Noom

sunshinedaydream21

Has anyone tried Noom for weight loss? I just signed up with a discount code which made it $92 for the year which seems like a good deal if it's at all useful...14 day trial so I can cancel if it stinks

[Edited by MFP Staff]

manderson27

All diet plans that you have to pay for are basically counting your calories for you. That is how weight loss works. If the diet involves foods that you like and it is sustainable (many diet plans are not) and gives you the right amount of calories for healthy weight loss and you can afford to pay for this then no problem.

The problems can arise if the diet is too restrictive in food variety and you can't sustain it, if the calories are too low and therefore unhealthy, or if you are being encouraged to sell the plan to others.

Personally I don't see the point in paying for a "diet plan" when all you need to do to lose weight is to eat at a calorie deficit. You can do this yourself for free by using MFP to calculate how many calories you need to eat to lose weight, logging all your food and eating the foods you enjoy as long as they fit your calorie goal.

There are many ways to lose weight and the most important thing is to find a way of eating that suits you, gives you good nutrition and that you can live with for the rest of your life. Wish you all the best on your journey.

tinkerbellang83

sunshinedaydream21 wrote: »

Has anyone tried Noom for weight loss? I just signed up with a discount code (zoom90) which made it $92 for the year which seems like a good deal if it's at all useful...14 day trial so I can cancel if it stinks

Haven't used it personally, a few of my friends list have tried the free trial and liked the mindset aspect of it - I believe that it's almost along the lines of CBT, not many have not stuck with it in the long term though.

That said there are resources out there that will do that for free/a fraction of the cost. I don't think there's much risk of it being too low calorie/restrictive, believe it's more of an IIFYM mentality that's used. There is 1:1 advice given with a coach, which might be beneficial to some, but I don't know how consistent the advice given might be.

If you have a free trial, give it a go, I don't see it being detrimental.

kshama2001

Here is my favorite post from previous Noom threads:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10759219/mfp-vs-noom

melodyvegan wrote: »

I wrote this on a previous post about the topic, sharing it here...

I used Noom to get back on track with weight loss two years after my last soiree with MFP. I signed up for the 2 week free trial and canceled it before the trial ended because I had read some reviews that made me a little suspicious of their customer service practices and because logging food in the app was so tedious. Their database isn't nearly as large as MFPs and they make you scroll so much to get the right amounts (e.g.: scrolling slowly from 1 to 300 if something is 300 grams).

I continued with Noom through the free version of the app because I found the daily behavior modification articles very motivating and the quizzes/challenges were fun. Once you cancel, the app reverts to the free version and you can still read all the articles and quizzes. I was really motivated by getting the little check mark that said I read all the articles and competed my daily check in. Truth be told, the articles get significantly worse after about 2.5 months.

With the free version, I didn't have access to the recipes, personal coach, or group chats, but I found ways around this. I have accountability through my partner at home who is also on a fitness journey and I found that the MFP forums give me all the "group" accountability I need. It's enough to check into these forums and remember I'm not doing this alone and plenty of posters here have similar questions that I have and are seeking support. I sought out recipe recommendations through my Fitbit community and through Facebook groups I was a part of.

All in all, I found the free version of Noom useful for it's daily psychology-based behavior modification articles. I learned a lot about myself and lost ~15 pounds (half my goal weight). Throughout the time I was using the free version of Noom for the articles, I used MFP to track calories because Noom's calorie tracker is awful and I used the MFP forums to stay "connected" and feel supported. After I was done with all the articles (after 4 months) I just stuck with MFP beacuse by that point logging and reading MFP articles and forums had become a daily habit too. Their whole program is CICO + behavior modification. MFP is good at the first, but behavior mod is incidental. Noom is better at the latter. For me, using both gave me the best of both apps.

I saved $180 by doing it this way. It may not be the way that works for everyone, but it worked for me. I credit Noom for motivating me in the beginning with the kinds of articles that you can't find on MFP, helping me stick to this journey for 4 consecutive months, and now in entering my 6th month without Noom. It's definitely an excellent tool for creating new habits and learning about your relationship with food...which is the whole point of the program.

