Is the Noom app really the new Weight Watchers for genzennials? After spending two weeks using the Noom app, I’d say no. In fact, it’s actually better.
Weight Watchers (as well as many traditional diet programs) tend to make food and activity the complete focus in regards to weight loss. Yes, these aspects are super important and essential for weight loss, but there’s more than that. Enter Noom. Noom not only encourages you to eat better and exercise more but also helps you to figure out the psychological reasons behind why you make some of the choices you make. Ever have thoughts such as, “I ate a salad for lunch, so that makes eating this whole pizza okay,” or “I ate poorly this morning, so the rest of the day is ruined?”
We all make silly justifications like this. Noom helps you to realize that you’re having these distorted thoughts. One of Noom’s biggest concepts is using psychology to help you figure out why you’re doing what you do.
Choosing to combine the concepts of psychology with healthy eating and exercise makes your weight loss way more likely to be long lasting. The Noom app actually teaches you to change your behavior and then move on with your life, so that you don’t have to rely on the program forever. Not to shade one certain other program, but I don’t want to be counting my points for the rest of my life.
The main thing that Noom does have in common with Weight Watchers is that no foods are truly off-limits. Noom groups foods into 3 categories: green, yellow, and red. These classifications are based off of caloric density. Green foods are the least calorically dense (you can eat more of them and get more nutrients than you would with the same number of calories of a red or yellow food) and Noom suggests that these make up 30% (or more, the more the better!) of your diet. These are generally fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Yellow foods are somewhere in the middle and are supposed to make up around 45% of your diet. These are generally meats, starches, and low fat dairy items. Red foods are the most calorically dense and tend to have the least amount of nutrients per calorie, so they are supposed to make up a maximum of 25% of your diet. These aren’t bad foods, just ones that you need to enjoy in small portions. This category includes processed meats, butter, white bread, nut butter, chips, alcohol, and more.
So what was my personal experience like with this app? I lost five pounds! Noom’s psychological lessons helped me immensely to fix the issues I was having. Logging my food every day forced me to be very aware of what I was eating and to realize what a high percentage of red foods I was eating. Weighing in every single morning helped me feel less anxious on the scale, and see that it’s natural and normal for my weight to fluctuate. The app worked with my Fitbit and gave me a step goal, which made me aware that I need to move more every day. Noom also gives you more calories for days when you log exercise, gave me that little extra motivation to head to my spinning class. At the end of the 14-day free trial, I’ve made it a daily habit to take my dog for a walk, I feel like I have more energy during my workouts, and my clothes are starting to fit better.