BACKGROUND: Hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle influence energy intake and expenditure as well as eating preferences and behavior. OBJECTIVE: We examined the effect in healthy, overweight, premenopausal women of a diet and exercise weight-loss program that was designed to target and moderate the effects of the menstrual cycle compared with the effect of simple energy restriction. DESIGN: A total of 60 healthy, overweight, premenopausal women were included in a 6-mo weight-loss program in which each subject consumed a diet of 1,600 kcal/d. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a combined diet and exercise program that was tailored to metabolic changes of the menstrual cycle (menstralean) or to undergo simple energy restriction (control). RESULTS: Thirty-one women (19 menstralean and 12 control women) completed the study (mean +/- SD body mass index (in kg/m2) 32.0 +/- 5.2). Both groups lost weight during the study. In an intention-to-treat analysis, the menstralean group did not achieve a clinically significant weight loss compared with that of the control group (p = 0.61). In per-protocol analyses, a more-pronounced weight loss of 4.3 +/- 1.4 kg (p = 0.002) was shown in adherent menstralean subjects than in the control group. CONCLUSION: A differentiated diet and exercise program that is tailored to counteract food cravings and metabolic changes throughout the menstrual cycle may increase weight loss above that achieved with a traditional diet and exercise program in women who can comply with the program. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT01622114.
Copyright by the American Society for Clinical Nutrition.

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