Special K diet

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mamamouse
mamamouse Posts: 26
in Food and Nutrition
Has anybody tried the Special K diet? I would like to do something easy and I can't take another Lean Cuisine. I was thinking about trying it for 3-4 weeks just to get a jumpstart on a diet. I don't want my kids to see me eating cereal all day and thinking it's healthy. Little help?

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  • mamamouse
    mamamouse Posts: 26
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    Has anybody tried the Special K diet? I would like to do something easy and I can't take another Lean Cuisine. I was thinking about trying it for 3-4 weeks just to get a jumpstart on a diet. I don't want my kids to see me eating cereal all day and thinking it's healthy. Little help?
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    If you don't want your kids thinking it's a healthy thing to do, then why would you want to do it?

    There are lots of great options for eating healthy that don't include resorting to strange "one food" meal plans. Have the special K for breakfast, but for lunch have a turkey or tuna (light mayo) sandwhich on whole wheat bread with low fat cheese, or have a salad with lots of veggies or fruit and low cal dressing...wishbone makes good light dressing, also the spritzers are good, but I don't reccomend the ranch, didn't really taste like anything.

    Check out the recipies board for healthy dinner options, people post a lot of great recipies that are good for you and taste good. Eating nothing but special K for weeks will be boring, leave you hungry most likely and up your chances of crashing and eating anything in sight. Plus I am sure while it provides good nutrients for breakfast, I doubt it provides everything you need for all three meals. Good luck!
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    Okay, why not track your calories and plan some healthy, balanced meals.
  • mamamouse
    mamamouse Posts: 26
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    I know I should just track my calories but sometimes I feel like I just want something easy. I find that my biggest dieting/healthy eating problem is not in feeling hungry or wanting to eat bad things it is lack of determination to do it all the way and take the time to measure foods and plan healthy meals. Dinners are fine because I always make a homemade balanced meal for the family to eat. It is during the day when I find my lunch being the leftovers off of the kids plates or a Lean Cuisine. Sometimes it is 3 o'clock and I find myself starving because I havn't eaten since breakfast then I end up eating a bunch of crap straight out of bags that I should not be eating. One of the things I have been trying to work on is wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle not just to look better but to be truly healthy. Obvisouly I need to be willing to put in more time into this. Does anybody know of a website that gives sample meals for different calorie counts. If I had a few set 300-400 calorie lunch ideas maybe I could get my act together.
  • psyknife
    psyknife Posts: 487 Member
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    If you don't want your kids thinking it's a healthy thing to do, then why would you want to do it?
    OMG, you took the words right out of my mouth!

    If it's something you wouldn't want your children to see you doing and copy, then you shouldn't be doing it either.

    Oh, and trust me... you WILL feel hungry on the Special K diet... sure that cereal is low in calories and has been pumped w/various vitamins and minerals... but when it comes down to it, it is FAR from being the best cereal out there. Whole grain cereals w/3-4grams of fiber per serving (OR MORE) are the best options... and you NEED to get a variety of foods in your diet. Simply eating cereal all day could leave you deficient of certain vitamins.

    That's my two cents...
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    My best suggestion to you would be to eat the Special K for breakfast first. I don't agree with the "special k diet" but if you just eat it for breakfast for a couple days, see how long it takes you to get hungry & wanting more afterwards. Believe me...it doesn't take long. :grumble: Then imagine doing that for TWO meals a day for FORTY-TWO days (if you did the recommended 6 weeks). Not something I'd want to accomplish b/c I'd be starving to death!

    The recipe board is filled with some great ideas for healthy meals that the whole family can eat & enjoy! I understand wanting to jumpstart a diet, but (sadly enough) slow & steady will win the race.
  • DjBliss05
    DjBliss05 Posts: 682
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    I think even Special K doesn't say you should eat cereal for all three meals.

    You wouldn't be getting any protein, fiber, etc. Or at least, not much.

    Stick with tracking your calories. It gets easier once you get used to it.
  • psyknife
    psyknife Posts: 487 Member
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    One of the main reasons I'm not really for Special K...
    Ingredients
    RICE, WHEAT GLUTEN, SUGAR, DEFATTED WHEAT GERM, SALT, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DRIED WHEY, MALT FLAVORING, CALCIUM CASEINATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), ALPHA TOCOPHEROL ACETATE (VITAMIN E), REDUCED IRON, NIACINAMIDE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), VITAMIN A PALMITATE, FOLIC ACID AND VITAMIN B12.

    1st - Sugar comes third on the ingredients list... which means that there's quite a lot in there.
    2nd - High Fructose Corn Syrup... seriously? Yep, it's in there.

    On top of that, it boasts a grand "less than 1 gram" of Fiber per serving. Now THAT is not going to leave one filled... hunger will strike rather quickly after eating this cereal.

    It's really not that nutritious.

    Go for Kashi brand cereals! Or Nature's Path. There's others too... but yeah... I buy cereals now based on their ingredients list and fiber content :)
  • 3babybeans
    3babybeans Posts: 8,268 Member
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    Kashi Go Lean Cruch is REALLY good for breakfast with some yogurt & fresh fruit. VERY filling, keeps me full for awhile & the calories are pretty darn good, too!
  • Itsmytime
    Itsmytime Posts: 1
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    The Special K diet is awful. I've tried it. I lasted three days. Now I will never eat Special K again.

