I'm in all of a kerfuffle and a bit of a muddle...

annaphylactic

Guess who's back...?
Morning all -

Have been thinking about the remainder of my LL journey, going forward... and I'm in a bit of a tizz trying to work out how to do things, dates etc... so thought I would vent on here and hope some of you can offer some pearls of wisdom.

When I set out to do LL I wanted to get to 10 stone - I was 12st 1lb at my weigh in last Sunday - so would imagine I have about two stone (aka months) to go before RTM.

I have since decided that I am going over to the states on a blow out holiday (money wise, not food!!) and want to be able to eat when I am there... now - we are planning a few days in NYC, followed by 10 days or so near my old house in Estero, Florida. We were going to go around April/May because that's when I anticipated finishing RTM... BUT, looking back - Florida becomes almost unbearable come April with the humidity etc... so everyone is recommending we try and go end Feb/beginning March.

SO - what do I do about Lighter Life. I don't want to put the holiday off - I haven't had a proper holiday for about seven years and want to get back over the the US before it gets too hot and nasty (and I can't wait until October!!!!)... but I don't want to be taking foodpacks...

RTMers.... how many weeks is RTM - and is there a point in which you can 'go it alone' for a fortnight... and come back onto RTM if necessary?

OR... as my mum has suggested - I could try finishing Developers slightly before I hit the 10 stone goal - get RTM going and then try and adopt a low GI way of eating and try and get the last stone off myself with diet and exercise.

Which would you suggest???????

I have tried looking at dates etc... but it's starting to boggle by brain...

By my reckoning...

I 'should' reach 10st goal by 1st February if I maintain a stone every 4 weeks... giving me a maximum of 4/5 weeks on RTM pre-holiday...

If I was to stop Developers early enough to ensure the bases were covered in RTM, when would I need to stop?

OK - thank you thank you in advance for having a think about this - I really don't know what to do.

I DEFINITELY want to hit my goal - but am prepared to try and do some of the work myself on eating plans/gym etc... is this realistic??

A x x x
 
Hi Anna

First of all - I would not reccomend cutting RTM short, at all - I think if you are going to do the LL Diet - and become a successful weight holder - you need to do the whole thing. I base this merely on the success/failure rate of those who did and did not complete RTM as advised, etc. So just something I feel strongly about - its the most important part of the diet.

When I went to the states, I had planned my RTM schedule so that I returned to the UK before the Trigger weeks - and am so glad I did now as they are tricky - and could have been disasterous in the states. I believe that is week 8 or week 7.

Up to that week, you have a huge choice of foods and drink, including alcohol, so makes traveling super easy - and you are only on two packs a day - one can be a bar, so it is extremely doable while travelling.

Good luck with your planning. :)

Don't forget - the holiday is about having fun, seeing and doing things, and not food. (easier said then done - but the diet can be managed and a good time still had by all. :))

xx
 
I posted something very similar in one of my first posts. I am off on Holiday in May/June to the states and would have been on RTM for 2 or 3 weeks.

I have come to the decision that I am coming into this diet to do it properly. I will be taking my food packs - and continuing out there.

BL has shown its possible - even though I'm sure it will be hard. But I completely agree with the sentiments above - the people who "compromise" the diet are those that have bad things to say about it ie. keeping the weight off.

I am just thinking that this is my chance to do this properly and I am going to do it. I know its the first proper holiday in seven years - but (and don't take this the wrong way) how long have you had this weight to lose. (I know I've had mine for 8-10 years!!)

I was worried that I would ruin the holiday for my parents and partner. But, this diet is for ME, ME, ME! They love me, and as long as I explain fully then they will support (even if they have a few jibes!)

Why do not want to have food packs while away?
 
I nicked this from the curious about RTM thread.

Look at all the stuff you can have by week 5! Warning. Food below!




Week 1
1 meal, 3 foodpacks, 4 litres of water – £49

Chicken (skinless)
Cottage cheese (plain) choose the lowest fat option
Egg whites, hard boiled
Fish, any, fresh, frozen or tinned in water/brine
Quorn, plain
Shellfish, any
Tofu, plain, any
Turkey, skinless

From day three there is a large list of herbs/spices which can be added, plus a selection of condiments, sauces and dressings. Additionally from day three you can also choose from a selection of green raw vegetables.

Herbs and spices
Various including Curry powder; Paprika; Garlic; Mustard; Mixed herbs; Chives.

Condiments, dressings, sauces etc.
Various including Balsamic vinegar; Lemon and Lime juices; Milk - skimmed; Tabasco sauce; Soy sauce; Tabasco sauce.

Raw salad
Cabbage; Celery; Chicory; Cress, Endive; Lettuce; Spinach; watercress and other mixed salad leaves.
Week 2
1 meal + snacks, 3 foodpacks, 3 litres of water – £49


From Wednesday you can add virtually fat free dips, low cal/diet drinks, and sugar free jelly plus more salad and veg (eat raw), and some dairy including fromage frais and yoghurt. You can now add a snack, for example dip with cucumbers and peppers up to 225g.

