I caught up with Tertia, one of the RMR Hero Leaders, to find out what she went through on the RMR Hero Program, and the RMR Online Keto/Banting Course (those are the two programs she took with us)
Before engaging with RMR /Heroes my approach to my health was very casual. I have always enjoyed relatively good health; I was never really very ill even in the times when I was very overweight. I always focused on losing weight and trying to keep the weight off instead of focusing on real health. I knew that I had a high fasting Insulin blood level, and often experienced hypoglycemia. I also had very low vitamin D blood levels and I knew that that is not good for my health. I never enjoyed exercising so I did not exercise. I managed to lose 60kg in 2012, but in 2017 I slowly started gaining weight again. Still focused on weight not on health.
I never saw food just as nourishment, the emotional connection with food was far more important than the nutritional element and it played a very important part in my life. I started with the battle of the bulges at the age of 10 years. I was constantly hungry and experienced serious cravings, especially for carbs and sugars, every waking hour of the day. I was obsessed with thoughts about food and weight. I was constantly at war with food. I never felt as if I had enough food, enough was never enough. I had no stop button. I had a love-hate relationship with food. I saw food simultaneously as my best friend (always available, never disappointing me) and my worst enemy (could not say no when it tempted me), as a symbol of love and reward, but also of punishment, something to soothe myself with but also something that would make me feel guilty and ashamed.
Food was there to celebrate with and bring happiness, but then it can also cause depression and unhappiness. I always saw food as a quick fix to emotions, to make me feel temporarily better.
The first experience that I can remember that I realized that there was something wrong with me or that I was different when it came to food and eating was when I was 10 years old. I was invited to a friends’ birthday party. All the children wanted to play and all I wanted to do was to eat the cake and the sweets. It made me feel bad about myself. In 2011 it became obvious to me that I was a food addict. I had to learn to live with this condition. I joined a diet program and managed to lose weight on a low carb, low fat and very low calorie diet. But I still experienced hunger and cravings. We moved to Vienna in 2018 and my struggle with food and weight flared up again. Gaining weight again caused a tremendous amount of guilt and shame. I had to get used to a different eating culture, not really keto-friendly. The language is also a barrier, I don’t speak German fluently, so shopping became stressful to me. My eating habits were affected, and my food and weight war became serious again.
In 2020 my health made me feel anxious and worried when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world. I realized that I was part of the risk group, older (nearly 60) and overweight. My children really worried about my health and weight.
I still did not see my health as very bad, although I did experience extreme fatigue. I was always tired and lost motivation and inspiration to do things. I started to feel very depressed and desperate and thought it would be a good idea to start focusing on losing weight again. Again, to me it was more about weight than health. My weight was now 116kg, my vitamin D blood value was 17 (adequate levels are seen as 50 to 70, some even see optimum level as 100). I struggled to walk because my feet were constantly sore. This really bothered me, because here in Vienna people love to walk. When friends suggested that we go for a walk, it was an issue for me. I did not sleep well. I experienced brain-fog, I found it difficult to remember things and also found it difficult to concentrate and learn.
This started to impact my confidence. I started to withdraw socially and did not want to partake in fun activities such as swimming, hiking or even shopping. I felt ashamed that I gained weight yet again. Relationships suffered because I did not feel like doing anything. If I had to walk a lot, it was problematic for me. My clothes were getting too small, and my self-image was now really affected. I started to feel less worthy and was really starting to question my purpose in life. I used to have a practice as a dietitian (1989- 2005) but because of this struggle with weight and food and self-esteem, I stopped working and practicing as a dietician in early 2005. I realized that I only felt good, lost weight and functioned well when I was eating a low carb diet. That was really against the way I was trained as a dietitian in the 80’s. This always made me feel like a fraud, especially when I had to advise patients on eating a healthy diet.
At least through all of this, I knew that my husband and children and family loved me unconditionally and that they would support me in any way they could if I decided to do something about my health. It upset my family to know that I was unhappy with myself and my struggle with food. I could not enjoy life the way I wanted to. I did not achieve my goals in life, and I became a quitter. I experienced a lot of self-doubt and started to feel like a failure. I did not believe or trust that I could change this around again – losing weight and maintaining the weight loss and getting a handle on this food addiction again. I struggled with will power.
