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Introduction/purpose: Weight maintenance following intentional weight loss is challenging and often unsuccessful. Physical activity and self-monitoring are strategies associated with successful weight loss maintenance. However, less is known about the type and number of lifestyle strategies used following intentional weight loss. The purpose of this study was to determine the types and amounts of strategies associated with successful long-term weight loss maintenance., Methods: Data from the 24-month Maintaining Activity and Nutrition Through Technology-Assisted Innovation in Primary Care (MAINTAIN-pc) trial were analyzed. MAINTAIN-pc recruited adults ( n =194; 53.4±12.2 years of age, body mass index (BMI): 30.4±5.9 kg/m 2 , 74% female) with recent intentional weight loss of ≥5%, randomized to tracking tools plus coaching (i.e., coaching group) or tracking tools without coaching (i.e., tracking-only group). At baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months, participants reported lifestyle strategies used in the past 6 months, including self-monitoring, group support, behavioral skills, and professional support. General linear models evaluated changes in the number of strategies over time between groups and the consistency of strategies used over the 24-month intervention., Results: At baseline, 100% used behavioral skills, 73% used group support, 69% used self-monitoring, and 68% used professional support in the past 6 months; at 24 months, these rates were 98%, 60%, 75%, and 61%, respectively. While the number of participants utilizing individual strategies did not change significantly over time, the overall number of strategies participants reported decreased. More strategies were used at baseline and 6 months compared to 12- and 24-month follow-ups. The coaching group used more strategies at months 6 and 12 than the tracking-only group. Consistent use of professional support strategies over the 24-month study period was associated with less weight regain., Conclusion: Weight loss maintenance interventions that incorporate continued follow-up and support from healthcare professionals are likely to prevent weight regain after intentional weight loss., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest. MAINTAIN-pc was funded by a grant from the Agency for Health Research and Quality (R18HS021162-02) and was supported by the National Institutes of Health through grant number UL1TR000005 (University of Pittsburgh CTSI, providing research registry support). This work was also supported by KL2TR002539.

Introduction/purpose: Dietary restriction (DIET) and aerobic exercise (AEX) interventions may impact energy balance differently. Our aim was to describe the effects of weight loss interventions via DIET or AEX on measures of energy balance., Methods: Adults with overweight or obesity were randomized to 12 weeks of DIET or AEX with similar calorie deficit goals. A study day was conducted before and after the intervention to assess subjective and hormonal (ghrelin, peptide-YY, glucagon-like peptide-1) appetite responses to a control meal, ad libitum energy intake (EI) at a single meal, and over three days of free-living conditions and eating behavior traits. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured with indirect calorimetry and adjusted for body composition measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. Non-exercise activity was measured using accelerometers., Results: Forty-four individuals were included (age: 37 ± 9 years, body mass index: 30.6 ± 3.1 kg/m 2 ). Both interventions resulted in weight and fat mass loss. The DIET group lost fat-free mass, although differences between groups were not significant (DIET: -1.2 ± 1.7 kg, p<0.001; AEX: 0.4 ± 1.5 kg, p=0.186; p=0.095 interaction). There were no differences in RMR after body composition adjustment. Both interventions were associated with an increase in dietary restraint (DIET: 4.9 ± 1.2, AEX: 2.8 ± 0.7; p<0.001 in both groups). Hunger decreased with DIET (-1.4 ± 0.5, p=0.003), and disinhibition decreased with AEX (-1.5 ± 0.5, p<0.001), although these changes were not different between groups (i.e., no group × time interaction). No other differences in appetite, EI, or non-exercise physical activity were observed within or between groups., Conclusions: AEX did not result in compensatory alterations in appetite, ad libitum EI, or physical activity, despite assumed increased energy expenditure. Modest evidence also suggested that disinhibition and hunger may be differentially impacted by weight loss modality.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to significant challenges in conducting physical activity and nutrition translational research. This encompassed all phases of translational research, including recruitment (e.g., lack of trust in the scientific community), assessment (university regulations restricting in-person assessments), intervention (conversion of face-to-face interventions to online formats), and retention (loss of employment, phone service, or housing among study participants). The COVID-19 pandemic has had varying impacts on research productivity as well. While some groups found the pandemic led to increases in productivity (as evidenced by increases seen in both manuscript and grant submissions), junior faculty, women (particularly caregivers), African American, Asian, and Latinx faculty, and mid-career and senior scientists all faced unique career and personal challenges during this time. This included competing demands on time that interfered with research productivity and mental and physical health stressors. Therefore, in order to ensure we retain promising scientists in the field of translational physical activity and nutrition science, it will be important to consider these challenges when it comes time to review tenure files and grant applications. Reviewers of these applications should note creativity in moving research forward, continued mentoring of students or other faculty, and plans to get back on track after a pause in their ability to conduct impactful physical activity and nutrition work., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to declare. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by ACSM.

Exercise is accepted as a method to improve weight loss maintenance; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs have yet to be elucidated. In this pilot study, 13 women with obesity underwent a structured weight loss program (goal 8%-10% weight loss) and were then randomized to either a 12-wk diet ( n = 7) or an aerobic exercise training ( n = 6) intervention aimed at maintaining weight loss. At baseline, post-weight loss, and following the weight loss maintenance interventions, measurements of appetite (hunger and satiety) and appetite-regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, peptide tyrosine tyrosine, and glucagon-like peptide 1) were obtained after an overnight fast and for 3 h after a standardized test meal. Ad libitum energy intake was measured at a lunch meal. During the weight loss phase, participants lost 9.1% ± 1.1% of baseline body weight. Participants in both groups maintained weight loss during the 12-wk weight loss maintenance intervention. No differences in fasting leptin ( P = 0.68) or in ghrelin ( P = 0.30), peptide tyrosine tyrosine ( P = 0.93), and glucagon-like peptide 1 ( P = 0.98) area under the curve were detected between groups. Similarly, ratings of hunger ( P = 0.99) and satiety ( P = 0.65) area under the curve after the standardized test meal also did not differ between the groups nor did ad libitum energy intake at lunch. In summary, the 12-wk diet and exercise interventions were equally effective at maintaining weight loss in women, and no differences in measures of appetite regulation and food intake were found., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by the American College of Sports Medicine.

The growth of social media and websites for transmission of health-related information has increased in recent years, and development of online communication skills should be included in exercise science education. Incorporation of blogging into the higher education classroom may serve this professional development purpose, while also increasing student engagement and enhancing learning outcomes., Purpose: The purposes of this study were to evaluate exercise and nutrition science students' perceptions of blogging on perceived learning, sense of community, and technical knowledge at the beginning and end of the semester, and to compare the perceptions of undergraduate (UG) and graduate (GRAD) students., Methods: UG (pre, n = 78; post, n = 50) and GRAD (pre, n = 20; post, n = 17) students were enrolled in semester long seminar courses that required blogging. Perceptions of blogging were assessed using an anonymous Likert-scale survey at the beginning and end of the semester. T-tests were used to determine differences in perception on the survey subscales pre to post and between UG and GRAD students., Results: Agreement that blogging could enhance learning or promote a sense of community was lower at the end of the semester compared with the beginning, but remained relatively high. Agreement with items related to technical knowledge increased from presemester to postsemester. The change in perception in the whole sample was driven by the UG students, as GRAD students' perceptions of blogging, although initially less positive than UG, were mainly unchanged from the start of the semester to the end., Conclusions: Blogging as a required course component is viewed favorably by exercise and nutrition science students. Future research evaluating course characteristics and structure of blogging requirements that may enhance student' perceptions are warranted.