Managing weight, whatever your goal may be, requires some due diligence. You have to track what you eat, figure out the macros, and decide on a course of action. There are programs like Noom, that base themselves around calorie counting but provide extra support and services to help users lose weight. Then there are calorie-counting apps like MyFitnessPal that allows users to easily track the calories in the foods they eat to help them make healthy changes to their lifestyle.
For a weight-loss strategy to be effective, it has to have three key elements: it sets realistic goals; it follows a sustainable strategy; and it effectively encourages healthy behaviors that eventually translate into an overall healthy lifestyle.
Most popular and successful weight-loss programs these days capitalize on mobile technology to make their health and fitness plans more streamlined, accessible, and convenient. So the real and more appropriate determinants of whether or not one program is better than another are the three key elements mentioned above.
Managing weight, whatever your goal may be, requires some due diligence. You have to track what you eat, figure out the macros, and decide on a course of action. There are programs like Noom, that base themselves around healthy meal planning and provide extra support and services to help users lose weight. Then there are calorie-counting apps like MyFitnessPal that allows users to easily track the calories in the foods they eat to help them make healthy changes to their lifestyle.
We’ll go over both Noom and MyFitnessPal to help you choose the best option for you. Also, we will go over the Modern Fit Program which sets itself apart from programs like Noom.
Managing weight, whatever your goal may be, requires some due diligence. You have to track what you eat, figure out the macros, and decide on a course of action. There are programs like Noom, that base themselves around calorie counting but provide extra support and services to help users lose weight. Then there are calorie-counting apps like MyFitnessPal that allows users to easily track the calories in the foods they eat to help them make healthy changes to their lifestyle.
We’ll go over both Noom and MyFitnessPal to help you choose the best option for you. Also, we will go over the Modern Fit Program which sets itself apart from programs like Noom.
Noom Weight Loss Coach System
Noom is a program that revolves around meal planning, fitness tracking, and a motivational life coach. It’s often seen as the new Weight Watchers, and with its popularity we can see why.
Noom takes a slightly different approach to traditional weight loss. While programs like weight watchers focus more on the physical side of weight loss like calories, Noom focuses more on the behavioral and psychological elements of healthy eating and losing weight for long-term weight loss and maintenance.
The Noom’s interface (app) is intuitive and quite simple: on a daily basis, you’re presented with a list of tasks for you to complete. These tasks start with logging your meals, current weight, and exercise hours. You also get new information on nutrition and fitness, which you’re prompted to read, and often quizzed about later. You’ll also be connected with a personal coach that actively checks up on you and helps set up “SMART” (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-oriented) goals.
The Noom app is designed to help members lose weight and maintain a healthy weight without taking shortcuts and by having the proper mindset. It has the following features:
- The Noom database of over 3 million foods for convenient and comprehensive food tracking
- Customized daily calorie requirement based on personal lifestyle
- Logging of important health metrics: weight, physical activity/exercise, blood pressure, blood sugar
- One-on-one health coaching
- Continuous learning through articles and quizzes
Members will also be added to a community of individuals with similar needs and goals, and with whom you can exchange ideas, share your successes and failures, and get your questions answered.
According to a 2016 study involving 35,921 participants (published in the journal Scientific Reports), about 76% of women and 84% of men lost weight while using the Noom app. Approximately 23% of the participants experienced more than 10% weight loss through Noom.
There is a free version of the app that helps set up a weight loss plan based on caloric intake using information such as height, weight, goals, etc.
The premium version is a bit expensive compared to other programs – $59 per month. Programs like Modern Fit have similar features (personal coach and plans), but won’t break your piggy bank.
The big benefit of using Noom is the education you receive. You can take advantage of a full course and wealth of knowledge – from fitness trainers, nutritionists, dieticians, and psychologists – about losing weight in a healthy manner, and preventing health conditions that typically arise from being overweight or obese and having an unhealthy lifestyle.
Pros: Calorie, weight, and exercise tracking; food diary; personal coach and support groups (premium); educational.
Cons: A bit expensive compared to other programs ($59 a month); coach might not be as helpful and knowledgeable as some want.
We compared Noom to a Modern Fit Program and found Modern Fit to be cheaper, more effective, and realistic when it comes to promoting healthy lifestyle changes and the overall sustainability of the program. Get a free consultation here.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a food diary app for accurate calorie tracking. Like Noom, you are given a daily calorie and macronutrient target and plan. Users log every ingredient, meal, and drink they consume throughout the day. The MFP app will keep a running calculation of your daily calorie, nutrient, and vitamin consumption based on your food log.
The goal is to stay under your daily calorie limit and be able to analyze your eating patterns and find out where you need to make improvements. As a food tracking app, MFP also does not impose any specific restrictions aside from allotting a daily calorie limit. MFP is often touted as one of the best calorie counting apps on the market because it has a huge food database and is easily compatible with most devices.
Like Noom, MFP offers a premium version. However, it is much cheaper at $9.99 a month, or $49.99 a year. The premium version offers the ability to track macros and nutritional content. You can also track a large variety of metrics and better customize your goals. The premium version also offers some exclusive content like motivational and workout videos. You will also be able to import CSV data files directly into the app.
With the free version you can track calories, weight, activity, and a few other metrics. One of its most helpful bonus features is the HelloHealthy blog, which provides recipes, workout routines, and health tips. Users can sync MFP with a number of activity tracking devices or apps, such as Fitbit or Polar Loop. The data can be incorporated with MFP metrics logged to provide better info on weight-loss and fitness progress.
MyFitnessPal offers the following in-app tools:
- A vast food database of over 11 million foods
- Built-in calorie counter
- More than 350 exercises for all body types
- Detailed fitness updates
- Barcode scanner
- Real-time community newsfeed
Pros: huge database of foods to easily track anything you eat; very compatible with devices; not too expensive.
