Noom: A year at goal

Noom has become such a routine part of my life that I didn't even notice that I'd passed my year at goal aniversary a few weeks ago. So what are my takeaways after that year?

• Noom works. It's a fundamental change in the psychological relationship you have with food, so the change is solid. It's not a diet, but rather an examination of what makes you overeat in the first place. Deal with that honestly, and you will have success.
• Food is not my enemy. One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that no food is "bad" or "off limits" or "evil". I can have that piece of chocolate cake - in moderation - and still succeed. I've learned, though, that certain foods will benefit my health more than others. The color-coding system for foods that Noom employs helps me to follow the balance of foods that I need to be healthy.
• Noom fits in my life. You eat regular food, not purchased meals, so this is a sustainable lifestyle. You learn to eat foods you like, foods you can cook, not foods that you will never eat again once you finish the Noom program.
• I feel strong. One of the biggest changes in my daily life is the increase of activity. Since I started Noom in January of 2019 when it was cold and miserable in St. Louis, I started with using the Leslie Sansone walk-at-home videos. I used these along with strength training at the gym. As the weather warmed, I walked outside and rode bicycles with my husband. Now that we're solidly in the midst of the Covid lockdown rules, we either ride our bikes long distance or I'm continuing to do one of the many videos I have used productively.
• Staying healthy and fit requires dilligence. Good habits need reinforced daily.
• A support network is critical. Even after I left Noom to continue on my own, I founded a Facebook group with some Noom friends to offer support when I needed it. My husband is unbelievably supportive of my efforts, and my family knows not to be food pushers. 

Once I reached goal last year, I increased my calorie intake to maintain goal weight and relaxed my weighing and measuring of food. I had set myself a five-pounds-over-goal limit at which point I would buckle down and lose them. I stayed within a couple pounds of my goal for over a year but in recent weeks, with the stress of the Covid lockdown, my weight had started to inch up by tiny increments. I reached that five-pounds-over-goal limit I had set for myself two weeks ago, so I rejoined Noom for an extra bit of reinforcement, support, and accountability. The five pounds is already gone in that two weeks, but I'm staying on for a three month term to focus again during the pandemic blues that I've been feeling. I'll go down a bit below goal to give myself some cushion.

All in all, I come away with this one thought: Being healthy, fit, and strong as I age is the key to my happiness. Since I'm in the Autumn of my life, I want to enjoy every minute of it. I want to run with my grandkids. I want to ride long distance bike rides with my husband. I want to sail and garden and hike and rock climb, and the only way to do all those things is to take care of myself. If you're on the fence about joining Noom, let me be the first to tell you that you are worth it!