Noom Getting Started Guide (Plus a Free 7 Day Meal Plan!)
With this Noom Guide, I want to address any concerns you may have about using noom to shed pounds. After my wife’s thyroidectomy for cancer, she found that WW no longer helped her lose weight. Before giving it to her, I tasted Noom to determine whether I would like it.
I’ve shed a significant amount of weight, and the best part is that she has, too!
The Noom program has changed our lives for the better, so I thought I’d spread the word about what it is, how much it costs, what you eat on the Noom, and other related details.
Feel free to ask any follow-up questions in the comments section and I will do my best to respond to them or obtain the information you need.
My wife also experienced weight loss with noom, which is very significant for her because of her thyroid condition (she dropped 10 pounds in a month; for more details, read my comprehensive assessment of noom).
Noom Getting Started Guide
Understanding Noom’s food “traffic light” concept is the first step in getting started. Generally speaking, veggies and whole grains are green-light foods, although certain non-fat dairy products are also OK. These are foods that are OK to consume in greater quantities. Foods with a yellow light should be eaten in moderation. We recommend limiting your consumption of red-light meals.
A red-light meal causes you to pause and ask yourself whether or not you really need it. In other cases, “YES!” means “eat it,” and that’s exactly what you do. Some days you know you need to be extra cautious with the Red light meals since you haven’t been drinking enough water or getting enough exercise.
what is Noom ?
In reality, the noom diet isn’t a diet at all, but rather a mobile coaching software designed to encourage positive changes in eating habits. It’s a mental shift that helps you see the difference between low- and high-calorie meals and ultimately leads to weight loss.
Noom isn’t only about counting calories, and you don’t have to be a number-obsessed perfectionist to lose weight on it.
How does Noom Work?
Noom combines the functions of a weight reduction counselor, food diary, activity monitor, and motivational companion. The key to success in this plan is to consume as many of the fewest calorie-dense items as possible. Particulars will be discussed later, but foods like lean meat, fish, and vegetables are examples of those that are high in calories.
Green vegetables, and not only leafy greens, will make up the bulk of your meal. Just like WW’s Simply Filling list, the green food list is rather lengthy.
Noom Portion Guide
Inquire about my downloadable meal planner. It was designed for WW members, but Noom users can also benefit from it. When trying to lose weight, portion management is essential.
In general, Noom suggests consuming between 1200 and 1400 calories each day. Your 6 foot, 200 pound guy self is going to be ANGRY. My wife and I both have a BMI of over 200. Only consuming 1200 calories every day is dangerous for her health. Please remember this while making meal selections. Using Noom, you can be sure that you’re making the healthiest food choices possible, or getting the most nutritional value for your dollar.
How Good is the Noom App?
I was quite concerned that I wouldn’t enjoy noom’s app in comparison to the WW app. Let me just say that the NOOM app is my absolute favorite. The inspiration I get from my noom coach is unparalleled, and their food database has more than 3.7 million items. My wife and I are both excited to see what the next day of noom has in store for us.
Noom uses science to help you reframe your relationship with food and, by extension, your whole life. The app has a noom coach at your side the entire time, and it’s far more comprehensive than I anticipated given the price. The noom pedometer will keep track of your steps for you and even help you establish a daily goal.
With the aid of your own noom coach, you may establish weekly objectives. If you’re not feeling particularly driven, this fantastic coaching app will ask you how you feel about it, offer you a problem to consider and how to work it into your life, and then guide you through changing your outlook.
Each day, you’ll just need a little chunk of time to use the app. You find inspiration, keep tabs on what you eat, and go about your day.
Hidden… Yes, you may link your Fitbit or other fitness tracker to noom!
Traffic Light Diets
Noom is neither the first or final software to use a “traffic light” system. Diets based on traffic lights have been scientifically validated, and following them is rather easy. There is even a book for young readers all about the traffic-light diet. Our country is facing a major epidemic of obesity, which has even reached epidemic proportions among children.
The best way to combat this is to show our children (and ourselves) that healthy food can also be delicious.
What do you eat on Noom?
