Thread: Your RTM experience...

A few questions for you RTMers and maintainers... Hope you've got the rest of the afternoon free to answer them...

In their marketing materials LL claim that LL really starts with RTM. Why would that be, in you opinion? What has RTM given you in addition to a (very good!) structure for re-introducing foods and identifying your triggers? How does the mind side of things like CBT in RTM compare to Foundation?

I'm trying to make up my mind about RTM, so your comments are as ever invaluable!

Many thanks!

Hi GoBubbles. I am not in RTM yet, but have spoken to many at my centre that are, and have also spoken to many who have not done RTM. (hint: they tend to be restarters and returners......)

I have found, that those that did RTM have kept their weight off. And those that didn't have put some, if not all, of the weight back on.

Losing weight is easy. Keeping it off is where the real work begins. I believe that is what LL means.

But seriously, from those I have spoken to, I would highly reccomend you do RTM. I know I am. Otherwise I have wasted months worth of money, and abstaining, etc. There is no way in h*ll I am going to go through all this and then take even the slightest chance that could risk putting it back on. Simply not worth it. The job is not done, till the job is done.

I'm sure you will get some good info from those doing it - but thought I would say my 2p anyway.

In RtM, you put into practise everything you learnt while abstaining. You learn to delay gratification; listen to your parent, adult and child voices; how to talk back to your chatterbox; develop a low GI diet that will work for you for life; discuss issues around food (which you can't do while abstaining); etc, etc, etc... As BL has just said, You spend a lot of money losing the weight, so why not? Think about it as insurance. If you bought a beautiful piece of expensive art, you would make sure it was insured against theft, loss or damage. Your body is the piece of art and RtM is the insurance! It's up to you - Heaven knows, this diet does extend us all financially but IMO, RtM is the best thing you can do at the end of abstinence IF you can possibly find a way to afford it.
Linze

Thanks, BL. Your 2p is always worth way more than that - and always very welcome!

Linze, your answer nails it on the head:

You put into practise everything you learnt while abstaining. You learn to delay gratification; listen to your parent, adult and child voices; how to talk back to your chatterbox; develop a low GI diet that will work for you for life; discuss issues around food (which you can't do while abstaining); etc,

The latest news is that tonight my LLC told us that her practice relocates at the end of Foundation, and her replacement in the area is someone I wasn't impressed with when I spoke to her when I was looking for an LLC. So now I'm thinking of doing 'Development' on CD and then if I'm not happy with CD restart LL... I'll keep my options open for the future, once I'm closer to my target weight, but thanks anyway.

Originally Posted by gobubbles

In their marketing materials LL claim that LL really starts with RTM. Why would that be, in you opinion? What has RTM given you in addition to a (very good!) structure for re-introducing foods and identifying your triggers? How does the mind side of things like CBT in RTM compare to Foundation?

I'm trying to make up my mind about RTM, so your comments are as ever invaluable!

Many thanks!

YES - it DOES start with RTM! Afterall - losing weight is relatively easy when you've got strict rules to adhere to.....but once back in the world of food you've got the same problems you had last time....and look where that got us all....OVERWEIGHT! Its a chance to re-evaluate your relationship with food - put into practice the things learned in counselling sessions and find new ways to respond to your triggers (either emotional or food). CBT has more meaning now you can apply it to specific examples in the here and now......ie - I am upset and I CAN access chocolate......now I need to put my thought records into action to work out how I am going to deal with it. In Abstinence its all theory!

You also have a clean palate, so things like highly processed ready meals and sugary foods are a real turn off, and you really enjoy cooking and eating healthy foods. I never cooked from scratch before, now I couldn't imagine NOT cooking from scratch! It takes the same amount of time, tastes SOOOO much better and is MUCH more enjoyable AND healthy! It also teaches you what exactly IS a healthy meal(s) so you can make more informed food choices.

I never ate much salad or veg (or fruit for that matter) because picking up crisps and choc was so much easier - but now I just get up five mins earlier to make up my food (salad, fruit and yogs etc) for the day - and I feel SO much better for it!

