Meet Noom: The revolutionary health and wellness app you have to try

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Noom is the health and wellness app that's changing up how you approach healthy living
Try it today and read through our editor-tested review here

So many people are against asking for help. But, why? Even top-performing CEOs and professionals often credit their success to the help of others. Simply put, successful people rarely do it alone. So, why should you?

Noom, a lifestyle and wellness app, wants to be sure you don't go it alone. It's specifically designed to allow you to lead a balanced, healthy lifestyle — and reach your goals. Given how difficult it can be to lose weight and get fit, it's no wonder a majority of U.S. citizens are either obese or overweight. That's why Noom is here to help, so that you have better odds of remaining on the other side of that statistic.

What makes Noom different?

Given the vast number of food trackers, step counters and fitness "fixes" on the market, you may be wondering what makes Noom worth your money. I tested the app to ensure that it really does what it promises. (Spoiler alert: It does.) Here, we'll walk through Noom's many features and tell you what to expect.

At its core, Noom believes that living a healthier lifestyle should be easy and enjoyable. I saw this play out in two ways. First, the app is user-friendly and the support I received from my assigned goal specialist, was top notch. The big game changer (and major differentiator that sets Noom apart from its competitors) is the support I received. A Noom user receives messages from his or her specialist via a messenger chat. With that kind of support, it's basically like having a virtual trainer or advisor to help keep you on track and hold you accountable.

When you sign up, Noom takes you through a series of questions to better understand your goals, determine your level of activity and find out about any conditions that could impact your progress. Next, it's time to design "Your Big Picture," or your "YBP," as Noom calls it. This YBP is made up of three parts:

1. Your Super Goal
2. Your Ultimate Why
3. How Your Life Will Be Different

Let's walk through each of these:

1. Your Super Goal: Noom describes Your Super Goals as "the goals that you want to accomplish by the end of the course." These could be "Losing 15 pounds" or "Running your first 5K." This is considered the first big step to break down your long-term goals into smaller, more manageable goals. These are things that you will work with your goal specialist to achieve.

2. Your Ultimate Why: Noom says Your Ultimate Why should "excite and inspire you." This will be reasoning behind your super goals. For instance, maybe you want to lose 15 pounds so that you can feel good in your own skin. Feeling good in your own skin would therefore be your ultimate why.

3. How Your Life Will Be Different: Here, Noom helps you to picture and understand how reaching these goals will change your life for the better. Maybe your goals will aim to help you to feel more confident or lead a healthier lifestyle with less medical complications. That's where you drive home your purpose and ramp up that long-term mindset.

Other features:

Users are encouraged to select a course that focuses on goals and track their meals. Then, after a few days of meal tracking, your coach will check in to see how you are doing with the program.

For me, this was tricky because I had just celebrated a birthday — which, of course, involved a bit of indulging. But, with the help of Noom, I was able to better understand which foods were the most optimal — and which hurt my progress.

For instance, Noom gives you food advice based on the colors red, green and yellow. Like a stoplight, green foods generally mean "go." These foods are the least calorie dense or contain the highest concentration of nutrients. Think fruits, veggies and whole grains. Generally, these foods can be eaten in larger quantities.

Foods that are labeled yellow contain more calories, and Noom considers them to be less nutritious than green foods.

And red foods, although never considered off limits, are foods that are calorie-dense and contain the least amount of nutrients. Examples of red foods would be red meats and desserts, which should be eaten in moderation.

How much does it cost?

The pricing for Noom varies depending on how long you want to be on the program. When you initially sign up, Noom offers you a limited-time only trial for $1. Then, once this trial expires, it's up to you how long you'd like to join for. To give you an idea, one month costs $59 and the annual plan costs $199. That goes to show that if you sign up for a longer period of time, it's better value per month for your subscription. If you aren't ready to commit for a yearlong plan, there are 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-month plans also available.

How will you succeed?

According to Noom, "staying connected means staying successful." That way, you won't get off track or lose sight of your goals with the stressors of life hit. In order to maintain consistent progress, Noom provides daily tasks, including a daily weigh-in and a calorie goal that theoretically should help you to reach your goal weight.

It's important to note that everyone's results will be unique and will depend on your level of health and dedication. But, the most important thing to remember is that your health should be taken seriously. All decisions to use any weight loss product or service should be run by your doctor to ensure they will be safe for you and your lifestyle.

Noom provides the support and consistent approach that many need when working to improve their health. One Noom user said: "From the minute I opened the app, everything was there. It encouraged me to change." This individual, according to Noom, lost 61 pounds. That sounds like quite the success story.

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