Statistical analyses. A final sample size of ;24 men and women/group was estimated to provide 80% power to detect a difference between groups in the change in total abdominal adiposity. This was determined by assuming a difference of 0.5 kg in change in total abdominal fat mass from baseline between groups based on previous evidence using computed tomography data transformed to absolute total abdominal fat content assessed by MRI and using SD as observed by Ross et al. (16). The data analysis included body composition data (anthropometric measurements and MRI data), diastolic and systolic blood pressure, and food records from the weight maintenance period. Our analyses of anthropometric and blood pressure measurements included data collected at wk 0, 6, and 12. For participants missing measurements for wk 6, wk 5 and 7 were averaged and used as the midpoint values. Similarly, wk 11 was used as an endpoint measurement for participants missing wk 12 values. All data were analyzed on a completers basis. Completers of the study were defined as those who completed all assessments and physical measurements throughwk 11 of the study. MRI data were analyzed for 2