Abstract
The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of if-then plans for different types of daily life physical activities (DLPA) on weight loss in an overweight/obese population partaking in the McGill CHIP Healthy Weight Program (HWP), a 12-month behavioral weight loss program. DLPA are short bouts of physical activity such as gardening, housework, taking the stairs, walking, or cycling to work (Bercovitz, 1998). Research shows that increasing DLPA allows otherwise physically inactive individuals to attain the suggested thirty minutes of daily PA (Besser & Dannenberg, 2005). We categorized DLPA if-then plans that participants generated over 12 months in the HWP into subcategories such as housework, traveling, or errands. Data from a total of 292 DLPA-related if-then plans from 59 participants who have completed the HWP will be analyzed. Analyses will focus on comparing the impact of different types of DLPA on weight loss success and maintenance at 3, 12, and 24 months. Knowing which types of DLPA behaviours result in greatest weight loss and best weight loss maintenance can inform future weight loss programs and recommendations. Keywords: implementation intentions, physical activity type, active lifestyle, exercise, weight loss, weight loss maintenance
