How It Works, Cost, and Effectiveness

Since its inception in 2008, the Noom diet, or Noom, has quickly grown to become one of the most searched diets.

According to Noom, people who use the program and adopt a healthy lifestyle can expect to lose 1–2 pounds (lb) (0.5–1 kilograms [kg]) per week.

However, you may wonder whether Noom is just another fad diet or an effective program for healthy, sustainable weight loss.

While I know people who use Noom on a regular basis, I decided to try the platform myself to see whether it’s a program I’d recommend to others.

This article covers everything you need to know about Noom, including what it is and how it works, what I liked, and what I think could be better.

Noom is a mobile app you can download to your smartphone or tablet. Because the program focuses on behavioral changes, Noom calls itself a lifestyle, not a diet.

The app provides:

• Weekly challenges and educational information: Topics involve nutrition, stress management, goal setting, and healthy habit formation.
• Tools to track your progress: These allow you to log your meals, exercise regimen, and body weight.
• A virtual coaching team: Noom guides and interest-based communities, known as Noom Circles, are meant to help you stay on track. Individualized coaching is also available for an additional fee.
• Biometric tracking: These features help you monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

Noom offers a 7-day trial if you’d like to test it out before paying the monthly fee.

diet review scorecard

• Overall score: 3.7
• Weight loss: 5
• Adherence: 4
• Whole body health: 3
• Nutrition quality: 4
• Health promotion: 2.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Noom diet encourages you to eat low calorie, nutrient-dense foods and monitors your progress via a mobile app. Although its well-established methods are likely effective, it focuses mostly on increasing weight loss rather than improving overall health.

If you’re ready to try Noom, here are the steps you can take to get started.

1. Take the online quiz

To start with Noom, you take a simple quiz on the company’s website or the app.

The quiz collects information about your age, weight, health status, and fitness goals. It also asks for details about your current diet, activity levels, and any habits or behaviors that may affect your health.

Here are a few of the questions the quiz asked me:

• What feelings are you hoping to achieve during your journey with Noom?
• Which best describes the area you live in?
• How long has it been since you were at your ideal weight?
• Have any life events led to weight gain in the last few years?

2. Set your goals

The app uses information from the online quiz to create a custom plan and provide a realistic timeline for reaching your goals.

As I went through the quiz, the app adjusted my estimated timeline for reaching my target weight based on my answers.

3. Start using the app

Noom requires users to spend just a few minutes per day on the app. The app provides daily educational articles, tips, and activities you can complete at your own pace.

The app also encourages you to log your food intake, exercise, and weigh-ins; send messages to your Noom guide; and join Noom Circles, which are coach-led, interest-based communities, for added support.

Additionally, Noom offers an in-app reward system called NoomCoin. It’s designed to increase motivation to help you complete your daily tasks.

You can easily customize the amount of time you want to spend on Noom lessons each day and can choose from specific ranges, including:

• 1–4 minutes
• 5–8 minutes
• 9–12 minutes

Here’s a closer look at how Noom works and how it may support weight loss.

Reduces calorie intake

Noom aims to help you lose weight the same way as most other commercial diet plans and programs by creating a calorie deficit.

A calorie deficit occurs when you consistently consume fewer calories than you burn each day.

Noom estimates your daily calorie needs based on your sex, age, height, weight, and answers to a series of lifestyle questions.

Depending on your goal weight and time frame, Noom uses an algorithm to estimate how many calories you need to eat each day.

When I used Noom, this was known as your calorie budget. Now, Noom provides an ideal calorie range, which is known as your weight loss zone.

For example, my estimated calorie budget was set to 1,350 calories per day. You can also adjust your calorie goals manually or choose a weight loss speed, which will increase or decrease your daily calorie allotment.

For safety reasons and to ensure adequate nutrition, the app does not allow a weight loss zone below 1,200–1,320 calories for women or 1,400–1,540 calories for men.

