Table 3.

Group-based behavioral weight loss program outline

Session number	Chapter	Topic	Learning objectives
1	1	Getting Off to a Healthy Start	Participant introductions, program and session overview, weight loss basics, stages of readiness to change introduction
2	2	The A, B, C’s of Healthy Eating	Smart food choices, dietary balance and moderation, serving sizes vs portions, reading food labels, stages of change assessment for healthy eating
3	3	Physical Activity is More Than Exercise	Definitions of physical activity, exercise, and fitness; physical activity benefits, recommendations, and intensity; caloric expenditure; personal time study; getting started; stage of change assessment for physical activity
4	4	Weight in the Balance	Energy balance, factors that affect weight loss, estimated resting energy expenditure and daily calorie needs calculations, energy density vs nutrient density, increasing weekly calorie burn, fad diets, and dietary supplements
4b (GWL + SWA only)		SenseWear Platform Training
5	5	On the Right Track: Self-Monitoring	Role of self-monitoring in losing weight, step counter/armband for self-monitoring physical activity, guidelines for self-monitoring nutrition and physical activity, completing the Lifestyle Summary Form, tracking thoughts
6	6	Setting Goals for Weight Loss	Elements and role of goal setting, realistic and safe weight loss goals
7	7	I Know It’s Good for Me, But …	Review food and activity logs, personal benefits and barriers, IDEEA method for problem solving, stage of readiness to change assessment for physical activity and healthy eating
8	8	Simple Ways to a Healthy Weight	Evaluating the eating and physical activity environment, strategies for healthy eating when dining out, role of convenience foods, preparing food at home, identifying healthy alternatives
9	9	Breaking the Habit: Taking Control of Triggers	Internal and external triggers, physical hunger vs psychological hunger, planning healthy cues and triggers, coping with negative triggers, all foods can fit
10	10	Plan Ahead for Success	Introduction to concept of lapse and relapse, identifying negative thoughts and their sources, strategies to change negative thoughts to positive thoughts, planning ahead for high-risk situations
11	11	Identifying Sources and Asking for Help	Importance of social support, identifying kinds of support and who to ask, rewarding people that provide social support, dealing with unsupportive people
12	12 and 13	What’s Eating You? Managing Stress; Managing Your Time	Cite personal values and compare with typical weekly activities, plan healthy eating and physical activity strategies for 1 week, stress and health, strategies for reducing stress
13	14	Lifelong HEALTH!	Lifestyle change confidence assessment, helpful strategies to boost confidence and facilitate further change, recognizing successes, preventing and preparing for potential lapses, adding variety to prevent boredom
14	14	Lifelong HEALTH!	Shared meal, reviewing barriers and benefits, reviewing progress toward healthy eating, setting new goals, stage of readiness to change assessment for healthy eating and physical activity, program major message summary, schedule first telephone follow-up call

Abbreviations: GWL, group-based behavioral weight loss program group; IDEEA, Intelligent Device for Estimating Energy Expenditure and Activity; SWA, self-monitoring with armband group.