When you open your Noom app, you’ll see a calorie range called the Weight Loss Zone at the 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 here.
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.
To adjust your Goal Weight:
- Tap the sandwich menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner
- Tap Settings
- Tap Weight Loss Plan
- Tap Target Weight
- Select your weight unit (pounds, kilograms, etc.) if it’s not already centered above the scale
- Slide your finger left or right across the weight scale until it reflects your desired target weight
- Tap the circle with the selected target weight to save it
To adjust your Weight Loss Speed (if applicable):
- Tap the sandwich menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner
- Tap Settings
- Tap Weight Loss Plan
- Tap Weekly Weight Loss
- Select your weight unit (pounds, kilograms, etc.) if it’s not already centered above the scale
- Slide the weight scale left or right with your finger until it reflects your desired weekly weight loss speed. You can select anywhere from 0-2 lbs per week (or your equivalent in kg or stone).
- Tap the circle with the selected weight loss amount to save it
Note: Depending on your app version, you may not have the Weekly Weight Loss option.
To adjust your Manual Calorie Adjustment:
- Tap the sandwich menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner
- Tap Settings
- Tap Weight Loss Plan
- Tap Manual Calorie Adjustment
- Slide the calorie scale left or right with your finger until it reflects your desired manual calorie adjustment
- Tap the circle with the selected calories to save the adjustment
Note: Make any manual adjustments to account for special circumstances and recommendations from your physician (e.g., lactating).
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 our FAQ page here!