Noom encourages food logging and weekly weigh-ins. These two self-monitoring behaviors are associated with weight loss and long-term weight loss maintenance.

Noom also allows you to view an analysis of your foods as you log them throughout the day. It displays the color categories of the foods you’ve eaten, the number of calories you’ve consumed from each category, and your total calorie intake for the day.

When I tried Noom, the color categories were green, yellow, and red. The company has since updated its categories, replacing red with orange.

Promotes other healthy habits

Noom encourages regular exercise by setting daily step goals and providing a generic workout guide.

Users can log their physical activity in the app, which provides an extensive list of exercises to choose from. Because I have an iPhone, Noom automatically connected to my Health app to display my total daily steps.

Noom also allows users to track several other measures of progress, including water intake and mood.

If they like, users can enable notifications to set up meal reminders at specific times during the day.

Noom offers the following subscription plans:

• Monthly auto-renewing plan: $70
• 2-month auto-renewing plan: $129
• 3-month auto-renewing plan: $159
• 4-month auto-renewing plan: $169
• 5-month auto-renewing plan: $174
• 6-month auto-renewing plan: $179
• 7-month auto-renewing plan: $184
• 8-month auto-renewing plan: $189
• 9-month auto-renewing plan: $195
• 10-month auto-renewing plan: $199
• 11-month auto-renewing plan: $205
• Annual auto-renewing plan: $209

If you’re confident you’ll use Noom for over a few months, the company’s yearly membership provides the best value at $209 per year.

The company offers discounts frequently throughout the year, too.

If you work for a company that offers a workplace health and wellness program, you can contact the human resources department to find out whether you may receive a financial incentive for participating in a wellness program like Noom.

Still, starting at $70 per month for a monthly auto-renewing plan, Noom may cost more than you’re willing or able to spend.

Are Noom’s add-ons worth it?

For an additional cost, Noom offers three optional add-ons.

You can choose from:

• customized meal plans
• customized workout plans
• a metabolism test kit
• a mental wellness course
• behavior change coaching
• prescription weight loss medications

You can also purchase a smart scale for an additional fee. A smart scale tracks your body weight and several other metrics of body composition.

Meal and workout plans

You receive the meal and workout plans via email in PDF format, so you can print them out or access them on your device.

Although the company describes the plans as “customized,” many reviewers say they don’t seem personalized. But the meal plans, in particular, may be useful if you have a dietary restriction, such as gluten-free or vegan.

Mental wellness course and behavior change coaching

Optionally, you can add a mental wellness course to your subscription for $50. It’s designed to help you minimize stress and manage cravings.

For a monthly recurring fee of $150, you can also purchase a subscription to work with a Behavior Change Coach.

According to the company’s customer service team, Behavior Change Coaches can help refine your goals based on your lifestyle and needs. They provide additional support via email, phone, video sessions, or in-app messaging.

Noom also offers a separate program called Noom Mood. It’s designed to help you practice mindfulness and better manage stress levels. However, you’re unable to enroll in both Noom Mood and the weight management program at the same time.

Metabolism test kit

Noom recently partnered with Everlywell, which offers an at-home metabolism testing kit.

The testing kit is designed to measure levels of thyroid hormones, cortisol, and free testosterone. All these hormones are involved in weight management and metabolism.

Users can purchase the kit when signing up or directly on Everlywell’s website. However, because of state regulations, the testing kit is not currently available for residents of New York.

Weight loss medications

Noom recently introduced their new program, Noom Med, which is intended to be paired with their behavior change program to promote weight loss.

After signing up, you complete a medical intake form, upload a copy of recent blood work, and schedule a video visit with a Noom clinician.

The clinician then assesses whether you’re a candidate for prescription weight loss medications, including GLP-1 agonists. These medications work by reducing your appetite, slowing the emptying of the stomach, and increasing feelings of fullness after you eat.

If you qualify for a prescription, your care team will also provide ongoing support, monitor your progress, and adjust your care plan as needed while taking these medications.

