'm a college student and it's hard to stay on track. Not to mention I am always hungry...
Replythis diet sucks!
ReplyJade, why don't you change it up a bit, like: for breakfast, either the Special K + fruit or 1/2 cup oatmeal with the milk and fruit; for lunch, a serving of protein, a serving of carb, and vegetables; and a soup or salad with protein for dinner, but no grain carbs. For snacks, eat fruit and eat a low-fat yogurt or cup of milk everyday. You'll be less bored, eat way more calories than on the Special K diet, and you are definitely going to lose weight.
Replydo you HAVE to use skim milk? or can you use 2% milk??
Replyim starting the diet tmr!!!
yall need to understand that just eating healthy is not going to help you lose alot of weight.Yes, it is good and you will lose some weight, but to really lose weight you need to also get some exercise in.
ReplyI tried the Special K diet about a month ago and I must say it worked wonders!
Losing 21 pounds was quite an achievement in two weeks.
I used to have special k in the mornings everyday, but then tried it for twice a day for two weeks.
I'm now just under 13 stone 10 and started the Special K diet at just under 17 stone!!
ReplyI'm currently on the Special K challenge and I have to say it's working quite nicely, and not just in the weight loss department. I find myself exercising portion control in my third meal, and in my snacks as well. While I do agree it does get a little tiring to eat cereal for two meals, I must say it's a small sacrifice for the amount of weight I'm losing. I recommend it for anyone who has a portion control problem.
People say that the portions are so small...a cup of cereal with milk in the morning, and another in the afternoon. I feel that the problem with people's concern over the portion size is that in restaurants and other food places, the portions are supersized, and people are accustomed to all of those calories. After this diet, I know I won't be able to eat huge portions anymore.
ReplyJames and Gabby, congratuations! What a great feeling!!
I think that Gabby hits on a point that Jim missed in his posting: this diet is trivial in portion control. Portion control is key lifestyle change (which you'll need to keep the weight off).
You might start thinking soon about your post-K diet when your weight is where you want it. You can read about portion sizes and aware eating so that you won't end up boucing back.
ReplyIm going on the special k diet I hope it works im 15 and 115 pounds 5"3. I love cereal I eat it for all 3 meals just becuase im addicted to it. I used to starv myself so I think eating this instead of nothing for days is better.
Replyi've been on this diet for the past 3 weeks now. i must say that at first i was skeptical and i've never really been able to stick to a diet. however, this time im really serious. i only eat the cereal for breakfast and lunch on weekdays and eat regulary on weekends. however, i do find myself eating smaller portions for dinner and on the weekends. i have lost 5 pounds with this diet and i havent really been exercising. it does get a little boring just eating cereal but i just think about all the pounds that i will loose. i have another 30lbs to go but this time i am going to incorporate exercise.
ReplyI WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT -____- HMMmm.. the special k diet is the best cuz i eat whatever i want want for dinner nd the taste is good ! but i hope that i will lose weight
ReplyI just started the special K diet 6 days ago (I AM SO HUNGRY RIGHT NOW!) I just want to lose a few pounds, I am not overweight (110lbs) but out of shape with no time to exercise (love handles :( !!). So far I don't feel skinnier but I feel damn hungry. I have been eating peas and green beans and corn for snacks. I think I am eating too big of cereal portions though. I am craving McDonald's BAD but i'll stick with it and see how it goes. This diet will definitely at least have changed my eating habits in general on the long-term.
Replyamber, no one should feel like they are starving on a diet. most people have got it into their heads that you have to but it's a really horrible myth that you some how must go hungry in order to lose weight.
i really do not buy the "not having time" excuse people use because they are unmotivated (read: lazy. sorry to be harsh but i used to throw out this excuse too and i know the real issue was that i was being lazy) to work out. unless you are a doctor working shifts then i fail to see how you cannot have a 1hr window in which to work out. even a stay at home or single mother has some time after her children have gone to school to do 1hr to 1/2 of exercise. take the time you use on the internet or watching tv and go for a run, cycle, buy a tae-bo dvd, or go for a one hour walk. just do something that gets your heart moving.
you say you need to tone up but you wont tone anything by just dieting. you'll just lose more muscle than fat, which will just end up slowing down your metabolism and that means it'll be much easier for you to gain weight in the long run. so hey, you may well ditch a couple of pounds but at the risk of losing muscle and either becomign heavier than you were before and/or having to work so much harder now your body burns calories at a slower rate. to tone up (and build muscle mass, no you wont get bulky at all but will actually look slimmer because fat takes up 5 times the amount of space in the body than muscle) you also need to add some strength training to your plan (push up, crunches etc)in addition to dieting to lose maybe some just a few vanity pounds.
i'd say you should do south beach because that apparently beats your carb and sugar cravings after the 1st two weeks of low/no carb eating (after which you can eat good carbs again). if you dont want to do south beach then do the g.i diet which stops you from going hungry. somona diet introduces you to tasty food while helping you lose the pounds. look up the plans on this website for some testimonials of people who have been very successful on them.
please do not continue to starve yourself on this diet. it is not worth it. while it may seem others may have had success, you have no idea what weight they are starting at and how much they eat for dinner and how much cereal they have. someone who maybe needs to lose about 70lbs+ will drop weight quickly in those two weeks but if like me, you need to lose under 25, then you probably wont lose a hell of a lot and you'll be so disappointed and wondering why others have lost a ton of weight and you haven't. stick to a healhier diet, while that may mean you lose the weight more slowly, it will stay off for longer. do a crash diet like this and it's entirely likely that as soon as you come off the diet you'll give into your cravings in a big way and eat your way back up to the weight you were in no time. and then where does that leave you? it leaves you having to start from scratch again and battling to lose the weight all over again. only aim to go through this weight loss journey once, and you can do that my dieting right and taking out just 30mins of your day 4 times a week to do some cardio and 20-30 mins 2-3 times to do some strength training. finally, i'm quite sure a more healthy diet plan not only teaches you portion control but also adds more variety to your meals so that when you come off it, you are able to cook more types of food and it's much easier for you to stay off the junk now that you know how to dish up tasty healthy meals. i'm sure pouring some cereal out of a box and adding milk doesn't teach you healthy meals that you can carry on eating after your weight loss. i wish you all the best of luck!
ReplyStarted the Special K Challenge on Monday and so far I feel great! Hoping to loose a few pounds before heading to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, on April 30th. I am a bit worried though about throughing this diet out of whack while I am on vacation...but I'm gonna try my best to have fun and control my eating.
ReplyCongrats to all who have had success with this challenge so far, your commments have been inspirational. Wish me luck.
I have been on many diets and I am so tire of the rollercoaster ride. But to tell you the truth I have loss 100 pound so far. but the problem is that I am at a total ^plato and I am wondering if during a cereal including oatmeal, and All Bran cereal diet would be more benificial for me. I am fighting to keep the weight off because I've done low carb. I am at 197lbs, I was at 169lbs and like most folks I went back to my old habit and blam te weight started to come back and it felt almost impossilbe to even resist the siren call of food. I tried going back on low carb but I am realizing that as I grow older my body need more then just protein and lettuce. If anyone have and ideas for me of how I can lose the next 40lbs, your comments are welcome.
Replyif u go on a special k diet and u don't excersize will u still loose weight?
Replyokay so I have been debating as to whether or not I should try this diet. I am 16 and 145 poinds at 4 11 and I ant to lose weight for summer vacation but I am not sure if this is the healthiest way to do it and if it is really going to work I guess I will give it a try,,, I have nine weeks until vacation... wish me luck.
Reply