[Beloved]

Has anyone ever tried the Kellogs Special K two weeks challenge. I've hit a plateaue with my weight and I need to lose at least 10lbs to keep going.

[aphil]

All the Special K challenge is, is a reduced calorie diet. By replacing your breakfast and lunch with Special K, in most cases you are going to be eating less calories than you normally would if you were NOT already dieting. If you are already on a reduced calorie plan such as Weight Watchers, calorie counting, and so forth-you probably are not going to see any more difference than if you stuck with the diet plan you are already using. The Special K plan IS too low in protein however and I would not recommend it. If you want to eat cereal for breakfast and lunch, I would recommend replacing it with a higher protein and higher fiber containing cereal like Kashi (Go Lean, Go Lean Crunch, or Good Friends) instead. Special K and Smart Start just don't have all that much in the protein and fiber department.

I have found though, that when you get close to goal, that the best plateau buster is increasing either the length of your exercise, or the intensity of the exercise that you are already doing, so that you create more of a calorie deficit. When I first started losing weight at 211 pounds, I could get away with only doing 15 or 20 minutes of light exercise like walking or light (2-3 pound) weights, because before that I wasn't doing ANYTHING...but now I am at a much higher fitness level, so I exercise usually between 40 minutes-2 hours per day (I have classes a couple times a week that are 2 hours long) and I do much more intense exercise. I have slowly increased my workouts over time to get where I am now.

Good luck,
Aphil

[Maryd4love]

I was talking with a lady and she said her sister did this and has lost lots of weight. She has a bowl for breakfast and one for lunch, and has regular dinner. Have any of you tried this one?

[HamSandwich]

Well, if she is eating that little, I wouldn't be surprised she is losing weight. Most people who diet this way DO lose weight, but then they gain it back when they are off the "diet". In theory, she'd be eating about 200 calories for breakfast, 200 calories for lunch, and even if she totally pigged at dinner, the liklihood that she's getting enough calories to make up for practically not eating all day is pretty small- especially if her "diet" is dictating that she eat "healthy" foods.

But a more direct answer is no, I haven't tried it.

[almostheaven]

Neither have I. I like Special K. But Special K is a cereal, it's not a diet. A well-balanced diet requires protein, carbs, etc....not just whole grains.

Yes, one can lose weight eating it for breakfast and lunch. But I'm sure they're not intent on eating that way for the rest of their life. So what happens when they go back to eating normally?

I don't find it a healthy way to lose weight.

[Maryd4love]

I agree completely with the both of you that it is not a healthy way to lose it. Because as soon as you start adding more calories back to yourt diet your body will kinda sota just soak it up. I was not going to do that diet myself but was wondering if anyone had try it. Thanks for your input.

[MrsJim]

Kellogg's must be advertising this again because this is the second thread in the same week about the Special K Diet Challenge...

Aphil gave a GREAT answer IMO - so I've merged the two threads together. There's no big secret about it (there really IS no 'big secret' in losing weight - just a matter of calories in, calories out and changing your lifestyle!). It's a marketing strategy that Kellogg's has used quite successfully for decades now (anyone else remember the "Special K Breakfast" diet plan that was on the boxes back in the 60's and 70's?) but really, when you get right down to it, it's a low calorie diet with Special K used as a centerpiece.

Indeed, there ARE healthier cereals out there...and there are plenty worse (my DH, a cereal junkie with a particular fetish for Lucky Charms [nope - I DON'T buy them!!!] loves the Special K with Red Berries that came out this year - one of his favorites now). Despite the fact that they're also known for junk food such as Pop-Tarts, Froot Loops, and Sugar Smacks (wait - I noticed in the store the other day that they're simply called "Smacks"!) the company was founded on health - anyone who has seen the film The Road to Wellville will recognize the name of Kellogg - the Dr. of the Battle Creek Sanitarium was actually the older brother of the founder of the cereal company - W.K. Kellogg, who basically built his company on corn flakes.

(okay, here's the history part) Even though he had children, Mr. Kellogg left the bulk of his fortune in trust to help others - he was known throughout his life and afterwards as one of the greatest philanthropists, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation still gives millions of dollars in grants away each year, towards the areas of health, food systems and rural development, youth and education, and volunteerism.

One example here in California is the 800 acre Arabian horse ranch that Mr. Kellogg founded in the 1920's, in Pomona, California. In 1932, he donated the ranch to the University of California - it is now known as the Kellogg campus of California Polytechnic State University, still famous for its Arabian horse program; in fact, Kellogg breeding is still highly valued in Arabian horse bloodlines today.

Okay...did I put you to sleep or what...back on topic...