Cons: tracking macros requires premium membership; exclusive content isn’t very compelling
Noom vs. MyFitnessPal
Noom and MyFitnessPal are similar in that they both offer food logging. You are able to log your food and calculate the calories you are consuming every day. While MyFitnessPal may offer a better database, Noom offers an educational aspect that MyFitnessPal doesn’t have. Users are encouraged to learn about how to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Calorie and Activity Tracking
The food logging and calorie and activity tracking features of both Noom and MyFitnessPal are their major attractions.
Noom’s food logging feature allows users to log their meals and help them categorize them in just seconds. Logging is usually done by searching Noom’s extensive database, but users can also scan barcodes or manually input recipes. Additionally, the tool does not only make calorie tracking a breeze, but also provides other relevant nutritional information. Tracking of physical activity, weight, and other key health metrics is also standard procedure.
MyFitnessPal’s calorie tracking feature works in a similar way. Users log every food they eat and the app calculates the number of calories. MFP’s food database is huge – a lot bigger than Noom’s – but it has been shown to sometimes provide inaccurate nutritional information. It’s activity tracking tool, as one of MFP’s major functions, works efficiently in helping users keep an eye on their patterns and progress.
Food Database
Noom and MyFitnessPal both have impressively comprehensive food databases. Both apps also allow barcode scanning and users adding food items and recipes to the database.
With Noom, the food database search settings can be modified to provide the relevant information users need based on their customized plan. The digital logging of food intake, including portion sizes and meal times, is a breeze and keeping track of one’s daily progress is straightforward. Noom regularly updates its database with new items and relevant nutritional information.
MyFitnessPal’s food database, to date, is bigger than Noom’s but it sometimes falls short when it comes to the timely accuracy of the dietary information it provides. As with Noom, searching through MFP’s database is fairly easy and makes food logging a streamlined process.
Coaching Comparison
Having a coach while on a weight-loss journey is, without a doubt, a great advantage. With its personal coaching services, Noom wins this category, hands down. Currently, what MFP has in terms of coaching is its system of interactive support among members.
Noom members who prefer focused guidance of a professional can sign up for one-on-one coaching. They enjoy the advantage of getting answers to personal, health-related questions and of receiving personalized and more timely advice and recommendations with regards to their difficulties and progress.
Noom’s expert coaches offer quality and reliable coaching and information to better ensure the success of their members.
Community Engagement and Support
The main difference between Noom and MyFitnessPal’s interactive communities is their approach to keeping their members motivated.
With Noom’s emphasis on affecting behavioral changes to be and stay healthy, its community focuses on helping each other understand the behavioral and psychological roadblocks that may get in the way of progress and how to overcome them.
MFP’s community, on the other hand, is designed as a generic forum where interaction among members is mostly impersonal and random, albeit still helpful.
User Friendliness
Noom’s extensive knowledge database does not make the app too cumbersome to use. It’s easy enough for users to search the food database, log their daily food entries, and toggle through various relevant personal metrics, such as calorie count, physical activity logs, weight, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. The barcode scanner also works smoothly and quickly so that logging and synching into the in-app database go without a hitch.
Ease of use of the Noom app does fail from time to time when users need to sync it with other apps or devices, such as Fitbit or Polar Loop.
In comparison, MyFitnessPal is designed to sync easily with other fitness and health apps/devices. All the other features are also conveniently accessible and are well-integrated with each other.
Cost
Noom and MyFitnessPal offer different payment structures.
Noom members pay a fixed fee to gain access to all of the main features; but Noom is free to use for individuals who simply need it for logging meals and counting steps. Noom also offers a 14-day free trial.
Noom offers several packages for its premium membership:
- $59 per month
- $49.50 for 2 months/every 2 months
- $32.25 for 4 months/every 4 months
MyFitnessPal’s free membership comes with the basic logging tools and other tracking features. The paid subscription comes in two different packages:
- $9.99 for a monthly subscription
- $49.99 for a yearly subscription
The paid subscriptions offer access to the nutrient dashboard, food analysis, calorie goals by meal, nutrient breakdown, and daily exercise goals, among many others.
Noom and MyFitnessPal are similar in that they both offer food logging. You are able to log your food and calculate the calories you are consuming every day. While MyFitnessPal may offer a better database, Noom offers an educational aspect that MyFitnessPal doesn’t have. Users are encouraged to learn about how to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Because Noom offers this aspect, along with a personal coach, the program is a lot more expensive than MyFitnessPal. One year of MyFitnessPal is just one month of Noom.
Thus, the big difference is that Noom is a dedicated weight-loss program, whereas MyFitnessPal can be used with flexibility.
Noom vs MyFitnessPal – Final Thoughts
Noom and MyFitnessPal are similar in that they both offer food logging. You are able to log your food and calculate the calories you are consuming every day. While MyFitnessPal may offer a better database, Noom offers an educational aspect that MyFitnessPal doesn’t have. Users are encouraged to learn about how to make healthy lifestyle changes.
Because Noom offers this aspect, along with a personal coach, the program is a lot more expensive than MyFitnessPal. One year of MyFitnessPal is just one month of Noom.
Thus, the big difference is that Noom is a dedicated weight-loss program, whereas MyFitnessPal can be used with flexibility.
Modern Fit
Modern Fit stands out from the rest because of all the benefits members receive. Not only will you be assigned to a fitness coach, your coach will take your lifestyle and tastes and come up with personalized meal and fitness plans. The beauty of the meal plan is that it comes with a grocery list, recipes, and complete macros, so you know exactly what to buy and eat. Say goodbye to spending hours planning your meals and workouts and wandering around the grocery store. Get Modern Fit today by signing up for a free consultation!