A common concern among those considering the noom lifestyle is what to eat. Water-dense meals should be prioritized, and healthy substitutions like grapes for raisins should be made. There are 500 calories in a cup of raisins, but only 62 in a cup of grapes.
According to Noom, your stomach doesn’t care what you eat, just how much. A cup of chicken salad has roughly 1/5 as many calories as a cup of chocolate-covered raisins, but you’ll feel fuller after eating the former.
The goal of using Noom is to modify your eating habits and outlook on food. Daily mini-articles include topics like recognizing social triggers, understanding restaurant menus, and determining appropriate serving sizes, among others, to aid your efforts. As indicated by a traffic light system, you consume only natural, unrefined, and unprocessed foods.
The basic tenet of most diets is restriction, like with the ketogenic diet, which restricts all carbohydrates (even from certain fruits and vegetables!). In actuality, though, when we are told we “CAN’T” have something, we desire it the more. In fact, we can’t get enough of it. In a word, yes. What we fantasize about happens all the time! Some individuals may benefit from restrictive diets, but the rest of us just don’t have the willpower to constantly tell ourselves “NO” even when we want to lose weight.
Green Foods
To get an idea of what Green foods are, just think of the Simply Filling Plan from the old Weight Watchers. You could consume as much of the roughly one hundred things on the “zero points” list as you wanted.
Foods that get a green light are the healthiest options available. These foods are nutrient dense while having minimal fat, sugar, and calorie content.
Examples of green foods include, but are not limited to:
Bananas, apples, cherries, melons, strawberries, pineapple, and tomatoes are all examples of fruits.
green beans, carrots, broccoli, and other vegetables
Oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, potatoes, egg whites, and a variety of nut and seed milks
Yellow Foods
Foods with a yellow traffic light have more sugar, fat, and calories than their green counterparts. Reduced nutritional density calls for moderation, with no more than one daily portion from each food category.
Not limited to, but include these Yellow foods:
- Batter-based breakfast foods
- Syrup \sNoodles
- muffins with less fat
- Aromatic rice
- Popcorn with less fat
- a fruit juice made from avocados
- 2% milk
- Reduced-fat cheese
- Buttery Peanut Spread
- The Jerky of the Beef
- Crispy turkey bacon
- Light mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Weight Loss Yogurt
- Slim Thin Crackers (this is an excellent list)
Some of these meals may seem familiar, since they appear on the Weight Watchers “Zero Point” list. I still maintain that Zero Point items shouldn’t be zero points or “unlimited,” as we’ve discussed in the past. A moderate diet includes foods like eggs, black beans, and the like, but in reasonable quantities. Calories do not count while using the Zero Points system. Due to the “unlimited” nature of Zero Point items, many individuals believe they are failing at WW. If you’ve gotten off track with your portion management and mindful eating, Noom may help you get back on track.
Red Foods
Red foods have the largest levels of unhealthy fats, sugars, and calories, and the lowest levels of beneficial nutrients.
Red foods should only be eaten on rare occasions; try to eat just one or two each food category once a week. On the WW for Teens (Kurbo) plan, you may have more than 30 reds each week at first. This decreases each week until the maximum of 14 reds each week is reached.
Not restricted to, the following are examples of Red foods:
- Baked goods like croissants and biscuits
- Doughnuts
- Raisins
- The Cheese on a Stick
- Tacos made with flour tortillas
- Snacks of Popcorn or Buttered Crackers
- French sticks
- Desserts like cobbler and pies
- Sauces that are high in fat (cheese, cream, etc.)
- French Chips with onion rings
- Salad with potatoes
- The greens were fried in some kind of lard or grease.
- corn that has been creamed
- Full-fat milk
- Sweets include ice cream, hefty yogurt, and pudding
- Items that are breaded and fried
- Meats like bacon, sausage, ribs, pepperoni, and salami
- Sweets like Little Debbie bars and cookies are used as examples.
Download Our Free Noom User’s Guide Today!
Helpful Hints for Your First Noom Experience
Eat more foods that are whole and not processed. Sweet snacks and coffee shop beverages are OK on occasion, but it’s important to pay attention to how often you’re consuming them.
Food is essential for survival. Consider the food you consume as energy for your body. Consuming a diet high in processed foods and added sugars is not healthy. Actually, they reduce your energy, so you end up sitting around more.
