How Noom, Lumen and the Peloton Helped Me in My Fitness Journey

I didn't really want a Peloton.  Because I don’t like riding bikes so why would I spend $2700 and take up more space in my already packed house?  The reason — I fractured my ankle playing Pickleball so I could not play Pickleball or walk my dogs and I was starting to gain weight.  But, if I am honest it was not just the ankle, it was not the kind of weight  that comes with eating too much — it’s the kind that sneaks up on you because your metabolism starts to slow-down.

The GREAT slow-doooown is sort of awful

A slowing metabolism sucks.  It sucks in a different way than breaking your ankle.  When your metabolism hits a wall and slides into a free fall it feels a little like betrayal.  I’d eat less, better, increase activity and the results were minimal or non-existent. 

FED UP with FAT

There is a lot of emotion attached to our bodies, weight and aging (for me). The point here << is that I’ve always exercised, watched what I ate.  Never truly dieting, but I was coming up on a new phase, one where I started looking at diets, researching -- and one of the first things I decided to try was [insert].  It did not take me long to realize -- that program was not going to help me — it was high on marketing and low on reality.

PERSONAL TECH

I had seen many commercials on Noom.  That was my second action, downloading this app. Read my review here. (when it’s live).  Day after day I’m on apps—I work in tech, I market them, use them and research them.  Another app felt more like work and homework.  But, I got some data that led me to a conclusion -- I needed more data.  Mostly, how do I burn more calories while at rest? 

For my birthday I got an Apple Watch.  I’m not a huge fan of wearables -- wearing devices on your body all day.  But, what I did was wear it for several weeks straight and now I wear it on a maintenance basis or when I am performing a new activity.  What I learned is that adding more activity -- walking, moving, Pickleball was impossible.  One day I logged 15,000 steps -- and I realized I could not do that every day and be a mom,  have a career. I needed another strategy.  What I thought I needed was to burn more while at rest.

RESTING BURN (REV IT UP)

I needed to burn more calories when I was resting.  I needed to figure out how to get my metabolism to work for me -- when I sleep, when I work versus just putting in another hour (that I don’t have) of cardio or movement.  I got a Lumen.  The point of the Lumen was to remove the guesswork out of -- am I burning fat or carbs.  And, how to get my body into burning the right thing at the right time.   Read my review of the Lumen here.

BREATHLESS 

And, that is where the Peloton comes in.  Using the Lumen I realized the only way to get my body to shift to fat burning mode was to ride the bike—classes that left me breathless.  And, when I first started those were 15-20 minute classes. I would push myself every time I was on the bike, until I was breathless.  My body knows this moment, but so do my dogs .. they hear me and automatically bark.

One year after buying my Peloton, I am not exactly where I want to be (it's a journey).  And, I debate with myself what that is exactly.  I've been very thin at times, looking back now, maybe too thin.  If there is a thing (my old self talking).   I'm still mentally debating that -- because as a recovering bulimic, there is always that story playing somewhere in my head "not thin enough' ever..

But what I am, is healthier ... and I love riding the bike ... the music, the instructors ... it has not only been good for my ankle, getting rid of some fat, improving my cardiovascular health, but there has been some amazing moments of healing.

Still on this journey!