App of the Week – Noom

Published on July 19, 2018

Weight loss can seem like a daunting task. The whole “eat less, work out more” philosophy is easier said than done, but sometimes all you need is a little guidance and encouragement.

That’s where Noom comes in.

Coined the “Weight Watchers for millenials,” Noom is a weight loss app aimed to help you achieve an ongoing healthy lifestyle, beyond just your diet and short term weight goals.

The app includes numerous features, such as weight, food, and exercise logging; searchable recipes and meal tips; group and one-on-one coaching; and an accessible program designed to help change your eating and exercise behaviors.

When you get started, the app will ask you to take a simple survey about your current and ideal weight, your eating and exercise habits, and what triggers the bad ones.

After filling out the brief survey, Noom prompts you to dedicate 10 minutes each day to the app for one-on-one coaching and logging your daily weight and food intake - no need to take time out of your day to attend in-person weigh ins, talks, or pick up prepackaged food.

That’s another advantage to Noom; on this app’s plan, no food is off limits. Of course, the app makes suggestions about nutritious meal options and even the most healthy way to prepare certain foods (i.e. boiling an egg instead of pan frying), but there are no strict food restrictions to hold you back, as there are with some other fitness-oriented programs.

As you first navigate the app, the language Noom uses to prompt your dedication is both real and motivational, stemming both from your one-on-one and group coaches. You’ll be connected with your own personal healthy lifestyle consultant, or coach, who is available to chat during convenient hours. Using the app, you’re free to ask them about anything related to your weight loss journey, and even any in-app technical difficulties you might have. He or she will check in with you about achieving your weekly goals and help you set new ones for the following weeks.  

Exercising properly is another area of weight loss where the Noom app can help you achieve focus. To track your exercises, Noom is able to sync to a number of different trackers and health apps. For Noom, it’s about gradual integration when it comes to workouts and exercise plans. Your Noom coach and the app will help to make sure progress is being made, at the right pace for you.

The app is available for Android and iOS devices, and offers two pricing options to users, though the initial download and basic features are free. This first is a $199 lifetime plan; the other is a less expensive pay-per-month fee, depending on how long your weight loss goal will take to complete.

Think there are any other diet or fitness apps our team should try? Drop us a line on Facebook or Twitter to keep the Geek speak going!