Has anyone lost weight on the special K diet?

[FlightRisk]

ie the 1 bowl of cereal for breakfast then 1 bowl of cereal for lunch then a proper dinner/tea.

My GP has told me I have to lose weight in 6 months otherwise I won't have my contraceptive prescibed to me. I'm assuming they'll give me a different type but I love the one I'm on and I know this doesn't contribut e to my weight as I have been slim while I've been on it.

I'm 5'1" and I weigh 13 stone. I know I'm overweight you don't need to tell me. I should weigh about 9 stone for my height but I haven't weighed this since I was 16, 16 years ago!!!

I want to get to 10 stone which is what I weighed after I had DS 10 years ago. ( I was this weight again in 2006 so I know its possible). As you can tell my weight has been up and down over the years.

Now I'm crap at dieting, I feel like I'm punishing myslef and I can never stick to it but I do think I'll be able to stick to the 2 bowls of cereal as long as I can have a proper tea.

I do exercise. I walk the dogs on a 4 mile walk everyday and I swim once a week and I've started the Gillian Michaels Shred DVD (OMG).

So my question is will this diet work? Or do you all know a better one. I'm on JSA so I can't affford the gym, weightwatchers etc.

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I have never done this diet but I should think you will lose weight if you do it. A bowl of Special K with milk is probably not more than 200 calories, so twice a day = approx. 400 calories with a good dinner 500-600 cals you're not eatoing a hell of a lot!!

Yes you'll lose weight no problem (you caould eat any cereal it will have the same effect), but after you lose the weight remember you have to cut down your food intake to what your body needs at its new weight or the weight will pile on again.

You could do any low calorie diet as long as you eat less than your body needs then you will lose weight - you could devise your own plan which may be a little easier to eat and keep you fuller it's up to you.

Good luck xx

Have a look at how much one serving of special k is.....

I think a serving of cereal is supposed to be 30g that is really not much. I assume the diet is based on these serving sizes rather than a bowl.
I think you may be very hungry during the day.

I tried the Special K diet with a cheaper own brand version but tbh it was a disaster. The actual portion size you're supposed to have is tiny, I weighed it out and my normal bowl was about three times as big! Plus, it did not keep me full or satisfied and I ended up eating anything I could get my hands on because I was so hungry

Calorie control, though v tedious, is the most effective. Try keeping a food diary for a week eating normally and calculate the number of calories. Then the next week try to eat 20% less calories. So if you are currently eating 2,500 calories, you'll be eating 2,000. After a couple of weeks, as your body gets used to feeling full with less food (maybe 3 or 4), try dropping down another 20%, so you'd be aiming for 1,600 calories a day.

Take it slow and steady and day by day. This is a process and it takes time. I've lost 17lbs in the last 3 months, including over Christmas(!), doing this. You'll find that you naturally choose lower calorie food, which tends to be lower fat, so you can eat more of it!

You would lose weight if you stuck to it. But (my opinion only! - I haven't tried it) you would also be starving most of the time (Special K doesn't fill me up at all!). And once you decided to stop, you would put all the weight back on if you went back to your normal eating habits.

I would sooner recommend researching what your calorie intake should be, and then doing combination of calorie-counting (going for not TOO extreme reduction) and exercise (allow yourself a BIT more calories if you exercise, but not so much that it cancels it out!).

Or if you can stretch to it, see whether the Quidco WeightWatchers Online offer is still on - you could get 3 months effectively almost free, but part of it was via cashback which can take a few months to come through, so you would need to be able to pay around £30 now and get it back in a while (and remember to cancel at the end of the 3 months so you didn't end up paying more). This is working well for me!

Also, from what I've read it is best to aim for 1-2lb lost per week, any more than that is not healthy or sustainable. So you can work out from that how much you could realistically lose in 6 months - how much do you need to lose before he will give you the prescription?

x-posts but NoWucking speaks much sense!

Someone on mumsnet mentioned the "No S" diet and I've been doing that since May. Am losing VERY slowly but it is dead easy and costs nothing. I've lost a stone and a bit since May. I'd like to shed the pounds more quickly but what I love about this is that it feels so sustainable, changing habits for life rather than a quick fix crash diet that you can't keep going with forever.

Google it but the main rules are "no sweets, no snacks, no second helpings - EXCEPT on S days (saturday/sunday/"special days") plus 14 mins of exercise on weekdays. I love the website for it - it's quite funny and interesting and best of all, totally free.

Healthy eating on a budget can be tough because sadly yummy fruit and salads are more expensive than biscuits. But you can do things like veg and lentil soups whcih will fill you up more than Special K and not be too pricey.

