Is Noom Worth It? Why I’m Doing Noom Again

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Noom purports that people who try Noom again are 50% more likely to stick with it and lose twice as much weight. I’m testing that claim for myself this year.

In 2020, I tried Noom for the first time after gaining about 30 pounds. Over the course of a year, I achieved and maintained a 16-pound weight loss. Forget about looking better – I felt better than I had in years. So, at the end of the first year, I canceled my Noom subscription.

As a former subscriber, I still had access to Noom Lite, the bare bones, logging-only version of the Noom app. I continued to log my food and workout…for a while. Exercising was the first thing to go. Life got in the way, and I went from keeping a strategic 3-4 time a week workout plan, to doing a couple minutes a week when I felt like it. This didn’t concern me at first, but I understood that managing food was paramount for my success. Life then proceeded to shoehorn its way into my meal planning. I went from carefully considering what I was eating throughout the days to throwing caution to the wind.

I started to have a lot more “oh well” days in late 2021. I experienced the normal fluctuations in my weight, but I noticed I wasn’t feeling as strong or physically “vibrant” as I had before. The scale soon followed. At the time of this writing, I weigh 171 pounds (a gain of approximately 6 pounds). In the past 3 months, I have seen a peak weight of 173.8, which isn’t “bad”, but enough for me to take action.

Does This Mean Noom Doesn’t Work?

No. As a matter of fact, this confirms for me that it does work. The first time I tried the Noom program, I had gained a significant amount of weight over time. By the time I realized it, I felt like I was spiraling out of control. I didn’t understand what was happening to me or why, and I certainly didn’t have the tools to do anything about it.

This time, I am armed with two very important tools: empowerment and self-awareness. As a result of my first year in the Noom program, I know myself a lot better. I have been way more in tune with changes to my health as a whole, like my sleep pattern, aches and pains, and other things, not just my waistline. Not only am I quicker to recognize changes, I am more apt to realize the potential underlying causes and work out solutions. This brings to the first reason I decided I needed to try Noom a second time.

I’m Doing Noom Again…To Refresh My Memory

In navigating the changes in my life and lifestyle, I have relied quite a bit on the “bones” of the Noom program, but I’m a little fuzzy on the meat. As I mentioned before, I continued periodically with the tracking habits that helped me before, but I have forgotten some of the practical tips and tools I learned the first time.

The Noom Refresher Course

When I signed up this time, I was asked if I wanted to start over or take the Refresher Course. Since I have retained some things, I opted for the refresher course. After the refresher course, you resume the regular Noom curriculum. This time the Noom course is actually divided into 10 modules (Noom 101-Noom 304), starting with a reintroduction to Noom. This time, the Noom app has been given a facelift! In addition to rebranding, Noom has added a couple of features and new approaches to the curriculum. For example, each day that you complete your weigh-in, food log, and courses you receive a Noomcoin. This is a mental incentive to stick with the program. The curriculum is a bit more flexible, too, offering the ability to set realistic reading goals and hear the material in podcast format!

The Refresher Course itself walks you through quite a few things you learned the first time but frames the material in such a way that accounts for this. After going through Noom the first time, I appreciate the flexibility more. I understand how my lifestyle plays into my course completion and weight goals. As such, I set my reading goal accordingly and I am choosing to pursue my goal weight a bit slower. I’m not as far along in the course as I should be, but I’m okay with that because I am taking more time to really absorb the material.

I’m Doing Noom Again…Because My Goals Have Changed

The first few lessons help to reestablish preferences and goals, like Your Big Picture (YBP). The first time around, I said I wanted to lose 20 pounds. By the time I ended the program, I had lost 16 pounds, but I was okay with that because I was doing so much better in treating my body well.

This time I am even less focused on the scale. My YBP is focused primarily on improving my quality of life. Yes, I would like to see my original goal weight, but it is more important to me to live well. For me, that means sleeping better, living with fewer aches and pains, and being more proactive to minimize health risks as I age. Fitness was also very much secondary throughout my first Noom adventure. I am working on reintegrating a consistent exercise schedule and reclaiming my overall fitness through movement. Knowing these things will also help me better utilize my Noom coach.

I’m Doing Noom Again…Because I’m Mentally Better Prepared

When I committed to Noom in 2020, I was in a very interesting headspace, having just quit my corporate job at the beginning of a pandemic (read more about that journey here). It was probably the best time in my life to make a transformative change, but I had no idea what to expect. I probably spent the first month or two, simply adjusting my mindset and learning who I was from a health perspective.

This time, I better understand myself, my goals, and Noom’s approach. As Noom points out in the first couple of lessons, knowledge of self, retained expertise from the first course, and elapsed time will be keys to to second-time success.

How Is Noom Working For Me This Time?

Ebbs and flows notwithstanding, I have already lost a couple of pounds. More importantly, I noticed my motivation and my choices changing within the first two to three weeks. I have begun to meal plan again with healthy intention, and have been fairly successful at sticking to it, much to the delight of my wallet and my waistline. I have also started back working out consistently two-three times a week and attending classes at my local gym for accountability.

Knowing what I know now about myself and the Noom program, I am very optimistic about my outcome for the year. As with anything, I’ll do my best and let God do the rest.

If you’d like to try Noom for yourself, be sure to use my link for a free 14-day trial of Noom + 20% off your subscription. Use my personal invitation! https://www.talkable.com/x/jOBxy9

What are your health goals for this year? Let us know in the comments below!