Cereal diet: does it work

Weight loss is a great concern for many people today, which is why there are so much diet plans suggested by nutritionists and doctors, but also by non-professionals. Cereal diet or breakfast cereal diet is one of those diets that has become one of the most popular diets over the last couple of years.

What is the cereal diet?

In cereal diet, two meals of the day are replaced with cereals. This basically means having two bowls of cereal and one regular meal per day. Three kinds of fiber-rich cereals should be combined with protein-rich foods, in order to avoid deficiencies and consequent health problems.

Cereal diet promises to eliminate two pounds in two weeks, which is not a lot neither it is fast, but it is a safe way that leads to a steady and permanent weight loss in which the pounds do not bounce right back as in many yo-yo diets.

As for the menu, in cereal diet the breakfast cereals are combined with low fat milk or yogurt, or with soymilk. The bowl should be filled to two thirds with cereal and the rest is milk or yogurt. The dieter is encouraged to drink plenty of water and it is also allowed to eat low calorie snacks throughout the day, preferably fresh vegetables or fruit.

The dinner should be light and consist of lean meat, salad with light dressing, cottage cheese and baked or boiled potatoes.

One of the main benefits of this diet is that the dieter never feels hungry, because the cereals keep him or her full for a long time. Also, the combination of fiber, vitamins and minerals in cereals with milk guarantees that there will be no nutritional deficiencies.

It is, however, important to always combine three different kinds of cereals, two of which should be whole grain.

Cereal diet- does it work?

The most important question regarding any diet plan is - does it work? Most people who have tried cereal diet and stuck to it for an extended period of time have reported astonishing results. Some experts, on the other hand, believe that, while this diet can be effective for weight loss, it is not very healthy because it does not guarantee the consumption of all the vital nutrients. According to them, the one meal that does not consist of cereals, is not enough to satisfy all the body’s requirements for basic nutrients.

Another complaint came from the dieters themselves, who claim that this diet gives great results in the beginning but that the pounds stop shedding as soon as the body becomes adjusted to the new eating pattern.