Special K Diet

Background

The Special K Diet was created by the Kellogg’s breakfast cereal company. Basically it involves eating a bowl (45g) of Special K with ½ cup of low fat milk for breakfast then another for lunch OR dinner for two weeks.

Kellogg’s quotes the results of a scientific study supporting their diet which showed that 3 out of 4 dieters achieved a slimmer waist and hips and lost up to six pounds over a two-week period. Scientists at the university reached the conclusion that most of this was due to fat loss.

The participants consumed an average of 1590 calories per day. This was calculated to be a reduction of their normal calorie intake of 27% and of fat intake by half.

The diet is recommended for adults with a BMI greater than 25 and is not designed to be followed for any more than two weeks.
special-k-diet

Special K Diet Basics

Eat two serves of Special K cereal a day and ½ cup low fat milk for breakfast and either lunch or dinner.
The third meal should be a low fat and nutritionally balanced meal.
Snacks may include fruit, vegetables, low fat yogurt or a Special K bar.
Beverages may be consumed as normal with no strict limits required as long as alcohol is avoided. Water and diluted fruit juices are recommended.

Although calorie counting is not required the actual calorie intake is in accordance with requirements for weight loss for most individuals.

Sample Diet Plan

Breakfast

1 bowl of Special K Bliss Strawberry and Chocolate with 125mls skimmed milk
Coffee or tea

Snack

Apple

Lunch

Bowl of Special K Red Berries with 125mls skimmed milk

Snack

Carrot sticks, sugar snap peas or a Special K Bar

Dinner

Grilled salmon, boiled new potatoes, broccoli, carrots and peas

Dessert

Banana and low fat yogurt or
Fresh fruit salad

Find more healthy low Calorie recipes here.

Exercise Recommendations

Exercise is mentioned as being important as part of a healthy lifestyle with 30 minutes of daily activity recommended in accordance with government recommendations.

These exercises can be used with The Special K Diet.

Costs and Expenses

There are no costs involved as all the details of the Special K Diet along with menu plans, meal suggestions and recipes are available on the Special K Challenge website.

Pros

No calorie counting necessary.
Simple and easy to follow.
Scientifically proven to be effective for 75% of people.
Breakfast has been shown in many studies to produce a wide variety of health benefits including lower cholesterol levels, improved memory and concentration and a higher intake of certain vitamins and minerals.
One large study showed that people who ate cereal for breakfast had a lower body mass index than those who skipped breakfast or had eggs for breakfast.

Cons

The lack of variation in this diet may lead to boredom as well as potentially compromised nutrient intake. Even though the breakfast cereal is fortified with vitamins and minerals it is questionable as to the degree that this can make up for nutrients that would otherwise be obtained from a wider range of whole foods.
Special K is not based on whole grains and is not a particularly good source of fiber. It is necessary to consume an abundance of fruit and vegetables during the day as well as to include a source of whole grains such as brown rice or legumes in the other meal in order to meet daily minimum fiber requirements.
Hunger is likely to be a problem for most people. Special K is high GI and high sugar which can actually trigger an increased appetite for many individuals.
The weight may be regained easily when a normal diet is resumed after the two week period.

Conclusions

This diet is obviously a very clever marketing ploy created by Kellogg’s in order to sell more cereal. However, there is scientific support supporting the benefits associated with consuming breakfast and the reduction of fat intake in the diet.

The Special K Diet may also help people make the adjustment to a healthier eating plan and does promote integration of healthy habits as a lifestyle. It is however very likely that the majority of people will experience hunger due to the high glycemic index content of Special K cereal and there is also a high possibility of weight gain when the diet is concluded.

References

Hooper R. Body Shape and clothing size changes following Kellogg’s “Slimmer Waist this Summer” (internal report). Dept Human Sciences, 2002. Loughborough University

Ruxton CH, Kirk TR. Breakfast: a review of associations with measures of dietary intake, physiology and biochemistry. Br J Nutr 1997;78(2):199-213

Cho S et al (2003) The effect of breakfast type on total daily energy intake and body mass index: Results from the third national health and nutrition examination survey. J Am Coll Nutr 2003; 22(4):296-302

