Inclusion Criteria:  18-65 years of age BMI between 25- 49.9 kg/m2 self-identify as African American live in the Columbia, SC area be able to attend all monitoring visits be willing to be randomized to either condition and be re-randomized if non-responsive be free of major health or psychiatric diseases, drug or alcohol dependency, thyroid conditions, diabetes, or pregnancy  Exclusion Criteria:  should not be pregnant (or have been pregnant in the last 6 months), anticipating on becoming pregnant in the next 24 months, or currently breastfeeding  o Women who are pregnant should not be pursuing weight loss and should be under the direct care of a physician. Therefore women who are pregnant or who are anticipating they might be pregnant should not participate in this study. If a woman becomes pregnant during the study, she will be advised to consult with her healthcare provider and will be dropped from the weight loss study.  should be free of an eating disorder as screened by the Eating disorder Screen for Primary care [ESP]. (If a participant has an eating disorder, they will be given contact information for the eating disorder clinic at the University of South Carolina) no current participation in a weight loss program or taking weight loss medications (although participants may be trying to lose weight on their own) no recent or planned bariatric surgery no recent weight loss (>10 lbs in the last 6 months)