Content:
PROs - Noom has great content, for the most part. They really do a deep dive on the psychology behind eating and what causes us to overeat as humans. There are a whole lot of different factors and Noom addresses all of these factors. You can count on learning new information each day that can help you in your journey
CONs - Noom doesn't have a great system for ensuring its users retain this information and practice the tips that are given. There are occasionally quizzes that test your knowledge but other than that, there is virtually no accountability that what you learn is actually put into practice.
Food Tracking/Weight Input:
PROs - It's very helpful to log my food directly within the app and they have a great way to show you what foods are calorically dense, something no other food tracker has. The weight tracker provides a nice visual
CONs - The food database seems to be all user-generated, so if a user hasn't input the same type of food you're eating, you'll either have to add it yourself or just have to wing it. Not a huge deal, though.
Coaching:
PROs - Very nice folks.
CONs - I hate to use a word like "useless," but I don't know a more constructive way to describe them. They do absolutely nothing but check in once a week. They ask how you're doing and then ask what you want to do that week. They expect you to know what is best for you that week and then they just agree with you and then you don't hear from them for a week. Noom's selling point in their marketing is their Goal specialists/Coaches. This has been a HUGE disappointment, through and through. There is no actual apparent interest in looking at your personal progress and figuring out a gameplan for you. For being so focused on the psychology behind eating and weight loss, they seem to give no credence whatsoever to the importance of external motivation. When you challenge any Noom staff member on this, their line of defense is "Our program focuses on you making your own decisions, rather than someone else telling you what to do." OK, that's great. Why not wipe out the goal specialist altogether? Why try to cover all these bases of a traditional nutritional program when it's going to be half-assed?
Everybody's different, sure, and I'm sure some people are happy with their coaches. As for me, this has been far from effective and the main reason I wouldn't recommend Noom.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