I found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques very helpful when I had a problem with alcohol back in the 90s and have been meaning to check out Noom for this aspect.

searchgal1

I lost 16 lbs with Noom over 4 months or so. I liked the psychology behind it and the calorie counting vs. counting points and having "free" food on WW. Where it all fell apart for me was with their lack of maintenance content. I am 2 lbs from my original goal and could not get any info on what was next with the program. I did not renew, and instead joined MFP. The tracking function in MFP is much better. At the end of the day, it's all about the calories. I suspect that I would be at the same place had I started with MFP. The community aspect of MFP is also much stronger! The group interaction in Noom is pretty anemic. The "coaches" clearly follow a scripted formula (some people question if they're real or bots). Although I liked digging into the reasons behind why I've struggled with my weight, I think MFP provides lots of content to help with that. Like any program, if you follow it, you can be successful. But, for the money, MFP gets my vote going forward.

COGypsy

My sister has lost nearly 50 pounds now using Noom and loves it. She says the CBT/coaching part of it has been key to helping her stay on track and not get lost in the "crazies" of weight loss like she has when she's tried dieting on her own.

sunshinedaydream21

Thanks everyone for the thoughts. I’m not sure if I will go past the free trial period...I do like mfp for food diary. I was interested in the psychology part and the group mainly. Thanks!

ahoy_m8

I have not read a lot about CBT applied to food consumption, but I have read this: https://www.amazon.com/Beck-Diet-Solution-Train-Person/dp/0848731735/

I found lots of helpful insights even if a bit repetitive. I checked it out from my local library.

jeagogo

I think the cognitive therapy approach is interesting, and could be really helpful for folks who need help with their mindset regarding food. Sounds like there's also a community support layer to the program which could be helpful to.
That said, I tried it and quit after 2 days because the food logging on their app was a total pain in the a** - no barcode scanning, a small library of foods, and a weird thing where you can't easily add foods to multiple meal times because when you exit a meal it kicks you back to the homepage instead of your daily food log. That last one was the dealbreaker for me. As much as we gripe about all of MFP's weird issues it's still so much more user friendly for tracking than I found Noom. I didn't get far enough in the program to get to the community portion to make any judgement on that.
If what you are interested in is the cognitive therapy approach to weight loss I recommend checking out whether your healthcare provider has options available. I know mine offers low cost (cheaper than Noom) group therapy sessions and a lot of other support related to weight loss.

dujennifer

I tried Noom. The mindset concept is cool, but I could not handle the excess amounts of notifications, daily tasks, multiple areas to log, etc. Their food logging database was very slim too. Nothing like this site where you can find just about anything. I ended up cancelling because it was just way too much. However, I imagine for some, the excessive communication and tracking/updates probably keeps you more accountable.

cwolfman13

kshama2001 wrote: »

Here is my favorite post from previous Noom threads:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10759219/mfp-vs-noom

melodyvegan wrote: »

I wrote this on a previous post about the topic, sharing it here...

I used Noom to get back on track with weight loss two years after my last soiree with MFP. I signed up for the 2 week free trial and canceled it before the trial ended because I had read some reviews that made me a little suspicious of their customer service practices and because logging food in the app was so tedious. Their database isn't nearly as large as MFPs and they make you scroll so much to get the right amounts (e.g.: scrolling slowly from 1 to 300 if something is 300 grams).

I continued with Noom through the free version of the app because I found the daily behavior modification articles very motivating and the quizzes/challenges were fun. Once you cancel, the app reverts to the free version and you can still read all the articles and quizzes. I was really motivated by getting the little check mark that said I read all the articles and competed my daily check in. Truth be told, the articles get significantly worse after about 2.5 months.

With the free version, I didn't have access to the recipes, personal coach, or group chats, but I found ways around this. I have accountability through my partner at home who is also on a fitness journey and I found that the MFP forums give me all the "group" accountability I need. It's enough to check into these forums and remember I'm not doing this alone and plenty of posters here have similar questions that I have and are seeking support. I sought out recipe recommendations through my Fitbit community and through Facebook groups I was a part of.