Noom categorizes foods as green, yellow, or orange (previously red) based on their calorie and nutrient density.

The app recommends consuming a set percentage of foods from each color category:

• 30% green
• 45% yellow
• 25% orange

Users receive a target calorie range for their weight loss zone and are allotted a specific number of calories from each category.

For example, of my total daily 1,350-calorie budget, my calorie distribution for each category was as follows:

• Green foods: 405 calories
• Yellow foods: 608 calories
• Red (now classified as orange) foods: 337 calories

According to the Noom website, here are examples of foods for each color:

Green

• Fruits: bananas, apples, strawberries, watermelon, blueberries
• Vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, salad greens, carrots, onions, spinach
• Starchy vegetables: parsnips, beets, sweet potatoes, squash
• Diary: skim milk, nonfat yogurt, nonfat Greek yogurt, nonfat cheese sticks
• Dairy alternatives: unsweetened almond, cashew, or soy milk
• Whole grains: oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain bread, whole grain pita, whole grain pasta, whole grain tortilla, whole grain cereals
• Condiments: marinara, salsa, sauerkraut, ketchup, light mayo
• Beverages: unsweetened tea and coffee

Yellow

• Lean meats: grilled chicken, turkey, and lean cuts of beef, pork, and lamb
• Seafood: tuna, salmon, tilapia, scallops
• Dairy: low fat milk, low fat cheeses, low fat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt
• Legumes and seeds: lentils, pinto beans, chickpeas, peas, quinoa, black beans, soybeans
• Grains and grain products: couscous, white rice, white bread, white pasta
• Beverages: diet soda, beer

Orange (previously red)

• Meats: ham, red meats, fried meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, hamburgers
• Nuts and nut butters: peanut butter, almond butter, almonds, walnuts
• Desserts and sweets: cake, chocolate, cookies, candy, pastries
• Snack foods: french fries, potato chips, energy and snack bars
• Condiments and toppings: butter, mayonnaise, ranch dressing
• Beverages: wine, juices such as orange juice

Keep in mind that some foods may not necessarily fit into the categories exactly as outlined above.

For example, when logging sweet potatoes, I found that certain entries — such as grilled sweet potatoes, boiled sweet potatoes, and sweet potato wedges — were classified as green foods. But others — including mashed sweet potatoes, baked sweet potato fries, and oven-roasted sweet potatoes — were yellow foods.

Sample 1-week meal plan

Here’s an example of a 1-week meal plan using some of the foods and recipes Noom recommended for me.

This meal plan doesn’t apply to everyone. Remember, your daily calorie budget is individualized. Additionally, because I’m vegetarian, my recommended meals don’t include any meat.

Here are some things I liked about Noom during my experience:

• App: The Noom app is well designed, intuitive, and easy to use.
• Quiz: The online quiz developed a customized plan based on my needs and goals and allowed me to reflect on the habits, behaviors, and environmental factors that may contribute to my eating patterns.
• Daily lessons: I felt the daily lessons were simple and straightforward yet informative. Being able to select the amount of time you want to spend on these daily lessons is also very useful, especially for those who want to spend only a few minutes per day on the app.
• Support: The Noom guides were helpful and offered resources, advice, and support, which can definitely be an advantage if you have trouble staying motivated. Additionally, Noom Circles can help you connect with others to foster a sense of support within the community.

On the other hand, I thought certain factors could be improved:

• Food tracking: When it came to logging my foods each day, I felt the food tracker tool was somewhat cumbersome and confusing. As mentioned above, certain foods were categorized as green in one entry but yellow or orange (previously red) in others.
• Categories: The criteria used to define the color-coded system was confusing. For example, several foods low in calories and high in fiber or protein were categorized as orange (previously red) or yellow. For example, a fiber crispbread with just 20 calories and 4 grams of fiber in a single serving was classified as an orange food.
• Calorie goals: The number of calories in my daily budget felt very low, especially compared with what I normally eat in a day while maintaining my weight. However, I appreciated that I could easily adjust this as needed to set a more realistic and sustainable goal.

