A few weeks ago I was asked if I wanted to test out Noom Coach, the updated version of the Noom Weight App that I tried out just over two years ago. I really enjoyed using it the first time round and was excited to try this newer, updated version.
What I liked about the original app was the fact it kept me accountable for what I ate. I found I was less likely to eat something unhealthy, like two chocolate bars in one sitting, because I didn’t want to have to log it in my food diary. It also made me aware of how much I move during the day and kept me wanting to exercise just so I could log it.
The new app has been given a fresh new look and is even easier to use than before! Everyday you will find articles on your home page offering helpful advice on staying motivated and ways to keep you calorie intake down, like planning ahead and managing portions. The side bar pops out with everything you need right there at your finger tips.
The Healthy Weight Program
The Noom Coach app itself is free to download on your Android or ios device and this gives you the ability to log your your meals. There are then two paid programs available, each offering specific coaching for your needs. There is the Healthy Weight Loss one I am on and the Diabetes Prevention Program. Each program is a 16 week long course and leads you from the learning stage, right through to reinforcing everything you have learnt for those healthier choices to become a natural habit.
The costs for the Healthy Weight Loss Program is a monthly payment of $44.99 or an overall payment of $199 for the whole course. At first glance this does seem quite pricey to me, but as well as being able to log your meals and have access to the groups you get a real life coach who is there to help you along the way. So when you take into consideration how much personal coaches are to see in real life, just for an hour a week, this cost works out at just pennies per hour!
Your personal coach really is there for you too, they even call you personally to find out more about you and learn the best way they can support you. Don’t worry if you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, this step can be done by messaging too.
The Groups
Your Noom coach chooses the right group for you to join. Which takes a little time but is much better than the last time I used it where I struggled to find an active group. Your coach also facilitates your group, setting activities and challenges so everyone really gets to know each other and gets a little push in the right direction to meet their weight loss needs. Having a tailored group of like minded individuals to support you along your weight loss journey is always a help and my group seems to be a nice active one. They reach out for support when they are struggling as well as being eager to offering advice, anything from ways to curb snacking to recipe suggestions.
Logging Meals
It’s really easy to log your meals, most food are pre-programmed in to the app and there is a much wider variety of meals available now so you can get an approximate calorie count. I would be wary of using the ‘serving’ size when you are choosing the amount you have eaten if you are at all unsure, because the chances are you will underestimate exactly how big a serving is. I tend to use the cups or weight options so I know I’m logging it right.
All of the meal information you input into your dashboard is fed back to your coach which means they can help you pipoint issues with your diet. So, for example, if you are on the Diabetes Prevention Program and your coach notices you need to decrease your total carb, and sugar, intake they can help steer you in the right direction to making healthier choices.
If you are forgetful, you can set the reminder function to remind you to log each meal. This is also helpful as a reminder to actually eat, not just log it!
In conclusion, I really like the updated Noom Coach app. Its a simple and effective way of keeping track of what, how how, you eat. Before I started I thought I was a big snacker. What I actually realised was that I was skipping meals, usually breakfast and lunch, then replacing them with unhealthy options, like crisps and biscuits, just to get a quick fix because I was starving!
I think I will continue to use the free version of the app, with just the ability to log my meals, so I can see exactly where I am going wrong with my daily food choices!
Have you used a weightloss app like Noom? How did you find it helped you?
***Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Noom, but all thoughts and opinions about the app is honest and my own***