All in all, I found the free version of Noom useful for it's daily psychology-based behavior modification articles. I learned a lot about myself and lost ~15 pounds (half my goal weight). Throughout the time I was using the free version of Noom for the articles, I used MFP to track calories because Noom's calorie tracker is awful and I used the MFP forums to stay "connected" and feel supported. After I was done with all the articles (after 4 months) I just stuck with MFP beacuse by that point logging and reading MFP articles and forums had become a daily habit too. Their whole program is CICO + behavior modification. MFP is good at the first, but behavior mod is incidental. Noom is better at the latter. For me, using both gave me the best of both apps.

I saved $180 by doing it this way. It may not be the way that works for everyone, but it worked for me. I credit Noom for motivating me in the beginning with the kinds of articles that you can't find on MFP, helping me stick to this journey for 4 consecutive months, and now in entering my 6th month without Noom. It's definitely an excellent tool for creating new habits and learning about your relationship with food...which is the whole point of the program.

I found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques very helpful when I had a problem with alcohol back in the 90s and have been meaning to check out Noom for this aspect.

I might have to check that out.

kshama2001

cwolfman13 wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Here is my favorite post from previous Noom threads:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10759219/mfp-vs-noom

melodyvegan wrote: »

I wrote this on a previous post about the topic, sharing it here...

I used Noom to get back on track with weight loss two years after my last soiree with MFP. I signed up for the 2 week free trial and canceled it before the trial ended because I had read some reviews that made me a little suspicious of their customer service practices and because logging food in the app was so tedious. Their database isn't nearly as large as MFPs and they make you scroll so much to get the right amounts (e.g.: scrolling slowly from 1 to 300 if something is 300 grams).

I continued with Noom through the free version of the app because I found the daily behavior modification articles very motivating and the quizzes/challenges were fun. Once you cancel, the app reverts to the free version and you can still read all the articles and quizzes. I was really motivated by getting the little check mark that said I read all the articles and competed my daily check in. Truth be told, the articles get significantly worse after about 2.5 months.

With the free version, I didn't have access to the recipes, personal coach, or group chats, but I found ways around this. I have accountability through my partner at home who is also on a fitness journey and I found that the MFP forums give me all the "group" accountability I need. It's enough to check into these forums and remember I'm not doing this alone and plenty of posters here have similar questions that I have and are seeking support. I sought out recipe recommendations through my Fitbit community and through Facebook groups I was a part of.

All in all, I found the free version of Noom useful for it's daily psychology-based behavior modification articles. I learned a lot about myself and lost ~15 pounds (half my goal weight). Throughout the time I was using the free version of Noom for the articles, I used MFP to track calories because Noom's calorie tracker is awful and I used the MFP forums to stay "connected" and feel supported. After I was done with all the articles (after 4 months) I just stuck with MFP beacuse by that point logging and reading MFP articles and forums had become a daily habit too. Their whole program is CICO + behavior modification. MFP is good at the first, but behavior mod is incidental. Noom is better at the latter. For me, using both gave me the best of both apps.

I saved $180 by doing it this way. It may not be the way that works for everyone, but it worked for me. I credit Noom for motivating me in the beginning with the kinds of articles that you can't find on MFP, helping me stick to this journey for 4 consecutive months, and now in entering my 6th month without Noom. It's definitely an excellent tool for creating new habits and learning about your relationship with food...which is the whole point of the program.

I found Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques very helpful when I had a problem with alcohol back in the 90s and have been meaning to check out Noom for this aspect.

I might have to check that out.

If there are Smart Recovery meetings available to you, I highly recommend them! I'd take in-person meetings over online, but online is an option too.

https://www.smartrecovery.org

brayrh

I have been doing Noom since the first of January. So far I like it and will continue to use thru my paid period. The articles and “psycholgy” they discuss have been very helpful in getting my mind prepared to tackle my goals and do so in a very positive way. I was fortunate enough to be placed in an active group with a great coach, but from talking to others this is not always the case. They do desparately need an updated and correct database for food. I started using MFP for that very reason. I like the combination of the two and feel Noom will help me get off to a good start and MFP will be my go to for long term goals and maintenance.

scooter262

I did the trial, and then one month. I really liked it, and learned a lot of good stuff. I think it really helped me have a better relationship with food. MFP food tracking is definitely a lot better than Noom’s. I got a little tired of the coaching and rah-rah attitude, which is why I cancelled. That, and I felt they had already given me the tools I needed to lose weight.

