Procrastinator? Skeptic? Self-Doubter? Noom Is a Weight-Loss App With Room for All Types

Simply put, Noom believes that there’s more to losing weight than simply trying to eat better. Our behaviors, and the root causes of those behaviors, are the real keys to controlling our eating habits and achieving lasting weight-loss. To that end, the program strikes a solid balance between mind and meal, between behavior and belly.

But each person has different triggers and behaviors to deal with, right? Here’s where Noom seems to really excel. Within its system, there’s room for multiple personality types. It has a cohesive structure while at the same time leaving space for people with all types of eating habits and behavioral triggers to reach their goals.

So whether you’re a procrastinator, a fierce independent, someone who needs empathy and support, or someone who prefers science-based facts, Noom’s program has features to address those sides of your personality.

In this article we’ve chosen a few popular behavior types and outlined how Noom can address them and help each person achieve lasting weight-loss.

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The Procrastinator

If you’re one of those people who’s always ready to delay a lifestyle change until tomorrow, Noom offers encouraging nudges that ease the jarring feeling of taking on too much, too soon.

Rather than taking a purist view and demanding you immediately clear your fridge, stock your pantry with rice cakes, and say goodbye to the things you love forever, Noom clears a more patient path into the world of self-improvement. In fact, the sign-up questionnaire asks you what pace you’d like to move at and customizes a plan that fits your needs.

For many dieters out there, getting started is the hardest part. Noom softens that difficult step by offering a more patient route into the process, slowly rolling out plans and tips that will never leave you rattled by sudden change and bolting back to your old life.

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The Stress Eater

Stress-eaters who’ve participated in weight-loss programs before might be surprised and comforted by how Noom makes them feel “seen.” This of course is due to the psychological factor, which actively addresses the emotional component of eating and addresses it with a patient, expert hand.

All that to say, Noom removes the guilt that comes with weight-loss attempts and replaces it with what you could call science-backed empathy. It’s designers--all PhDs in psychology--as well its coaches, more than understand how behavior affects our eating habits.

Instead of shaming you into eating better or overlooking the triggers that steer you towards the snack aisle, Noom’s coaches aim to use behavioral psychology to help you understand your emotional triggers and learn how they affect your eating habits. Combined with structured food plans, color-coded food maps, and motivational messaging, this approach offers stress-eaters and those who eat by emotion the chance to take a deeper look into their habits and then implement plans to resist them.

Some benefits:

• Judgement-free coaching provides a balance of empathy and encouragement
• Short articles and behavioral psych insights help you understand and control your emotional emotional triggers
• Color-coded food lists make it easy to learn healthy food alternatives

The Independent Thinker

Let’s be honest--while most people love the support and encouragement that comes from personal coaching and self-help resources, some of us just want to be given the tools so we can move at our own happy pace.

Do you want the tips, techniques, updates, and tools, but feel more confident going at them alone? Those of a more independent bent don’t need to worry--Noom is as happy to hold its users hands as it is to let go.

Simply put, you’ll have access to more than enough features and resources from Noom to keep you happily occupied and moving through the program on your own autonomy. These include:

• Access daily independent reading sources
• Log and track your meals
• Track your weight and activity on a weekly basis
• Browse through tons of healthy recipes and menus
• Sync up and auto-log your activity with health apps such as Fitbit and Movable

And, of course, if at any point you do want the support of a group or the encouragement of a coach, they’ll be there waiting for you, too.

The Fact-Seeker

So maybe you’re the type of person who responds to vague platitudes with a blank stare. Maybe you struggle with abstract notions such as “Mindfulness” or advice such as “Listen to your body.”

In short, maybe you’re the type of person who requires facts and facts only.

Noom has you covered. Part of its appeal is its clinical pedigree. Founded by PhDs and M.D.s from Harvard, Yale, and Oxford, Noom offers no shortage of fact- and research-based resources that provide tangible, actionable solutions.

For one thing, you can expect daily readings that draw from clinical research and offer tangible, fact-based approaches to achieving your goals. For another thing, every step of your journey will be supplemented by stats, facts, and figures that demonstrate how your program is informed science.

Here are some examples of stats and facts that you’ll receive to help you along your journey.

With relevant stats, facts, and research-backed tips delivered to your app every step of the way, you’ll never have to worry about vague platitudes or fluffy instructions again.

The Self-Doubter

Undergoing change is difficult enough on its own. It’s even more difficult in a vacuum. Today’s weight-loss apps are great because people can access them any time, anywhere. Of course, the drawback is that it can leave some people feeling unsupported and without the human connection that helps motivate and encourage us.

Noom is different. With multiple outlets for support, feedback, and human interaction, Noom excels at quelling the critical voices in your head and providing support to anyone who runs into problems of self-confidence, discipline, or self-doubt.

Here are 3 features Noom offers to those who struggle with self-doubt or motivational issues:

• Group work: Every Noom user joins a group of likeminded users who together support and motivate each other as they undergo the program. The group element of the program is a huge benefit as it allows you to share obstacles and fears, bounce ideas off each other, compare techniques, and hold each other accountable. Lastly, it provides a social outlet for everyone that can be a pressure valve when things get difficult and bring moments of levity and fun to the process.
• Assigned coach: Every Noom group is paired with a coach. These specialists, experts in behavioral psychology and nutritional coaching, are there to field questions, provide motivation, and offer actionable solutions to common bumps along the road including loss of motivation or confidence.
• Motivational updates: Throughout the program, Noom sends you motivational tips, facts, and uplifting words of encouragement that align with where you are in the process. These updates are nice for breaking down feelings of isolation and increasing communication so that every user feels as though they’re part of a larger community.

Noom Has Room for Everyone

Everybody approaches weight-loss differently. Oftentimes, attempting to make changes brings out our dormant behavior traits and magnifies them. For some dieters this could mean a lack of discipline; for others, self-doubt or skepticism. With its psychology-based approach to weight-loss, Noom makes space for all of these, offering tools, resources, and behavioral specialists to accommodate anything that may come up. So no matter what type of person you are or what your triggers are, there’s a good chance Noom has planned for them and is able to meet them with empathy, understanding, and positive solutions.

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