Noom Review: We Tried Noom Diet, Read First!

Welcome to a Noom review from a dietitian’s standpoint. 

If you’re thinking about joining Noom to help you lose weight but don’t know anything about it, you’ve come to the right place.

As a Registered Dietitian, it is my role to guide people on the best and healthiest ways to lose weight. 

Nowadays, many programs offer different ways for you to lose weight. This can be a good thing, as everyone is different and has their own unique challenges in losing weight.

However, we all know that some products are more marketing than actual substance.

So, is the Noom diet worth the money, or is it just the hype? It’s a very popular program, but does it really lead to healthy, sustainable weight loss?

I tried the Noom app myself, and here’s my honest review. 

Let’s get started to determine if this is the right option for you. 

Snapshot Rating 

• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Sustainability: 4.5
• Brand Reputation: 4.75
• Price Range: $60 to 200

About Noom

Noom is a mobile health app. It began as a calorie counter app but evolved into a complete weight loss program that also centers on behavioral changes. 

Their main goal is that through a combination of psychology, coaching, and technology (their app), people can get empowered on their health and make better choices. 

The result is to make decisions regarding your health and reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease. 

What is the Noom diet?

The Noom diet is intended to help you lose weight.  

Unlike other diets, it doesn’t focus only on the foods you eat but also on creating long-lasting change with behavioral lessons. 

It has a color category to help you determine those foods you can eat. Green foods are the best to eat, yellow to eat in moderation, and orange to limit. However, more details on that I will discuss later in the article. 

While there are other programs with a similar concept (like Weight Watchers), at Noom, you work to create healthy habits. 

For example, even if you binge on green foods (those that are lower in calories), it is still not a healthy habit. So, they look to break these patterns to help you form habits that will make your weight loss last. 

Things to Consider Before Joining a Noom Membership

Before joining the program, you must consider some things before signing up. 

• Using the App. Some people don’t like using apps to track their food or progress. After using the computer all day, if you don’t want to look at your phone, this program might not be for you. All the lessons and tracking is done through the app. 

• Fast results. Noom wants you to create long-lasting results. This is why there are daily lessons for you to watch and make the necessary adjustments. If you are not looking to make any behavioral changes and want quick results, you might want to reconsider this option. 

• Daily weigh-ins. While it is not mandatory, they encourage you to weigh in daily to keep some type of accountability. You can choose not to do it, but it plays a vital role in the program. If the scale brings a lot of anxiety to you, then this is not the best option. 

• Low-calorie diet. If you exercise regularly, or you’ve done low-calorie diets in the past but haven’t succeeded, this is not the way to go. While you can adjust the calories independently, the recommended number might be too low for certain people, even below their BMR (basal metabolic rate). 

Who is Noom for?

Noom is for those people who want to have sustainable results. 

If you don’t know how to start your weight loss journey, this can be an excellent option. 

You also get a lot of support from coaches and other members. If you currently lack the support you need in your journey, this app can help you overcome that. 

Overall, it can be a better solution than trying different kinds of fad diets that see you losing and regaining weight quickly.

Foods That You Can Eat on the Noom Diet

Noom categorizes the foods into green, yellow, and orange foods. This is to help you determine which foods you need to consume more and which ones you should limit. 

Green Foods

Green foods are very low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods. These foods are high in vitamins and minerals which can help nurture your body. 

• Vegetables: broccoli, zucchini, leafy greens, cauliflower, and more.
• Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, and berries.
• Starchy vegetables: beets, sweet potatoes, squash.
• Whole grains: brown rice, oatmeal, whole grain pasta, and whole grain bread.
• Proteins: egg whites, tofu, tuna in water, shrimp, and low-sodium turkey.
• Dairy: non-fat milk or cheese.
• Dairy alternatives: unsweetened almond or coconut milk. 
• Soups and stocks. 
• Condiments: tomato, marinade, salsa, sauerkraut, kimchi, chili, brown mustard, ketchup, light mayo. 

These foods should represent 30% of your food choices. 

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods are moderate in calories. They don’t contain as few calories as green foods, but they don’t have as many as orange foods. 

