This is a sponsored post on behalf of Noom.
All opinions are my own and were not influenced by any parties.
Earlier this year, I shared with all of you how I was giving myself a gift for Mother’s Day this year — a subscription to Noom. I’ve been using it for a few months now and wanted to pass along my results!
I’ve been using Noom for a couple of months now and am starting to see the results. I did an initial review and wanted to follow that up with some more in-depth feedback so that you could learn more before you jumped in and made a purchase.
What I Love About Noom
One of the things I loved the most about using this app was that it forced me to be accountable. Not to anyone but myself. I had to track my food if I wanted to see what I was doing. I needed to get in my steps so I could reach that goal. I felt that I was encouraged to do what I needed to meet my own goals.
I also loved the support from my coach. She was always there emailing and following up with me. While I really felt I was only accountable to myself, I also thought I was to her as well. That kept me on track.
Let me share a little more about each of these for you.
I learned to understand my why
I mentioned this previously, but Noom is different than any other app or program I’ve ever used. The reason is they focus on the why behind your eating habits. Why do you eat at 9 pm? Why do you crave those sugary snacks?
Not only that, but they help you learn what you should do instead. That means eating something at 7 pm that will leave you feeling full so you aren’t raiding the fridge at 11 pm.
I now think more about why I feel I need to eat. If it is because I am hungry, I grab something like an orange or grapes (filled with water). Then, the next night, I eat more for dinner so I can curb those late-night hunger pains.
Noom is teaching me to look at food differently. It is different.
I wasn’t alone
As I mentioned above, I had support. My coach was right there with me, giving me advice and encouragement every single step of the way. She seemed to really get me and helped me through my struggles. I’m not big into talking to others about issues like this, so it was great for me to have someone in my corner.
It was helpful to track my food
The one thing that I had a love-hate relationship with was tracking my food. I’ll get into the dislike a bit later, but I’ll share why I did like this part.
For me, it was seeing what I ate. As I was going through my days at first, I would add it to my list. Seeing the junk I was eating started making me understand the bigger picture. I also wanted to achieve positive marks as good foods (they assign colors to the foods you eat).
I’d tried food journals before, and they did not work. There was something different about this as it seemed they had all of the caloric details for every food I ate. I did not have to do the research or calculations.
I didn’t need to buy anything extra
I, for one, do not like to spend money. With Noom there was no special food. No gym memberships. No shakes, powders, or pills. It was just about helping me find a way to take care of myself with what I had.
Now, I did find I was spending differently at the store: less junk food and more healthy foods.
Noom has had zero effects on our budget because it does not make me spend anything — unless I want to.
What I didn’t like about Noom
For the most part, I really enjoyed the app, but there were some things I didn’t like. For instance, having to carry my phone to get credit for steps and even tracking my food. I also am not big on using apps, but even those weren’t enough good reason for me to stop using it.
I had to track everything I ate
Above I mentioned I liked this feature, but I also hated it. Having to keep my phone handy every time I ate something so I could add it to my daily tracker was a bit annoying. I understood the importance, but that was tough for me to remember to do.
I often found myself having to think back at the end of the day as to what I ate all day long and get it added. I would forget to add it when I ate something.
I still did it because I knew it was important, but I did not really like it.
Having to carry my phone to track my steps
The app encourages you to get up and walk every day – and I get that. But, I hated that I had to carry my phone to do that. I don’t have my phone in my hand that often. It sits on my desk most of the time.
If I wanted to get “credit” for walking up the stairs or around the house, I had to carry it with me. I started trying to put it in my pocket to get credit when needed, or I would never have any steps recorded.
There were days when I would walk thousands of steps, and it recorded a fraction of that – only because I did not have my phone with me.
Using an app
I am probably in the minority here, but I don’t really use my phone that much. I know many who live on their phones and have a hard time putting them down. But that is not me.
I had to get in the habit of using my phone more often. I had to keep the app open to remind me of what I needed to do.
While I still do not use my phone that much, I do appreciate the app and have gotten more adept at using it to stick to my goals.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NOOM
What were my results after eight weeks?
I am sure you want to know what I saw after two months of using the app. As I mentioned, when I started using Noom, I was not interested in losing weight as much as I was learning to eat better. But, the side effect of eating better has been weight loss.
I did not need to lose a lot of weight, and I knew that. I had about 10 – 12 lbs I wanted to shed. However, I was more concerned with the food I ate above all else.
Over the past two months, I’ve lost around 5 lbs. I am sure it could have been more, but I have enjoyed some parties, get-togethers, lunches out with my kids and have not sacrificed.
For me, it has been more about the way I look at food above all else.
Would I pay for Noom again?
Yes. I would. I needed help to make a positive change for myself. Not for my kids. Not for my husband. I did this for myself. I wanted to feel better in my skin.
I also wanted to be a good role model for my kids. They watch what I do, and that includes how I eat. When I eat better, so do they. This has been a gift of a healthy lifestyle for my entire family.
What does Noom cost?
Before I go, I want to encourage you to sign up for the Noom 14-day trial so you can check it out before you pay. That way, you can see what it is about and make sure it is a fit for you and your lifestyle.
After that, it runs $45 a month. That may be a bit steep but look at what you get. You get a personalized coach right there. You are getting the tools you need to change the way you look at and consume food.
For me, it is an investment in myself. I am worth it.
Final Thoughts
The one thing you want to know from me is if I think it is something you will want to do. The answer, for me, is “Yes.”
Why?
Noom is an investment in myself. I’m worth it. I deserve it.
I want to feel better about myself. I want to show my kids that I love my body. They need to see me not being uncomfortable in my skin.
I’ve tried to do it on my own. It doesn’t work. I need something that forces me to stick to it in a way that is fun and encouraging. For me, it’s Noom.