MercuryForce

I don't have personal experience with it, but it worries me a little. I think the idea behind it is good, like setting goals and getting into the psychology of your eating habits. But, I keep seeing ads that pop up on Facebook and all the comments are like "I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks!" and "I've been using it since Thanksgiving and lost 40 lbs" and Noom is in those comments cheering them on. I just feel like there is a lot of encouragement of unsustainable weight loss going on. I'd be interested to see if the program as whole is that way, or just their online ads.

kshama2001

virginiajharris wrote: »

I don't have personal experience with it, but it worries me a little. I think the idea behind it is good, like setting goals and getting into the psychology of your eating habits. But, I keep seeing ads that pop up on Facebook and all the comments are like "I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks!" and "I've been using it since Thanksgiving and lost 40 lbs" and Noom is in those comments cheering them on. I just feel like there is a lot of encouragement of unsustainable weight loss going on. I'd be interested to see if the program as whole is that way, or just their online ads.

That is indeed a red flag.

Interestingly, I'm listening to a podcast sponsored by Noom* (Food, We Need To Talk), and the "words from our sponsor" don't have this fast weight loss tone at all.

Could be tailored to the audiences - this podcast is science-based and is produced by WBUR, an NPR station, vs FaceBook.

* In this week's episode they mention that all of last year's podcasts were recorded before they knew Noom was going to be their sponsor.

MercuryForce

kshama2001 wrote: »

virginiajharris wrote: »

I don't have personal experience with it, but it worries me a little. I think the idea behind it is good, like setting goals and getting into the psychology of your eating habits. But, I keep seeing ads that pop up on Facebook and all the comments are like "I lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks!" and "I've been using it since Thanksgiving and lost 40 lbs" and Noom is in those comments cheering them on. I just feel like there is a lot of encouragement of unsustainable weight loss going on. I'd be interested to see if the program as whole is that way, or just their online ads.

That is indeed a red flag.

Interestingly, I'm listening to a podcast sponsored by Noom* (Food, We Need To Talk), and the "words from our sponsor" don't have this fast weight loss tone at all.

Could be tailored to the audiences - this podcast is science-based and is produced by WBUR, an NPR station, vs FaceBook.

* In this week's episode they mention that all of last year's podcasts were recorded before they knew Noom was going to be their sponsor.

It's entirely possible the comments are just some bots or an intern going through and putting some sort of encouraging comment on every post that mentions weight loss. But, it still is concerning that "I lose 5 lbs in seven days!" is treated as "wow, you're doing great! Keep up the good work" rather than the reception here that post would get of "That's great, but keep in mind a lot of that is probably water weight this early on. If that kind of loss keeps up, please adjust your calories".

I know they probably can't really say that when they are trying to get people to buy their product. But, I also don't feel comfortable with them promoting a lb a day weight loss as a desirable thing.

fitoverfortymom

I tried it to see if I liked the extra support. I found the app itself very inflexible and cumbersome. I have an Android, so there was no recipe building feature, which is huge for me since I cook for my family. I like the idea of Noom and I can see how that guided approach and gamification may really work for some. Wasn't for me, but the methods were sound.

SchweddyGirl

I tried Noom a few months ago, and while I did like the psychology behind it and liked how it made losing weight feel like a game, I found it to be better geared towards individuals who are just starting out on their lifestyle changes. Like others, I found their lack of recipe building an issue for me. A number of the responses when talking to the coach seemed very robotic to me. While I am sure there are individuals who benefit greatly from Noom, it wasn't for me.

Jruzer

I was mildly curious, so I tried out their online quiz. You know the kind of thing - "See if Noom is right for you!"

The I came to the two questions below. Despite the weasel words "can have" or "can impact", I got a pseudoscience vibe. I noped the heck out of there.

searchgal1

I don't think the program itself hypes quick weight loss. You can set your speed, just like with MFP, and calories adjust accordingly. I lost 16 lbs in 4 months - so there was no rapid weight loss going on here. Everyone who commented on the food database and clunkiness of the app in logging are spot on. For me, it served a purpose to jump start life style changes. I'm continuing with MFP successfully, so I guess I learned something along the way.