Noom Diet Reviews: Is this weight loss app worth it?

What is Noom?

Noom is a weight loss app that’s done completely online, combining your standard diet procedures (food choices, food tracking, meal planning, etc.) with psychological behavior changes. Noom's program is designed to change your mind and the way you view and consume food so that you can acheive weight loss for the long term.

Losing weight tends to be one of our biggest, most stressful battles in life. And our desire to lose weight and achieve the ideal body is only amplified by social media. But what many of us don’t realize is that being overweight is rarely about just food. It’s about the relationships we develop with foods and our lack of healthy habits.

We all have a relationship with foods whether we know it or not. Maybe we use it as comfort when we’re stressed, sad, or lonely. Maybe we fear certain food groups because we’ve been conditioned to think that they’re bad. Regardless of your personal conditioning around food, there’s a good chance that it’s holding you back from achieving your weight loss goals and your ability to maintain weight loss in the long term.

Noom set out to be a revolutionary weight loss program that works to break down those psychological barriers around food, changing the way you think about it and consume it. So while you can expect to lose weight with Noom, you can also expect so much more. It's about the person you become in the process that makes all the difference.

How Does Noom Work for those trying to lose weight?

The first thing you’ll notice about Noom is that there’s really no information on their site, you just begin the onboarding process. This can be a turn off for some people, but then again, that’s why people search for Noom reviews, right? So they can get the real scoop from someone who’s tried it before potentially wasting their time. And you definitely need a little time to get through this onboarding process as it's quite extensive. Of course, you can also download the app and get started right through there if you prefer!

You’ll start right off by entering your email address and answering a series of questions about your goal weight, current weight, motivation levels, experience with other diet plans, activity levels, etc. This process was very similar to the Caliber Fitness onboarding process. It’s a pretty comprehensive set of questions, but not so many that you feel overwhelmed or annoyed with it. You can tick through them pretty quickly.

I really didn’t have a goal of losing weight, but I entered in that I’d like to be 5 pounds lighter for the sake of getting the best experience on the app. Once I did that, I was given a timeline for achieving my goal based on my lifestyle and the information that I input. They told me that I would reach my goal within a month and a half, which sounded doable and healthy for my current body weight.

Next, you’re thrown right into the app, which wasn’t a bad thing! I didn’t have a coach assigned to me yet, but I wonder if that was because I signed up on a Saturday night? Anyway, I did some digging into the coaching aspect and found that Noom coaches are required to complete a “core lifestyle coach training, which is an internationally recognized health and wellness training. I felt good about that as I have witnessed “coaches” in the past who are no different from anyone else on the street. Noom's health coach professionals are actually legit!

Although I didn’t have a coach yet, there was an online coach on-call option always waiting for me in the upper-righthand corner. But I didn’t really need it yet, I immediately jumped into the “lessons” they had laid out for me. Then, I was promptly assigned a coach on Monday morning! My health coach immediately got in touch and started to get to know me and my fitness and diet goals right inside the app.

At some point, my goal coach asked me how much time per day I wanted to allot to using the app on my device and working on my weight loss goals, I chose the lowest option which I think was 5-10 minutes per day. They then provide lessons for you each day that is tailored to your time allotment, which was really nice as it felt tailored to my needs, not just a blanket recommendation.

So, in the beginning, you’ll learn all of the basics about the program and what to expect and you’ll also be quizzed on some common diet and eating habits, which was informative and kept things interesting. This is such an integral part of a healthy weight program; actually learning the science and the "why" behind what you're doing.

What's The Cost of the Noom Diet?

First, there is a 7-day (or 1 week) free trial, then the Noom diet subscription costs up to $59 per month. Every plan is customized individually, and the recommended extent of the program is based on how much weight you want to lose. Again, Noom feels very customized to you as the Noom app user, which I found to be very refreshing.

Is Noom Just Calorie Counting?

Ok, so you probably won’t just magically shed the pounds by reading some interesting material. You have to put in the work and hold yourself accountable. Noom helps this process by having you weigh in daily and track all your food (food logging). This means that, at the core, Noom is a calorie-counting weight loss program, and it gives you a daily calorie consumption goal that you strive to achieve every day for weight loss.

This sounds great to some people but induces anxiety in others. For some, tracking food and getting on the scale every day can be triggering and cause more damage than it’s worth. For example, those with a history of eating disorders are often encouraged to steer away from food tracking.

For others, it’s a great way to hold yourself accountable and to watch your progress while being mindful of what you’re eating. In my experience, the only way to lose weight in a healthy and sustainable manner is to pay attention to your diet plan and make sure you're adhering to it. If you're guessing how much food you're consuming, you're likely way off even if you're following mostly healthy habits.

Of course, our weight fluctuates each day, up to 5 pounds, in fact. And Noom will tell you all about this. It’s more about the progress over time than the number you see each day. Patterns begin to develop over time, and with your Noom program and some patience, you will eventually see the weight loss you seek.

Out of all the weight loss programs (and apps) I've reviewed, the Noom app makes it really easy to track your weight each day as well as your food intake. They categorize foods into three different categories: green foods, yellow foods, and red foods, based on their caloric density. They are all about balance. So you’ll find that your food is split something like this:

• Green 30
• Yellow 45
• Red 25

Red foods get a smaller allotment each day because they are more calorie-dense (i.e. peanut butter and almond butter) foods in the food system, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they are "bad." There are no good and bad foods, just foods in the Noom program that have a higher caloric density over others. Yellow foods, for example, might be foods that have a higher water content but are less calorie-dense, this helps you fill up while keeping your calorie budget in check. 