381 Comments

January 28th, 2012Felicity

According to the box, it’s a serving of Special K cereal (3/4C) and 2/3C skim milk, not 1/2 a cup as stated above. The “snacks” listed are Special K bars, not a fruit, although “a handful of berries” is suggested on the box, to be added to cereal. Additionally, the box says “eat dinner as you normally would,” not offering any further advice. If you ate a regular dinner, I think it would alleviate boredom. I have been on this diet for 5 days now and it’s going very well. However I have no idea how to eat afterwards. :-/
January 27th, 2012addie

i am starting today and want to know how many snacks i can have each day
January 27th, 2012sophiekatie

I am trying my own diet, and i think it seems t be working, i eat kellogs for breakfast anyways, but i want to lose weight, i am 15 years old and 5’7 i hope this works. Stepahanie, dont diet if you can see your bones, you will be very ill. Consult your doctor if you are worried.
January 25th, 2012ted

Hi Ridz, here’s a good article on Special K. http://www.diet-blog.com/11/special_k_cereal_true_health_revealed.php
January 24th, 2012Ridz

I have been eating it from more then two weeks.. And still want to continue.. Can u plz tell if there are any negative points of eating it for more then 2 weeks.
January 19th, 2012MAPS

special k cereal indeed works as long as u do a bit of exercise and dieting, try it & ul feel good in no time…i like it it tastes great….
January 17th, 2012debbie

this is working for me, 2 meals of special k, a low fat meal and exersise im on my way, lost 32lbs and counting
January 17th, 2012baby girl

this is soo cool and ive lost 20kg awsome
January 15th, 2012Tara

Im 26 years old and lookin for a good director plan that actually works this one caught my eye cause of tha losing 6 pounds in two weeks but my question also is could u do it longer then tha two weeks?
January 15th, 2012abs

Hey Jessie
I’m also 4ft11 and almost 19. I weigh about 8.5 stone, not too fat, but have been unhappy with my weight for years. So now I’m going to try this 2 week diet and follow that with healthy, diet-free eating. And exercise too. It’s been my experience that fad diets, ‘magic’ pills and heavy exercise plans dont work. So many told me these facts, but I had to find out the hard way and ended up obsessing over them which led to my weight gain and was even quite badly depressed at one stage. It;s time to start over. Good luck to all of you! Just remember one thing: you ARE beautiful.
January 10th, 2012Eunice

I’m going to do this along with the subway diet. Eat my small bowl of cereal with 1/2 cup is skim milk for the morning. Then for lunch have a 5″ turkey sub along with a side of salad or fresh fruit with water. Then for dinner have another small bowl of cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk. Having snacks between meals like carrots green beans salad fat free yogurt fruit whatever is healthy. And I will be consuming lots of water. And excercising at least 1 to 2 hours per day. Wish me luck!! Ima size 20 and hoping to go down to a size 14 by may then to a size 5 by next year. Good luck to everyone
January 9th, 2012marcy horwitz

does this diet work? i am thinking of trying it. i would like to lose some weight but, in a healthy way.
January 9th, 2012keisha

I will start this plan today… so need to lose some weight
January 7th, 2012KAREN

JUST START IT TO DAY I AM HOPING I GET WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR AND I HOPE THIS DIET RELY WORK I AM GOIGN TO BE SADE
January 5th, 2012Jess

This is my diet on special k every day.
morning at 8 -i eat special k ceral with soy milk.
Lunch- special k ceral with soy milk
snack- with a special k bar
dinner- i eat a regular healthy meal with noodles, chicken, carrots, green beans.
&& i drink alot of water.
&& excerise 3 times a day.
Is this a good plan to do???
Any questions , ?
January 5th, 2012jessie

I’m 19 and has a baby last feb, i’m 4ft11 and 10half stone, i’ve gone from a size 8 to a size 14, I have not left the house in a long while because of my weight I’m in need of something quick and easy to change my life around again.
January 3rd, 2012Tara

I don’t know if this will be good for me or not… I had a baby 6 months ago and need to lose weight.
January 3rd, 2012disha sharma

hi i am 20 year old can i take this challge or not…….
January 2nd, 2012Hanna

What would happen if you did the diet for more than two weeks?
January 1st, 2012stephanie

i am 17 years old i did the diet and it was effective i started seeing my bones but now i feel like i’m gaining weight even though everyone says i’m anorexic so i’m back on the diet and hope i go right down to a size 4 =]
December 31st, 2011praveena

Hope i am going to start today and everything will go good.