The show is on 7 pm eastern time tonight...looks like the Atkins guy didn't do so well after the challenge was over.

By John Larson
Dateline NBC

Updated: 3:32 p.m. ET March 14, 2004

By the time they reached their 25th high school reunion, the hard work had been already been done. In nine months they all had lost a boatload of weight. At their reunion last October, their classmates raved at our dieters' new look. But the question on many minds is, could they keep it off?

John Larson: “How many of you think this change will essentially be permanent?”

Everybody thought so, except one: Rick Burnes, our high school football touch guy who went from 328 to 220, losing a 108 pounds on the Atkins diet.

Rick Burnes: “I don't know, I just had the attitude of just, you know, let's do the challenge, see what happens.”

So what happened? Rick planned to take a little time off and then return to his diet, but...

Rick Burnes: “That went a little longer than a little time off.”

He started gaining weight almost immediately. By the end of the football season he'd put on 24 pounds.

Rick Burnes: “I blame that on the Patriots.”

After all that hard work, Rick was now up to 244. But that's not so unusual according to experts.

Lisa Sanders: “Most dieters, fail in this part, not in the weight loss part.”

Dr. Lisa Sanders specializes in obesity at Yale University and is the author of "The Perfect Fit Diet.” She believes keeping weight off is much more complex than just losing weight.

Lisa Sanders: “It's the difference between dating and marriage. When you think about a diet as aberration, then you're looking for the motorcycle, tattooed guy that's going to be fun to be around. But you're not thinking long term. You have to think of a diet as a long term relationship between you and your body.”

Recent national research is discouraging, showing that nine out of 10 people who successfully lose weight gain it all back within a year. Our dieters did great losing weight with their high school reunion approaching and Dateline's camera's watching. But that was then. This next year may be the most telling of their lives.

Who of our six will best unlock the secrets to long term weight loss?

Marc Merlis, a ladies man back in high school, went from 245 to 210. He lost 35 pounds on hypnosis. When we last left the Merlis family, things couldn't have been better.

Cheryl Merlis: “We had a phenomenal year.”

But within a few weeks, Marc had stopped going to the hypnotist, stopped exercising and started overeating.

Cheryl Merlis: “Once he starts –“

Marc Merlis: “I can't stop.”

Cheryl Merlis: “He can't stop.”

Marc Merlis: “I don't know if you call that binging.”

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4488471/

And the above, dear readers, is what happens when you "go on a diet" as opposed to making a lifelong change in your eating habits.

/nod

I watched Extreme Makeover where they told the 3 people that they couldn't have their make over unless they lost weight. They put them on a horrible diet, full of carbs, very low calorie, worked them out mercilessly. They were hungry, battling cravings and miserable.

And what did they start to do once they were accepted for the makeover? They started going back to their old eating habits. I knew they would.

That is what happens when you diet. The diet ends and now you're back to the same way as you were before. That's why if you don't essentially stay on the diet for a lifetime you're doomed to fail.

Also....just how motivated are these people?

I did Atkins and didn't stick with it....but I'm back and making it a life change because I know it works and is healthy.

Lots of articles talk about Atkins not being sustainable, based on the high drop out rate....but what is the rate of other diets?

I'll probably watch it. I just hope I don't throw something at the TV!

I know very few people vain enough to starve themselves on dreck for a lifetime.

Guess you don't hang around stars and models very much

Ha ha! No, I'm in the "salad bowl" part of California.

I only skimmed through the post, but I didn't see any mention of what happened to the other dieters. They said on the show last night [after making a big deal right at the beginning about the Atkins Guy] that almost all of them had gained weight after the Challange: The Slimfast Guy, the Weight Watchers Woman, The Marathon Runner, etc...I think only one of them [The one with the Personal Weight Loss Coach] didn't gain any weight back. The Atkins Guy and most the rest went back on their diets and have lost some of the weight they had regained. So, this is NOT a problem unique to Atkins. The Atkins Guy probably gained more weight than the others because he'd lost more weight in the first place.

Diet        Weight Lost   Weight Regained
-----------------------------------------
Coach          60 lbs    -16.7% (-10 lbs)
WW             40 lbs      7.5% (+ 3 lbs)
Atkins        108 lbs     22.2% (+24 lbs)
Marathon       35 lbs     22.9% (+ 8 lbs)
Hypnosis       35 lbs     57.1% (+20 lbs)
Slimfast       20 lbs     65.0% (+13 lbs)
-----------------------------------------
Me - 1997 LF   22 lbs     72.7% (+16 lbs)
Me - 1998 LF    5 lbs    760.0% (+38 lbs)

The poor marathon runner has no base to fall back on-she is running 16miles a week and hates it-no idea how to strike an equilibrium .

The other exercise participant is building a future for herself with good eating habits and a good strength bldg regime. Good for her continuing to loose.

I can't believe the Atkins guy lost so much started playing soccer and improved his life and is willing to let it drift away-being locked into fat is no fun.....

"..but I didn't see any mention of what happened to the other dieters."

If you click on the link provided in the original post, you can read the whole article.

Linda

What gets glossed over is the Atkins guy is still 84 pounds down from where he started.... time for him to realize his mistake of leaving before he loses too much ground.