POLL: RTM vs going it alone?

katalena

Enjoying life!
Having read alot on the LL forums over the weekend I am keen to ask people their opinions on RTM vs going it alone?

When I started LL there was no question for me that I would do Foundation, Developers and RTM. I still feel that way and plan to see RTM through to the end.

My personal view on this was that "in for a penny in for a pound" I felt that to do all three stages meant "doing it properly" for me and I have never been one to "doing things by halves" as my parents always said.

Now, I do understand that for many there is the money/cost issue and that even though they may feel that way they are unable to commit to RTM. Some I am sure feel they got that far that they can manage alone and I am sure others think it is achieved and "done" once the weight is gone amongst a variety of other reasons I am sure.

I dislike the statement of "losing it is the easy bit, it's the keeping it off that is the hard part" as we are all individual and succeeding at losing weight is a huge achievement, it is the first stage of a successful healthier and balanced lifestyle.

Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong as I in no way wish to sound like I am judging anyone but it would seem that those who successfully keep the weight off are those that do and complete RTM. Is this the case? Obviously it is not set in stone and RTM will not mean you succeed as ultimately it is down to the individual and the choices they make but I am keen to learn and understand more about RTM.

What do you think?

Thank you

Kat xx
 
straight up follow it to the end
RTM has to be done no doubt about it :)
 
Hi Kat
Personally for me I will be doing RTM faithfully as I think it is critical to get it right (and I am best when following a plan to the T!) Like you I don't judge those that choose not to, but the more I read, the more it seems that the majority of people who manage to keep it off are the RTM'ers - and I want every tool I can have to help me keep it off for the rest of my life.

I particularly agreed with your comment:
"I dislike the statement of "losing it is the easy bit, it's the keeping it off that is the hard part" as we are all individual and succeeding at losing weight is a huge achievement, it is the first stage of a successful healthier and balanced lifestyle."
So so true - I know keeping it off aint gonna be a breeze, but it really denigrates the achievement of sticking to a severe plan such as LL and losing the weight in the first place when people (like my LL counsellor) call that part easy.

Will be really interested to read all the viewpoints on your thread - thanks for posting.

xxxxxxxx
 
id also like to say even though im finishing at week 8 due to my llc telling me ive done enough, ima still do rtm with the help of the books once she orders me them, shes a slacker lol
 
Well, a good litmus test is simple.

Ask someone who has regained their weight if they did RTM.

And then,

Ask someone who is maintaining if they completed RTM.

You will find there is a trend. ;) It is not a given that one will maintain by completing RTM, but it improves their success rate I believe.

Not seeing it through to the end just does not make good sense. It would be like going through an extensive course, to learn a new trade because you hate the one you are in. It's horrible, makes you unhappy, is bad for you, all those horrible things. So you get a chance to change, and you get to learn a new trade so you can have a better job, and a better quality of life. You do alllll that training, and that new life is moments away - but that suddenly seems too far away, so you just go back to your old job. Why on earth would you do that?

RTM, by the book. Why risk any collateral damage. :)
 
BL that is such a good analogy. What a good way to look at it and I totally agree.

Thank you

Kat xx


It would be like going through an extensive course, to learn a new trade because you hate the one you are in. It's horrible, makes you unhappy, is bad for you, all those horrible things. So you get a chance to change, and you get to learn a new trade so you can have a better job, and a better quality of life. You do alllll that training, and that new life is moments away - but that suddenly seems too far away, so you just go back to your old job. Why on earth would you do that?
 
I totally agree with BL, it is absolutely teaching me huge amounts, and there would be no point for me in doing it by half measures. It is very important to me to complete this by the book and learn as much as possible whilst doing it. I think it is not a guarantee of success, but helps your chances.

Jez
xx
 
I didn't do a full RTM. I did it over 4 weeks. I fully intended to do RTM, but I do a load of exercise and couldn't get the cals I needed to support that from RTM.

I think it's important to go through the process, but I think some people will be able to do it much faster. Rumour has it that LL may be shortening RTM next year.

I wonder whether one of the differences in stats between people who do RTM and don't do RTM is actually caused by complacency rather than the actual RTM process. I've been maintaining for over 2 months now, and I can completely see how it could go wrong for people. I weigh every day. Sometimes my weight goes up a couple of lbs, I can easily catch it in the bud and deal with it. I think it'd be easy for people to think they know what they're doing, and also that they've changed their attitudes to food, changed their life, and don't want to calorie count any more. RTM shows you that you can do it, but it's not easy and it does that in a sensibly phased way.

Hopefully that made some kind of sense!
 
I understand what you mean Girloutdoors.

I am sure I may have met you once at class in Glos - if it is you!?

Your comment about not getting enough cals for your exercise is what makes me think it was you.

I sat next to you and you showed me your before & after pics, which were amazing! You had lost a huge amount of weight and popped into class in your gym gear and left a tad early to get there :)

I could be way off the mark here! lol

Kat xx


I didn't do a full RTM. I did it over 4 weeks. I fully intended to do RTM, but I do a load of exercise and couldn't get the cals I needed to support that from RTM.

I think it's important to go through the process, but I think some people will be able to do it much faster. Rumour has it that LL may be shortening RTM next year.

I wonder whether one of the differences in stats between people who do RTM and don't do RTM is actually caused by complacency rather than the actual RTM process. I've been maintaining for over 2 months now, and I can completely see how it could go wrong for people. I weigh every day. Sometimes my weight goes up a couple of lbs, I can easily catch it in the bud and deal with it. I think it'd be easy for people to think they know what they're doing, and also that they've changed their attitudes to food, changed their life, and don't want to calorie count any more. RTM shows you that you can do it, but it's not easy and it does that in a sensibly phased way.

Hopefully that made some kind of sense!
 
I put my weight back on and I didn't do rtm - money was a big factor but I also just wanted to eat! I found that my digestion could handle any food after the first few days and I joined WW. The problem was I couldn't los weight on WW as my body was still adjusting to food, I gave up hope and ate a lot....slipping back into old habits.

It's very tempting to think that I will do rtm this time and so I will definitley succesfully maintain forever. Instead, I think I need to change my thoughts from one about achieving weight loss to be more ready to change the way I use and think about food - I found reading BL's blog useful for this! I'm geared up to this being difficult and this time round I am making time in my life during absitenance and rtm to do all of this (rather than thinking that packs mean I don't have to make meals or wash up much so I can squeeze in more activities!).
 
January to May 2007 I lost 4.5 stone, didn't do RTM and started creeping up almost instantly. Didn't help much that I married, had honeymoon and three holidays really :eek:. I put on 3.5 stone.

I joined again Jan 2009 and managed to loose 3 stone and then did the 4 week RTM which has helped me enormously and I've more or less maintained apart from this last holiday where I went a bit OTT.

There are a lot of chemical reasons why you have to do RTM as well as the mental ones. You can't starve you body and then stuff it and not expect it to panic.

Don't ever think your body is yours. It's a separate entity for carrying your soul around in and it will buck any trend you put in front of it unless you build a good relationship with it. It's that petulant child incarnate!!!!:rolleyes::D
 
That probably was me! I was just starting RTM and went to a developers group, then ran off to do something gym wise... there was talk about drawing round people the next week...
 
ahh yes, I remember you :)

Kat


That probably was me! I was just starting RTM and went to a developers group, then ran off to do something gym wise... there was talk about drawing round people the next week...
 
Nobody in my refreshers group had done RTM, there was 10 of us.....says it all.

Oh and out of the 10, I seem to be the only one left.....just me and the LLC last week.

RTM all the way!!
 
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