Thread: Curious about RTM...?

Hi BL - unlimited SF Jelly - but pretty much everything else should be measured. Just before you start RtM, your LLC should be giving you recipe books and exercise books etc that give you the full list of foods to have during that week.

This really is the hardest part of the diet, and it is way too easy to slip back into old habits (as I have found). The best bit of advice I could give to anyone about to embark on RtM is maintain your normal routine. I have had two weeks off at home on my own - boredom sets in and I for one eat when I am bored - it has cost me 4lb! Had I have maintained a normal routine, I would probably have had that gain as a loss!

Hi BL
You are doing fab, you will be here in no time at all.

Each week you get a list of food you are allowed and instructions on when you can eat it.
Week 1 days 1 + 2 you are allowed one serving of protein only for one meal. So one salmon fillet on its own, not even herbs.
day 3 you can then add a salad made up of anything on the list and this should be limited to one cereal bowls worth. This is one meal per day. You can also add herbs and up to half a pint of skimmed milk to add to tea or coffee.
That's the general idea, but you get a book with food lists and pretty much everything you need to know, plus a recipe book which is limited but some good recipes, we have started a list of recipes on here too.

Sugar free jelly, natural fat free yoghurt and diet drinks from week 2 makes things a bit more interesting, adding fruit in week 3 and being able to cook veg in week 4, after that it feels a lot more like normality is coming back, it goes like a flash though.

I have found managing day to day is fine, and eating out too, it is just holidays that are tricky, I am going away in 4.5 weeks and I have started to cut back to lose a bit before I go. The last couple of trips away I have had I put on a few pounds and it is hard to deal with emotionally (for me).

Portion sizes confuse me as well, I'm having waaaaaay too much salad I think

We're deliberately using dessert plates cos they're smaller and will make it look like there is more in them.

They want you to learn to control your own portion sizes and listen to your body, which is harder than it sounds!

I'm constantly stopping, thinking 'am I still hungry? Is this psychological hunger?' but never being sure. It's tough!

I find the books really vague too. Next week we're allowed fruit, but it doesn't say how much, how often. Is it as well as our 225g snack or instead of?

I don't know how much yoghurt we're allowed either I asked my LLC and she said 'one of the small pots' which is fine, but they all have different amounts in!

Plus she advised me to have some carrot sticks or something as a snack, I'm in week 2, cant have carrots for another 3 weeks! I'm slightly concerned she didn't know that

I'll see how I do at WI in this week I think!

Hi TG
If you log in to the management area there is a servings guide which is really good.

Fruit you should have no more than 3 servings per day (a serving is 1 apple or 2 plums or a pear, the guide lists a lot more).
Yoghurt, 1 small pot per servings and not more than about 300g per day.
Fruit is as well as your 225g of veg snack.
You are basically adding more cals each week.
roughly 100 per week until you get to week 8 then about 150 per week until you get to around 2000 at week 12.

If you have any questions just ask.

Thanks Ali

Not set up on the Management area yet, I don't even know my membership number

Will have to get that sorted on Saturday. Sounds like it will be invaluable

These are the fruit and protein ones

Protein
Includes meat, fish, eggs, beans, pulses and other non-dairy sources of protein. Trim the fat from meat and poultry and look out for lean meats such as extra-lean beef mince and skinless chicken. Follow the advice of your GP or health-care professional on whether you need to restrict your egg intake.

Lean beef, pork, lamb, chicken (skinless) or oily fish 50-75g (2-3oz) cooked, 100-125g (4-5oz) raw
Cooked white fish/shellfish 150g (6oz)
Eggs (whole) 2
Soya, Quorn, tofu 100g (4oz)
Baked beans, reduced sugar/salt 1 small/ ½ large can
Cooked beans, chickpeas, lentils 4 rounded tbsp
Hummus (reduced fat) 2 rounded tbsp
Nuts, nut butters, seeds, tahini 2 level tbsp
Quick tip: two eggs for breakfast counts as one protein serving.

Fruit

Each of these is one serving
Canned*/stewed fruit 3 heaped tbsp
Dried apricots/dates 3
Grapefruit ½
Medium fruit eg apple, banana, orange, pear 1
Melon 1 medium slice
Pure fruit juice 1 small glass (150ml) Raisins, sultanas 1 heaped tbsp
Raspberries 2 handfuls
Small fruits eg plums, satsumas 2
Strawberries 7 medium

Silly question maybe but in week 12 when you add naughty foods back in, is that when you can add alcohol back in too?

Ooops, read properly and now know!

Great list, thanks for sharing!! I was also curious about how to gradually reintroduce food bak into my life. However I'm on the Cambridge Diet, do the same steps/rules apply or is it a totally different system?

This is a really helpful thread.

Thanks so much.

Thanks so much for posting this!

Thank you so much for posting this am hoping to start rtm at the end of the month and haven't been able to find any information about it. Was a little anxious about it but looking through this has made it a little less scary lol