The people I know who have done LL and put weight back on have not done RTM and have said that they WILL do it this time. Those who are on/have done RTM have found it invaluable! I can't recommend it enough. What's another 12 weeks on top of the 5 months I'd already done??

Speaking as someone who is really struggling with re-introducing food, I would say that RTM is essential. I thought it would be a breeze, like foundation and developers were for me, but boy was i wrong. I know some people find it easy but for me every day is a huge challenge. I know that if i did not carry on with RTM that i would put the weight back on very quickly.

Deb, how true that in abstinence CBT is all theory! That's part of the reason why I've been pondering whether it's worth it to do RTM, because so far for me it's not been earth-shattering stuff... I've always been into psychology, self analysis, etc. and I even did NLP a few years back, so perhaps I'm not the easiest customer to please.

Ultimately, though, it's all down to how much benefit you can get out of your LLC meetings. I've also come to realise that group sessions are not the best for me, or perhaps they would be if there was enough time to go round the room and get everybody to speak.

Having said that, I haven't discounted RTM, and what you fab ladies have said in this thread has been enlightening and made me see what's so good about it. So, many thanks again.

No worries - I would DEFINITELY give it a go though, and see what you think! Certainly the 12 stages of reintroducing foods is essential, even if you ignore all the counselling. I only go once a fortnight now (as I have a 100mile round trip to get to meetings) and really I go just to catch up with everyone and get my packs/get weighed - but it IS a good chance to ask questions and compare notes/recipes/problems with other RTM people!

There are people in our Development group who are on Management. My counsellor said they wouldn't talk about food because some of us are still in abstinence.

For me, that really defeats the object of RTM, and I think those that are doing it are being deprived of the most important stage

How strange to be mixed together! thats not really getting the most of the cbt is it? Perhaps it needs to be discussed with your councellor xx

Nice to see some different people on here. For me RTM is essential. I think of it a bit like politics or my chosen religion - not all of it will apply or be right for me, but most of it will. I pick up ad gain from the aspects which apply to me. Sorry, haven't explained myself very well.
As our LLC says "anybody who sticks to LL will lose weight. The challenge comes on maintaining that loss. It's not like being an alcoholic or a recovering drug addict because giving up food forever is not an option. So it's necessary to create a new and healthy relationship with food for the future and if specialist help and support is there I'm going to use it as much as I can and need to have the best chance of success.
As BL said, there is NO WAY I'm going to let this change in my life slip through my hands. It is much too immportant.

hello all, this maybe a bit late now but.....i started route to management last tues. My counsellor has said for the first few weeks i can stay in the development group which is where all the foundation group have gone i was part of. She says it will give me extra support and her time to establish who is in her management group as things change over easter time. I felt this was ok last week but as time is going on im now wondering what psychological impact it will have on me ? ive moved on and now want to maintain not loose.Being in a group with people who still want to loose seems odd.any thoughts from any one pls?
xxxx

Annoying isn't it!! I'm in a group with two others, who never turn up for the RTM classes, so I haven't had a proper class for the past three weeks. I just go in, sit and wait for the previous class to finish, my LLC comes out and sits and chats to me and I ask her any questions I've had about the early few weeks that have cropped up for me. I've had nothing else though so far because it's pointless doing a class just for me.

Getting a bit fed up and would love proper group sessions at the moment while I'm still learning a lot. Although, saying that I've been listening to the CD's in the car, which are really good and learnt a bit from them, and I suppose I should be trying to find my own way a bit too. I'm managing to maintain at the moment too, which is good and certainly helping me chill a bit about it all.

Poppy - you refer to CD's, can you tell me what these are please? Are they LL CD's, or others you have bought?

I haven't been given anything other than the books with food listings in them (but then I didn't get a pedometer etc in maintenance), should I have anything else?

Thanks

Sean, in your big blue book, look at the back page and this will tell you which CDs you should receive and when. First one is week 1-4 and then CD 2 is week 5 I think.

Ask for them because I think they are helping me definitely!