At Noom, we’re in it for the long haul: sustained weight loss down the line. That’s why our course is, well, long. And because of its depth, it has hundreds of tips, Psych Tricks, scientific concepts, and helpful ways of thinking about health in order to make a Noomer’s journey easier, not to mention a bit more interesting.
Here are five tenets that are particularly important to us, and they’ll give you a flavor of what your partner is learning and how you can best support them.
1. Pay attention to caloric density
Multiple scientific studies have shown that food weight (not calories) determines how full a person feels. That’s why when recommending what to eat, we always evaluate a food’s caloric density (CD). CD is simply how many calories per gram or pound there are in a particular food. And the more water a food has, the lower its CD.
Consider the grape: it has the same number of calories as a dried up raisin, but the grape has lower caloric density because of its water. And that water is filling. That’s why when someone eats foods with low CD, they’ll feel full more quickly with fewer calories. But when someone eats foods with high CD, they’ll need to eat more calories to feel full.
Caloric Density
| 8x cal | 1x cal |
|---|---|
| 1/2 cup of raisins | 1/2 cup of grapes |
So, Noom’s food philosophy is simple: eat more foods with low caloric density. But we know that it’s not always going to be obvious to you or your partner which foods those are. That’s why we classify foods according to a simple color system – green, yellow and orange – which makes it easier for you to help with your partner’s food choices.
- Green foods have the lowest caloric density and/or the highest concentration of healthy nutrients. Think: veggies and whole grains.
- Yellow foods have a mid-level caloric density and/or a medium amount of healthy nutrients. Think: lean meats and starches.
- Orange foods have the highest caloric density, are the most calorie-dense and/or have the least healthy nutrients. Think: orange meats and desserts.
But human beings are human beings—not rabbits—which means that your partner isn’t going to only eat salads. And that’s fine. The two of you are working together to help them eat healthy for the rest of their life. Giving up desserts wouldn’t just be kind of sad—it’s unsustainable. So nobody’s diet has to be mostly green foods.
We recommend the following breakdown:
- Green: 30%
- Yellow: 45%
- Orange: 25%
Orange doesn’t mean “bad,” and green doesn’t mean “good” (though it does mean “better”).
Think of our color system as a portion guide. Orange foods contain lots of calories but they don’t fill you up. Green foods contain fewer calories and fill you up quickly. This means you can consume large quantities of green, but you must be mindful how much orange you’re eating.
2. Treat yourself regularly
What makes your partner’s Noom journey different from other weight loss efforts is that, this time, with your help, they’re making changes for the long haul. Swearing off birthday cake and lasagna might work for a week or a month, but it won’t work forever. So, the two of you can plan regular treats to keep your partner happy and their food desires satisfied. Note: there are lots of non-food treats that can keep a Noomer happy, too!
3. Simply believe
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.
Psychologists call this self-efficacy —the belief in your ability to succeed. And science says it’s true. If you believe you will reach your goals, you will; if you don’t, you won’t. We’re rooting for you and your partner, but you need to root for yourselves, too.
To get the program started, we ask only one thing—of both you and your partner: BELIEVE.
4. Break down your behavior chain
There is a subconscious process that controls every action you take. It’s called the behavior chain, and it goes a little something like this:
Trigger → Thought → Action → Consequence
At Noom, we view understanding your behavior chain as the first step to breaking a bad habit.
All behavior chains have one thing in common: they start with a trigger. Triggers come in many shapes and sizes. They can be environmental, biological, mental, emotional, or social. Triggers produce these things in your brain we nerds call “thoughts.”
Thoughts can be great, but in the wrong hands, thoughts can be evil and say things like, “All your friends are eating, why not you?” These thoughts lead to actions. And actions can have all kinds of consequences. At Noom, we believe in breaking down habits at their source—those pesky triggers—and building environments that promote behaviors that help a Noomer on their journey.
5. Tame your elephant
Inside that mushy gray matter between your ears are two beings. We like to call them the elephant and the rider. The rider knows what’s right. The rider is our rational, analytical side. It’s our self-control.
Despite the rider’s best efforts to drive, oftentimes the elephant takes charge. The elephant is our impulsive, irrational, emotional side.When you’re feeling unmotivated, the elephant wraps its giant soft trunk around your shoulders and reminds you that the gym will be there tomorrow and you deserve another bag of chips.
We believe in not ignoring your elephant but, on the contrary, being very nice to it. Ways to do this include setting realistic goals, treating yourself regularly, and not punishing yourself when you slip up—just getting back on track at a normal pace.
Noom is stacked with ways to reframe your own experience, and we think your partner will find some that work particularly well for them. As they progress through the course, check in with them! What are they finding most useful?
