weight watchers vs noom vs crash dieting

[Anonymous]

46 year old woman here who needs to lose 15 pounds. I'd love something that did it fast and then I could switch to WW or Noom, but it seems like fast means rebound. I was debating doing keto and then switching to WW for maintenance. That doesn't seem too crazy to me. Could I lose 15 lbs in one month on keto or paleo?

Alternatively I could do slow and steady and pick Noom or WW. For those of you who have done WW or Noom, which do you recommend for my situation and why? ALso I really hate tracking on my phone - I prefer pen and paper.

[Anonymous]

48-yr-old woman here.

I would not call Noom slow and steady. I am 5'8", trying to lose 15 lbs gained over the past year and immediately they put me at 1200 calories. They have a bunch of hype because they "educate" you along the way, but it is still just cutting calories -- same as any diet strategy. I absolutely hated the tone of the writing -- very snarky, trying-too-hard voice. One article actually encouraged "have a cookie because you did such a great job reading so many articles today!"

WW is slow and steady if you choose that path, and with the points and color system you really do learn to "control yourself". For example, just because you can eat grains and fruit for 0 points on your plan type doesn't mean you should -- you still need to use common sense. I disliked the focus on processed and zero-fat foods. So contradictory to other modern approaches that are supportive of Whole Foods and ok with fat (as it keeps you filled you up vs emptier calories). But, we're all different! My older sister lost a lot of weight on WW. And gained it back immediately. Because it is actually not food choice that is her issue: it is her emotions and lack of control. Food is the outlet of sorts. She really needs therapy. I used WW for a bit in the Fall, but the price didn't match up to my needs. The social aspect was interesting and a supportive, anonymous online community was helpful.

Anyway. I am back to LoseIt, which is a great app and very simple and straightforward to use. I have found the best success with it and used it on and off for years. Prior to this past year, I kept 20lbs off for 5+ years. It took me a few attempts, and finally had the best luck by cutting calories gradually. So, I'd go down to 1500 for 2 weeks, then 1400 for 2 weeks, then 1350 and stay. Going immediately for the quick loss of 2lbs/week caused that sense of deprivation which caused me to binge and gain back more than I lost.

You can always count calories on a notepad. Just add 'em up and look at the weekly calorie budget overall in addition to each day; I think that helps give greater perspective. Even if you overeat one or two days, doesn't mean the whole week is a wash.

So, for me - I've been using LoseIt again and reading about Intuitive Eating.

[Anonymous]

I’m 41, lost 20lbs over 1 year on WW and have maintained that for the last year. It has always worked for me...I’d like to lose ten more but for now just happy to not have gained it back during the last year. My 30 year old sister did Noom and it worked for her (and quickly) but she’s 30...

[Anonymous]

I concur with the odd tone of noom-I tried after friend had good success with but realized for her - she’s got kind of an obsessive adherence personality and loved the cult part of it. I ended up doing WW and am liking that I really don’t have to announce I’m dieting as you can eat anything as long as you plan for. I don’t eat any ‘diet’ or fake food on it ever. I do keep track of everything I eat - something I’ve never done before and it’s so easy on the app and - helpful - as you can figure out how just a few tweaks gives you the same meal with fewer points. I also really find the exercise/activity tracking very motivating.

I’ve done 30 day cleanses where I’ve lost 15lbs but all I learned from them is I hate all the chopping and meal prep-and I need my caffeine and I love my wine!!!

[Anonymous]

You won't lose 15lbs of fat in a month, it just won't happen. You would need to create a daily deficit of like 1700 calories and that is very hard to do. Coming up with a more realistic goal would be a good start. I have just lost 15lbs of fat myself. I started in early November and reached my goal mid March. I was impatient too but in the end looking back, 4 months is a very short period. With a start weight of 153 I ate about 1800 calories a day on average and really focused on my strength training and getting 10-15k steps a day. I did not feel deprived and my eating was very similar to what it will be once I get back to maintenance, I will just be eating a bit more of everything. You do not need keto or paleo or IF or whatever special diet. You also do not need to exclude any food groups or gluten, sugar or dairy if you can tolerate them. Just get into a moderate calorie deficit and pick and approach that is sustainable for you.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done WW for a bit am I’m still on the fence. If one more person tells me to eat FF cheese or salad dressing with sucralose in it as a healthy option, I may scream. I’m not sure if it’s more effective than just tracking on MFP bc I can at least see macros there.

Boom is great if you are new to the nutrition game, but it certainly have the try too hard to be cool vibe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done WW for a bit am I’m still on the fence. If one more person tells me to eat FF cheese or salad dressing with sucralose in it as a healthy option, I may scream. I’m not sure if it’s more effective than just tracking on MFP bc I can at least see macros there.

Boom is great if you are new to the nutrition game, but it certainly have the try too hard to be cool vibe.

Noom is soooooo weird. No one really talks about what it is or what it entails, to start. Then, you get into all the different food categories -- red, yellow, green, but never get an understanding of what each category entails or what something falls under until AFTER you log to, to my understanding. The fees are also very high from what I've heard. Why not work with a dietician?

