Today we are going to look at a diet that is somewhat unique. This alone is something of an accomplishment with all the weight loss programs out there, so we thought Noom deserved a closer look.
Noom is an app, available for most smartphones, which is meant to track your weight loss efforts, provide expert advice, and encourage you at a mental level to do well. There is a fee for the service, but they give you a generous two-week trial period so that you can evaluate it for yourself if you choose.
The first thing to understand about Noom is this: it is a program that is meant for those who have a hard time sticking to a diet. If your discipline isn’t the best, this diet is meant for you.
The second thing to understand is that Noom does not focus on any particular foods. While most diets promote certain kinds of food as being inherently healthier, the truth is that all natural foods have health benefits. If you have a weight problem, the problem isn’t in your food. The problem is you. Noom, therefore, chooses to focus on the human element rather than on pushing a specific meal plan.
What Are The Rules And Principles?
The basic principle of Noom is to provide a structured program with a certain degree of social accountability. You are supposed to give regular feedback to the app, and it won’t really work without this feedback. While this may seem like a pain to some, it is a good way to encourage the kind of personal discipline that any self-improvement program requires.
Each day, users are given a list of simple tasks to complete. These tasks might include logging your correct weight, logging any strenuous exercise you may have done, logging information about your food choices, completing lessons related to health and nutrition, or other related tasks.
But now we get to the big question, that being: “what can I eat on this diet?” The answer is; anything you want! However, this isn’t as loose as it sounds. Instead of banishing high-calorie foods, the Noom diet restricts the amount you can consume. In other words, it doesn’t really matter how much you eat as long as you don’t exceed your daily calorie limit. This means that you can eat a small amount of high-calorie food or a large amount of low-calorie food. Maximum flexibility gives this diet a few extra points in our book, as this will definitely make it easier to follow.
Noom separates all common foods into color categories for quick reference and easy memorization. Green foods are low in calories and high in nutrients. Fruits and vegetables would be in this group. Whole grains are also in the green category. For a little help, consult this list of low-calorie foods. Yellow foods include things that are a little higher in calories, such as lean meats, starchy foods like potatoes, eggs, and yogurt. These are still nutrient-rich foods but should be eaten less often. Red foods are high-calorie foods like red meat, desserts, and other indulgence foods. These are not off-limits but are meant to be eaten sparingly.
Personal Support
One of the best things about Noom is that it provides you with a lot of feedback. This is yet another example of how this diet concentrates on the human factor, doing its best to encourage you mentally.
One of the support features is the ability to ask an expert if you have questions, concerns, or special needs. Every subscriber is assigned two coaches who will provide them with instructions, feedback, and advice. They are able to assign tasks that will complement your existing plan as well.
One of these coaches is technically called a “goal specialist,” or just GS. Rather than being a distant advisor, they will personally consult with you at least once a week through the app, making it difficult to cheat on your goals without their knowledge.
Group Support
As mentioned above, you have two coaches. The first one is an individual coach. This coach will be a licensed behavioral therapist, which of course reflects the diet’s emphasis on behavior. Let’s talk about the other coach.
When you begin this program, you will automatically be put into a group of other users who will work together to encourage one another. This is where social accountability comes into play. Even in the absence of harsh consequences, most people inherently want to please and impress their group. Don’t lie; you are like this, and so is nearly everyone else! This is a natural consequence of the fact that humans are pack animals.
The group coach (or GS) will do more or less the same job as an individual coach, but they serve an entire group. They will come up with group goals and challenges to help push members toward the results they desire.
How Fast Does It Work?
Noom is designed to be a four-month program. This is good because some diets are meant to be followed permanently, and that is kind of intimidating. Many Noom users have reported an average loss of 18 pounds within those four months. This seems to be a healthy and realistic number, as the weight loss rate averages out to roughly 1.125 pounds lost per week (18 pounds divided by 16 weeks). This is well within the range of a healthy weight loss rate.
Educational Resources:
Apart from all the social interaction, Noom also provides the user with a database of health and nutritional information which is actually quite helpful. Any time that you are not able to consult with your GS at a particular moment, this database can often answer your questions. We found these resources to be informative and easy to comprehend, making them well-suited for those who don’t do well with medical literature.
Conclusion
Overall, this diet does seem to be a good choice for those who are suffering from a lack of diet discipline. It can be very hard to motivate yourself with no outside encouragement whatsoever, and there can be no doubt that this is true. By seeking to provide this outside encouragement, this program represents a radical shift in thinking when compared to other programs. For that reason alone, it is well worth a try.
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