They are also somewhat high in nutrients. 

• Avocado.
• Eggs.
• Plant-based proteins (seitan, tempeh)
• Fish and seafood: salmon, cod, tilapia.
• Whole grains: quinoa.
• Legumes: beans, chickpeas, lentils.
• Low-fat or 2% milk.
• Low-fat yogurt. 
• Others: olives, hummus, guacamole, plantains, coleslaw, fruit smoothies, mashed potatoes, and protein powders. 

These foods should represent 45% of your food choices. 

Orange Foods

Orange foods are the ones with the highest caloric content. They are called calorie-dense foods. 

In some cases (when processed), they are also lower in nutrients. 

• Oils: flaxseed, avocado, and coconut.
• Nuts: almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, and more.
• Seeds: chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. 
• Nut butter. 
• Dried fruit. 
• Full-fat or whole milk.
• Full-fat cheese or dairy. 
• Snacks: unsalted rice cakes, whole grain crackers, and popcorn.

You can still eat them in moderation, making sure you consume no more than 25% of your food choices. The reason you eat less of these is that they won’t fill you up as much as yellow or green foods. 

How does Noom work?

The main aim of Noom is to make you lose weight through a caloric deficit (eating fewer calories than your body needs). 

They have three major players for you to achieve this. 

Psychology

They use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you make lifestyle changes. 

It is a scientifically proven technique that can help you enjoy sustainable results. With their daily lessons, you can work on changing your mindset, so it’s not all about calorie counting. 

Technology

Texting your coach, tracking your food, reading, or listening to their lessons – everything is through the app. 

Noom is constantly looking for ways to innovate the app so people can get the most out of it. 

Human Coaching

Finally, once you set up your account, you are matched with one of the Noom coaches. 

They are there to help guide you in the process. The more you communicate with them, the better results you can obtain. 

Noom Features & Benefits

Now, let’s get into one of the most interesting topics: discussing the features and benefits of Noom. 

Psychology-Based

One of the main problems with weight loss programs is that they don’t focus on mindset. 

The psychological aspect plays a crucial role in weight loss. No matter how many vegetables you eat, if you don’t change your mindset, you will return to your old patterns and regain the weight. 

It is very common in my field to hear all these stories of people trying different diets they know they can’t sustain long-term. One of the most common ones is keto. 

“I started doing keto, and I got the best results. I lost 10 lbs in only two weeks! However, I started eating as I normally would once I reached my goal, and my weight went back.”

Sound familiar? 

Through the daily lessons, you can work on those aspects that make it challenging to get and maintain results. 

Multiple Languages

Another benefit of Noom is that it is available in several languages. 

It is available in Korean, Spanish, German, Japanese, and English. 

As someone from a Spanish-speaking family, I know the struggle to find a program that can be adapted to your language since most of them are only available in English. 

Personal Coaching

Noom offers a coach to guide you through the process. 

If you don’t have support at home, it’s easy to lose motivation halfway. A coach is an excellent way to keep on track. 

They advise, help you set your goals, and develop strategies to deal with different situations.

For example, if you are constantly hungry or tend to snack in the middle of the night, a coach can help you get to the root of the problem and find a solution. 

Sustainable Weight Loss

Nothing is more frustrating than reaching your goal only to regain it (and more) after a couple of months or years. 

Noom focuses on sustainable weight loss results. 

In fact, they don’t expect you to use their program or app for a lifetime. They want you to become independent and empowered with your eating choices. 

Through coaching and psychology, you can obtain long-lasting results to help you determine what foods to eat, how your body reacts, and how to ensure your results stick. 

Better Health Outcomes

The appearance of chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, hormonal problems, and muscle pains is constantly rising. 

Most people don’t think about these things until it’s too late. 

Noom helps us prevent these conditions or manage your existing conditions. 

Clinically Validated

Finally, Noom is a clinically validated option. 

This means that several studies can support Noom’s effectiveness. Here is a summary of some of the studies. 

• A study was done on 43 overweight participants using Noom for 24 weeks. There was an average weight loss of 7.5% with 84% engagement. 
• Another study had a larger population, with almost 36,000 participants. At least 77.9% of the participants reported significant weight loss. 

