Although it was apparent to everyone else that Eric was morbidly obese, he wasn’t aware of it or his health issues. But by age 51, Eric was 351 pounds with a 52-inch waist, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. He estimates that he was on about fifteen different types of medication. “It was a cruel, gradual, slow process. It’s not like you wake up one day and you’re a hundred pounds heavier than you were the day before. The worse it gets the more you get used to it and it becomes your new normal.”
Eric admits that one of his biggest problems was that he wasn’t personally involved in his own health. He was taking both metformin and insulin and his A1C was 12. “I didn’t know how my own body worked. I relied upon other people, namely MD’s, to make those decisions for me.”
Eric turned his diabetes health around after seeking the help of a naturopathic doctor, Dr. Preeti Kulkarni.
“Dr. Kulkarni put me on a plant-based diet and told me to adopt a dog from my local shelter. I had never had a pet before so I immediately asked her if it was OK if I got a cat instead.” She said, “have you ever walked a cat?”
Eric chose to rescue an obese middle-aged dog. He says, “I thought we’d have something in common.”
The first time the two went for a walk, they were only able to go about a hundred yards before they had to stop and rest. “I was so out of shape I was out of breath just tying my own shoes.”
Within three months of a program that consisted of eating a plant-based diet and walking Peety for 30 minutes twice a day, he lost 5 pounds a week, and all of his medical stats improved. His A1c also dropped from 12 to 5.
Listen to more of EricO’Grey’s transformative story on Diabetes Late Nite with music from P!nk. Other guests include Chilbrook Kennels breeder, author, and diabetes alert dog and scent detection expert, Debby Kay; poet Lorraine Brooks; Yoga for Diabetes author, Rachel Zinman; and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE. Throughout the podcast we feature songs from the P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma album courtesy of SONY Music.
“I tell people that Noom isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle choice.”
I asked my friend, Andy, who isn’t living with diabetes, to share his 40 pound weight loss journey using the Noom Weight Loss App.
You can access Noom with a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. Since its inception in 2008, the Noom diet, or Noom, has quickly grown to become one of the most searched-for diets. According to Noom, people who use their program and adopt a healthy lifestyle can expect to lose 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) per week. The app promotes low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods and encouraging healthy lifestyle changes according to their website. Noom uses an algorithm to estimate the number of calories you should eat per day to lose weight.
Here’s my interview with Andy:
Q: What inspired you to go on Noom?
Andy: I joined Noom the week of Thanksgiving 2019 – Doesn’t seem to be the best time to start a weight management program, but I guess there’s no perfect time to start something like this.
A few years prior to joining Noom I’d put on roughly 80lbs (286lbs at my heaviest) due to many factors, but primarily depression – I’d lost a job, was having relationship issues and my social network was falling apart.
I’d always been active and fit, although never considered to be a “jock” or “gym rat”, I played some sports, practiced yoga, and was working out 4-6 days a week during my most active years. I’d always been lean and in decent shape. Though it wasn’t until I’d put on the weight where I’d gone in for an annual physical that my cholesterol levels were for the first time, elevated. I wasn’t at risk nor needing medication, but seeing these numbers made it clear I had to start doing something.
I joined a gym, started running and swimming again, but now in my mid-30s I just wasn’t losing the weight like I had in the past. Fast forward a year and I am living in NYC, joined Gotham Volleyball as a way to meet people, but also as a method to get physical again. Though feeling great about all these new changes, I was definitely still out of shape and carrying the extra weight around.
By this time I kept hearing these commercials for a thing called “Noom” on the radio and finally decided to investigate.
Q: What’s the program like? Would you recommend it? Why? What did you like about the program? What was helpful in achieving your goal?
Andy: I tell people that Noom isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle choice. Using psychology, Noom helps to refocus your relationship to food through behavioral health awareness. The Noom app is an all-in-one tool that uses all the various clinical methods to manage weight – and expectations – like logging meals, daily weigh-ins, calorie counter, one-on-one personalized coaching, pedometer, recipes, and dedicated support group/chat, etc. The app is very user-friendly and the content is bright and colorful, the creators have a big sense of humor which makes it an enjoyable experience as well.
I find the daily weigh-ins, meal log, and pedometer are the three most essential tools on Noom. Yes, the info-quizzes and coaching are important too, but these are the tools that are most applicable to tracking and seeing your progress. Let’s say, for example, you weigh in one morning above your daily goal, then track to see your prior day activity levels, what and when you ate, etc. you may begin to realize that that late-night slice of pizza or take-out is probably not helping – for many of us this is common sense, but making informed decisions and taking decisive action to combat these habits doesn’t always come easy.
With that being said, Noom doesn’t eliminate any foods. You really can eat what you want (within moderation) and the food charting helps to better understand which foods to have more of and which ones to ease up on.
Overall, yes, I definitely recommend Noom. It can be more expensive than other apps or programs, but is well worth a four month investment. I joined on their two week pay-what-you-want trial (I lost 10lbs in my first month), though I know of others who have found amazing discounts elsewhere.
Q: What did you not like about the program? How much weight did you lose?
Andy: Not that I don’t like it (I’m still using Noom), but I do not take advantage of all the apps features, primarily all the readings and quizzes. However, in the beginning it is important to do all of the in-app activities and only takes 10 minutes out of the day.
I’ve still lost a considerable amount of weight (40lbs from initial weigh-in of 235lbs) so I can only imagine just how much more weight and fit I might be if I followed everything to a T. With that being said, this has been a personal decision, I wouldn’t want anyone to join Noom or any program with this mindset, not see results, then drop the program prematurely – you have to do the work.
Q: Does Noom help with weight loss maintenance? What’s it like managing your weight during the pandemic? Easy? Hard? Why? Or Why not?
Andy: Yes, Noom has absolutely helped with weight loss maintenance (or gain – depending on your personal goals). Although Noom comes with a recipe tool and meal plan ad-ons at extra cost, I’ve been using a food delivery service, Misfits Market (not a Noom product). I love cooking, though I hate grocery shopping, so at $26 every two weeks I get a box filled with fresh fruits and vegetables which helps with maintaining access to healthy foods, especially in this new Work From Home (WFH) world we’re living in.
I’m not much of a snacker, though I do love fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, I’ve since rediscovered healthy snacks from childhood like, celery sticks with peanut butter, and apple slices with cheddar cheese or cucumbers and hummus – I crave these things now. In addition, I (unofficially) practice intermittent fasting, this is something that my metabolism has simply adapted overtime. Everybody is different, so someone interested in intermittent fasting should gather more information or speak with their healthcare provider if intermittent fasting is something they might be considering.
As far as Nooming through the pandemic, like most of us, it has been challenging to keep physically active. Normally living in NYC, we’re constantly on the go, but with those daily movements and volleyball being postponed, I’ve been making an effort to take nightly walks or runs – especially now that it’s summer. Though challenges will always present themselves, you have to keep moving.
Q: How much does Noom cost?
Noom offers a two-week introductory period, then costs $150 for a six-month subscription—you must enter your credit card up front to access the intro period. While that works out to $25 per month, you’ll have to pay that $150 up front.
We’re talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Ricky Martin
