It’s October, 2021, so that means it’s been about two years since I signed up with Noom, and I still feel great about the program!
That’s not to say that I don’t fail more now than when I started. I do. For example, last night I had the equivalent of 4 servings of Barbara’s Spoonfuls, my favorite cereal. That’s 4 cups of a “red” food. Not a perfect choice.
In my defense, I had only eaten a small meal around 9am, and when I finally was able to eat again at 5pm, I was pretty hungry. Also, I added fresh blueberries, so that makes it better, right? (It does, but…)
(On a sidenote, I bought some walnut milk to try out, and I used it on the cereal. I like it! My go-to is cashew milk, but walnut milk is definitely delicious. Only slightly nutty, and with a thick, rich texture.)
Anyway, but, yes, I fail, and fail often.
However, when I looked over my article from a year ago, I see that back then I was eating way too much sugar. I don’t do that any more. I got off the ice cream and cookie kick I was on.
Cutting way back on sweets, I think, has also helped the arthritis in my right index finger and right big toe, because sugar is known to encourage inflammation, so keeping my sugar levels lower as I get older is one of my goals.
Unfortunately, my sleep is still not great. I continue to struggle to get back to sleep after I wake in the middle of the night. I am resigned to that, although I hope someday I’ll sleep better, because those occasional nights when I make it all the way through 6.5 to 7 hours of solid sleep feel so good!
My weight is hanging between 165 and 170, for the most part. It crept above 170 for a few days a few months ago. That’s what caused me to cut way back on sugar.
165 to 170 is up from my weight a year ago, which was around 160, but I feel comfortable here. I moved into this current range pretty easily, and I’m happy to stay here, because I feel good. After all, my original stretch goal was only to get down to 175, so 165-170 is excellent.
While I am no longer immersed in the program, Noom principles are still fresh in my mind. I know I want to eat more “green” foods (mostly fruits, veggies, whole grains), and when I hit a “red” food hard, as I did last night with my Spoonfuls, I note it and adjust for that by focusing more on fresh vegetables and fruits the next day.
The exercise regimen I developed as part of my Noom program — specifically walking plus playing disc golf and doing pushups or planks — has evolved. I still walk and play disc golf (I even won a couple tournaments and minis recently), but I changed my floor work to focus also on my back. (I’ll add an article about that soon.)
I’ll repeat what I said after my first year on Noom: I feel generally pretty good.
Time to go Vegan?
After reading The China Study many years ago, and participating in Beachbody’s Ultimate Reset, I became a big fan of the vegan diet. I even completed a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell’s online branch in 2012.
I’ve observed a vegan diet for extended periods. I like it a lot. I believe that it can be a cure for whatever ails me. The problem was that I never thought a vegan diet was sustainable for me.
As I get ever closer to death, I think, hmmm, maybe…. But I struggle.
Noom taught me that there are no bad foods. Everything is okay to eat, even meat. Noom eating is simply a matter of not overindulging in foods with high calorie density, and balancing them with an abundance of foods that have low calorie density.
As it stands now, my partner and I only eat meat-inclusive meals on Fridays. We eat eggs and cheese all the time, although we’ve been cutting back on both lately.
I know that some high calorie density “red” foods — such as nuts, nut butters, and seeds –can be considered healthy snacks, and those are included in a vegan diet. However, most “red” foods are high in fat and/or sugar, and don’t forget that a vegan diet theoretically includes Oreos, my nemisis! (Well, one of my nemises…)
However, continuing to shun high fat and sugary foods is not a tough decision for me, because that is good for the lingering health concerns that are pushing me toward a vegan diet. For me, it’d be a mistake not to switch my diet to vegan, and I’m too old to make mistakes like that.
To be fair, I can still see a future where only on Fridays I allow myself to eat a little animal protein. Maybe some Italian sausage and goat cheese with tomatoes, onions, and garlic on a homemade pizza. That’s Noom still at work in my brain and diet!