How much weight have you lost in route to management?

[kitkatkin]

Wondering when to start management as I get nearer my goal. All of you out there who have started management - have you continued to lose weight whilst re-introducing food and if so, how much?

Also did you start when you were at goal or before? I have ten pounds to go until my healthy BMI and probably wish to lose another 10lbs on top of that. Wondered whether I should start route to management when I get to my healthy BMI?

Your opinions/advice would be great!

[joh117]

Hi

I lost 8lbs in the first 3 weeks but I have gained this and a little bit more. I am now sick of beating myself up over it and have decided that I will up my exercise to tone as I was happy with the clothes size 10 and just want my clothes to feel better so I am not going on the weight I am anymore. I think I got too obsessed with the whole thing and was paranoid about what I was eating.

I would go as low as you can before starting management its only a few more weeks of abstinance as once you come off its very hard to get back on once food is back in your life. I know

Good luck on the rest of your journey

Jo

[Goombagirl]

I agree with Jo - go low. Putting weight on (if you need to) with food is a lot easier than losing it with food! You've got to consider the glycogen factor as well. Cerulean wrote something very good about that - might be worth doing a search. I think it was about getting to a BMI of 22.5 then losing the first week's loss minus 2 pounds (glycogen load) but I may have got that wrong. My LLC has always said ideally do RtM without the added pressure of wanting to lose. There's an awful lot to think about; you don't need the extra stress.

For the record - think I lost 6 lbs during the 12 weeks. I'd started 4 lbs above my initial goal of 9 stone as I was fed up of packs and felt it was "tidier" to go from foundation to RtM! Lost 7 lbs in the first 3 weeks then gained a pound towards the end. I did not stint on food, to put it mildly, but most of it was on plan. Put on 10 lbs subsequently which is now almost sorted - had a blip but the head is back on track now. I'm going to keep going to sessions when I can for a while yet!

Good luck.

[Loser65]

Hi Kit

I started on RTM when I was 11 pounds from my target weight, having lost 55 pounds after 17 weeks 100% abstinence. There were various functions coming up where I wanted to be part of the partying rather than alongside it so I made the decision to start RTM slightly earlier than I had originally planned. I am now in Week 9 of RTM and have lost a further 12 pounds so am 1 pound under my target.
I have followed the RTM programme fairly closely, tried not to have things not on the plan sooner than suggested and have mostly succeeded in that and also have tried not to have everything suggested for that week for example just because I could have potatoes last week does not necessarily mean that I HAVE to have potatoes - it is not REQUIRED eating.
I have also started jogging since being on RTM (only 15 mins a day) which is something I always attempted when I was 4 1/2 stones heavier but did not enjoy very much surprisingly enough. Now it is so much easier and, I think, a big part of the reason why I have continued to lose weight. For me, exercise has to be part and parcel of the whole healthy and stable weight maintenance.
It was the right time for me to start on the RTM and I was/am happy with my decision - but you will know when the time is right for you.
Good luck in whatever decision you make - you've done really well.

[Cerulean]

I lost 2lbs in the first week and since then have put on 18. I have had issues with binge eating. I have stabilised though...so that's good. RtM is designed so that you stay the same. People who lose a lot in the first few weeks are generally sticking to the book rigidly and eating between 600 and 800 calories a day until week three and then about 1000 calories a day.

[kitkatkin]

Thanks for all the advice - I think I will stick on development for a bit longer. Definitely not before I get to my BMI and then evaluate it on a week by week basis. I think part of my impatience is due to the fact that my husband has now finished route to management and my friend who started at the same time as me (albeit with a different counsellor) has gone onto management and i feel a bit "left out" still on packs.

Loser65 - I also have a lot of social events coming up - including my birthday at the end of November which I want to enjoy rather than let pass me by. I know the arguments are that there will be other birthdays but since a major reason why I have lost all this weight is so we can start trying for a baby (I have fertility issues and have been told to lose weight to maximise our chances) the hope is that my next November I will have a "bun in the oven"