Calorie showdown: fixed vs variable dieting for weight loss
NCT ID NCT02736669
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tested two weight loss programs in 223 overweight or obese adults aged 21-75. One group followed a fixed calorie reduction plan, while the other varied their calorie intake. The goal was to see which approach leads to more weight loss over time.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- calorie reduction (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show which calorie-cutting approach is more effective for weight loss in behavioral programs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed study, but results may not apply to everyone. Weight loss can be hard to maintain long-term.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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223 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Oct 2015
- Finished
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Dec 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 21-75 * Body mass index (BMI) 30-50 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Uncontrolled hypertension (blood pressure \>160/100 mm Hg) * Any of the following other medical conditions: myocardial infarction or cerebrovascular accident within the last six months; unstable angina within the past six months; congestive heart failure; cancer requiring treatment in past five years (exception: non-melanoma skin cancer); serious infectious diseases (e.g., self-reported HIV); chronic hepatitis; cirrhosis; chronic malabsorption syndrome; chronic pancreatitis; chronic lung diseases or orthopedic problems that limit physical activity * Current use of any of the following medications: antipsychotic agents, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics for HIV or TB, or chemotherapeutic drugs; prescription weight loss medications (past six months) * Unwilling or unable to do any of the following: give informed consent; read English at the 5th grade level; accept random assignment; travel to the intervention site * Likely to relocate out of the area in the next 2 years * Participation in another randomized research project * Weight loss \> 10 pounds in past six months * History of bariatric surgery * Major depressive or psychiatric disorder, or excessive alcohol intake * Potential participants living farther than 30 miles driving distance from UAB will be excluded from the study. * Potential participants (female) that are pregnant or plan to become pregnant in the next 18 months will be excluded from participation in the study. This is a weight loss study and weight gain/loss due to pregnancy and/or delivery would confound study results. Additionally, weight loss is not recommended for pregnant women.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medical Towers Building
Birmingham, Alabama, 35205, United States
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