Noom Programs and Tools

While the most common program is weight loss, there are others for you to choose from. 

Remember that no matter your program, they customize it based on your goals and current habits. 

Noom Weight

Noom Weight is the most common program. 

It uses the app, coaching, and lessons to help you reach your weight loss goals. 

Noom Mood

This program is for those looking to help reduce their stress and manage their emotions better. 

Noom offers several tools to help you learn how to reduce or control your stress so it doesn’t affect the quality of your life. 

Thanks to several mindfulness techniques, you can learn how to control your emotions. 

Noom for Employers

Companies nowadays are investing more in health programs. 

There are several benefits of implementing health programs in companies. It can help boost morale, increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and increase employee retention. 

Noom offers an option for those companies that want to improve their employees’ health. You can choose Noom Weight, Noom Mood, or a combination. 

Free Tools 

Some free tools on the Noom website include a personality quiz, a calorie calculator, and a macro calculator. 

Let’s talk about each one. 

Personality Quiz

The personality quiz helps you determine how your personality type can affect your goals. 

There are five categories: Proof Seeker, Intelligent Influencer, Peak Performer, Structure Seeker, and Motivated Self-Improver.  

Fun fact: I got the Intelligent Influencer when I took the test. 

What did you get? You can take the test here. 

Calorie Calculator

Noom gives you a range of calories through the app, but you might wonder what the exact calories you need are. 

The calorie calculator determines your calories based on age, gender, weight, and height. 

It calculates your BMR (the minimum calories you need for your body to work) and your maintenance calories (the calories you need to maintain your weight). 

As a rule, I often reduce 20% of the maintenance calories (500 to 1,000 kcal average) to avoid a severe caloric deficit. However, it is your choice how many calories you want to reduce. Just make sure never to go below your BMR. 

If you want to test how many calories you need, here is the link. 

Macro Calculator 

Finally, Noom offers a way to calculate your daily macros. 

Based on your goals (the amount of weight you want to lose), it gives you a recommended caloric intake and a macro breakdown. 

You can also adjust it if you feel it is not suitable for you. 

Here is the link to the macro calculator if you want to try it. 

What does the Noom app provide?

The Noom app centers everything in one place, so you don’t have to search around to find your lessons, text your coach, or check your progress. 

Let’s talk more in detail about what the app offers. 

Personalized, One-On-One Coaching  

Your coach will guide you through the process by helping you set goals or talking about anything on the way to your goal. 

You can text your coach from Monday to Friday between 9 am to 5 pm EST. 

While you have a weekly check-in (where your coach makes necessary adjustments), you can still text your coach any time. 

A Progress Tracker

In the app, you can also track your progress. 

There are several things you can track:

• Meals
• Exercise
• Weight 
• Blood pressure
• Blood glucose
• Water

As you can see, tracking is very detailed. 

However, in my opinion, it’s missing something important. Tracking sleep and mood would be good since they can play a huge role in your weight loss. 

If you’re not sleeping well or managing stress levels, it will be harder for you to stay on the plan. Insufficient sleep and increased stress may also lead to cravings.

An In-App Pedometer

Another great thing about the app is that you can track your steps. 

The number of steps matters a lot when it comes to weight loss. 

Even if you exercise 60 minutes daily, you spend the rest of the time sitting down. It can still have a massive impact on your health and your weight results. 

Recipes

If you don’t know what to cook or how to implement healthy habits in your kitchen, one of the app’s benefits is that you get an extensive database of recipes for you to use. 

You get different groups like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. 

There is also the advantage of searching for a specific ingredient (like chicken) or a particular type of cuisine (like Asian). 

It also allows you to save your favorite recipes, and you have a tab to get to them faster. 

Courses

Finally, you can check all of your lessons in the app. 

On the main page, you can see the lessons for the day based on the amount of time you can dedicate per day. 

They give you the option to listen to the lessons or read them.  

Noom Pros and Cons

There are several pros and cons to using Noom. 

