Is Noom Worth It?
Is Noom worth it? In this post, I am going to share my experience with the popular Noom program. Before I get into it, however, I want to make it clear that my baseline when it comes to weight loss experience may be higher than yours. I have battled with my weight for many years. I gained an excess of 50 pounds in college, then I had three babies , after the second I lost 50 lbs, and now I am on my journey again. I’ve tried everything from being vegan, doing keto, the “French Women Don’t Get Fat” plan, intermittent fasting, and just plain old calorie tracking. So depending on your baseline, your success may be different. I had the fastest success when I had outside accountability, i.e. a weight loss group. This is what intrigued me about Noom.
What is Noom?
Noom is a psychology- based approach to healthy eating and fitness. In short, you have a few lessons each day, you take your weight, track your steps, and track your food. For food tracking, they have come up with a color system that encourage you to favor “green foods” – foods which are less calorie dense but higher in nutrients.
How much weight have you lost?
I started about 3 1/2 months ago and I have lost 21 pounds.
What do you eat on Noom?
For breakfast I typically have oatmeal or toast. Sometimes I eat eggs. For lunch I have something small. And for dinner I have soup, salad, or a small portion of whatever I’m cooking for my family. In other words, nothing is off limits – it’s all about increasing those “green foods” and learning to eat everything in moderation which is what makes it sustainable.
Why is Noom working for you?
Again, Noom is working for me because it’s sustainable and it gives me accountability. I am a person who needs external accountability when it comes to personal goals. Since I have three young kids, I need a program that is sustainable and doesn’t require complicated meal plans and purchasing extra food that isn’t what my family would typically eat. I am also over 30, and for women over 30 Noom recommends only eating 1200 calories. No wonder I would never lose weight when I would eat 1500+ calories! also when you work out, it only adds in HALF of what you burned – brilliant. (That also bugged me on my fitness pal. It never seemed accurate. This addresses that issue.)
Noom has also helped me identify what my particular hangups around eating are. I tend sample everything while I’m cooking , as well as just overeat in general.
How are you different after Noom?
Well, I’m not completely finished yet but I’m almost there! As I said before, I have spent copious amounts of time learning about weight loss, psychology, nutrition, and fitness, so much of Noom is not new to me. What makes it different for me is the accountability aspect, and being trained on how to live without Noom and maintain a healthy lifestyle and not just fall back into old habits. I am more mindful of when I “slip” and eat too much, and less likely to beat myself up and spiral into a binge. I just commit to getting back on track with the next meal.
Noom really helps with mindfulness because of the color system. I realized I really eat A LOT of “red” foods. I love fat! Especially saturated fat. It’s not BAD for you, per se, but it’s not where most of your calories should come from either. Noom is teaching me how to moderate those red foods and increase the green. I must say this, though, I am a very all or nothing person. If I am at a party I struggle not to overeat with appetizers, so I think I may continue tracking my food long term, to keep the mindfulness piece. Noom has also taught me that plateaus are okay and they are a normal part of the process. Weighing myself every day has helped me get over the anxiety of nothing changing on the scale and the fluctuations that occur day to do due to hormones, bloating, etc.
My Favorite “Green Food” Swaps
I have made swaps in my home – Dave’s Thin-Sliced Whole Grain Bread, XTREME tortillas, nonfat greek yogurt, fat-free cheddar, fat-free cream cheese, the list goes on. All these foods have become my new staples. My switching out these items I have increased my green food intake.
So, is Noom Worth It?
Yes, I think it’s worth the money. Especially if you need accountability and sustainability. I definitely recommend it!