What Are Red Foods On Noom?

Honestly, it's all the "good" stuff we want to eat more often than not.

The red foods consist of fattier cuts of beef, lamb, and pork including processed foods like:

• Bacon
• Sausage
• Hot dogs

These are some examples of red foods, just to name a few. Red foods have their place in your diet, and Noom helps make sure that your calorie budget is designed in a way that allows you to enjoy the foods you love while still dropping the pounds and making progress.

Here's the full list of red foods in an infographic, created by the creative Fit Healthy Momma team:

What Can You Eat On A Noom Diet?

You know the red foods, yellow foods, and green foods we just discussed? Here’s where you’ll figure out how to balance your calorie budget and what foods to choose.

The Noom Food list is one of the largest food databases available, which makes it easy for you to make healthy choices and track accordingly. Here's a quick bulleted list showing which foods you can expect to eat while on a Noom diet plan:

• Hearty vegetables such as broccoli and carrots.
• Yummy fruits such as apples, oranges, berries, and tomatoes.
• Whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal.
• Non-fat cheese and non-fat Greek yogurt.

When reading through the list, you’ll get to learn about the calorie content of each of the foods you're consuming right inside the app. The main idea is to stick mostly with green foods as those are the least calorie-dense and the most nutritious, in general. That said, your healthy meal plans will include options from all three categories.

This list really makes meal planning simple by giving you a clear direction. As long as you stick to the food list, your food tracking will be easy. I love that this is something that you can follow for the long term, it’s not restrictive at all and doesn’t require you to cut out any foods. For most, just tracking food is a huge step in the right direction on their journey to reaching their goal weight.

Noom App Reviews Pros and Cons

No weight loss program is perfect and what works for one person may not work for another, but Noom is hands down the most inclusive, easy to follow, and maintain weight loss apps that I have ever seen. Here are my pros of Noom:

Here’s what you may not love about it:

Noom Diet Customer Reviews: What Are Users Saying About This Weight Loss Program?

As reported by Trustpilot, 82% of the reviews for Noom (or noom.com) from real customers are excellent and great, while only a few are negative.

After reading all negative reviews, I concluded that the majority had to do with people not having great success with the app. Other unhappy customers reported the content was great, but they weren't seeing results fast enough. However, all reviews were directly answered and addressed by Noom support, which is a strong sign of excellent customer service.

To sum it up, most Noom users appear to be incredibly happy with the entire process of Noom's diet plan app platform. Most men and women would agree that this is a much-needed service that saves further research (time) on what to eat and not to eat.

For many people suffering from being overweight, this company allowed them quick access to a professional service and diet plan which is a monumental lifesaver. Read below and watch the video to see what happy customers are saying.

And here's a great informational video on how Noom uses psychology that helped these two noom users accomplish their goals. Check it out below:

These customer testimonials are pulled right from Noom.com. Incredible to see how it has changed lives for the better!

Lastly, a personal testimonial from Michelle who has transformed her body and conquered all her weight loss goals because of Noom's diet plan. Watch below:

My Personal Thoughts + (Honest) Review of Noom

As I mentioned, I did not have a significant amount of weight to lose when I started Noom, so I can’t really provide you a true weight loss review as that really wasn’t my goal. However, I'm happy to report that after tracking for awhile, I did see that I lost weight! Just a couple of pounds but I get great about it because it was the result of me paying attention to my diet and not overeating.

I think this app is absolutely perfect for those who are struggling with their weight. For the people who have tried everything and still can’t seem to reach their goals, this app is going to be a knight in shining armor. With it's unique, innovative approach to solving weight problems, people are getting to experience progress that they haven't been able to find before.

It’s not just about the food you eat or the number on the scale, it’s your relationship with food and your body. Until you change that, you’ll never realize the long-term success that you truly desire and deserve. That's why Noom set out to make an app that caters to those of us who are in it for the long run.

I enjoyed the process of going through the Noom app and learned a ton along the way. I was particularly interested in the lessons they provide each day as they give you bite-sized nuggets of valuable information that help you in so many different ways, from losing weight to changing your mindset and attitude.

I only spent maybe 10 minutes per day tracking and going through the daily app checklist, which felt super doable and always worthwhile as I learned a ton from Noom.

How Long Does it Take to Start Losing Weight Using Noom?

You can expect to see results from noom in 16 weeks. According to the Noom website (noom.com), people that use the app and make healthier lifestyle changes can lose on average up to 18 pounds in just 16 weeks. Like anything, results will vary based on how committed you are in sticking with your goals. To see weight loss progress in 16 weeks can be life-changing for many of us.

Is Noom Free?

Right now, Noom is offering a FREE trial. If you think you’re even slightly interested in this app, I would take advantage right away as I’m not sure how long that offer will be available. You get access to the app and all the information within it for free for two full weeks. During which time you’ll be assigned a coach and everything.

Is Noom Hard To Cancel?

You can cancel at any time, so if you decide that it’s not for you after the two-week trial, you can cancel and there’s no money lost. Noom makes it really easy to cancel and you'll never be on the hook.

Is It Worth Paying For Noom?

If you have weight to lose and you feel like you’ve tried every diet, exercise plan, and supplement there is, then Noom is 100% worth paying for. It’s not a magic pill or quick fix, but Noom gives many dieters the support and motivation they need to change their habits for better weight loss results. These results are grounded in science and a lifestyle change, which is the only way to achieve lasting results.