Noom vs. CalorieKing - Which Weight Loss Program Is Best?

Noom vs. CalorieKing – CalorieKing has reigned supreme in the weight-loss world since 1973, but can this trusted name compete against Noom’s cutting-edge technologies? Both programs provide insight into users’ daily dietary habits through food logging, so we compared them head to head to determine the best plan for sustainable weight loss.

What is Noom?

Noom is a CDC recognized lifestyle program that helps users reach and maintain a healthy weight through diet and exercise.

So, what makes Noom different from the hundreds of other weight loss apps on the market? Noom uses a psychological approach to help users make permanent changes that will alter their relationship with food.

In 16 weeks, Noom users will learn how to make better dietary choices and form healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

Every Noom user has access to a Noom coach, an easy-to-understand food logging tool, a fitness tracker, and a variety of educational resources. Users can request a personalized diet plan or make gradual changes to their current diet. No foods are off-limits to Noom users, and you’ll never feel hungry when you’re following the Noom eating plan.

Check out Noom’s free trial offer today to see how much weight you can lose in 16 weeks.

What is the CalorieKing?

CalorieKing is exactly what it sounds like: a calorie tracker. CalorieKing has a database that contains millions of foods. All users have to do is enter the foods they eat, and CalorieKing provides the nutrition facts.

CalorieKing has nutritional facts for hundreds of popular brands, including McDonald’s, Krispy Kreme, Jack Daniels, and Coco-Cola.

CalorieKing is available on desktop PCs, Android phones, and iPhones. The CalorieKing book is available on Amazon for anyone who prefers to have a print copy.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – History

Brief History of Noom

On July 25, 2008, two rising stars in the tech industry founded WorkSmart Labs. Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong were determined to use their expertise to develop a mobile health coaching app that focused on fighting obesity-related conditions.

As WorkSmart Labs evolved into the company now known as Noom, Petakov and Jeong added a team of physicians, nutritionists, and psychologists to the company roster.

Noom secured several successful rounds of funding that allowed the company to test Noom’s effectiveness in multiple large scale clinical trials.

The Noom app finally launched in 2016, nearly eight years after the company’s inception. Since its launch, 50 million users worldwide have used Noom to change their relationship with diet and exercise.

As of 2018, Noom is one of the internet’s most searched weight-loss programs. Noom now has offices in three countries and thousands of employees around the world. Noom expanded its program offerings after partnering with Novo Nordisk in late 2019.

Brief History of CalorieKing

CalorieKing is an Australian company that was founded in 1973. When the first CalorieKing book was released in the United States, it sold over 10 million copies. The company launched the CalorieKing website in 1998 but continues to offer a printed book that lists the nutritional information for thousands of foods and beverages.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – Who’s Behind the Plans?

Who Created Noom?

Artem Petakov is a co-founder and the acting president of Noom. Petakov is a voracious reader who taught himself to program at the age of nine. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine, but his family moved to the United States shortly after his thirteenth birthday. He attended Princeton University, where a “Psychology of Decision Making” course inspired him to develop an app that uses psychology to help people make smarter choices.

Saeju Jeong is a co-founder and the CEO of Noom. Saeju was born and raised in South Korea. His father, a family physician, told Saeju that doctors should be more proactive in preventing illnesses instead of only treating people after they get sick. When his father died, Saeju dropped out of Hongik University and moved to the United States. He met Artem Petakov at a wedding, and the two men were united by their desire to change the way the world treats obesity.

Who Created CalorieKing?

CalorieKing was created by Allan Borushek, a biochemist, dietitian, and health educator. Borushek has 30 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, and he is responsible for founding the Family Health Network. The Family Health Network develops and publishes health-related applications.

