Changes in self-efficacy and dietary adherence: the impact on weight loss in the PREFER study.

Findings from studies examining self-efficacy and its relationship to weight loss have been inconsistent. We examined self-efficacy specific to changing eating behaviors in the PREFER trial, an 18-month behavioral weight-loss study, to determine if self-efficacy and dietary adherence were associated with weight change, and what impact self-efficacy had on weight change after controlling for adherence. Measurements included the weight efficacy lifestyle (WEL) questionnaire, body weight, self-reported fat gram intake, kilocalorie intake, and adherence to kilocalorie and fat gram goals at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months.

Effects of a vegetarian diet and treatment preference on biochemical and dietary variables in overweight and obese adults: a randomized clinical trial.

Background: A vegetarian diet may lead to numerous health benefits, including weight loss.

Objective: We examined the joint effects of personal preference of dietary treatment and a calorie-restricted, low-fat lactoovovegetarian diet (LOV-D) compared with a standard calorie-restricted, low-fat omnivorous diet (STD-D) on changes in weight, total cholesterol, ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol (LDL:HDL cholesterol), triacylglycerols, insulin resistance, and macronutrient intake during an 18-mo study.

Design: This was a randomized clinical trial of 176 overweight and obese adults who were recruited and randomly assigned first to 1 of 2 preference conditions (yes or no).

Using instrumented paper diaries to document self-monitoring patterns in weight loss.

Self-monitoring of eating is associated with successful weight loss, but adherence is imperfect and deteriorates over time. Moreover, intentionally or not, many individuals have difficulty keeping faithful records. We used instrumented paper diaries (IPDs) to study self-monitoring in randomly chosen participants in the PREFER trial, a behavioral treatment for weight-loss study.

A randomized clinical trial testing treatment preference and two dietary options in behavioral weight management: preliminary results of the impact of diet at 6 months--PREFER study.

Objective: The PREFER study objectives were to examine potential differences in weight loss during a standard behavioral intervention between subjects assigned to one of two calorie- and fat-restricted diets [standard behavior treatment (SBT) and lacto-ovo-vegetarian ([SBT+LOV)], with or without regard to their preferred dietary treatment. This article reports the differences in outcomes between diet groups after the first 6 months of the intervention.

Research Methods And Procedures: The study used a four-group design.

Ancillary study to the PREFER trial: a descriptive study of participants' patterns of self-monitoring--rationale, design and preliminary experiences.

Background: The treatment of obesity, marked by a high rate of recidivism, lacks strategies that sustain the improved lifestyle behaviors that led to the weight loss. Self-monitoring, a behavioral strategy to increase awareness of one's behavior, is the cornerstone of behavioral treatment in weight loss management. However, adherence to self-monitoring is less than ideal.

PREFER study: a randomized clinical trial testing treatment preference and two dietary options in behavioral weight management--rationale, design and baseline characteristics.

Background: Obesity, a disorder associated with a myriad of comorbidities, is increasing at an alarming rate around the world. Given that pharmacotherapy has limited available options and that bariatric surgery is reserved for those who are morbidly obese or who have significant comorbidities, the most common approach to the treatment of obesity is standard behavioral treatment. This approach includes behavior modification related to eating and activity habits.

Self-monitoring dietary intake: current and future practices.

This article reviews the literature on the use of paper diaries for self-monitoring food intake, identifies the strengths and limitations of paper-and-pencil diaries and their new counterpart, the electronic diary or personal digital assistant (PDA), and reports how participants were trained to use a PDA with dietary software in two pilot studies--one with hemodialysis patients and the other with participants in a weight loss study. The report of the pilot studies focuses on the practical issues encountered in training participants in the use of a PDA and addresses the pros and cons of different dietary software programs. Six hemodialysis patients were trained in the first study and seven participants attempting to lose or maintain their weight were trained in the second pilot study.