A mother of several vivacious and beautiful children, I can proudly say that giving birth is the most exhilarating experience of a lifetime. But along with that new bundle of joy, I received another package that was far less appealing. Mine came in the form of a chunky, lumpy, Kim Kardashian-worthy bottom. It oozed out from the sides and seemed to explode from every opening of my panties. I mean, it just went on and on and on…It, well, you get the idea.
The Primordial Battle of the Bulge
Whether it’s a generous helping of love handles, thighs that just won’t quit, or a stomach that looks like you’ve swallowed a cantaloupe (wasn’t that supposed to go away after the baby came out?!), the extra fat that lingers after birth is a bane to many post-pregnancy mamas. And getting rid of it is generally at the top of mom’s to-do list after she pops that baby out. With pregnancy nausea behind us, most mothers have it in their heads to get rid of the excess weight and get back into shape.
And so, the battle begins. Fad diets, starvation, hitting the gym hard, working out till you pass out. And all that while juggling a new baby in the house. I’ve tried it all, and if you’re a mom, it’s likely that you have too. We don’t end up seeing much results, but we’re determined to reach our goals of losing that post-baby bulge.
A nice idea, to be sure. But coming from someone who’s been there and done that, I think I can safely speak for tens of thousands of moms out there when I say, losing weight after having a baby sucks. It’s hard work, it’s an uphill battle, and for most women, it’s a losing battle that just ends in tears, frustration, and a body that’s a whole lot worse for the wear.
A New Approach to an Old Problem
It’s already old news that fad diets, intense purges, and severe calorie deprivation don’t work for taking off the weight long-term. They may see minimal results for a short amount of time, but inevitably, your willpower will break, and all that weight will come rushing right back to your thighs. So, what’s a mama to do if she’s desperate to shed those pounds?
A hot topic, extensive studies have been done to try and understand the best health and fitness program post-pregnancy moms can follow to really get back to their pre-baby forms. What’s come out from all the research is that losing weight and getting into shape is very much a case of mind-over-matter. In fact, for anyone who wants to lose weight, a slow and steady approach towards developing new, healthy eating, thinking, and living habits is the proven way to take off the weight and keep it off for good.
Yeah, There’s an App for That
The good news is that this new approach has been yielding positive results for thousands of moms. Several programs have popped up recently touting this type of methodology, including The Postpartum Cure and MyFitnessPal. But without a doubt, the one that does it best is Noom. It’s a weight-loss app that digs deep into your psyche, helping women uproot sabotaging thoughts, and subtly directs users towards healthier habits for lasting results.
Tired of your mom-belly? Here’s how and why a head-based fitness approach will help you lose the excess baby weight and get you back in shape in time for this summer’s beach season right through to the holiday period.
What the Noom? What it’s All About
By way of introduction, Noom is a fitness and weight loss app that was designed after thousands of hours of research and development. It was developed by a team of specialists that includes psychologists, nutritionists, personal trainers, and scientific researchers. In short, these guys know what they’re talking about. The goal is simple: change the way you think and live to finally get the (lasting) results you’ve been trying for so many years to achieve.
Noom takes a wildly different approach to weight-loss. Rather than strict meal planning, extreme diets, and deprivation, Noom guides users to make small, feasible changes to their own lifestyle and, even more importantly, their headspace. These shifts are made gradually, so you don't feel the pressure. And best of all, for moms in need of a slim-down, Noom really works.
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It’s All in Your Head
Noom uses some radically-new ideas to help women get back their figures after pregnancy flab has taken over. The idea is to use the psychology of your eating habits in order to produce better, healthier results. Noom digs deep to help you figure out why you’re eating what you’re eating, when you’re eating, and how you’re eating. It breaks down thought distortions that are actually sabotaging all the efforts you’ve been putting into your weight loss. Once those negative, detrimental ideas are dissolved, you can actually start to lose weight in a natural, sustainable way.
Some of the psychological tools used by Noom that have proven successful include:
Frequent, positive encouragement
When you see that first sticky note with the positive messages written out, it seems cheesy. But you’ll quickly learn to appreciate the positive, frequent, and non-judgemental encouragement. It’s really the fuel that keeps you going.
Personalized coaching
Another aspect that makes Noom unique to other types of fitness and weight loss apps is how personalized it is. You’ll go through a series of questions about yourself, your lifestyle, your habits, your food preferences, etc. Once you finish the little quiz, Noom will create a personalized calorie breakdown and weight-loss plan based on your answers.
Everyone knows that weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Having a personalized weight-loss program is the key to getting the results for your specific body type, lifestyle, personality, and situation.
Lots of helpful tools
Noom also has some great tools to help you stay on track and reach your post-pregnancy targets. It has things like food trackers with a neat barcode scanner for popular foods, exercise logger, and informative articles that teach you all about nutrition and eating, and help you really make tangible changes to your lifestyle and eating habits.
Challenging self-sabotaging thoughts and getting rid of thought distortions
But the best part of using Noom is how quickly and effectively it uproots false ideas about weight loss and eating, or as one of my favorite gurus, Vishen Lakhiani, likes to call them “Brules”- bullshit rules. Ideas like all or nothing, mind-reading), and unhelpful rules like you have to finish everything on your plate are challenged and come up lacking with the Noom program at work.
The beauty of ditching these negative thought patterns is that you actually start to make better choices. You know, the kind of choices that lead to slimmer waistlines, leaner torsos, and bigger smiles.
Understanding Triggers Puts You in the Driver’s Seat
One of my favorite elements of the Noom approach is how it gets in your head and helps you understand why you are making the choices you are making. Are you reaching for that bag of chips because you’re hungry or because you are bored, frustrated, or in need of comfort? Once you realize the trigger that prompts your action (i.e., reaching for the chips), you can change the consequence. Now, you have choices. Oh, you’re bored? Let’s finish up that email you were in the middle of this morning. Frustrated? Go to the gym, do a meditation, or take a soothing shower. Feeling down? Go have a chat with a friend about what’s bothering you. Now that you understand the trigger, you are in control. You have become an empowered mama.
Take the Plunge
After birth, women are loaded up with hormones, have busier schedules than ever, and are tired. So, their motivation is running low. That’s when weight-loss apps like Noom can be very helpful. It gives you the motivation you need in small, helpful doses, reminds (and educates) you about your triggers, and helps you clearly see the right path towards weight loss. In fact, aside from the frequent daily or weekly pep-talks, Noom has an entire week dedicated to motivation and how to stay motivated, how to get rid of factors that diminish motivation, and how to build a motivation toolbox for the long-haul.
There’s every reason for new moms to believe that they can lose weight and get in shape after having a baby. Truthfully, with this new approach, Noom is a great solution for anyone trying to lose weight. But it is particularly effective for moms after birth to get rid of excess fat, combat cravings, and work with your new lifestyle to get you back to the body you want and deserve.