I decided to make the change and lose weight because I was fed up and tired of always being tired and not having a “clear mind and brain.” I was also tired of not having clothes that fit me. I was quite scared that I could get Covid-19 and really become very sick – not speaking German, it made me really afraid of the thought of having to go to hospital because of Covid-19. I wanted to go for walks and do adventurous stuff, but my feet were always sore. I wanted to lose weight and see if my ability to walk easier and further would improve. It started to feel to me as if I was losing control over my food addiction. I was still not eating any sugars or desserts, puddings, cakes, sweets or chocolates but the hunger and cravings started to increase as I started to eat more starches and grains. My children also kept on asking me to start to look at my health. They want me to be healthy and be able to do fun things with them and make memories.
I discovered RMR or I should say rediscovered RMR through a marketing email. A few years ago, probably 201 or 2016, I received a marketing email from RMR, but at that time it did not interest me. But in August 2020 I was desperate, and I was really praying for guidance to find the right program and a group of people that I could join and that could help me to bring about the change. I knew that I could not do this on my own. I needed support. I needed fellowship with people that were experiencing the same issues with weight and food and health. The next morning, I received an email advertising the Real Meal Revolution. I saw this as an answer to prayer. I like to think that RMR found me at the right time in my life.
When I joined RMR I was expecting to receive meal plans, recipes, information and support to lose weight as quickly as possible. I thought I would probably join for 3 – 6 months. So I expected quick weight loss – end of story.
I gained so much more than what I expected. I am hooked for life (a new addiction-hahaha) to this RMR program. I gained the support of a team of people that really want me to succeed, not only in losing weight and maintaining weight loss, but in being a healthier, happier, successful person in all areas of my life and to become part of the 2% of people who succeed in losing weight and maintaining the weight loss.
Not only did I gain the latest science based knowledge on the healthy keto way of eating, but I also learned about mindset and the psychology of eating. I was challenged (still am) to really think about long term health goals (not just weight loss), process goals, time management and so much more. I learned a tremendous amount in the mindset, dietitian and psychology of eating workshops and I started to experience a transformation in myself that I still cannot believe. Any questions that I had, were answered quickly and professionally.
I have never experienced excellence in service like I have with RMR and I gained a community that strives to help people to succeed at their goals to improve their health and to enjoy life and to challenge themselves and to always improve yourself. I have gained self-belief and self-worth. RMR enabled me to take my power back. They delivered on their promise. I gained a whole new lifestyle and appreciation for life.
I have experienced some significant changes in my life because of what I have learned through RMR and implemented in my life. I experience changes in my food choices and eating habits, my mindset and goal setting abilities and insight into the reasons I eat and the issues that trigger my eating. Since I started to eat according to the healthy keto plan, I am not hungry all the time and I am not obsessed with food anymore. My appetite and cravings for carbs have decreased, and I am naturally eating much less than I used to.
The keto diet plan helped me to break this chain of addiction by correcting the chemistry in my body and brain. This way of eating enables me to think straight, to have a clear mind and make better food choices and decisions. The biggest mindset change is that I am now focusing on improving health (including exercise and looking at a better sleep routine) and not just focusing on weight loss. I am not a quitter anymore. I have learned not to quit when the results are not what I expected, but to look for answers or solutions to the obstacles and to keep on keeping on until I experience a breakthrough. I am now focusing on process goals instead of just outcome goals, this enables me to enjoy the health journey instead of just enjoying the achievement of the goal. This puts the fun back in life, while working on improving my health. I learned to ask for help. It is not a weakness. I am learning to get out of my comfort zone to enable personal growth. I am challenging my belief system and identifying limiting and empowering beliefs. This is changing the way I experience people and relationships. I am a lot less critical and judgmental of other people and especially of myself. I am taking action daily to change and improve my health and my life, I am not just dreaming about it and I know that with this new way of eating, thinking and doing I have the ability to be successful. I believe in myself again.