After using Noom for several weeks, I felt that the app made it easier to decrease my calorie intake by categorizing foods as orange (previously red), yellow, or green.

I can see the simple color-coded system being helpful for promoting long-term weight loss, especially when it’s combined with the quick and easy daily lessons for developing healthy habits.

Though I personally didn’t track my weight while trying the app, my mom has used Noom twice with great results. Last year, she lost about 20 lb (9 kg) over a 4-month period.

Recently, she started using it again and has lost 10 lb (4.5 kg) in 1 month. (Of course, the amount of weight you can or should lose will vary based on factors such as your height, weight, age, food intake, and activity level.)

My mom attributes much of her success to her group and personal coach. Both provided motivation and support to help her stick to her diet and reach her goals.

While any reduced calorie diet plan or program can help you lose weight if you follow it, sticking with a diet can be difficult for many people. In fact, most diets are unsuccessful because they’re difficult to maintain.

While research on Noom’s effectiveness is limited, one 2016 study involving nearly 36,000 Noom users found that 78% experienced weight loss while using the app for an average of 9 months, with 23% experiencing more than a 10% loss compared with their starting weight.

Researchers also found that those who tracked their diet and weight more frequently were more successful at losing weight.

Additionally, a 2020 study including 225 adults with binge eating disorder found Noom to be more effective at reducing the number of days participants engaged in binge eating over 52 weeks than standard care.

It’s important to note that the study above was funded in part by Noom, and several authors have conflicts of interest because they’re employed by or have equity ownership in Noom.

Overall, more comprehensive research on the program is needed.

Noom’s program emphasizes a long-term approach to weight loss. It may have several benefits over quick-fix methods.

Focuses on calorie and nutrient density

Noom emphasizes calorie density, a measure of how many calories a food or beverage provides relative to its weight or volume.

The program categorizes foods by color — green, yellow, or orange — based on their calorie density and nutrient concentrations.

Foods with the lowest calorie density, highest nutrient concentrations, or both are considered green. Foods with the highest calorie density, lowest nutrient concentrations, or both are labeled orange. Yellow foods fall in between.

Calorie-dense foods contain a large number of calories in a small amount of food. Items of low calorie density have fewer calories in a large amount of food.

Generally, foods with low calorie density, such as fruits and vegetables, contain more water and fiber and are low in fat.

On the other hand, foods with high calorie density, such as fatty fish, meats, nut butters, sweets, and desserts, typically provide fat or added sugars but lack water and fiber.

Diets consisting mainly of foods and beverages with lower calorie density are associated with greater weight loss, reduced hunger, and a lower risk of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, than diets rich in foods with higher calorie density.

No food is off-limits

Several popular diets can be restrictive by limiting certain foods or entire food groups. This can promote disordered eating, which may lead to eating disorders, or obsessive behaviors surrounding healthy or “clean” eating.

Noom takes the opposite approach, offering flexibility by allowing all foods to fit into your diet.

Because some more calorie-dense foods, such as nuts, contain important nutrients — and completely eliminating desserts and other treats is neither realistic nor worthwhile — Noom doesn’t forbid these items but encourages consuming less of them.

The program does this to help you stay within or near your daily calorie budget.

Noom’s library of recipes also helps you determine which foods and recipes are appropriate for you based on any food allergies or intolerances you may have.

Promotes behavioral changes

Losing weight and leading a healthy lifestyle goes beyond what and how much you eat.

It’s also about forming new healthy behaviors, reinforcing the healthy habits you already have, and breaking any unhealthy patterns that sabotage your goals.

Without making behavioral changes, people tend to regain any weight lost with a reduced calorie diet over time — and often gain more than they initially lost.

In fact, one 2001 review of 29 long-term weight loss studies found that, on average, people gained back 33% of their initial weight loss after 1 year and 79% after 5 years.