Allan Borushek is a member of the Society for Nutrition Education, The North American Association for the Study of Obesity, the National Wellness Association, the Society for Nutrition Education, and the American Diabetes Association.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – The Rules

Rules of Noom

Noom relies on behavioral changes, not restrictive dieting, for weight loss. So, you don’t have to worry about following the rules. Many Noom users claim that weight loss with Noom feels “nearly effortless,” thanks to Noom’s three-pronged approach to permanent and sustainable weight loss.

When you first sign up for Noom, you’ll be asked the standard questions about your height, current weight, ideal weight, gender, and age. Once Noom has your basic information, you’ll be asked more targeted questions about your lifestyle, what diet programs you’ve tried in the past, and your medical history. Noom uses this information to create a personalized plan to help you better meet your goals.

Your 16-week Noom plan has four stages. The first phase revolves around developing lasting habits and beating your inner food demons. Phase 2 focuses on conquering your triggers and learning about the psychology behind weight loss. The third phase helps you understand the connection between psychology and biology. This phase is important for managing stress and becoming more resilient. The final Noom stage is all about making your new healthy habits last a lifetime.

During your Noom journey, you’ll have a daily calorie goal, and you’ll rely on three tools to keep you on track: food logging, lifestyle lessons, and fitness tracking.

Try the program today with Noom’s free trial offer.

Log Your Meals

Every food and beverage you eat or drink fits into one of three Noom categories: red, yellow, or green.

Red Foods

Red foods are probably some of your favorites. Pizza, burgers, chocolate, fried foods, and sugary sodas are all red foods. Red foods contain lots of calories and added sugar, and they don’t add any nutritional value to your diet. Don’t panic, you can still eat red foods, but you’ll want to keep your red food intake to a minimum.

Yellow Foods

Yellow foods will make up a significant portion of your daily meals. Yellow foods include lean meats, plant-based proteins, and the fruits and vegetables that didn’t make the green list.

Green Foods

Green foods are super healthy fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products that have a low-calorie density. Green foods will make up between 25 and 60 percent of your daily diet. Substituting green foods for red foods is a great way to learn about smart dietary substitutions.

Track Your Exercise

Exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Noom gives you an added reason to workout on the regular: You’ll be allowed to eat more calories. Noom adds half of the calories you burn back into your daily calorie goal.

If you burn 250 calories on Friday afternoon, you can add an extra 125 calories to your calorie goal. That means you can enjoy a guilt-free glass of wine with dinner. Over time, Noom’s method can create a positive association with exercise. Noom does change the way your brain works.

Learn a Little in the Process

Noom finds fun ways to work learning into your daily routine. Stress, boredom, and your sleep habits can all affect your weight. Noom teaches you how to deal with the daily obstacles that can sabotage your diet. You’ll also learn about diet myths, food triggers, and your psychological connection to the foods you eat.

Rules of CalorieKing

The CalorieKing is based on the idea that you can only lose weight if you’re aware of what you’re eating. The CalorieKing app is free and easy to use. You enter the foods you eat, CalorieKing provides the nutrition facts, and you log the information into your food journal.

You can also enter how many minutes of physical activity you want to complete in a day. Once you reach your goal, you can check the box in your journal.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – Eating Plans

The Noom Eating Plan

Noom encourages eating balanced meals that are made with delicious, whole foods. We’ve prepared a sample menu to give you a better idea of what you’ll be eating if you decide to give Noom a try.

Monday

• Breakfast: banana berry smoothie
• Snack: lemon yogurt pound cake
• Lunch: lentil veggie soup
• Snack: celery boats with turmeric egg salad
• Dinner: pan-seared salmon with a kale and apple salad

Tuesday

• Breakfast: steel-cut oats with blueberry compote
• Snack: baked Greek chickpeas
• Lunch: slow-cooked pork tacos
• Snack: frozen grapes
• Dinner: herb and mustard glazed chicken with baby carrots

Wednesday

• Breakfast: breakfast burrito loaded with veggies
• Snack: mango ginger ice cream
• Lunch: chicken, vegetable, and rice soup
• Snack: dried fruit
• Dinner: spaghetti squash with meatballs