[Anonymous]

I lost a ton of weight on keto , I ate no more than 20-25grams of carbs per day. I did it for over a year until the pandemic hit, meat shortages then I rebounded and gain 25lbs

Keto is not sustainable but you’ll lose a lot of water weight in the first 7-14 days

I think it might be best to try a calorie deficit diet or way of life. No fad diets

[Anonymous]

You can't lose 15 lbs in a month in a heathy way. You WILL gain it back if you do.

WW is good if you have a lot of weight to lose. For 15 lbs, cutting calories is your best best. Eat less overall. Eat lean meats, beans, whole grains, lots and lots of vegetables and fruit. Some greek yogurt. Count calories and watch the scale. This will be helpful in maintaining your weight loss too because you will become familiar with what your energy needs from food really are.

I think 1300 calories is a good general number for weightless, but that can vary based on person. Try this number and give it a week and see what the scale does. If you are going down 1-2 lbs per week, hold steady. If you aren't, drop to 1200.

[Anonymous]

Interesting! I've tried many things including keto, IF, WW, South Beach (anyone remember that?). I just started noom a little over two weeks ago.

I am LOVING noom. The tone doesn't bother me--but I did read that they adjusted it quite a bit from what it was originally, so if people haven't tried it recently they may have had a different experience.

Noom feels like it's actually changing my relationship with food. I don't find the red/yellow/green foods confusing at all. You can always start to "add" a food to see what category it falls in, if you're wondering.

I really like their tracking app. Some of the coach stuff is not for me, but I love reading the articles in the morning to set my intentions for the day.

My weight loss has been pretty good actually, but I have more to lose than you do. I find that if I don't limit simple carbs, my weight loss stalls. (I can still have 1-2 portions a day but no more than that.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done WW for a bit am I’m still on the fence. If one more person tells me to eat FF cheese or salad dressing with sucralose in it as a healthy option, I may scream. I’m not sure if it’s more effective than just tracking on MFP bc I can at least see macros there.

Boom is great if you are new to the nutrition game, but it certainly have the try too hard to be cool vibe.

Noom is soooooo weird. No one really talks about what it is or what it entails, to start. Then, you get into all the different food categories -- red, yellow, green, but never get an understanding of what each category entails or what something falls under until AFTER you log to, to my understanding. The fees are also very high from what I've heard. Why not work with a dietician?

It's $30 a month. That's not expensive but it is more than WW. They absolutely explain what the different categories are. You didn't even sign up for Noom, you are going off word of mouth.

[Anonymous]

Just fyi - if you sign up for a free Noom trial and then cancel, they will beg you to come back. The latest email I received from them offered a 90% discount, no joke.

[Anonymous]

3 pounds a week? Ummm.

Why don't you try for 1-2 pounds for week, depending on your current weight?

[Anonymous]

I also tried Noom and didn’t like it. WW is the tried and true plan for me. I have 15 lbs to lose and after a month I have lost 4 ( I am 48). I always need to track and weigh myself regularly. Although, I have never been successful on maintenance. I have the same mental health issue as someone said above, emotions and lack of control. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:48-yr-old woman here.

I would not call Noom slow and steady. I am 5'8", trying to lose 15 lbs gained over the past year and immediately they put me at 1200 calories. They have a bunch of hype because they "educate" you along the way, but it is still just cutting calories -- same as any diet strategy. I absolutely hated the tone of the writing -- very snarky, trying-too-hard voice. One article actually encouraged "have a cookie because you did such a great job reading so many articles today!"

WW is slow and steady if you choose that path, and with the points and color system you really do learn to "control yourself". For example, just because you can eat grains and fruit for 0 points on your plan type doesn't mean you should -- you still need to use common sense. I disliked the focus on processed and zero-fat foods. So contradictory to other modern approaches that are supportive of Whole Foods and ok with fat (as it keeps you filled you up vs emptier calories). But, we're all different! My older sister lost a lot of weight on WW. And gained it back immediately. Because it is actually not food choice that is her issue: it is her emotions and lack of control. Food is the outlet of sorts. She really needs therapy. I used WW for a bit in the Fall, but the price didn't match up to my needs. The social aspect was interesting and a supportive, anonymous online community was helpful.

Anyway. I am back to LoseIt, which is a great app and very simple and straightforward to use. I have found the best success with it and used it on and off for years. Prior to this past year, I kept 20lbs off for 5+ years. It took me a few attempts, and finally had the best luck by cutting calories gradually. So, I'd go down to 1500 for 2 weeks, then 1400 for 2 weeks, then 1350 and stay. Going immediately for the quick loss of 2lbs/week caused that sense of deprivation which caused me to binge and gain back more than I lost.

You can always count calories on a notepad. Just add 'em up and look at the weekly calorie budget overall in addition to each day; I think that helps give greater perspective. Even if you overeat one or two days, doesn't mean the whole week is a wash.

So, for me - I've been using LoseIt again and reading about Intuitive Eating.

I've lost 12 pounds on Noom and I thought it was slow and steady. I work out alot so I usually had about 1500 to play with. I never used them all and always felt full. I used to love WW, but I am a noom fan! I has taken me 6 weeks to lose 12 pounds. I am not a big person so that is significant. I thought the pace was perfect.

It's always easy to say just count calories, but that doesn't really work because not all calories mean the same thing.

I am also a very disciplined person. I really liked Noom's focus on triggers. Now I think about that when I want to eat something. I think about why I want it.