The proper management of one’s serving size is essential. Weight Watchers has a strong emphasis on portion control, since the lack of restrictions in Freestyle is the leading cause of individuals not losing weight. You still have some independence with noom, but not so much that you may abuse it on a daily basis.
Recipes from Noom’s Sample 7-Day Meal Plan
Below is my 7-day Noom food plan if you’re looking for some dinner inspiration. The Noom app will recommend a daily calorie intake target. The majority of people I’ve spoken to who take this product have a daily calorie target of 1200-1400. If you feel like you need more calories than that, that’s OK; just make sure those extra calories come from healthy sources.
By choice, I stick to the same foods while I’m on the noom diet. To spice up your diet, try something new for each of the next 30 days! Boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of my favorite “go to” alternatives. In spite of the fact that it’s a yellow food, I don’t restrict my intake of boneless, skinless chicken breast because, let’s be honest, nobody ever got fat from eating too much of it. The key to a successful chicken dinner is the accompaniments.
You may substitute another lean protein if chicken isn’t your thing.
Day 1 Noom Meal Plan
Oatmeal with strawberries for breakfast (green)
Green apples, oranges, and strawberries with fat-free yogurt as a dip and a 5-ounce chicken breast make up today’s lunch (yellow)
To eat for dinner, I recommend 1/2 cup of tuna salad (yellow), some low-fat crackers (yellow), and some fresh vegetables (green) with some kind of dressing (color depends on dressing you use)
Day 2 Noom Meal Plan
Colorful Eggs (orange) on Green Whole Wheat Toast (blue) with Pink Jam (red) for Breakfast (red)
Leftovers of yellow tuna salad (1/2 cup) with yellow low-fat crackers and green raw vegetables with yellow dressing make a healthy and filling lunch (color depends on dressing you use)
Chicken breast (yellow) of 5 ounces, on a salad (green) with dressing (color depends on dressing – here are my favorite healthy dressings)
Day 3 Noom Meal Plan
Bananas and yellow oatmeal for breakfast (green)
5 ounces of grilled yellow chicken with salsa (green)
Yellow lean protein, greens, and spices make up tonight’s sheet pan dinner (both green)
Day 4 Noom Meal Plan
For breakfast, I had a yellow cheese omelette stuffed with green vegetables and red salsa (green)
Nicoise Salad (recipe in noom app; 31% green, 69% yellow) with eggs, potatoes, vinaigrette, tuna, cherry tomatoes, olives, and anchovy fillets for lunch.
Recipe for Carrot Ginger Soup from the noom app’s dinner section: chicken broth, carrots, butter, spices, milk, orange juice (61% green, 14% yellow, 25% red).
Day 5 Noom Meal Plan
I used the noom app to get a recipe for a ham and cheese frittata (12% green, 66% yellow, 22% red) for breakfast.
Carrot ginger soup from last night’s supper is what’s for lunch today.
For Supper, We Have Turkey Tacos (turkey and cheese are yellow, tortilla is red, veggies are green)
Day 6 Noom Meal Plan
Green whole grain cereal, green fat-free milk, and green fruit (green)
Teriyaki Protein (chicken, shrimp, etc.) with Veggies for Lunch (green and yellow, depending on protein and sauce)
5 ounces of grilled yellow chicken, topped with a salsa made from cucumber and watermelon (green – recipe in noom app)
Day 7 Noom Meal Plan
Wrapped scrambled eggs in a whole wheat tortilla and called breakfast (yellow for eggs, wrap, and cheese)
For lunch, I packed a deli sandwich made of green whole-grain bread, yellow turkey, and red tomato slices.
Crock pot dinner with yellow protein, green vegetables, green herbs, and red marinara sauce (yellow unless no sugar added then green)
How much does Noom Cost?
Noom’s website is cryptic with regards to cost, therefore I’m often asked this. Noom’s prices are comparable to those of Weight Watchers, and some users have even reported paying LESS for Noom since they get more personalized support from their coach.