Also I know that GPs really vary in terms of how helpful they are, but is it worth asking if she/he can offer any support - I know some people get prescribed gym membership etc, though it's probably one of those things that really varies from place to place.

Flightrisk - I'm only a bit taller than you and 2 weeks ago was the same weight. Have lost 5lbs now.

I'm using MyFitnessPal to keep a track of calories in - its made a big difference as I know when I've reached my calorie limit for the day so can't just think oh that extra serving will be ok, etc. But you have to put everything down.

You can put your exercise in as well and get more calorie allowance that way.

I've upped my dog walkign from 60 mins to 90 mins a day and am also trying to do 30day shred every day.

We have a thread going on this Weightloss section called Tuesday Weigh In. Come and join us.

Hi I thought I could fill up on fruit if I got peckish its not easy is it. TBH I think my GP will pleased if he sees my weight going down. it hadn't gone up in 6 months but I'm the heaviest I've ever been at the moment.

vivalebeaver what is myfitnessplan its not a phone app is it? I have a blackberry not a phone that uses apps.

bellabelly That "No S" diet sounds good I'm going to take a look thank you Xx

I need to buy scales (I'm such wimp I know) I'll buy some and then join you at the weigh in. I hope its not too full of smug people though

My fitness pal is a website not an app. It's very good and free.

The problem with fruit is that it's got quite a lot of calories in, some more than others. I was shocked at the calories on grapes.

I've lost 30lbs in 3 months using Weightwatchers online. Not felt hungry at all and I'm finding it very easy to fit in with eating the same food s my family.
It might be worth while taking a look?

yep, the special K is too boring, you are better off calorie counting instead. and I am far too stingey to shell out for WW or SW classes.

Personally I think the special k diet is not a good idea - lots of sugar and I'd be starving on 2 bowls to last all day. I'd be starving by 11am so it would be very hard to have motivation to stick to.

Much better - eggs (omelette) for breakfast. Plus yoghurt. This keeps me full all morning.
Lunch - bean, lentil and veg soup. I add 25g dried soya mince for extra protein. Again this keeps me full all afternoon.
Dinner - lean protein (fish, poultry, lean beef etc) and veg. Chopped tomatoes cheap filler. Small portion of wholegrain carbs (25g dry) like brown rice.

Eggs are £1.45 for 15 so thats £1.45 a week.
Yoghurt can get £1 for 1kg, so another £1 a week.
Bean soup with carrots, onions and parsnips, lentils, split beans and kidney beans - also v cheap. Make a big pot to last for lunches all week.

Much more nutritious that 2 x bowls of special k and you won't be hungry.

Recommend myfitnesspal - best on your but can do on blackberry as well.

Ok cool Viva I'll take a look. Calories in grapes?? Seriously?? Oh dear

I also think my milk intake might be a problem. I know its sad I'm 32 but I love milk, at least 1 glass a day. DS and I go through nearly 24 pints a week!! That includes cereal and milk we drink and the odd brew. Fair enough DS has at least 2 bowls of weetabix a day (breakfast and supper then sometimes an after school snack) I am currently eating a bowl of cereal a day but I just love a glass of milk

You can definitely do it. I didn't think it was possible but I am 5 foot 1 and a half inches and last year went from 13 and a half stone to 9 stone 2 pounds. The smallest I have been since 1996!
Good luck.

Another vote for myfitnesspal here, I've lost 4lb in a week just tracking what i eat! I find that having scrambled eggs with bacon for breakfast will actually keep me full till dinner, and i save a lot of calories that way.
If you have to drink milk, drink 1%, it tastes like semi skimmed but has less fat.

MFP also has a blackberry app that DH uses on his curve.

I really don't think @I will get to 9 stone. After having DS my boobs went haywire and when i do lose weight I lose nothing off them (Seriously) size 10 waist but F cup boobs!!! I looked like a lollipop!! Now they're a G cup so I don't want to look too ridiculous. a size 12 will keep me happy

Oh sorry I can't buy 1% milk. I suppose I can skip to skimmed milk as I can buy 3 semi skimmed for DS and 3 skimmed for me so can still take advantage of the asda 2 for £2 offer

Am a curvy 12 and didn't give up milk.

24 pints a week! Three of us use 4 pints of milk a week here.

Yes to calories in grapes. I was having a massive bowl a day until I realised it was 400 cals. A third of my daily allowance.

That special K diet does work but special k is shit and you'll be starving.
If you want to do this as a kick start, go for some less sugary cereals with more fibre like bran flakes or weetabix. It will still work and is better for you.

A girl from playgroup lost over a stone in 4 weeks when she did this except she replaced all her meals with special k. Mad.