Recognizing that behavioral change is difficult, Noom uses a psychology-based curriculum that encourages self-efficacy — the belief in your ability to execute the habits necessary to reach your goals.

In this way, Noom may better equip you with the tools and education necessary to make the behavioral changes that underlie successful long-term weight loss maintenance.

Indeed, one 2016 study found that 78% of nearly 36,000 Noom users sustained their weight loss over 9 months. However, it’s unclear whether they maintained their weight loss after that period.

While Noom is a comprehensive tool you can use to help you reach your health goals, there are a few things to keep in mind about the app.

Specifically, it’s important to be aware that tracking your food and calorie intake, whether through Noom or another program, may promote disordered eating patterns, such as food anxiety and excessive calorie restriction.

Accessibility

Noom is strictly a technology-based, virtual platform available only on mobile devices.

This means the program is not available to you if you don’t have a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet.

And even if you do have a mobile device, you may not be able to readily access the internet due to limited Wi-Fi or cellular data options.

Virtual vs. face-to-face interaction

Noom offers a virtual support team to hold you accountable and help with goal setting.

All communication with Noom’s guides and health coaches is conducted through a messaging system on the Noom app.

Research has shown that regular health coaching — virtually or in person — is effective for weight loss and other health-related goals, such as stress management.

However, you may prefer face-to-face rather than virtual coaching sessions.

If this is the case, you might intentionally limit or avoid communication with Noom’s health coaches and thus not experience the program’s full weight loss benefits.

In fact, studies from 2016 and 2018 involving people with prediabetes showed that higher engagement with coaches and educational articles in the Noom app was significantly associated with weight loss after 6 months and 16 months.

But keep in mind that Noom funded both studies.

Additionally, note that the program previously provided individualized coaching at no extra cost, which included regular check-ins with a Noom coach.

While the program still allows you to reach out to a Noom guide for questions and support, there’s now an additional fee for personal coaching.

Limitations of coaching

Speaking of coaching, Noom requires coaches and guides to complete their Noomiversity program. It includes 75 hours of onboarding training and over 200 hours of active coaching experience with users.

The company also offers a training program and encourages coaches to take an exam to become a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach.

However, Noom coaches are not qualified to replace a registered dietitian or doctor.

Additionally, if you have any underlying health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or kidney disease, you should talk with a healthcare professional before changing your diet.

Potential for weight regain

As with most diets that focus on calorie reduction, there’s a chance you may regain any weight you’ve lost once your diet ends.

While Noom encourages making sustainable lifestyle changes, some users may find their new habits difficult to maintain without ongoing accountability.

Additionally, given that Noom categorizes foods based on their calorie content, some foods higher in calories may actually be beneficial for maintaining your weight.

For example, nuts and nut butters are considered orange foods because they are calorie-dense due to their high fat content.

However, eating healthy high fat foods, including nuts, has been shown to aid weight loss and maintenance.

Calorie goals may be too low

Several reviewers note that Noom recommended a calorie goal that was quite low and significantly less than their typical intake. I also found this to be true.

While a calorie deficit is necessary for weight loss, cutting calories too drastically can have negative effects, including making it more difficult to stick with your new diet.

Noom allows users to adjust their calorie goals. However, without the help of a trained nutrition professional such as a registered dietitian, many people may not realize that their goal needs adjusting.

Limited focus on whole body health

Noom mostly focuses on promoting weight loss by reducing calorie intake rather than on helping you make healthy food choices.

However, weight loss is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to health.

In fact, many other factors are just as important, including maintaining your mental health, getting enough sleep every night, exercising regularly, and managing your stress levels.

Although Noom does offer some advice and educational resources on these topics, it’s not designed to specifically address these other pillars of health.

Additionally, many nutritious and health-promoting foods are categorized as yellow or orange. This implies that these foods are less healthy or should be limited as part of a balanced diet.