Pros

• Psychological approach
• Accountability 
• Support 
• Focuses on sustainable results
• Provides personal coaching from certified health coaches 
• Doesn’t restrict food
• Holistic approach 
• Offers a complete app
• Calorie tracking 
• Available in different languages 
• 14-day trial (you set the cost)

Cons

• Expensive 
• You need to interact with the coach to get results
• No face-to-face interaction 
• Food tracking and logging 
• Too restrictive on calories (in some cases)

What are Noom’s add-ons, and are they worth it?

You can add additional things to your subscription that might help you achieve your goals. 

However, the decision to purchase them is very individual. 

Customized Meal Plans

If you are one of those people that need a meal plan to follow, Noom offers an add-on where you get a personalized eating plan. 

They send it to your email and tell you the meals and foods you need to consume daily.

There is controversy regarding meal plans since some people say they are too general and not personalized.

Customized meal plans can be handy for those people that don’t have a lot of time to think about their meals and need a guide to know what to eat.  

Customized Workout Plans

Another thing you can add is a personalized workout plan. 

Like with the customized meal plans, you receive a PDF file of the exercises for you to do. 

While they might be handy, a PDF file is not the same as a personal trainer who can guide you or check that you are doing the exercises correctly to avoid injuries. 

I advise that if you are a beginner in the training area, getting personal help to check your performance and technique is better. 

DNA Testing Kit

The DNA testing kit is from the company Orig3n. 

It gives you a 16-gene profile to determine how your genes can affect your weight goals. 

One of the cons is that it doesn’t affect your Noom program, meaning that if there are some adjustments that you need to make, you make them on your own. 

While it is not necessary to purchase, it can give you feedback on certain aspects of your weight loss journey. Primarily for those having a hard time losing weight. 

Does Noom really work?

Noom is an excellent way to lose weight if you make the necessary changes. 

If you focus on green and yellow foods, you reduce the intake of high-calorie foods, which leads to a calorie deficit. 

Keep in mind that the results you get come from the effort you put in. 

If you watch the lessons and apply them, talk regularly to your coach, and reduce your caloric intake, you can get great results following the Noom diet. 

How effective is Noom?

The previous studies show that Noom has very good weight loss results. 

On average, you can lose around 7.5% of your body weight when using the app. 

However, the results might vary depending on the person. It depends on your effort and how much weight you have to lose. 

Remember that people with a higher weight tend to lose more and faster than people closer to their ideal weight. 

Real Noom Reviews

With over 60,000 reviews, Noom has an average score of 4.3 stars. Here is what some people are saying about Noom. 

“The Noom system itself, the basis behind the psychology and the theory, is wonderful, but the app does leave a lot to be desired. Not being able to go back through the mini-courses afterwards isn’t good, so many foods not being in its database, and they don’t seem to add when you try adding them.

Edit: To be clear – I am still going to be using Noom as it’s the only dieting system/program/arrangement that has worked for me. I’ve lost half a stone so far!” – CIS

“Although there are so many levels to one’s “experience” with an app or service, I can write very highly of the content of Noom’s lessons, the ease of use of the food logging and weigh in system, and the way all of these work together to provide motivation, accountability, and most importantly, results. 

I am recommending Noom to anyone interested in becoming more self-aware regarding her relationship with food and her eating patterns – anyone wanting to gain control in a realm that is very out of control in our culture.” – Molly Steffen

“I enjoy the program and information shared. However, I’m not seeing weight loss so I’m disappointed. I have tried to stay in calorie range most of the time or under and I try to get my steps and more. I’m eating healthier but having a hard time getting less red/orange foods and more yellow. 

It would be helpful to have a listing of yellow foods (more than shown on nutrition description). I know it is a life journey and not a diet but I expected more this far into the program.” – Mary M.

Noom vs. Other Diets

So, how does Noom compare to other diets? 

Here is a summary of where Noom stands among some of the most popular programs. 

