If you struggle to control your weight, you may be considering incorporating Special K and Slim-Fast products into your diet. Special K and Slim-Fast both manufacture a variety of foods and beverages intended to replace traditional meals and snacks. These products are generally portion controlled and are low in calories. Learning about these products can empower you to decide if they will decrease the difficulty of controlling your weight.
Slim-Fast Products
Slim-Fast manufactures meal replacement bars, snack bars and meal replacement shakes. The meal replacement shakes are available in both ready-to-drink cans and canisters full of powdered shake mix. Slim-Fast shakes are available in strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and cappuccino flavors and provide approximately 15 g of protein and 180 to 190 calories. Slim-Fast meal replacement bars contain 8 g to 9 g of protein and 200 calories. These bars are available in six flavors, including chocolate cookie dough, fruit and yogurt trail mix and chocolate peanut caramel. Slim-Fast snack bars contain 1 g of protein and 100 calories. These bars are available in five flavors, including chocolate mint and double chocolate.
Special K Products
Special K manufactures three products intended to serve the purpose of meals: Special K cereal, Special K protein meal bars and Special K protein shakes. Products intended to take the place of snacks include crackers, protein water, fruit crisps, cracker chips, cereal bars and protein snack bars. The Special K protein shakes and protein meal bars all contain 180 calories, 10 g of protein and 5 g of fiber. Nutritional information for the other meals and snacks vary widely.
Science of Weight Control
Weight control requires a careful balance of the calories you consume and the calories you burn. If you burn and consume approximately the same number of calories each day your weight will remain steady. Weigh gain occurs when you consume more calories than you burn. Weight loss occurs when you burn more calories than you consume. A pound of fat contains 3,500 calories, so you must burn 500 calories more than you eat per day to lose 1 lb. of fat per week.
Using Slim-Fast and Special K to Control Weight
Slim-Fast and Special K products can both be used successfully to assist you in controlling your weight. These products may make convenient snacks or occasional meal replacements when you need a healthy, calorie-controlled meal when you're short on time. However, it is important to incorporate these items sparingly into a healthy, balanced diet as opposed to use them to replace eating traditional meals and snacks, which could lead to an unbalanced diet and nutritional deficiencies, according to "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies."
References
- "The Special K Challenge and Beyond: Your Complete Guide to Weight Management, Healthy Living & Delicious Cooking"; Katherine Brooking; 2011
- "The Slim-Fast Body, Mind, Life Makeover"; Lauren Hutton, et al.; 2000
- "Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies"; Frances Sizer; 2008
- "Contemporary Nutrition"; Gordon M. Wardlaw, et al.; 2007
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