It has also given me my purpose back – to pay forward what I have learned and gained from this program. To help people that also struggle with food and weight and health. I have more confidence and self-awareness. Because of the weight loss, my feet are not sore all the time and I am now walking daily as part of my exercise program. My relationships have improved, I can now do fun things with my family and friends.
I have tried many diet programs before and my experience with RMR differs quite a bit from my other experiences with programs. RMR brought everything that I have learned over the years from different programs together – it is the complete program, the complete package. The support I have received and is still receiving from all the coaches and the Hero Program Support Groups are absolutely amazing. I don’t feel alone in this journey, I know that help is available. No other program has ever delivered support or service like RMR.
Being part of an accountability group, on a daily basis, definitely increases the success. In RMR I was never told what I had to do, I was guided and prompted to find my own solutions using all the knowledge that I gained from the RMR program, to set my own goals and to take ownership of my program and my road to success. I seldom felt deprived and hungry while following this healthy keto eating program, because of the added dietary fats. Obsession with food has decreased, while usually on other diet programs the obsession with food increased and the cravings increased.
The fact that the program focuses about 80% on other stuff (mindset, psychology, habits, health etc) and not only on food made a huge difference. The accountability groups in the Hero Program are motivating and inspiring and being held accountable increases the success. The service is excellent and like nothing I have ever experienced on any other program. The fact that the focus of the RMR program is holistic and more on health than just weight loss enriched my life much more than just weight loss or being thin could.
I have lost 31kg in 9 months. I have lost 39 cm around my waist, 24cm around my breast and 32cm around my hips. Since I added fats to my eating plan my vitamin D blood value has increased to 42. I have been taking vit D supplements for many years, but never managed to increase the vitamin D level to more than 21. I don’t experience hypoglycemia anymore. I am able to concentrate better, and my mind and brain feels much clearer – no more brain-fog. My energy level has improved, and I feel motivated and inspired to do things and to enjoy life. I don’t wake- up feeling depressed and stressed and anxious about my health and my weight. Now I am starting to enjoy walking and I am able to move and walk a lot easier. I am physically more comfortable. My old clothes are now too big, so I enjoyed buying a whole new wardrobe.
If you are the kind of person that is tired of yo-yo dieting and always feeling tired, you will benefit from joining the RMR program. If you need help and support and feel desperate and do not know how or where to start to bring about a transformation in your health and weight you are the right person for the RMR program. If you are feeling confused and overwhelmed by all the diets out there, RMR is the program that can help you and bring clarity. With the support of the RMR team you can do this, you can transform your health, your weight and your life. If you think and know that you do not have the willpower to put the food down, RMR is the program for you.
This whole health transformation has increased my self confidence and restored my belief in myself to overcome my food addiction, and to achieve my goals of maintaining a healthy weight and to be healthy and happy. I now have the confidence to help and support other people on their journey to being a healthier, happier and better version of themselves.
The impact on my relationships and even my “career” or purpose has been wonderful. I find that my relationships with people have improved, because I am not hiding from life anymore. The relationship with myself has improved. I enjoy meeting new people and making friends. I am making new memories with my family because I am not afraid of the camera anymore. I am now willing to be in the photo. My husband and I walk daily, and I am starting to enjoy it more and more. I can also appreciate nature more. I am starting to love life. This RMR program has opened new opportunities for me, and although I won’t work as a dietician again, I can now help and support people to find their own path on this health journey.
I find it difficult to fully express how joining RMR and becoming part of this program has influenced and changed my life and me as a person. I wake up every morning with a heart full of gratitude and I can only say thank you to Jonno, Bridget and Victoria and each and every one of the coaches at RMR.
I thank God everyday for that email I received from RMR marketing and introducing the program to me. I am super excited to be part of this program and I know that if you put the effort in and are willing to challenge yourself and are willing to learn new ways of doing things, YOU WILL also become part of the success stories of the RMR program. Don’t wait, if not now, when? If not RMR, what and how will you transform your health? Don’t just dream about your transformation – take action, join the RMR family today and become part of the 2% that loses the weight and manage to maintain the weight loss. Don’t miss this opportunity.