What do you think the start stats are?

[MarlaSinger]

Browsing through these forums all week, I've noticed that a lot of the older, informative posts are full of posters who fell off the face of the earth, or people who made a handful of highly motivated posts and then never came back.

How many people do you think start, fall off the wagon and never come back? Or come back in a year?

What do you think the biggest failure rate is for Atkins?

[LateNiteDiner]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I can imagine three types of "old" forum members (aside from those who have never left):
(1) those that are no longer actively following this WOE, and occasionally check-in to see if they can reignite the motivation to come back,
(2) those that had early success, but then hit the proverbial "wall" and now deal with their own struggles which keep them from focusing on the rest of us, and
(3) those that are successfully following this WOE, but are tired of answering the same questions over and over, especially when they see new members come and go like girl scout cookies.

As for the biggest reason for failure, I have to believe that each of us at some point has a situation where we have to choose whether to "cheat". A lucky few can fall off plan for one meal or one weekend and get right back up on the horse. But my guess is that many more are like me -- they have the best of intentions on that "special" day, but then let the horse continue on without them.

[Peytonn]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I don't know the stats... but I was one of those people... in 2003... the old board.. I think it was.. I began... and it worked... it's not an excuse... really.. but it's what happened..... after getting down to 135 (about 15 pounds from goal)... I got food poisoning from some whipped cream at a mall food court place...

I was so sick.. ER sick... IV fluids sick... so.. they told me for 2 weeks to eat bland like applesauce, crackers... (what I could actually manage to keep down)

I lost down to my 125... but when I wasn't sick anymore... it was Christmas.. and the desserts and stuff.... and I just stopped.... went back to the 'i can eat anything i want if i just don't eat too much' mentality....

and year by year.. i gained about 10 pounds each year... until late in 2009 i was 165... until I found a lump in my throat.. that turned out to be cancer.. thyroid cancer.. an dealing with all that.. .and the loss of thyroid and no replacement meds for 2 months... viola! ... I fouond another 30 pounds....

so... that's my story....

but... if I wasn't back... then that would mean I didn't think this worked in the first place.. right?

my 'official' one month will be up this Friday.... and I've lost 11 solid... so I"m ok with that...

[mizski]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

(3) those that are successfully following this WOE, but are tired of answering the same questions over and over, especially when they see new members come and go like girl scout cookies.

I think this may account for quite a few of the people who are successful with Atkins.

Marla, I don't think there are accurate stats for any diet plan. From my observation, many people are just not ready to make the commitment to lose weight/eat healthy and/or do the work involved in making that investment in themselves.

I see people drift from diet plan to diet plan (and message boards) looking for an easy quick fix. There is none.

[mission to lose]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

Some may use this board to help them in the beginning to keep them on the right path, but they may not feel the need to stay here forever. They may find they do not need the board any more because they are confident and fine with what they are doing, and may not need the support anymore. Some may find that after awhile, the time they spent on the board could be used for more exercise or some other changes that came up in their life.

[miller98b]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

Most of the people that you know are not going to "make the grade" are pretty obvious on the site. They fight the advice that THEY are asking for and then get mad when the diet fails them or they fail the diet. I see the Admirals and Moderators giving them advice and they say, well I won't do it that way, but I can change it to suit my life. This WOE is not suited to that way of thinking.

The great people here still give them the help they ask for, but that can get more frustrating then a rhino sitting on your head.....Never had that happen? It Hurts!

[Mutantmom]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I'm not sure it is so easy to put people in categories like this, so many different reasons why people leave...no two will be exactly the same.

I've left boards before not because I did not think Atkins works, but because the people on the board were so rude and in your face I could not stand it...I can't stand it when it is 'my way or no way' or when people hide rudness/being mean behind the catch phrase 'tough love'

mutantmom

[poobears1972]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I think Atkins like most diets has a very high fail rate. Most people that hop on a diet don't do it to make a life time commitment. They do it for a quick fix. When the new wears off and it gets hard they bail (done my fair share of it in the past).

I also noticed the same thing you did looking at past post. The majority posted a problem that they couldn't seem to get past (or wouldnt' put in the effort to get past it) or a few great I'm ready to lose posts and poofed. Just the way it is I guess.

[Peytonn]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

this doesn't fit into your 1,2,3 categories.. but another reason I think people leave is that they came to Atkins because of the 'simplicity' of it.. not counting calories... then all of a sudden.. they're being told they 'messed up' because even though the label says 0 carbs on the hot sauce... there MUST be sugar in it.. and even a miniscule amount of sugar in the label is a major NO NO... so.. what I'm saying is.. they came to ATkins BECAUSE you don't have to count calories... but then it ends up being more of a hassle to measure every drop... read every ingredient list for that hidden micromilliliter of sugar... and it ends up being more of a headache than before...

some leave to 'do it on their own' without being told so much about how they're doing it wrong...

[JulieB]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I think that a lot of people think a diet is something you go on for a few months to lose weight, then you can go back to eating the way you used to...that is how dieting was done in my house when I was a child, and that is the attitude I had for many years. I think people realize after a while that they dont want to do this for the rest of their lives, so they quit. Any major lifestyle change is difficult - it can be done if a person is motivated and truly comitted to making the change, but it is never easy. I think this board is full of very realistic people who (although sometimes rudely) make it clear that this is a permanant lifestyle change, not an x-month-long fling.
I also agree that some people start this WOE with the "I can follow only some of the rules" attitude which, in my opinion, is the kiss of death on Atkins.

[atkinsgal08]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

Keep in mind that 95% of people who start any "diet" fail.

[liv]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

this doesn't fit into your 1,2,3 categories.. but another reason I think people leave is that they came to Atkins because of the 'simplicity' of it.. not counting calories... then all of a sudden.. they're being told they 'messed up' because even though the label says 0 carbs on the hot sauce... there MUST be sugar in it.. and even a miniscule amount of sugar in the label is a major NO NO... so.. what I'm saying is.. they came to ATkins BECAUSE you don't have to count calories... but then it ends up being more of a hassle to measure every drop... read every ingredient list for that hidden micromilliliter of sugar... and it ends up being more of a headache than before...

some leave to 'do it on their own' without being told so much about how they're doing it wrong...

So you are saying it our fault.
I have a problem with that.

[michelley]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I agree with missiontolose. Time is a valuable thing & computer time although helpful & even necessary, sometimes takes us away from loved ones &/or work. I spend about the same amount of time here as when I started. But now I spend most of it logging in my exercise challenges & then peeking to see if there are any new subjects.

I'd like to think that the strong posters are still out there, checking in occassionally, and sticking to this awesome way of life. Maybe the less of a "diet" this is, the less the need for support. I thought about dropping the exercise challenges for March since my computer time is at work, but I realize the need for encouragement & camraderie.

[liv]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

I love to see you in the exercise challenges Michelle. Glad you have time for that. And yes there may be better things to do than to be logged in there. Now if I only can remember what they were....

[michelley]

Re: What do you think the start stats are?

Thanks Liv~ for the encouragement and for the great inspiration you are to me!!! haha, I remember when 10 squats was too much for me!!! And a push up was I M P O S S I B L E!!!