We’re going to give it to you straight: the path to your Noomer’s goals isn’t always going to be easy — it’s actually a pretty curvy path, filled with lots of ups and downs and twists and turns.
At the start, they’ll be engaging everyday, starting to lose weight, and feel their habits changing. As they get deeper into the process, they’re less engaged, their weight may plateau, and their frustration may increase. That doesn’t mean your Noomer won’t get there, it just means that, like the journey, their motivation won’t be constant. That’s where you come in.
We’ve laid out what a Noomer’s journey looks like, and how you can help them along the way.
The Journey of a Noomer
| Phase 1 – The Hype | Phase 2 – The Honeymoon | Phase 3 – The Plummet | Phase 4 – The Lapse | Phase 5 – The Slips & Surges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Noomer has set out to achieve their goal, and everything feels shiny and new. Their motivation is through the roof. They think things like “This time will be different! Nothing will stop me!” | Motivation keeps rising until it reaches an all-time high. They feel like they could do this forever. They think things like “I’m on top of the world! I should get a second fridge just for storing kale!” This honeymoon period could last days or weeks or just a few hours. | The honeymoon’s over, and reality sets in. They realize this is actually really, really hard. They think things like: Hey, wait a second! You mean I’m actually supposed to use my gym membership? Continually? Their motivation, quite naturally, decreases. (Blah…) | The lapse is the plummet’s rock bottom. Here, many people get stuck and those dreaded thought distortions (the inaccurate thoughts our brain tells us) creep in. Noomers think things like “I’ll never lose any weight” “I’m so out of control” or “I’m a failure” | After they get through their first lapse they’ll continue to experience motivational highs and lows. We call these slips and surges. During a slip, a Noomer might phone in their workouts or skip them altogether. (Or refuse all foods that don’t have melted cheese on them. Been there.) During a surge, a Noomer might shop at a nearby farmers market on their lunch break, sampling snap peas and strawberries while sneaking in an extra 1,000 steps. |
| Supporter tip: Let them know that you see how motivated they are and you’re so excited to join them on their journey. (We’re imagining you as a dog in a sidecar, but that’s just us.) | Supporter tip: Ask them to share their highs with you and celebrate them together. Maybe buy them a present if you feel like going the extra mile. | Supporter tip: Validate their experience and let them feel what they’re feeling. Remind them of their big picture. Hugs are highly encouraged. | Supporter tip: This is a very uncomfortable and no-fun-at-all moment, but it’s also completely normal. Remind your Noomer of that and let them know that this is just another good opportunity to learn and grow. (And wear sweatpants). | Supporter tip: Remind them not to get too discouraged when they’re going through a slip because their next surge (and some snap peas and strawberries) is right around the corner. |
Phase 1: the hype
The Noomer has set out to achieve their goal, and everything feels shiny and new. Their motivation is through the roof. They think things like: This time will be different! Nothing will stop me!
Supporter tip: Let them know that you see how motivated they are and you’re so excited to join them on their journey. (We’re imagining you as a dog in a sidecar, but that’s just us.)
Peak 1: the honeymoon
Motivation keeps rising until it reaches an all-time high. They feel like they could do this forever. They think things like: I’m on top of the world! I should get a second fridge just for storing kale!
This honeymoon period could last days or weeks…or just a few hours.
Supporter tip: Ask them to share their highs with you and celebrate them together. Maybe buy them a present if you feel like going the extra mile.
Phase 2: the plummet
The honeymoon’s over, and reality sets in. They realize this is actually really, really hard. They think things like: Hey, wait a second! You mean I’m actually supposed to use my gym membership? Continually? Their motivation, quite naturally, decreases. (Blah.)
Supporter tip: Validate their experience and let them feel what they’re feeling. Remind them of their big picture. Hugs are highly encouraged.
Trough 1: the lapse
The lapse is the plummet’s rock bottom. Here, many people get stuck, and those dreaded thought distortions (the inaccurate thoughts our brain tells us) creep in. Noomers think things like: I’ll never lose any weight. I’m so out of control. I’m a failure.
Supporter tip: This is a very uncomfortable and no-fun-at-all moment, but it’s also completely normal! Remind your Noomer of that and let them know that this is just another good opportunity to learn and grow. (And wear sweatpants.)
Phase 3: the slips and surges
After they get through their first lapse they’ll continue to experience motivational highs and lows. We call these slips and surges.
During a slip, a Noomer might phone in their workouts, or skip them altogether. (Or refuse all foods that don’t have melted cheese on them. Been there.)
During a surge, a Noomer might shop at a nearby farmers market on their lunch break, sampling snap peas and strawberries while sneaking in an extra 1,000 steps.
Supporter tip: Remind them not to get too discouraged when they’re going through a slip because their next surge (and some snap peas and strawberries) is right around the corner.
