Month Five on Noom

Five Months!! Five whole months I have been using this Noom app. Does it work for everyone? I can’t give you the statistics. I can only tell you that it is slowly, but surely working for me. Here is a before pic. This pic is from two summers ago. This is me and my bestie. Don’t get me wrong we do look good here. We have that summer glow, it looks like we are wearing expensive sunglasses, even though they are from Target. We look active , we look semi-hot. But this was summer 2020….. During this time I was eating a lot of feelings and Noom has helped me SOOOO much with that. The articles have made me think about why I am eating and my favorite articles give me tips on what kinds of food are actually shown to fight depression, anxiety and give more energy (enter dark chocolate, yogurt and eggs!)

In the beginning my weight loss was quick. I think I lost eight pounds in a matter of a month. At first I could only notice the weight loss in my boobs, which was a real bummer, because I would actually like to GAIN weight in that area. As the summer continued, my weight would ebb and flow but slowly and surely it would drop bit by. bit. I do weigh myself every day. I think it helps. I also stick to a lot of the same foods, which some people may find boring, but this is also helpful for me to stick to my calorie budget. My favorite green foods that really help me to feel full AND lose weight are Daves bread, raspberries, cucumbers, homemade chicken noodle soup, grapes and sweet potato. I have found chicken, brown rice and broccoli to really be the magic meal for fullness and continued weight loss. I would eat it every day if I could.

I have abandoned other diets because they forced me to leave one of my true loves, which is Starbucks. On Noom, I still hit the Bucks, but I order a grande nitro cold brew (yellow food whaaaat) and not the sugary pumpkin spice latte that I would do in the past. My favorite red foods are peanut butter, nuts, and dark chocolate. In my splurgiest moments this summer, I took a few hours to really be in the moment (my sisters wedding), order what I wanted (my anniversary) and close my eyes and taste all the calories (my son’s birthday). I actually asked the food server at Fun Town if the fried dough was made fresh or if it had been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour or two. This embarrassed my husband terribly, but hey if I’m breaking that budget. I”m breaking that budget right.

The times where my weight loss has plateaued, I have found tricks of the trade that help me to hit the re-start button. One of them is water. I force myself to drink my huge water bottle before noon time at work and then refill and finish it again before 3:00. It’s hard to snack when your stomach is so full. Another trick is walking. I walk all the time. I walk everywhere. Now that I live in town, I walk to Hannaford, I walk to meet my girlfriends at the Depot. I have even been taking a ten minute walking break at lunch. I am too busy to do it. I have 45 new programs I am learning, but I am putting myself first, my health first and so I spend half of my lunch break munching something healthy and the other half walking. Sometimes I listen to a podcast, other times I look at pictures of puppies or George Clooney. Whatever feeds my soul. Last year I sat in my car and cried and ate a family pack of M&M’s during every lunch break, so I count this as big progress. I think all employers should build in walking times for their employees, but hey what do I know?

I also find weight training to be another big jump start. I am using the 645 program on Beachbody and even though my arms are like small twigs, he does so much work in plank, that I am starting to see huge improvements in my shoulders and in my abs. Below is a recent picture.

I am so proud of this pic! I have never been able to see abs before and I mean even before kids and my love of wine. If you think you can’t have abs because you have had a c-section, I am here to debunk this rumor! This momma has had two c-sections, so keep going! The other ways I have found to do the trick are switching up my runs. Some days I run with a friend or my Mom, other days I use the Break Away gal on Beachbody and follow her cues to sprint for 30 seconds, walk for thirty seconds, sprint for 60 seconds, walk for 60 seconds. You get the picture. At first I hated it, but now I love to circle the park and end up on Lincoln Ave, running into the distance where there are sheep with bells on at the end of that road past Quimby field. There is something about those sheep with the bells that does it for me. Anyhow, If you are looking for a change, just know this might do it for you. You will feel better from the inside out and you will radiate good vibes even in times of stress. I can’t wait to keep up all the momentum, and continue to get stronger. The best part is, I’m only getting strong for me, but my students and my family are reaping the benefits too.