Thursday

• Breakfast: Nordic breakfast porridge
• Snack: black bean dip on baby bell peppers
• Lunch: buffalo cauliflower with a mild creamy sauce
• Snack: chocolate avocado pudding
• Dinner: lemon garlic shrimp with grits

Friday

• Breakfast: pumpkin waffles with a raspberry compote
• Snack: chia seed pudding
• Lunch: quinoa salad
• Snack: dark chocolate chip cookies
• Dinner: turkey burger with a garden salad

Saturday

• Breakfast: avocado toast
• Snack: peach crisp
• Lunch: roasted broccoli and cauliflower
• Snack: frozen bananas dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with peanuts
• Dinner: pork chops with an apple glaze and garlic mashed potatoes

Sunday

• Breakfast: hot apple cereal with flaxseed, cashews, and coconut milk
• Snack: cucumber slices and hummus
• Lunch: Hasselbeck sweet potatoes with reduced-fat sour cream
• Snack: beef jerky
• Dinner: chicken saltimbocca

Noom has options for every dietary preference, including vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diets.

The CalorieKing Eating Plan

CalorieKing does not provide a specific eating plan, but you can use the platform with a number of popular diets, including the keto, paleo, Mediterranean diets.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – Plan Duration

How Long Does Noom Last?

Noom has four phases that each last for four weeks. After you complete the 16-week Healthy Weight Program, you can continue using Noom to ensure that you stay on track.

How Long Does CalorieKing Last?

You can use the CalorieKing for as long as you feel the need to track your calorie intake.

You can find out how long it’ll take you to lose those extra pounds by giving the Noom free trial offer a go today!

Significant Differences Between Noom and CalorieKing

We found quite a few differences between CalorieKing and Noom.

Accuracy

Noom has been tested extensively for accuracy, but we found some discrepancies in the information that CalorieKing provides. Several users claimed that CalorieKing provides inaccurate information, so we decided to take a closer look.

According to CalorieKing, a 35-year-old female who is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds should eat 2,500 calories a day to lose weight. That calorie goal seemed high, so we double-checked the numbers with the Mayo Clinic‘s calorie calculator.

The Mayo Clinic says that the same female should eat between 1,800 and 2,000 calories to maintain her current weight. An extra 500 to 700 calories a day would cause weight gain, not weight loss.

Eating Plans

Noom offers users a customized eating plan and teaches them how to use the food grouping system to plan their meals. CalorieKing does not provide an eating plan.

Support

Every Noom user has access to a health coach and a support group to keep them informed and motivated. CalorieKing does not offer personalized support. Research shows that people are more likely to succeed in any weight-loss program if they have a reliable support system.

Education

One of the reasons Noom is so successful is the educational resources they provide. Most diet plans tell you when to eat and what you should be eating. Noom teaches users why certain foods are better than others and how to incorporate what they learn into their daily lives.

Fitness Tracking

Exercise is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, CalorieKing does not provide a fitness tracking tool.

Can You Follow CalorieKing on Noom?

We can’t see any reason to use Calorie King if you’re a Noom subscriber. The Noom app has all the tools you need to log your daily calorie intake.

Possible Side Effects of Noom vs. CalorieKing

Monitoring your calorie intake and physical activity is one of the safest ways to lose weight. Neither program will cause side effects.

Noom vs. CalorieKing – The Research

Clinical research is the most accurate way to determine the safety and effectiveness of any diet program. So, what does the research have to say about Noom vs. CalorieKing?

Clinical Research on Noom

As far as smartphone apps are concerned, Noom comes out on top amongst its leading competitors. A study published in JMIR assessed 29 popular weight-loss apps for accountability, content accuracy, and scientific coverage. Noom was the clear leader receiving the top score in every category.

How effective is Noom? In a study of 35,000 users, 77.9% of participants lost weight with Noom. The research suggests that Noom users who logged their dinner every night greatly increased their chances of success. The promising clinical research was reviewed in Scientific Reports.