Due to the fact that WW charges various amounts to different people, I won’t provide a specific figure here in case it changes, but I can say that I am now spending less than I did before, and I am getting better results and enjoying the app more as a consequence. I can confirm that the monthly fee for the noom coaching service is less than $30, with substantial savings available for longer commitments. An ex-WW member said they switched to noom because of the $199 annual fee at WW.
Can I Download Noom for Free?
Although several of noom’s functions, such as the ability to search the whole food database, sync with activity trackers, and see your daily calorie balance, are only available in the paid noom pro version, which I use. Unfortunately, the most useful features of this app—the access to the coach—are not included.
Exactly who does Noom cater to?
There are no exceptions to the Noom rule! Except for those who have nothing left to lose, I wouldn’t pay for a weight loss app that’s in maintenance mode.
Noom is an option to attempt if you haven’t found success with Weight Watchers or another diet plan. You may try it out with no risk at all. Just say “no” and go on if you’re not satisfied. Assuredly, you will sense no animosity. If you’ve been feeling HUNGRY on your previous diets and eating plans, noom is the way to go. Compared to when I was faithfully keeping track of my points with Weight Watchers, I’m consuming more food now and losing weight at a quicker rate.
If you have diabetes and want guidance with carb counting but aren’t interested in the ketogenic diet, read here. Though it isn’t designed to do so, diabetics have found success with noom despite the fact that it isn’t a carb tracker per se. Before starting any diet, it’s a good idea to consult with your doctor, and you can even plan a visit to show them how the noom system works and see if they’re on board. Likely, they will be.
Eating complete, nutritious meals seldom causes problems.
You may find that noom helps you lose weight even if you have PCOS or another disease that makes it hard to do so. The only diet that has helped my wife’s PCOS-afflicted acquaintance lose weight is Keto, and she hated it because of how restricted it made her feel. The noom diet helped her shed pounds. Although some people have found success on the Ketogenic diet, everyone’s body is different and it’s okay if you’ve failed at dieting before.
It’s not about what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, but rather about your body and what it needs.
Finally, from my own experience, I can say that noom is fantastic for those who struggle with emotional eating and thyroid problems. You absolutely need noom if you are a stress eater, that is, if you eat more in response to emotions other than hunger. Give it a try for free for a week and share your opinions in the discussion below.
If you have diabetes and want guidance with carb counting but aren’t interested in the ketogenic diet, read here. Though it isn’t designed to do so, diabetics have found success with noom despite the fact that it isn’t a carb tracker per se. Get your doctor’s approval before starting any diet, but if you’re already scheduled for a checkup you may show them the noom setup and see if they approve. Likely, they will be.
Eating complete, nutritious meals seldom causes problems.
You may find that noom helps you lose weight even if you have PCOS or another disease that makes it hard to do so. The only diet that has helped my wife’s PCOS-afflicted acquaintance lose weight is Keto, and she hated it because of how restricted it made her feel. The noom diet helped her shed pounds. Although some people have found success on the Ketogenic diet, everyone’s body is different and it’s okay if you’ve failed at dieting before.
It’s not about what you’re doing or how you’re doing it, but rather about your body and what it needs.
Finally, from my own experience, I can say that noom is fantastic for those who struggle with emotional eating and thyroid problems. You absolutely need noom if you are a stress eater, that is, if you eat more in response to emotions other than hunger. Give it a try for free for a week and share your opinions in the discussion below.
The Bottom Line: Noom works!
Ultimately, noom is all about eating well and controlling portions. It’s all about retraining your brain, and I swear, those daily app messages are like NINJA TRICKS for rewiring your thought processes. It only took a few days for me to start reevaluating the foods I ate. In a world where almost everything is fair game, I didn’t have to worry about feeling deprived.
It’s similar to Weight Watchers in that you have enough leeway to make this a permanent lifestyle choice rather than a passing one. My wife and I both dropped weight swiftly, but the difference for us was that we used noom.
If you have tried Weight Watchers without success, I encourage you to give noom’s 1-week trial a shot for only $1.
Even if Noom is fantastic, you shouldn’t feel like you have to switch providers. Even better is Weight Watchers. Right now, noom is my go-to app, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never use WW again. Both plans are excellent, and you can count on me to keep serving up dishes that are good for you and will make you happy.
