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Special K Diet Challenge

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Over the last few months there has been a lot of cereal promotion going on. Kelloggs' Special K brand have been promoting their very own Special K Diet Challenge (for a number of years now). Not to be outdone, Kraft have "lose 10 pounds" emblazoned on virtually the entire line of "Post" brand cereals (called Eat 2 Lose 10)

Both cereal "diets" are bold and upfront with their claims: "Lose up to 6 pounds in 2 weeks!" shouts Special K. Is this for real? Is it valid?

The Special K Diet

Eat a serving of Kellogg's® Special K®, Special K® Red Berries, Special K® Vanilla Almond, Special K® Fruit & Yogurt or Special K® Low Carb Lifestyle Protein Plus cereal with 2/3 cup skim milk and fruit for two meals a day.
Eat your third meal as you normally do.
For snacks, choose from fresh fruits and …show more content…

According to my reading, the mean weight loss was less than 2 kg (4.4 pounds) in the 2 week period.
A basic low fat diet

So what's the magic? There is no magic. The women in the study ate less than they normally did. According to the study, the women in the Special K group were eating about 2200 kcals per day. When they started substituting the cereal meals they dropped daily intake by about 640 kcals per day. Furthermore, a lot of those calories were from fat (~39 grams or 351 kcals).
Good or What?

Personally I think incorporating some cereals into your diet can be good - but there are some caveats here: Satiety - From experience, I've noticed that wolfing down a bowl of cereal doesn't always curb the hunger pangs. However having a bit more protein in the mix does keep the pangs at bay. Nutrition - The simple truth is - Special K is better than what most people eat, but it still contains such gems as High Fructose Corn Syrup. Serving for serving, it has less potassium and fiber than oats, and more sugar. Compare here and here.
The Claim

"Lose 6 Pounds in 2

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