In last month’s article I touched on how hypnotherapy has helped me establish healthy new habits. Training the mind is important to me, so when an advert for Noom popped up on my social media feed, I decided to give it a try.
Noom is a psychology-based approach to losing weight that aims to “help people live healthier lives through behaviour change.” It doesn’t just focus on what we should and shouldn’t eat but rather delves into why we eat and helps change the way we think and feel about eating. It educates us by explaining the science behind why we make certain choices or have certain cravings.
Every morning I spend up to 13 minutes completing a lesson on the Noom app, learning about things such as social eating, managing emotions in relation to food, stress management, how exercise affects us, and why we eat and act the way we do. I really look forward to my daily lesson as it gives me something positive to focus on throughout the day.
As part of my new regime I get weighed every morning. Daily weigh-ins have been discouraged in the past to avoid feelings of disappointment if the scales fluctuate or do not offer the results we are expecting. The Noom philosophy is to overcome fears by confronting them, so getting weighed daily helps to overcome the fear and dread that most slimmers feel when they step on the scales.
By the way, this article isn’t an advert for Noom and hasn’t been sponsored by them, should it be sounding that way! I just want to share my experience with the programme because I feel I am truly benefiting from it. I initially signed up for a two week trial but have now decided to stick with it. I regard myself as a high maintenance slimmer who needs lots of extra psychological and emotional support, and this is what I feel I am getting from Noom!
I have also started running this month. My husband and I have signed up to Park Run and meet up with other likeminded people at 9 am on Saturday mornings to complete a 5 km course at a local park, usually Rother Valley. Right now we do a mixture of walking and jogging, but our ambition is to one day run the entire course. To help us achieve this, we have downloaded the Couch to 5k app sponsored by the NHS, which guides you through a 9 week course to go from a couch potato to a 5k runner! We’ve chosen Steve Cram as our coach and are having lots of fun!
A perfectionist by nature, one thing I have learned this month is: “You don’t need to be perfect to be successful.” If you have an all-or-nothing attitude and throw in the towel and give up when your actions don’t quite measure up, maybe it’s because your expectations are too high and unrealistic. I’ve always believed in setting the bar high, but this month I’ve learned that it is normal for motivation to ebb and flow, and that I should expect this to happen. Knowing this has helped me get through the difficult period I’ve experienced recently. I’m now back on track and loving it!
Your Not-So-Mystery Slimmer
Your Mystery Slimmer
