When you open your Noom app, you’ll see a calorie range called theWeight Loss Zone atthe top of the page.
Your Weight Loss Zone represents a personal calorie range that’s calculated by factoring in your age, height, current weight, gender identity, and basic activity level to calculate the approximate number of calories your body uses in a day, based on the Harris-Benedict equation.
To lose weight, you have to expend more calories than you take in, which we call a caloric deficit. We subtract how many calories you need to burn to lose weight from your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) while also eating a healthy number of calories to keep your body functioning at its best. This creates the Weight Loss Zone, which is a range of a few hundred calories.
Eating closer to the lower end of the Weight Loss Zone typically leads to greater weight loss (about 2 lbs or ~1 kg lost per week), while eating at the higher end of the Weight Loss Zone typically leads to a more moderate weight loss (about 0.5 lb or ~0.25 kg lost per week).
Your target calorie range is also updated each day based on the amount of activity you log, which you can read more about in the How does exercise or step count affect my weight loss zone? FAQ.
It’s important to note that you should be eating within the Weight Loss Zone, not below it. Your body needs calories to function, and even basic bodily functions like breathing and digestion require energy. Going below your zone can have negative consequences and isn’t sustainable in the long term.
We’ve honed in on giving you a calorie range rather than a precise number to hit because we know that not every day is the same. Consistently staying within your Weight Loss Zone each week is more important for building habits and reaching your weight loss goals than hitting an exact number each day.
However, if you’d prefer a specific calorie target, you can adjust the settings in your app so that you’ll have a designated number to hit each day rather than a Weight Loss Zone calorie range.
Adjusting Your Goal Weight
To adjust your Goal Weight:
- Open Noom and tap the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the screen
- Tap Settings
- TapWeight and Calorie Settings
- Tap Goal Weight to open up the slider bar
- Slide your finger left or right across the slider bar to select your new goal weight
- If needed, you can tap pounds, kilograms, or stones to toggle between these options
Adjusting Your Manual Calorie Adjustment
To adjust your Manual Calorie Adjustment:
- Open Noom and tap the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the screen.
- TapSettings
- TapWeight and Calorie Settings
- TapManual Calorie Adjustment to open up the slider bar.
- Slide your finger left or right across the slider bar to add any extra calories you want to be added to your weight loss zone.
Note: Make any manual adjustments to account for special circ*mstances and recommendations from your physician (e.g., lactating).
Adjusting Your Weight Loss Speed (if applicable)
To adjust your Weight Loss Speed:
- Open Noom and tap the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner of the screen
- TapSettings
- Scroll down toWeight Loss Speed
- You should see a turtle on the left, a hare in the center, and a cheetah on the right. The turtle means a slower weight loss speed, the hare means an intermediate weight loss speed, and the cheetah means a faster weight loss speed. Slide your finger left or right across the orange circle to adjust your weight loss speed.
Note: Depending on your app version, you may not have the Weight loss speed option as this is only available on the older versions of the app.
Minimum Calorie Range
To keep your body functioning at its best, Noom won’t let those who identify as female adjust their goal below 1,200-1,320 calories per day, those who identify as male below 1,400-1,540 calories per day, and those who don’t choose to select a binary gender below 1,200-1,320 calories per day. If you notice that your calorie goal isn’t changing when you adjust your settings, it may be that it’s already within the safe range for your current height, weight, and age.
For more info on how your calorie target is calculated, check out the How does Noom determine my weight loss zone?FAQ.
FAQs
Now, Noom provides an ideal calorie range, which is known as your weight loss zone. For safety reasons and to ensure adequate nutrition, the app does not allow a weight loss zone below 1,200–1,320 calories for women or 1,400–1,540 calories for men. Noom encourages food logging and weekly weigh-ins.
What is the weight loss zone on Noom? ›
Now, Noom provides an ideal calorie range, which is known as your weight loss zone. For safety reasons and to ensure adequate nutrition, the app does not allow a weight loss zone below 1,200–1,320 calories for women or 1,400–1,540 calories for men. Noom encourages food logging and weekly weigh-ins.
Why does my weight loss zone change in Noom? ›
Additionally, your step count will affect your weight loss zone because walking burns calories! Because of this, Noom takes half the total amount of calories you burned while walking and adds it to that day's calorie target.
What is the Noom weight loss strategy? ›
Unlike most diets, the Noom diet does not prohibit people from eating particular foods or food groups. Instead, it uses a color-coded system that prioritizes food by calorific density (CD). This means the more water a food has, the lower its CD.
How to change Noom weight loss zone? ›
Tap Settings. Tap Weight and Calorie Settings. TapManual Calorie Adjustment to open up the slider bar. Slide your finger left or right across the slider bar to add any extra calories you want to be added to your weight loss zone.
What is the Noom controversy? ›
Some Noom users say the app's daily weigh-ins and calorie-tracking system are 'toxic' and triggered disordered eating.
What is the downside of Noom? ›
One of the potential downsides to using Noom is that the recommended tracking can be time-consuming, cumbersome, and stressful for some people. Or if you're trying to spend less time on your phone, Noom may not be the best weight loss approach.
What are the complaints about Noom? ›
In addition to the auto-renewal and billing complaints, Noom faced criticism from experts and consumers for its weight loss program. While branding itself as different from other diets, the app has previously set very low calorie goals that dietitians say put users at risk of side effects.
How do I change my goal weight in Noom app? ›
Tap Settings. Scroll down to Goal Weight and tap the Goal Weight bar to open up the slider bar. If needed, you can tap pounds, kilograms, or stone to toggle between these options. Slide your finger left or right across the slider bar to select your new goal weight.
How do I set my weight loss goal? ›
Set realistic goals
Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity. Depending on your weight, 5% of your current weight may be a realistic goal, at least for an initial goal.
During an interview with “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg on Monday's “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Clarkson admitted to taking a weight loss drug to lose weight. In January, Clarkson told People magazine that diet and exercise helped her slim down. She made no mention of weight loss drugs.
What's the secret with Noom? ›
Noom uses a system that separates "good" and "bad" foods by assigning colors to different edible treats. Each color signifies how much or how little you should eat to stay on track toward your goals.
Why am I not losing weight with Noom? ›
Just like most weight loss programs, Noom relies on calorie counting, which often fails to sustain results long-term. When calories are restricted, the body's metabolism slows down as a natural response to conserve energy.
What zone is best for weight loss? ›
Zone 2 – endurance level: Exercising with a heart beating at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate for between 20–40 minutes is a step up that will bring you into the fat burning zone – a level at which you can effectively burn excess fat stored in your body.
What is the optimal zone for weight loss? ›
To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, a 35-year-old's maximum heart rate is 220 minus 35 — or 185 beats per minute. To enter the fat-burning zone, she'd want her heart rate to be 70 percent of 185, which is about 130 beats per minute.
What is Zone 2 for weight loss? ›
The commonly known “Zone 2” lies just below your aerobic threshold — an intensity at which you are burning large amounts of fat. Beyond this point, your body will begin to utilize more and more carbohydrates and then begin to decline in metabolic efficiency.
What is the controversy with Noom? ›
Some Noom users say the app's daily weigh-ins and calorie-tracking system are 'toxic' and triggered disordered eating. The weight-loss app Noom built its brand on acknowledging that "diets don't work." Former users say they were drawn to Noom's message, but the app triggered disordered eating.
