This study shows that much of the problems with diet plans is the drop out rate. It doesn't say it here but on the news this morning the drop out rate on Adkins was over 50%.

I think this is the beauty of CAD. You have something to look forward to every day. I've got a piece of carrot cake waiting for me right now! This diet is easy to sustain. Having friends over, or going to their house, or eating out is not a problem. These are the times that make most diets fail. I don't have to tell anyone I'm on a diet, I eat whatever I want.

The only thing I have to change is the drinks and snacks before the meal. I notice I don't take any, but no one else does. I carry my glass of wine and visit until we set down to eat. Then everything is completely normal. No guilt about the great dessert.

I can keep this up for ever. Piece of cake.

Larry

This is a quick overview....
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Nov. 10 - The study placed 40 overweight people each on the four diet plans for a year. The volunteers all lost weight but no diet appeared to spark more weight loss than the other.

Volunteers who stuck with the diet plans for a full year all lost about 5% of their body weight.

After two months, 22% of the 160 volunteers had given up on their diet. Of the volunteers who stayed with their diets a whole year, more stuck with WeightWwatchers and the Zone than with the Atkins and the Ornish plans.~

Researchers say the key finding of the study was that all the volunteers reduced their heart disease risk - regardless of how they lost the weight.

All the dieters received four counseling sessions during the first two months of the study and were on their own after that.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. It was presented Sunday at the American Heart Association's Annual meeting in Orlando.

Here is more detail on the study on MSNBC site.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/991292.asp

thanks for the data, Larry. Easy for me to understand. I can't count the number of times I've tried Atkins & failed. Intellectually it made such sense, but was impossible for me to stick to. I desperately craved carbs even after stuffing myself (with "legal" foods) at each meal & snacked throughout the day... with 100+ to lose I felt it was more a miserable "life-sentence" than a diet! Induction was a struggle from day one. Ongoing weight-loss? Critical Carb Level? Maintenance? Forget about it! I never got past day 4 or 5 without crashing and always feeling like such a failure. This Wednesday will mark 2 months on CALP (will update my stats then) and I couldn't be happier. Enjoy your carrot cake. I've got "real" dessert waiting for me, too! (a Cheesecake Factory PeanutButter Cup slice) Gotta go, need to shop for new cookbooks...the "real" kind!

Couldn't agree more, Larry. This doesn't feel like a diet to me at all. Not when I can have all my favourite foods. I need that Reward meal to make low carb liveable for me.

Gogo, just wanted to say hello and welcome to the forum.

<shrug> I can see where CAD has advantages, sice I've been on both. There's no crime in deciding on a different plan,but there are those who set themselves up to fail, even on CAD!

I feel like my old stand-by, the Dr Phil book, should be required reading for anyone who's EVER had trouble with their weight. Not to sound like I'm at ALL anti-low carb (how foolish would THAT be?) but I think I could even lose on his food plan (not lc, but careful-carb, fruits, whole grains, etc..) with the emphasis he puts on figuring out how to NOT get in your own way, and set yourself up to SUCCEED, not fail..

Please don't take my thoughts as putting any diet down. I think your right about being able to lose on any diet. I just think some are harder than others.

For three months I went on a very low fat diet. I didn't lose anything and the worst was it didn't lower my Cholesterol at all. Which was my goal in first place. I thought about food and dreamed about food for three months.

What I mean about CAD, IMHO, is it is more about timing than about a LC diet. For me I eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, basically O carbs. Then am not hungry all day. Eat dinner usually a little early 4:30esh. Eat a great meal and don't even think about carbs. It is so easy to eat within an hour unless I'm out somewhere I don't even look at my watch.

But whatever WORKS for whoever is absolutely ok with me.

Larry

I lurk here on the CAD/CALP forum because I think it's so intriguing that two dissimilar plans both work for different people. Some people lose because they spread their carbs out during the day, while others lose on CAD because they are concentrating their carbs into one meal.
It truly is a personal matter. I bought the Heller's first book for a friend who was a carb addict, but I don't think she ever took it to heart. Then I read their second book, the Lifeplan one. They are very knowledgeable about their subject and I think they have brought a truly new perspective to the whole low carb field.
For myself, I was never tempted to try it, since on Atkins I don't seem to crave bread or pasta or cake. I took this as a sign of what my body is now comfortable with.
One size does not fit all.

Very true Adkpam, I tried Atkins for a few months but it didn't really work for me, CAD seems to be working. I got 100% in the test so I guess I'm an addict alright. That doesn't mean Atkins is no good, and CAD is the one for everyone. I'm always really pleased for anyone who finds the way to beat this problem we all have, and these forums are full of such people.