The Special K Diet was created by the Kellogg Company and focuses on replacing breakfast and lunch with a bowl of Special K cereal, then eating a sensible dinner. It also allows occasional snacks between meals, such as fruit or Special K cereal bars. The plan lasts two weeks, and Kellogg officials say its followers can lose up to six pounds in two weeks, while maintaining good health.
How It Works
The basics of the Special K diet consist of a bowl of the cereal and a cup of skim milk for breakfast, followed by the same for lunch. Dinner should consist of a serving of broiled or baked chicken or fish, or lean meat, and a side of vegetables and/or a baked potato.
Snacks
In between meals, dieters can choose from an array of low-calorie, low-fat snacks, including fruit, raw vegetables or low-fat yogurt. As is the case with most diets, drinking six to eight 8-oz. glasses of water throughout the day is encouraged--and high-calorie, sugary sodas (and alcoholic beverages) are to be avoided.
Positives
On the plus side, there really is no specific set of rules when it comes to the Special K Diet, just a basic outline of cut calories using Special K products--the idea being to keep calories to a minimum without starving yourself. With that in mind, followers can mix and match and choose how much Special K cereal is enough (the Kellogg's website even helps you customize a specific plan to match your needs).
Negatives
Some decide you can never have too much Special K, eating the cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and fruits and salads in between. But people who chose this plan usually fall well below the recommended daily caloric intake of 1,500 to 2,500 calories and spend a lot of time feeling hungry and fatigued.
Sensible Plan
Since most doctors and nutritionists recommend eating five or six smaller meals per day, the Special K Diet could be effective and even considered healthy on a limited basis; a bowl of Special K with a cup of skim milk and fresh strawberries is around 190 calories per serving. The key is maintaining balance throughout the rest of the day. The best way to do this would be to eat a bowl of Special K for breakfast, a snack of low-fat yogurt or an apple a few hours later, and another bowl of Special K for lunch. That could be followed by a low-fat protein shake (about 190 calories) between lunch and dinner, and a sensible dinner, as suggested above. Another piece of fruit or Special K cereal bar (50 calories) could be eaten a few hours after dinner to help curb late-night cravings. Following this routine, the Special K Diet can be a healthy way to lose weight, provided it is not viewed as a long-term solution.
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