MyFitnessPal for Beginners

Fat Loss

Jun 19

Written By Shannon Cook MS, RD, LD

Differences Between the Free and Premium Versions

Premium

free

Shows what foods were the highest in calories, micro and macronutrients

Allows for setting of macronutrient goals for the day and per meal

Allows for setting specific exercise goals and track progress

Offers more nutritional information like macronutrient percentages per meal and advice based on eating habits

No advertisements

Scan barcodes to easily input meals

Scan meals to determine the nutrition information

Unlocks trainer-led workouts

Allows for tracking of daily calorie, micro and macronutrient intake

Allows for setting of calorie goals

Allows for tracking of exercise and burned calories by manual input or sync with fitness apps

Offers nutritional information of thousands of food items

Has advertisements which are annoying and slow down app performance

Pros of using MyFitnessPal

Has a comprehensive database of foods making it easy to find and log

The user interface is fairly easy to understand and navigate

The barcode scanner in the premium version allows you to quickly log foods by scanning the packaging

Allows you to set goals based on calories, macronutrients, and fitness activities

Due to the large user base, there is a ton of community support and content to help encourage and motivate users on the application

Syncs with other fitness apps and wearable technologies to allow for easy tracking of your health data

Allows you to track the progress of your weight, exercise and nutrition over a period of time

Premium Feature Convivence

Premium although pricey has good features

You can scan barcodes on food products or scan whole meals

You can view which foods were high in calories, macros, or micros

Step Tracking

Turning off step tracking in MyFitnessPal can help prevent over-reliance on exercise data, ensuring that users focus on overall health rather than just numbers. It reduces the risk of developing an unhealthy obsession with calorie expenditure, promoting a more balanced approach to fitness and nutrition. Additionally, this can encourage users to listen to their bodies and prioritize mindful eating and varied physical activity over simply meeting numeric goals.

Or changed in the more options menu under “Steps”

Creating and Tracking Recipes

The create a recipe function in MyFitnessPal allows users to easily input and save their favorite homemade meals, making it convenient to track nutritional intake accurately. This feature helps in managing portion sizes and understanding the nutritional value of each ingredient, promoting better dietary choices. Additionally, it saves time by enabling users to quickly log their meals without having to enter each ingredient individually every time they cook.

Select “My Meals, Recipes, & Foods” in the more options menu

You can easily import recipes from websites

Logging Convenience

The "Copy from Date" function in MyFitnessPal simplifies meal tracking by allowing users to quickly duplicate meals from previous days, saving time and effort in logging repetitive meals. The "Quick Add" function enables users to swiftly input calorie counts without detailing every ingredient, making it convenient for those who need a fast way to log their intake. Both features enhance the overall user experience by streamlining the food logging process and making it more efficient. Although the quick add function is locked behind the subscription fee.

Swiping right allows you to quickly add meals from the previous day

Pressing the 3 dots button pulls up a menu which allows you to copy a meal from a date

In the same menu quick add allows you to input calories and macros if you are short on time

Changes in Plans

Fitness goals can change as we progress and achieve initial targets, prompting us to set new challenges for continued improvement. Changes in lifestyle or health conditions can also necessitate adjustments to our fitness objectives to accommodate new needs. Additionally, discovering new interests or activities can shift our focus, leading us to pursue different forms of exercise or fitness achievements. So, here’s how to make those changes in the app.

Selecting “Goals” in the more options menu will allow you to change them

You can also change the targets for different micronutrients

Selecting “Reminders” will allow you to adjust the timing of logging reminders

Differences between the Desktop and App

The core functionalities of the desktop and app versions of MyFitnessPal are the same but there are some changes in features and user experience.

App UI: is more convenient for logging food and exercise due to its’ mobile and touch friendly interface

Desktop UI: allows for a more comprehensive and detailed view of everything and navigation is a bit better

Features

App version: has the ability to scan barcodes for easy logging, notifications for reminders and updates, and integration with heath apps and wearable technologies

Desktop version: has more detailed reports and graphs, easier to access to community forums, and a better food database browsing experience

Convenience and Usability

App version: is convenient for quick entries and real time updates

Desktop version: is more suitable for meal planning, recipe creation, and large amounts of data entry

App Setup Guide

5. Once account is created unselect the track my steps option

9. Select goals if you want to make changes to them

13. At the more options menu and select reminders and determine what time you want your meal logging reminders

2. Continue using email or via Google, Apple, or Facebook signup

10. Select additional nutrient goals if you want to aim for a specific nutrient

14. Make sure to not connect fitness apps as they can lead to the consumption of extra calories.

3. Complete the questions about your goals as accurate as possible

7. Let’s go to the options menu using the more button in the bottom right

11. At the more options menu and select my meals, recipes, and foods

15. At the dashboard the blue + button allows quick actions in the app

12. Add your often consumed homemade recipes to make future tracking easier

16. Log foods by searching for them, using your recipes, or scanning the barcode on the packaging (premium)

Shannon Cook MS, RD, LD

Shannon Cook is the Registered Dietitian and sought-after mental peace focused, fat loss expert behind the brand, The Travel Dietitian. She supports her nutrition clients by teaching them how to eat delicious, nutrient-dense foods to build the fit, healthy body they want, without slipping back into “the diet mentality" or disordered eating habits. The Travel Dietitian site has tons of amazing resources for you! Welcome to the ADVENTURE!