Avoiding holiday seasonal weight gain with nutrient-supported intermittentenergy restriction: a pilot study

Abstract

This pilot randomised controlled study evaluated the effects of a nutrient-supported intermittent energy restriction nutrition programme to prevent weightgain in healthy overweight adults during the 6-week winter holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year. For 52 d, twenty-two overweight adults(mean age 41·0 years, BMI 27·3 kg/m2) were assigned to either the nutrition programme (n10; two fasting days of 730 kcal/d (3050 kJ/d) of balancedshake and dietary supplements to support weight management efforts, followed by 5 d of habitual diet) or a control group (n12; habitual diet). A significantweight loss from baseline (pre-holiday 10 d before Thanksgiving) to day 52 (post-holiday 3 January) was observed in the nutrition programme (75·0(SD9·8)v.76·3(SD9·8) kg;P<0·05). Body weight did not significantly change in the control group and there was no between-group difference. Increases frombaseline in fasting insulin (42·9%;P=0·0256), updated homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA2) (43 %;P=0·025), LDL-cholesterol (8·4%;P=0·0426) and total cholesterol (7·1%;P=0·0154) levels were also reported in the control group. In the nutrition programme group, baselineHDL-cholesterol and TAG levels measured after two fasting days increased (13 %;P=0·0245) and decreased (22·8%;P=0·0416), respectively.There was no significant change in HOMA2. Between-group differences in changes in insulin levels (P=0·0227), total cholesterol:HDL-cholesterolratio (P=0·0419) and HOMA2 (P=0·0210) were significant. Overall compliance rate was 98 % and no severe adverse events were reported. These pre-liminaryfindings suggest that this intermittent energy restriction intervention might support weight management efforts and help promote metabolic healthduring the winter holiday season