Many people enjoy a bowl of Special K cereal with milk for breakfast. Kellogg's, the manufacturer of Special K, claims that the cereal can be an effective weight loss tool as well. The Special K diet requires you to eat Special K cereal and other healthy foods for a two-week period. Increasing the duration of the diet might be unhealthy, so discuss your plans with a doctor to make sure they are safe.
Diet Features
The Special K diet requires you to replace two regular meals with a bowl of Special K cereal, a Special K protein meal bar or a Special K protein shake. These products come in a variety of flavors, any of which you can incorporate into your diet. Also eat two Special K snacks each day. Kellogg's cereal bars, fruit crisps, protein water mixes, protein snack bars and crackers are acceptable snack choices. In addition to eating two Special K meals and snacks, prepare one healthy meal on your own and eat as many fruits and vegetables as you want.
Claims
Kellogg's claims that following the Special K diet for two weeks can help you lose one jean size. The company states that dieters lost an average of 1.3 inches from their waist circumference during the diet. In a study published in the December 2002 issue of the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition," researcher Richard Mattes found that a cereal meal replacement diet like the Special K diet is an effective weight loss tool. The weight loss effect occurs because dieters restrict their overall calorie consumption, not because Special K has any special diet properties.
Extending the Diet
Kellogg's recommends following the Special K diet for no longer than two weeks. Although you might want to follow the diet for six weeks, it could be unhealthy to do so. The website EveryDiet says that eating a relatively limited number of foods each day might cause you to lack important nutrients. Special K products are fortified with vitamins and minerals, but whole foods give you important nutrients that processed foods lack. The diet also contains relatively low amounts of fiber, which could cause constipation.
Considerations
Eating from a limited list of foods could become monotonous and make it difficult for you to stay on the diet. Fad diets help people lose weight, but dieters often regain weight after resuming their normal eating habits. Kellogg's does not recommend the Special K diet for anyone with a body mass index under 25, meaning that the diet is not appropriate for people of a normal weight. Discuss the Special K diet with a physician before attempting to follow it for six weeks.
References
- MayoClinic.com; The Special K Diet: Helpful for Weight Loss?; Jennifer Nelson; August 2010
- EveryDiet: Special K Diet
- Special K: Special K Challenge
- "Journal of the American College of Nutrition"; Ready-to-eat Cereal Used as a Meal Replacement Promotes Weight Loss in Humans; Richard Mattes; December 2002
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