iet was introduced a number of years ago by Kellogg to coincide with their Special K cereals and snack foods. The Special K Diet works like this:
– Replace two meals with 1 cup of Special K cereal each, and 2/3 cup of fat free milk;
– Eat the third daily meal as normal;
– When snacking, choose fresh fruit or vegetables or Special K snack bars or snack mixes;
– Drink beverages you would normally drink;
– Exercise.
The Special K diet was clinically tested, and those tested over a two week period lost an average of 6 pounds. The Special K diet was designed to deliver quick poundage reduction in a short time to jumpstart healthy weight loss plans. Here is our take on the Special K Diet.
The Special K Diet
CATEGORYSCORECOMMENTS
COST:* * * *Very inexpensive; just the cost of
cereal.
GETTING STARTED * * * *As easy as going to the store and
buying cereal.
STICKING WITH IT: * * Boredom and monotony may
become problems.
BUSY LIFESTYLE: * * * * How fast can you pour milk into a
bowl of cereal? Special K bars can
be tucked into bags and eaten in
transit.
FAMILY FRIENDLY: * * * * You can eat meals without
interfering with family routine or
placing restrictions on other’s diets.
POTENTIAL: * * * Although intended to be a short-term
diet, the potential to lose weight in a
number of weeks has been proven to
be possible on the Special K Diet.
HEALTH and SAFETY: * *A sharp reduction in calories can be
dangerous for some. Poor amounts of
fiber and whole grains.
While starting the Special K diet is as easy as a trip to the grocery store, the associated cost low, and the potential to lose weight promising, several important points need to be taken into consideration when considering the diet.
Why It Works
The Special K Diet is, essentially, a starvation diet because weight loss comes as a result of sharp caloric reductions. The calorie intake of an average person on the Special K Diet look similar to this:
Breakfast: 150 calories (1 cup cereal with ½ cup fat free milk)
Snack:90 calories (1 Kellogg’s Special K snack bar)
Lunch:150 calories (1 cup cereal with ½ cup fat free milk)
Dinner: 600 calories
Snack:90 calories (Kellogg’s Special K snack bites, 1 bag)
Total:1080 calories
Even if an additional 200 calories of beverages were added to the total daily calories of the person on the Special K Diet, 1280 calories is barely enough to sustain the basic bodily functions of a normal person, much less one who engages in an hour of exercise every day. Therefore, the Special K diet is recommended for a short period of time-two weeks.
Health and Safety
Everyone understands that there is a correlation between weight loss and reduced intakes of fat and calories. However, it is detrimental to bodily health for caloric and fat intake to dip too low, particularly for those who are in their teens and early twenties. The safety concern associated with the Special K Diet is that it is easy for a person on the diet to allow their caloric intake to be too low.
Additionally, one must consider the nutritional value of the Special K Diet. To do this, one simply needs to read the nutritional information on the box, as well as the ingredients. Special K is a fortified rice cereal containing no whole wheat. Two cups of cereal a day in place of two meals does not adequately meet the body’s needs for wholesome vitamins, minerals, good fat, and especially fiber.
Bottom Line
The Special K Diet receives high points for its lifestyle performance, however, the diet is essentially a marketing tool, and is not the safest nor does it offer balanced nutrient intakes. Any fortified cereal low in added sucrose (table sugar) and eaten as suggested by the Kellogg’s Special K diet will deliver the same results.
If you choose to start the Special K diet, it is important to adequately make up for the missing nutrients from your two cereal meals by consuming plenty of fiber, whole grains, and heart-healthy fat. Remember to speak with your doctor about the Special K diet before implementing it.