	Noom	Weight Watchers	Nutrisystem	MyFitnessPal	DoFasting	Calibrate
Basics	Categorizes foods in colors.Focuses on low-energy dense foods. Promotes sustainable results. Uses an app.	Uses Personal Points to help you figure out how much food to eat. Has different programs.	Gives you fully prepared meals for you to eat.	Calorie counter app. Gives you how many calories and macros you need to consume based on your goals.	Helps you control your fasting hoursOffers you supplements	Sustainable weight loss results. You need to qualify for the program.Focuses on lifestyle changes.
Price	Starting at $59 per month	Starts at $15 per month	Starting at $9.99 per day	Has a free option	$96 for 3 months minimum	$139 per month
Meal Plan	Foods are color-coded	Personal points	Already made meals	You can choose your eating style	Focuses on intermittent fasting	Customized meal plans with the help of GLP-1 supplement
Resources	Daily lessons recipes	RecipesMeal planning Workouts	Tips Challenges Articles	Tailored plansArticles	Fasting tracking Infographics Recipes	Telehealth sessions,Metabolic reset
Support	Online coachSupport group	Online coaches Workshops	Weight loss coaches	Progress tracking	Motivational features	Professional support

Noom Alternatives

If you are not convinced that Noom is the right way to go, there are other alternatives to try. Here are some of the most popular Noom diet alternatives with pros and cons. 

Found Weight Loss

Pros

• Board-certified doctors. 
• Telehealth sessions. 
• Medication included in the price. 
• Personal coach. 
• Facebook community. 
• App
• 90-day money-back guarantee. 

Cons

• Requires medication. 
• Not available in all states. 
• No trial period. 
• Communication with coaches is through SMS. 

Check the full Found Weight Loss Review here. 

Calibrate

Pros

• Support from medical professionals. 
• Promotes sustainable weight loss. 
• Doesn’t accept everyone to join the program. 
• Covered by your insurance. 
• Personal coach. 

Cons

• Expensive
• Not all people can enter the program. 
• Requires prescription medication. 

Check the full Calibrate review here. 

Form Health

Pros

• Personalized plans. 
• Meetings with a registered dietitian. 
• Meeting with a certified doctor. 
• Covered by some insurance companies. 

Cons

• Expensive.
• Requires medication. 

Metabolic Renewal 

Pros

• All-in-one program. 
• Designed for women. 
• Provides you with exercise routines. 
• Created by health professionals. 

Cons

• No free trial. 
• Pre-sell videos are long. 

Check the full Metabolic Renewal review here. 

How much does Noom cost?

Noom typically starts with a four-month subscription, starting at $159 per month ($39.75 per month). However, there are other plans, all of which involve auto-renewing services. 

• Monthly: $60 
• 2-month: $119 
• 3-month: $149
• 4-month: $159
• 5-month: $164
• 6-month: $169
• 7-month: $174
• 8-month: $179
• 9-month: $185
• 10-month: $189
• 11-month: $195
• Annual: $199

How to Get Started with Noom

If you’ve come this far in my Noom review, you are probably interested in starting the program. 

However, you might wonder what the steps are to get started. 

1. Take the Quiz 

First, you need to take the quiz for them to create your customized plan. 

It takes around 10 minutes. They ask you questions about your goals, current info (weight, height, age), exercise habits, and struggles you’ve had with weight loss. 

2. Download the App

After you complete the quiz, it tells you to download the app. 

Here you determine if you want to do the trial or if you want to start the subscription. 

Once you download the app, you sign in. 

3. Start Using the App

Once you get access to the app, you can determine how many minutes you can spend on your lessons. 

When you set everything, you can start browsing the lessons, check the recipes, or add the tracking information. 

Noom Company Details

• Location: New York City, Seoul, and Tokyo. 
• Phone: (888) 266-5071

Conclusion

You’ve come to the end of my Noom review. 

Noom provides an excellent option for those who want to lose some weight. It offers you personal coaching, mindset lessons, and a calorie-tracking app to help you achieve your goals. 

If you are sure that Noom is the right way for you, here is the link for you to do the quiz and start immediately. 

Remember that to obtain results, you need to communicate well with your coach and be willing to do the daily lessons. 

Have you tried Noom? Let everyone know what you think in the comments, and share this review with anyone who’s looking for a sustainable weight loss program.

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