Additional condiments, dressings, sauces etc.
Dips - virtually fat free; Drinks - low calorie/diet; Sugar-free jelly

Additional salad and vegetables (raw)
Broccoli; Cauliflower; Courgette; Cucumber, Fennel; Mangetout; Mushroom; Pepper - sweet, any colour; Radish; Spring Onion

Very low-fat dairy products and dairy-free alternatives
Dairy: Curd cheese eg. quark; Fromage frais; Skimmed milk; Yoghurt
Dairy-free alternatives: Rice milk; Soya fromage frais; Soya milk; Soya yoghurt
Week 3
1 meal + snacks,
2 foodpacks, 3 litres of water – £33

Loads more choices! Red meats (lean, all sorts); lots of fresh fruits; tomatoes (fresh, tinned, passata); cooking sauces (very low fat or fat free), soya mince.

Additional protein
Lean Bacon; lean Beef; whole Eggs; Game; lean Ham; Kidney; lean Lamb; Liver; lean Pork; Offal (tongue, heart, sweetbreads, oxtail); Quinoa; Soya mince; Tempeh, Veal, Venison

Additional condiments, dressings, sauces etc.
Cooking sauces (shop-bought, fat-free or virtually fat-free)

Additional salad
Tomato (fresh, tinned, passata and purée)

Fruit
Apple; Blackberries; black, red, whitecurrants; Blueberries; Cherries; Clementine; Damson; Fruit salad; Grapefruit; Grapes; Kiwi; Kumquat; Lemon; Lime; Lychee; Mandarin orange; Nectarine; Orange; Passion fruit; Peach; Pear; Plum; Pomegranate; Raspberries; Rhubarb; Satsuma; Sharon fruit; Strawberries; Tangerine; 100 per cent fruit juice; Fresh fruit smoothie
Week 4
1 meal + snacks, 2 foodpacks, 3 litres of water - £33


From today you can cook my fruit and veg and add onions, spring greens, kale, beansprouts, leek and other stuff.

Additional salad and vegetables
Artichoke; Asparagus; Aubergine; Bean Sprouts, Brussels Sprouts, Greens (spring greens); Kale; Kohirabi; Leek, Marrow; Mooli (daikon radish); Okra; Onion; Pak-choi (Chinese leaves); Shallots; Swiss chard

The best news of all though: you can cook your veg and fruit if you wish!
Week 5
2 meals + snacks, 2 foodpacks, 3 litres of water - £33


Carrots are back on the agenda, as is sweetcorn and beetroot, among others. Alcohol is too! Soup, low fat, even the 'cup-a-soup' variety, and olives. Increase to two protein meals a day, plus more veg and fruit.

Additional salad and vegetables
Beetroot; Carrot; Celeriac; Green banana; Parsnip; Plantain; Pumpkin; Squash, Swede, Sweetcorn, Sweet potato; Taro; Turnip; Yam

Additional condiments, dressings, sauces etc.
Fat-free or virtually fat-free soup

Additional fruit
Olives

NEW! Alcohol
Dry champagne; Liqueurs for cooking only; Dry sherry for cooking only; Any spirits, Red wine; Dry white wine
 
Hi Blonde and EmVeg - thank you for your responses. I TOTALLY agree with what you are saying about seeing RTM through - perhaps I wasn't clear in my first post (I was off on a professional waffle!)...

My point is that I DO want to do RTM 'properly' - and I want to be back on food by the trip. I know it is possible to abstain while travelling, but this is literally my one and only holiday in years and years and I want to be able to go to nice restaurants etc... I am not intending a mass pig out (I have most certainly learnt my lesson in that department) but I don't want to be foodpacking - not because I 'can't', but I simply don't want to.... hence, I want to ensure I give myself enough time pre trip to make sure I have done RTM properly... is it 8 weeks?

In which case I can come off developers in early January, i'll still be about half a stone above goal, but I'm happy to work that half a stone off (or try) and take it from there... and then I'll have about 10 weeks before the trip. Do you think this will be ok - those of you with RTM experience??

Anna x
 
So 12 weeks - so if you wanted to go away second week of March and do RTM properly you'd need to start RTM this/next week.

First to second week is three packs plus one protein meal
third to eighth week is two packs daily plus meal and snack
weeks nine to twelve is one pack daily and three meals
 
:( Awww Anna.

How about starting it so you take just one foodpack a day (eg last four weeks), then its not as bad as missing dinner/lunch or breakfast... but just one of those?
 
Hi Laststraw -

Thanks for messaging - you're in Oz? Wow! An international poster :)

The reason I don't want to take foodpacks is because this trip is my 'celebratory' holiday for finishing Lighter Life. It's not a family, but me and my girlfriend who are planning a blow out couple of weeks, eating, drinking, sunbathing, sightseeing etc.... I'm most certainly going to keep what I eat to healthy stuff, hence why I want to have finished RTM in time so I know what's what. Does that make sense?

There is no reason for the break apart from to celebrate my end of diet, so if I'm still going to be LL-ing, I'll just postpone the holiday. My only problem is Florida after April is horrendous humidity wise, so will have to be later next year, and I want to get some sun NOW! Hehe. Impulsive? Me??

I may just go somewhere cheap/hot this spring (with foodpacks if necessary) and then do the 'proper' trip next autumn.

Thanks for all your advice everyone :)

A x
 
Ah Anna its a shame. But just think when you do go in the Autumn time you will be officially maintaining! :D
 
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