    Try to stay away from Lean Cuisine as well. Isn't it full of sodium. T

    There is a new study just released this week that indicates eating a large healthy breakfast with protein and carbs helps women to loose more weight over a longer period of time. Apparently by eating more in the morning it keeps you from having cravings during the day. I believe I saw the article on www.cnn.com. It really does make scense to me. I'm going to give it a try along with sensible healty food choices throughout the day and counting my calories. I absolutely love this website. I wish I had know about this 6 months ago. :happy:
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
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    I find that my biggest dieting/healthy eating problem is not in feeling hungry or wanting to eat bad things it is lack of determination to do it all the way and take the time to measure foods and plan healthy meals.

    It seriously does become way easier once you get used to it. You'll find that once you measure stuff for a while, you'll be able to eyeball how much serving sizes are, what mark on all of your glasses measures a cup, you'll memorize that 2 oz of dry spaghetti will equal about 6 oz of cooked, etc.

    You'll also get an idea of how many calories certain food combos are without having to compute them. Sure I still have to go through and log each food for lunch, but I know that a turkey sandwhich and a salad will be right around the amount of calories I need for lunch, so the night before I can easily just make a sandwhich and a salad. Yes it can be a pain, but the outcome is well worth it and you'll be making healtheir choices just because you're educated and know more about what choices you can and should be making. It's hard, but no one ever said it would be easy. If we were happy and healthy eating a bowling of cereal for every meal, we would be like our pets who have all of their vitamins and nutrients neatly combined in their pet chow, evenly distributed for each meal and never get tired of the same thing and we would all be healthy and slim, but unfortunately it's not that easy and does require some work.
  • strawberryblonde1
    strawberryblonde1 Posts: 105
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    The Special K diet is awful. I've tried it. I lasted three days. Now I will never eat Special K again.

    Try to stay away from Lean Cuisine as well. Isn't it full of sodium. T

    There is a new study just released this week that indicates eating a large healthy breakfast with protein and carbs helps women to loose more weight over a longer period of time. Apparently by eating more in the morning it keeps you from having cravings during the day. I believe I saw the article on www.cnn.com. It really does make scense to me. I'm going to give it a try along with sensible healty food choices throughout the day and counting my calories. I absolutely love this website. I wish I had know about this 6 months ago. :happy:

    wow. 3 days... :smile: i lasted about a day... the only good thing i got from that experience was the special k bars (90 calories) a good snack.... instead of going for the vending machine @ work :bigsmile: but really... i completly agree with everyone, the special k diet along with most other fad diets don't work... and you are only setting your self back... depriving the body of essential nutireints etc.that you need. try to plan meals for the entire week or a few days at a time... you can even make some of the stuff ahead of time so when you get hungry all you have to do it warm it up .... trust me it saves me from the junk when i am starving @ 3pm ... make the healthy choice easy and available! good luck!!!:happy:
  • winwin
    winwin Posts: 134 Member
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    how good can cereal be if it can stay on the shelf for years and not go bad. lots of fruits and veggies. apples with peanut butter. salads. whole grain pasta. frittata. etc. here is a start for ideas.
    Good luck and Merry Christmas!
  • mamamouse
    mamamouse Posts: 26
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    Well I certainly appreciate everyone's honesty. I guess sometimes it is easy to trick yourself into thinking that there is an easy way out. I just have to buckle down and make a daily plan and stick to it. I already eat Kashi or Oatmeal or egg on toast for breakfast with fruit. My dinners are fine - now I just need to round up 9am to 4pm and I should be good. I am going grocery shopping this afternoon and buying whole grain bread, turkey, salads and some olive oil based dressing and NO SPECIAL K. Thank you for getting me to see the light, especially with the post of the ingredients of the cereal. I know this will be a constant struggle for me (sticking to my committment) but I want to be healthy and fit again.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Well I certainly appreciate everyone's honesty. I guess sometimes it is easy to trick yourself into thinking that there is an easy way out. I just have to buckle down and make a daily plan and stick to it. I already eat Kashi or Oatmeal or egg on toast for breakfast with fruit. My dinners are fine - now I just need to round up 9am to 4pm and I should be good. I am going grocery shopping this afternoon and buying whole grain bread, turkey, salads and some olive oil based dressing and NO SPECIAL K. Thank you for getting me to see the light, especially with the post of the ingredients of the cereal. I know this will be a constant struggle for me (sticking to my committment) but I want to be healthy and fit again.

    mmm eggs on toast.... good luck!
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    mmm eggs on toast.... good luck!

    Eat it everyday for breakfast, lost 37 pounds. Two eggs, one peice dry toast. Keeps you full way longer than any cereal or bagel.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    mmm eggs on toast.... good luck!

    Eat it everyday for breakfast, lost 37 pounds. Two eggs, one peice dry toast. Keeps you full way longer than any cereal or bagel.

    yep i eat the same thing. 2 eggs on whole grain = amazing. i never get sick of it either because i always cook my eggs a different way. scrambled, fried (using olive oil), and boiled. mmm i love love eggs
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
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    mmm eggs on toast.... good luck!

    Eat it everyday for breakfast, lost 37 pounds. Two eggs, one peice dry toast. Keeps you full way longer than any cereal or bagel.

    yep i eat the same thing. 2 eggs on whole grain = amazing. i never get sick of it either because i always cook my eggs a different way. scrambled, fried (using olive oil), and boiled. mmm i love love eggs

    Add some peppers and onions for variety at times. yum, yum
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
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    Their cereal is really sweet and tasty, but I only eat it because I'm not allowed to have anything but rice cereal or grits and I got sick of Rice Chex. It's pretty devoid of any nutrients on its own, but then Kellogg goes and mushes a few multivitamins into it and it looks 'healthy'. I can vouch for the fact that it's not filling, although it is high in protein for a cereal at 7g/cup for the Original. It's not going to tide you over all morning if you're starving in the afternoon. I'd recommend opting for healthy snacks, like nuts or Kashi granola bars...something with substance.

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