The TREND Study: Tapered Reduction in Energy Intake as a Novel Approach to Dieting

"All participants will start with a 3 week run-in period during which they are fed a diet at 1.4 x their resting metabolic rate (kcal). Participants who are weight stable at the end of run in and are randomized to the Tapered Diet Arm will undergo the following 24 week feeding study intervention.~The difference between a participant's run-in period energy intake and low-calorie prescribed energy intake (1000 kcal for women; 1200kcal for men) will be divided by six. At weekly intervals from weeks 1-6, daily caloric intake will be decreased by this fixed amount, reaching the final daily caloric goal (1000 kcals for women and 1200 kcals for men) by the end of the 6th week. Participants will present twice per week during weeks 1-6 to receive food that sums to that week's prescribed calorie level.~From weeks 7-24, these participants will then follow a traditional low-calorie diet, still presenting for food pickups twice per week at a stable caloric level during this period."

"All participants will start with a 3 week run-in period during which they are fed a diet at 1.4 x their resting metabolic rate (kcal). Participants who are weight stable at the end of run in and are randomized to the Traditional Diet Arm will undergo the following 24 week feeding study intervention.~Immediately following run-in, these participants will start a low-calorie diet (1000 kcal per day for women; 1200kcal for men) Participants will present twice per week during weeks 1-24 to receive food that sums to that week's prescribed calorie level."