Person A has a weight loss goal of at least forty pounds to drop him into the 140-150 pound range. On Monday, he wants to start on a structured diet program (weight watchers, etc). He will not eat treats, and he will only drink diet soda and water. He has lost weight on these diet programs before without exercise, so he is not stressing over fitness at this point.

Person B wants to loose somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds in order to weigh closer to 120 pounds. She is aiming towards the 60 pound or greater point, but she is not trying to weigh much less than 120 pounds. She has tried going on diets, but finds the structured diets are hard to stick to. On Monday, she is going to stop drinking sodas and Slurpees and keep her mug filled with water at all times. The following Monday, she will start playing her Wii Sports and wearing her pedometer. The Monday after she will start increasing her vegetable intake. Each week, she will add something new. The week after the vegetables, she may start to keep track of steps on her pedometer, or add mild jogging into her walks.

Who is most likely to succeed?

Person A: A male with a smaller weight loss goal who has successfully lost weight before. Has only goal to loose weight.

Person B: A female with a larger weight loss goal who is making very small changes instead of going at weight loss full-force. Has never successfully lost a large amount of weight. Goals include dropping clothing sizes, running one full mile (can barely run now), and touching toes when bent over.

Who is most likely to be successful? Who will loose the weight first? Who will keep it off longer? When both reach their goals, who will most likely be healthier and in better shape?

What are the positives and negatives to their plans?