‘Little did I know that this would be a real amazing life-transforming moment for me’This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
A before and after of Nicola Whitmore(Image: Simple)
A 55-year-old woman who was using a wheelchair before undergoing major back surgery says she can now do full press-ups after recentring exercise into her lifestyle. Nicola Whitmore, from Buckinghamshire, discovered the walking trend through Simple, a weight loss and wellness app that creates personalised plans to help users build healthier habits through nutrition, movement and intermittent fasting.
The 55-year-old started using the app after undergoing major back surgery in August last year, which left her with a titanium disc and rods holding two vertebrae together. “Prior to that operation, I was in a wheelchair for some of the time, which meant that I had put weight on,” Nicola said.
“Obviously being 55, menopausal and not being able to do much physically, it got to the point where I was really struggling to do yoga and things like that. There were things that I just couldn’t do. I was still swimming and I was still trying to be active, but the weight did go on. Also, when you’re in a lot of pain all of the time, it’s easy to comfort eat and I found that chocolate and treats and all those sorts of things just helped to make me feel better.”
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After undergoing surgery, Nicola decided it was her chance to make a change. Physiotherapy helped her gradually regain her mobility and start walking again, but she remained unable to do high-impact exercise. “I’d lost half a stone by sort of January time and I tried everything I could do to lose a bit more weight, but I just stubbornly sat around 140 pounds,” she said.
“I wanted to get to about 130 pounds and there were items in my wardrobe that I could no longer fit into. There were items in my wardrobe that I thought I’d never ever fit into again.
Simple is available on the app store
Simple is designed around changing everyday habits rather than calorie counting, cutting out essential food groups or weighing every bite.
“I’d done keto in the past and didn’t really want to go down the keto route because I like my fruit and vegetables too much and I really missed those, so I felt as if it would be better if I just tried to exercise more.”
It was while scrolling online that Nicola came across Tai Chi walking – a meditative form of walking where you move slowly and intentionally, learning how to transfer your weight fully from one leg to the other – which led her to weight loss and exercise app Simple. “Little did I know that this would be a real amazing life-transforming moment for me,” she said.
Shoppers can currently use the code REACH to save 80% on Simple weight loss plans. Subscribers can also share Simple Premium with one person of their choice at no additional cost.
“I can’t do high-impact stuff because of my surgery, but the Tai Chi walking that’s in it, the walking every day, is ideal for me. Life’s busy. I don’t have time to go to the gym and I’ve done that, tried that, but it didn’t really work. I’m not really a gym bunny, so I wanted to do something that I could fit around my lifestyle.
Nicole used the Simple app for her health and fitness journey.(Image: Simple)
“I started off doing the 10 minutes a day, just doing the little gentle walking and things like this and didn’t really think much of it. I thought, ‘How’s this going to make a difference?’ But I thought, ‘No, I’m going to trust the process and see where it takes me.’”
Nicola started using Simple on May 1 at 140lbs and also began following its intermittent fasting guidance, having previously described herself as a “grazer”. She said: “For the first few days or so, I really struggled with the fasting because I was a grazer before. I used to eat little and often and I’d be constantly snacking.
“I really found it helpful in the early days, all the little tips and the mindfulness. It talks about just taking it a day at a time, because it’s rewiring your brain to think about food in a different way. I really enjoy my meals. I only have two meals a day, I have healthy snacks in mid-afternoon and I tend to fast for 16 to 18 hours a day. It works for me.”
Nicola now weighs 123lbs and says she has dropped around two dress sizes.(Image: Simple)
By June 18, Nicola says she had reached her initial goal of 130lbs. “I thought, ‘Yay, excellent’, but I thought, ‘No, this is now easy and I’m enjoying it’, and I was noticing changes in my body,” she said.
“I felt stronger. I was getting more definition in my arms and my legs were becoming toned, my tummy was becoming toned. I was incorporating other exercises after my Tai Chi walking, my daily power walks and things. I was doing some sit-ups, crunchy-type things and planks.”
Nicola says she can now do five or six full press-ups – something she never thought would be possible following her health struggles. She said: “I’ve literally gone from no muscle tone, having been, as I say, in a wheelchair, to now being able to do all of these exercises.”
Nicola now weighs 123lbs and says she has dropped around two dress sizes.
Nicole has reached her target weight.(Image: Simple)
Simple is designed around changing everyday habits rather than calorie counting, cutting out essential food groups or weighing every bite. Users start by completing a quiz before receiving a personalised plan, with tools including food logging through text, voice or photos, an intermittent fasting tracker and daily workout plans.
Exercises available through the app include walking, yoga, Pilates, HIIT and Tai Chi, while its NutriScanner is designed to help users understand the nutritional content of meals. There’s also Avo, an AI-powered wellness assistant that can provide recipe, snack and workout suggestions based on a user’s needs and preferences.
Other customers have praised the app on Trustpilot.(Image: Simple)
For an alternative, there’s Noom, a weight loss platform that focuses on mindful eating, not strict diets. Noom offers lots of support to clients, and aims to create ‘fun’ personalised courses for people – with pricing depending on the plan and the individual. Or there’s MyFitnessPal – a calorie tracker and BMI calculator designed to help people meet their targets and track their nutritional intake which costs around £19.99 a month, but there are some free sections available on the app.
Those who are using Simple shared their views on Trustpilot, with one person saying: “This app is one of the easiest ones to see if your food is on target without counting calories. It also reminds you when your eating window that you chose starts and ends. Must say it’s worth picking a coach. Really positive experience and gives you ideas how to tweak what you eat to make it better for a balanced meal.”
Another person shared their success so far, saying: “Absolutely amazing app. I have lost over one stone using this. There is always help at hand when I had my struggles. The app is very easy to use. Love it!”
One person explained what they wanted to see more of: “Honestly a super supportive app that doesn’t make me feel bad if I miss a day or something. I do wish it had more options for drinks (lemonade for example is hard to track accurately) or an option to write in a drink or activities. Otherwise it’s great.”
Overall most people were impressed, for example one person said: “Results are key in my 5-star review. The excellent customer service is a huge plus,and the intuitive, interactive interface actively encourages users to try harder, without shaming. A few tweaks to customisation (diet options, exercise editing) will given an even richer experience! Thank you Simple!”