What you’ll learn in this blog |
Noom has been around since 2008, but in recent years it’s gained momentum and is seemingly the next big thing in the healthcare and weight loss industry.
It is a dieting app that takes a psychological approach to weight loss, focussing on education and aiding a sustainable approach to dieting.
But does it work?
And does the program compare to other weight loss alternatives such as pills?
Firstly, it is crucial to understand that Noom and weight loss pills come at the same problem from different angles.
Noom attempts to educate you on your weight loss journey and gives you a personalized dietary target to reach, which may work for some. Whereas weight loss pills fundamentally change your body's relationship with food and your appetite, which may work better for others.
Neither are quick fixes, but they can help accelerate the weight loss process if implemented correctly to help shed excess weight.
So, in this blog, we’re helping you figure out which one might be best for you if you are looking to lose weight.
What is Noom?
So, what is Noom?
Noom is a weight loss app with many different resources. Its main goal is to help you lose weight and build better eating and fitness habits to help you keep off the weight you initially lost. |
Unlike other diets that restrict eating habits regardless of the food groups you're allowed to consume, Noom enables you to eat anything.
Instead of restricting your intake, Noom teaches you psychology and mindset shifts to help you develop a healthier relationship with food. Their method allows you to overcome cravings and recognize genuine hunger instead of learned hunger.
It's important to note that Noom is not a fitness app or a health and lifestyle aid. Noom does not help you lead a more active life or to help you become fitter as an athlete. Instead, its target is to reduce the numbers on your weight scale.
Despite this, the Noom diet plan still follows the basic principle of a conventional diet (in which the goal is to eat fewer calories than your average daily allowance - also known as a calorie deficit).
Nevertheless, it doesn't force you to reduce your calorie count through guilt but educates you about what you are currently eating and what you should be eating.
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How does Noom work?
As Noom is a paid-for service starting from $60 a month (becoming cheaper the longer you tie yourself into the app) it’s important to know what you are actually paying for.
Noom kicks things off with an in-depth demographic and behavioral quiz that helps set the baseline, calculate your daily calorie allowance and gives a realistic timeline for your goal weight.
Once you’re signed up Noom positions its weight loss plan as like an educational course, and as you continue to learn, you'll climb up the levels until you are a Noom expert.
To complete the course, there's only one thing that you need to do: study.
Noom will send you new lessons daily that you will need to complete.
These lessons are about food, weight loss, psychology, and other subjects that will help reframe your approach to weight loss. Completing your daily classes will only take approximately 10 minutes.
Noom provides a gentle user experience, whether it be the UI or the language they use in the course.
Logging food and weight with Noom
In addition to reading their daily lessons to progress with your plan, you must also conduct a daily weigh-in and track your calorie intake.
When logging your food, Noom will rate what you're eating as either Green, Yellow, or Orange (formally red). These illustrate whether the food is something the app wants you to eat more or not.
Noom focuses on calorie density when deciding the color of food. Calorie density is all about the weight of food compared to its calories. So, a dense item will fill you up more than a less dense item, which, according to Noom, means they're healthier for you.
For some people, the calorie deficit they recommend to people to lose weight can be substantial.
For example, Noom can advise you to reduce your calorie intake by as much as 900 calories. This approach may help you lose weight, but it needs to be more sustainable and may not last, leading to yoyo dieting.
In addition, the app includes various recipes you can try, a step counter integrated with your phone's fitness app, which encourages you to walk more, a way to track your water intake, and a way to track what exercise you do.
Does Noom help you lose weight?
But does it work?
The main criticism that Noom has received is that it's like any fad diet that has come before. This seems fair, as it still follows the same principles: eat fewer calories and exercise more.
In addition, the calorie counting and traffic light system can cause people to form unhealthy relationships with food and even lead to eating disorders. This is certainly the opposite of what Noom intended - but it can occur with any calorie-counting diet.
Furthermore, the Noom program lacks safeguarding features. For instance, if you're already at a healthy weight, Noom will still create a plan to help you lose more without considering if it’s healthy.
However, contrary to these criticisms, many previous users talk about how they now have a better relationship with food and know how to satisfy cravings.
And Noom currently has a 4.3-star review on Trustpilot, with the review website giving it an excellent rating after its 60,000+ reviews.
And as for losing weight - does it work?
There are countless testimonials and reviews that show it works.
According to a study on WebMD, around 78% of users have lost some weight when using the Noom app. Of the people who lost weight, 23% dropped more than 1/10th of their original body weight.
These results may look outstanding, but there isn't enough clarity about whether the weight stayed off these people and whether they lost weight in a healthy, sustainable way.
Of course, everyone is an individual, and you must figure out if it’s right for you.
Noom Diet Pros and Cons
The best way to determine if Noom is worth the risk is to compare its benefits and negatives against each other.
Pros
Cons
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How does Noom compare to weight loss pills?
Well, the first thing to note is that there is a HUGE range of weight loss pills on the market, from prescribed to natural supplements.
What ingredients these pills contain, their safety, and the results you will see from them vary from product to product.
Making a blanket statement on whether Noom or weight loss pills are the best is a little tricky.
With weight loss pills, you can gain incredible results which can help you transform your body. When using certain weight loss pills consistently and correctly, you can lose anything from 3%-12% of your starting body weight.
However, it is vital to note that weight loss pills are not magic bullet treatments. They shouldn't be solely relied upon to lose weight. Instead, combining them with regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet is best.
In addition, using weight loss pills to aid your weight loss program can be far less challenging than Noom. Although you may still need to undertake a calorie-deficit diet, the number of calories you need to cut down on will likely be nowhere near as large as the average Noom target.
The result is that you will be far less hungry when taking weight loss pills, and it will ensure that you're able to eat enough to get all the nutrients that your body needs, which can't be guaranteed when using Noom.
For many, weight loss pills are the better option because they don't require as strict a diet for you to get similar or even better results. Moreover, weight loss pills either boost your metabolism to burn stored body fat quicker or inhibit your body's ability to store fat. Both approaches are effective at helping with the fat burning process.
Related content: PhenQ vs Phentermine: what is the difference?
Weight Loss Pills Pros and Cons
Although not a perfect option and with its risks, it's clear they're an effective weight loss treatment when looking at the pros and cons of weight loss pills.
Again, there are so many different weight loss supplements so this is a wide analysis, as one pill will have different pros and cons than others.
Pros
Cons
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The final verdict: Noom versus weight loss pills
Before making any substantial changes to your lifestyle, be that attempting a weight loss program or starting a course of weight loss pills, make sure to take it through with your Physician. They can assess your suitability and ensure it's right for your circumstances.
Noom has the potential to be a valuable diet aid for those trying to lose weight. It's best suited to individuals who want a gentle approach and want to improve their relationship with food. In addition, their educational process can help those who have gained weight due to a lack of understanding about nutrition.
That said, losing weight with the app is complex and requires substantial commitment, just like any other diet you may have attempted.
If you feel burnt by diet plans in the past and need more motivation to give it a go, then a better option for you may be to consider weight loss pills.
Although weight loss pills are more effective when you eat well and exercise, succeeding with weight loss pills takes far less effort. This is because the medication helps suppress your appetite and ability to store fat, making it easier for you to lose weight.
A natural weight loss supplement such as PhenQ can help to suppress your appetite and boost your metabolism, helping you lose weight with no known side effects. We offer a 60-day money-back guarantee so what are you waiting for?