Another promising study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension, shows that Noom can reverse prehypertension in 24 weeks. Living a healthier lifestyle can reduce the risk of hypertension, and Noom’s personal support coaches are trained to help individuals identify problematic behaviors that put their health at risk.

Noom claims to promote sustainable weight loss, and research found in MSRD confirms those claims. Participants in the study managed to maintain their ideal weight for at least two years after completing a Noom program.

Clinical Research on Calorie King

Several widely cited studies, including one published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, found that overeating causes weight gain. It’s easier to overeat when you don’t know how many calories you’re eating, so using an app to track your caloric intake makes sense.

If you rely solely upon calorie counting to lose weight, it’s important to remember that the calories in some foods have more nutritional value than the calories in other foods. A study published in Nutrition and Diabetes demonstrates how foods with the exact same number of calories can affect your weight. Eating 100 calories from fruit is much different than eating 100 calories from cookies.

A clinical trial reviewed in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that using an app to track your caloric intake may be an effective way to lose weight. The key is finding the best app for your needs.

The Facts About Noom vs. CalorieKing

Quick Facts on Noom

• The Noom Healthy Weight Program consists of four four-week phases.
• All foods are fair game with Noom.
• Try before you subscribe with a two-week free trial
• Save money by purchasing the annual subscription.
• Noom backs all of its claims with clinical research.
• You’ll have access to a support group and Noom coach to help you along the way.

Quick Facts on CalorieKing

• CalorieKing is available on desktop computers, android phones, and iPhones.
• CalorieKing is free to use.
• You can order the CalorieKing book on Amazon.
• Not all information provided by CalorieKing is factual.
• CalorieKing does not provide an eating plan.
• CalorieKing does not offer a fitness tracker.

Bottom Line on Noom vs. CalorieKing

So, what’s the verdict on Noom vs CalorieKing? Well, we know that CalorieKing offers lots of tracking tools, but it may not be the most comprehensive program available if you want to lose weight in the long term.

The CalorieKing can tell you how many calories are in your favorite foods, but Noom teaches you what to do with it. Noom provides you with all the tools you need to lose weight, and they back all of their claims with clinical research. For us, when it comes to Noom vs. CalorieKing – Noom is the clear winner.

Because research so strongly supports Noom, we’ve partnered with the company to all readers a free trial offer. It’s only available for a limited time though, so take advantage while you still can!

Noom vs. Calorie King Questions and Answers

Q: What is the Noom diet plan?

A: Noom is a psychology-based weight-loss program that helps its users make long term changes to their eating habits.

Q: How long does Noom last?

A: The traditional Noom plan lasts for 16 weeks. However, you can still continue the program after that time period.

Q: Is the Noom app free?

A: Although the app is free, you still have to purchase a Noom subscription to access the program itself.

Q: What do you eat on Noom?

A: The Noom diet breaks down foods into three colors – red, green, and yellow. Users are allowed to consume a certain percentage of their diet from these groups.

Q: What are green foods on Noom?

A: The green foods are the healthiest ones, as they are low on calorie density and high in nutrition. Most of your diet will consist of green foods.

Q: What are yellow foods on Noom?

A: Yellow foods are less nutritious but more calorie-dense. This group will make up a moderate portion of your diet.

Q: What are red foods on Noom?

A: The red foods are the most calorie-dense and least nutritious. Although they are allowed in the Noom diet, they will only make up a small part of your diet.

Q: Is Noom legit – does it help you lose weight?

A: Noom does help you lose weight. Its benefits have been proven through years of clinical research.

Q: Who owns Noom?

A: The founders of Noom are Artem Petakov and Saeju Jeong. The company was first founded in 2008.

Q: What does Noom mean, exactly?

A: The program’s name comes from the word “Moon” backward. Just like the Moon guides people through the night, Noom claims to help guide its users through your weight-loss journey.