While Noom emphasizes that all foods can fit into a healthy diet, the color-coding system and categorization of foods may give some users the impression that calorie content is the most important factor to consider when building a balanced diet.

Noom is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating from the organization.

The app is also highly rated by users, with many noting that it’s user-friendly and effective. In fact, at the time of publication, Noom has a rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 63,179 reviews.

Positive reviews note that the program provides plenty of guidance, support, and motivation and is effective for long-term weight loss.

On the other hand, less favorable reviews report issues with the functionality of the food tracker and the app itself, as well as dissatisfaction with the responsiveness and level of support Noom guides offer.

Additionally, Noom was recently involved in a lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Noom’s auto-renewal practices were illegal, deceptive, and purposely made it difficult for users to cancel their subscriptions.

The lawsuit was settled in 2022 for $62 million. According to the company’s co-founders, Noom has since revised its billing and subscription practices in response to the lawsuit.

Noom may be a good option for people who:

• are trying to lose weight but unsure how to get started
• need extra motivation from coaches or peers to stay on track
• are looking to build healthy habits and seeking a more sustainable alternative to fad diets and other short-term solutions

However, Noom might not be ideal for:

• people who regularly cook homemade meals, since logging each individual ingredient may feel tedious or inconvenient
• people who enjoy cuisines from a variety of cultures or use ingredients in their cooking that are less common in the United States, as the selection of foods available on the app is somewhat limited
• people who are very active or have increased calorie needs, as Noom provides very low calorie recommendations

If you’re unsure how many calories you should consume each day, I recommend reaching out to a healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian.

Many popular weight loss plans have several similarities to Noom.

Here’s a closer look at how Noom stacks up against two of its main competitors: Nutrisystem and WW (formerly Weight Watchers).

Noom vs. WW

Noom and WW are two of the most popular diet programs. Both offer simple, user-friendly mobile apps and promote weight loss by encouraging healthy food choices and lifestyle changes.

However, they also have several differences.

Susanne Arthur, a former senior editor for Psych Central, has a unique perspective, as she has tried both programs firsthand.

Arthur first joined WW in 2014 based on a friend’s recommendation. She reached her goal weight and maintained it for a year thanks to the accountability and support she found by attending weekly in-person meetings.

She said she continued using the WW app for several years on and off before moving to Iceland, which rendered many useful features of the app, such as the barcode scanner, useless. Additionally, without the in-person meetings, she found that WW wasn’t as beneficial.

Arthur joined Noom in August 2021. She said several app features are very helpful, including its intuitive design, the ability to set your own speed for weight loss, and the support from a personal coach.

However, she pointed out that Noom lacks some features that are available in the WW app, including the ability to plan meals in advance.

Furthermore, while Noom’s group feature can be useful, Arthur said the in-person WW meetings made it easier to feel motivated and engaged.

“I think, for me at least, online support alone only goes so far. It is a supportive tool, but there can be a lot of challenges as well. I believe in order for me to be successful, I’d need in-person support. So, I think if WW were available in Iceland with in-person meetings, I’d go back to that and prefer WW over Noom,” Arthur said.

For a detailed comparison of WW and Noom to help you decide which is right for you, check out our comprehensive article.

Is Noom really worth it?

Noom emphasizes choosing foods with a low calorie density, which may be an effective strategy for weight loss.

One 2016 study found that Noom was effective at promoting weight loss in 78% of users. However, whether Noom will work for you depends on many factors, including your diet and activity level.

What is the average monthly cost of Noom?

Noom’s monthly auto-renewing subscription costs $70. Meanwhile, an annual auto-renewing plan costs $209, which is about $17.42 per month.

However, this cost doesn’t include any optional add-ons, such as behavior change coaching, weight loss medications, custom meal plans, or custom workout routines.

What’s the average amount of weight people lose using Noom?

According to Noom, users can expect to lose an average of 1–2 lb (0.5–1 kg) per week while using the app, though this may depend on several factors, including your diet, lifestyle, health status, and activity level.