Have you tried the Kellogg’s Special K diet?
The slogan is as follows "2 bowls… 2 meals… 2 weeks try the slimmer waist for summer challenge".
Here are the basic rules and facts:
Eat up to a 45g serving of any Special K cereal with 125ml of semi-skimmed milk for breakfast then another for lunch OR dinner with a third nutritionally balanced meal for just 2 weeks.
Snack on fruit, vegetables and Special K bars.
Ensure a regular and adequate intake of fluids (alcohol free).
In a study by a leading University the Special K Challenge worked for up to 3 out of 4 people.
Sounds like a challenge you would like to try? I mean it is a big company that surely would have a lot to lose if it is giving out false information….so it must work?
I am hoping that if you are regular readers then you will be beginning to understand that there are no short cuts to a healthy you. Every time you try to take a short cut there are usually consequences. Kellogg’s are obviously very keen on this "diet" as it will help boost their sales. They could literally double their cereal demand if everyone that eats Kellogg’s took up the challenge. Add to that the Special K bars and you can see why they like the idea.
Does it work?
Well they have had it tested by scientists who could confirm that over the 2 weeks there was weight loss in 75% of participants which they concluded was mainly fat. You can read about it here. So it looks like it works but really, in my opinion, it is not giving the body the nutrients it needs and therefore it is starving the body. If you starve your body the immediate result is a very small amount of weight loss. However as well as losing fat you will lose muscle mass, which in turn reduces your metabolic rate, which has serious health consequences. What would really interest me is what the scientists longer term results would find once the participants returned to old habits. You see after the diet with your slimmer waist and lower metabolic rate your body will not be able to handle the extra calories and so it will get stored as fat increasing your waist more than when you started.
Maybe the slogan should read "Slimmer waist in 2 weeks but larger in 3" it would certainly be more accurate, however it probably wouldn’t sell more Kellogg’s products.
What should you do?
Trying for a healthier lifestyle isn’t a short term thing, Kellogg’s point out that their diet should not be carried out beyond the 2 weeks and it should be considered as a kick start to a healthier lifestyle. Why not save time, why not miss out the 2 weeks and go straight to the healthier lifestyle and eat properly. Of course this is the longer route and the results will not appear as quickly. The good news is that it will be permanent (as permanent as the healthy eating lasts for – Beeble) and you will feel better for it. To learn more about your diet and eating visit our diet section which is regularly updated.
Summary
I am not wearing my cynical pants today but there is always something dubious when most of what you eat is one company’s product. Diet and nutrition can be a complicated subject, however we all know what is bad for us and yet we will still eat too many fatty and sweet things. The best move is to make those foods treats and not the norm. Concentrate on eating a balanced diet that includes protein, the right kind of carbohydrates and plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Kellogg’s make great tasty products and I nearly always start my day with a bowl of one of their cereals, but that is it, I don’t want to have that cereal for lunch or dinner as I will be starving my body of the other nutrients it needs.
If you’re going to try it anyway
Well it is possible that there will be a few of you out there that will not heed my advice and so if you are going to try it for the 2 weeks then please at the very least follow this bit of advice. You have the option of having the second bowl of cereal for lunch or dinner, so please make sure you have a healthy lunch and if you have to have that second bowl then have it for dinner. This will help you follow the most important rule and that is to eat for what you are about to do. As you don’t need much energy for sleep then it makes sense to have the smallest portion for dinner.
I would be very interested in hearing from anyone who has tried the "diet" and has had either success or failed to find any benefits. I wish everyone trying to make a healthier lifestyle all the best. Keep it up as it is well worth it!
March 18th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Thank you for your help!
April 29th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Plese Make a Sugar free Special k ceral for diabetics. we love your products too.
Thank you
Patricia