Is the Noom app any good?

[salviapages]

Seen ads for it everywhere, sounds good but it costs money so I'm sceptical. Worth it?

It's definitely worth doing the 14 day trial. It's foundations are sensible and the user interface is good. They set you unintimidating goals and give you the background information to why these changes are useful, which helps motivation.

I did it and it got me set on a good track. I then paid the £85 or whatever it is but my use of the app tailed off within a month so now I regret it.

I wish you could get monthly membership for these things!

I'm doing the trial at the moment and I don't rate it. It's a bit too American (the health coach didn't know what squash was, a lot of the foods to log are just in cups) and I don't like their traffic light system which I don't think works well within the rest of their ideas. I only tried it for the psychology side which is interesting but they drag it out and I imagine it could probably be found in a book.

I did it and it worked well. Then lockdown hit…

I’m currently using the body coach app instead and it suits me much better.

I have been doing it since February and I have just reached target - started at 13stone and I’m now 9 stone. I really have felt well supported, my attitude to food has changed entirely and as a former couch potato for 10 years I’m now running 10 miles a week. I have had enormous fun with the course and little challenges. Yes, you can pick holes in it but it has worked for me. You do have to pay up front and you need to commit to following the weighing daily and food logging regime but it is no more expensive than Weightwatchers.

Ps in response to the comment above about food weights you have lots of options and can record each item in grams ounces cups or just slices/pieces. I weigh everything.

I just cancelled and it offered me a monthly payment option to try and keep me (I turned it down)

Hi, I’m currently on the 6 month programme. I went through some nhs site and got a discount through that.

I’ve lost 6kg and I am changing my attitude to food. I definitely don’t feel like I am going without either.

Has anyone got a current discount code for noom? On a trial but I hear that there are lots of discount codes people get if they cancel. Thanks

I'm on a trial too. Finding it ok so far. I've definitely become more aware about the food I'm eating.
I'd be interested in a discount code too if anyone has one, or where can I get one through the NHS?

Hi, I have lost 2 stone using Noom.

I did the free trial then paid for the basic version. Logging and weighing each day works well for me.

I like the way you can see a graph of your weight going down and see your goal getting closer on the graph.

I have 1 more stone to lose now.

Good luck with it

Well done @namechanged221. That's really positive.

I just started doing the trial. I think that it lets you count down calories rather than the arbitrary points of WW is good. But it's so hard to stick within a calorie or points allowance of any kind I find. I have about 250 cals left in my allowance for tea.

I tried it for months and just....after a point, I couldn't get on with it. It was just too much. The courses everyday, the constant contact from the coaches which was all about my state of mind, which I found boring and repetitive. The administrative overhead of all that plus the logging of food every day, month after month is excessive.

Plus, it is very American. If you're a person who likes mindfulness and all that, I'm sure it would work great but I found myself avoiding the app after a time because I just couldn't face it.

So does noom actually have a real person you interact with? Or is it pre-set messages? As I don’t think introvert me could deal with a real person…

I actually got fired up to be good about weight loss again by followings noom link but I didn’t go any further when they asked about payment.

@murmuration You can do a trial for a fortnight for a fairly small amount and see if you find the app helpful.

So does noom actually have a real person you interact with? Or is it pre-set messages? As I don’t think introvert me could deal with a real person…

Well, you're definitely supposed to believe it's a real person but I have read that it's a mix of a real person and AI. I find that easy to believe, since most of the responses you get are "and how do you feel about that?", like you're dealing with a weirdly inept therapist.

I lost the difficult 1 and a half stone that I've been trying to lose for the last decade or more using Noom. And I've kept it off. Not sure how, as I still have odd treats. It was hard going in the early days and I rarely managed to stick to the 1200 per day calories recommended, usually more like 1400. But it helped reset my attitude towards food and portion control. I've realised walking is key in terms of exercise, and being in my feet in general. I've realised some foods just aren't worth the calories. (Damn you, Lindor balls). It took me longer than the app initially predicted, but that's because I would have struggled on 1200 calories per day. The food logging, daily weigh and weight loss graph were the best elements. I could see that I was losing weight despite occasional plateaus when it didn't seem to be working, and that kept me going. After the first few months I opted not to renew and then they offered the program at a much discounted rate, so I carried on. I still have the app and can still log weight and foods if I want, just not have the coach or group interaction, now I'm no longer subscribed, but I wasn't too fussed about those elements anyway, so ultimately it can be free. Some of the portion database is a bit American, so you sometimes have to check the UK calories yourself, although It's constantly updating. I finally like my figure, now I'm in my forties and feel so much better in myself. Really glad I tried it, didn't have the willpower to do it alone.

@Multicolouredsequins Ooh, great success story. Do you think you've learned some habits that'll help you keep it off?

I don't know if I was drinking as much fluid as I thought, but I think making sure I drink the 8 glasses like the app gets you to tick off is making me a bit less hungry.

Oo, thanks, very useful information! I use MyFitnessPal for food logging and have actually been going for 1200 calories (often turns out to be in the 1200s instead...).

I wouldn't mind an AI, I think, but I may not be able to carry on conversations if there might be a real person there. Part of my plan is to work on my stress/anxiety levels and that would just enhance it. Although what if I just pretend its all AI...

I think I have learned some good habits, I found the psychology talks/essays a bit tiresome and fist-bumpy at times, but maybe those lessons have sunk in at a deeper level, as I definitely had an emotional relationship with food before, especially my sweet tooth, but I seem to have lost that a bit, luckily. Now my stomach has shrunk I don't get as hungry either. I loosely count calories in my head now and if I've been a bit greedy I go for a walk or do an on-line hiit routine or have a lighter dinner etc. I used to think that I needed 1800-2000 calories to maintain my weight, but I've realised it's more like 1600, so that's probably my biggest lesson. Evening walks help and drinking more water, including before breakfast and dinner especially. Porridge for breakfast and extra protein, especially eggs, has really helped. I still eat bread and occasionally cake/chocolate, just in moderation. I don't feel like I am dieting in any way at the moment. If the weight starts creeping up again then I'll go back to the app, but I'm determined not to, as it was hard losing it!

I went all the way through the quiz this time. Encouraged that it thought I could get to my goal weight - how did people find those estimates?

Also curious about the food logging: I’ve been using MFP for quite some time, and have many of my recipes and regular meals stored in there - can it do something like sync with MFP? As I don’t think I’d want to deal with logging in a new interface that didn’t have UK specific stuff (like would it even have Tesco-brand cheese, for example?)

@murmuration It seems to have stuff from most supermarkets etc in. The other day I had Morrisons kippers and the app didn't have Morrisons ones, only Asda ones, so I clicked that as I thought they're probably much the same.

It usually has the option of grams vs cups etc.

I think it lists more brands than WW online does.

Thanks @me4real! Hmm. I'll give it a think. I do like I've got recipes and common meals saved in MFP: it was nice low effort to get going there again.

I've signed up for 14 day trial. Has anyone opted for the premium bundle for the exercise plan?
I have a gym membership and I'm hoping the bundle will give me guidance on how to get best use of the equipment to tone up and support weight loss (really can't be arsed with using gym trainer, just want to go in with a plan for that day's workout and get out).
Used eDiets years ago which was terrific for this but they've disappeared.

Sorry my question was meant to be: is the premium bundle exercise plan any good for the money? Is it personalised and/or useful? Thanks!