The Special K Challenge diet is essentially a meal-replacement plan developed by the Kellogg's company. Kellogg's says with this diet you can drop 6 lbs. and a jean size in two weeks by eating one of their products for breakfast and also for lunch or dinner. Their claim may be right, according to MayoClinic.com, but the diet does present some potential problems.
Method
The Special K Challenge diet suggests eating a bowl of Special K with a 1/2 cup of low-fat milk for breakfast, and again for either lunch or dinner. You can substitute one of the Special K protein meal bars or protein shakes for the cereal. The third meal should be low in fat and nutritious, such as grilled fish, boiled new potatoes and some vegetables, according to the website EveryDiet. You may have healthy snacks on this diet as well, such as fruit, vegetables or low-fat yogurt. The only restriction on beverages is avoiding alcohol, although the instructions primarily recommend drinking water and fruit juice diluted with water.
Considerations
You probably can lose weight with the Special K Challenge diet because it reduces calorie intake, according to MayoClinic.com. However, you may find it difficult to follow the diet long enough to reach your weight-loss goal because of the lack of variety. You also may feel hungry with only one bowl of cereal for both breakfast and lunch or dinner.
Problem Ingredients
Special K cereals are not based on whole grains and are not very good sources of fiber, as noted by EveryDiet. In addition, the cereals and bars are high in sugar. The Special K Strawberry Protein Meal Bar, for instance, contains sugar, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, polydextrose and sorbitol -- all forms of sugar. The Peaches and Berries Cereal Bar contains sugar, maltodextrin, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose and sorbitol. Even the regular cereal contains sugar and high-fructose corn syrup within the first six ingredients. Special K products also are high in sodium, and some of the bars contain unhealthy hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils, also known as trans-fats.
Physical Activity
The Special K Challenge instructions say exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and recommend 30 minutes of daily physical activity. However, the instructions do not provide any particular guidelines or suggestions, as noted by Diets in Review.com.
Caution
Although Special K products are fortified with vitamins and minerals, this may not make up for the nutrients you would obtain from eating a wider variety of healthy foods, notes EveryDiet. Because of this, do not follow the Special K diet longer than two weeks. As the diet does not provide guidance on changing unhealthy eating habits that lead to weight gain, you may easily regain any weight you lost unless you change your eating habits, cautions MayoClinic.com.
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