There are plenty of tracking apps out there, and honestly, the best one is whichever app you can navigate easily. MyFitnessPal isn’t unique, but it covers all the basics for tracking food and macros, plus it has a large nutrition database.
The biggest downsides? Some database entries can be inaccurate, and the barcode scanner is only available with the premium subscription. That said, many of my clients find the free version user-friendly and effective for tracking.
With that in mind, let’s dive into this MyFitnessPal tutorial, which I wrote to help you get comfortable with the app and make tracking as simple as possible.
How to set up MyFitnessPal
Here’s your checklist for getting started.
- Download the MyFitnessPal app from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android) and follow the prompts to create an account using your email, google or Facebook.
- Enter your stats (age / weight / height / etc) and set your calories and macros inside MyFitnessPal. You can use the prompts that MyFitnessPal gives you, but I find they’re often NOT accurate. Here’s a tutorial on how to do this.
- Turn OFF the setting that adjusts your calories based on activity. This feature is notoriously inaccurate.
If you’re not sure of what your macros or calories should be, grab my free macros calculator and guide which will help you identify exactly how much to eat to reach your goals.
Once you have these things set up, then you’re ready to use the app.
How to log your food in MyFitnessPal
- Tap the “+” button and select “Food”
- Choose which meal you’re logging
- Search for your food or use the barcode scanner if you have the premium version of the app.
- Adjust your portion size
- Hit “Add” and you’re done
Tips for making tracking your food faster and easier
1) Save the meals or foods your regularly eat together in the app.
This way you can enter your meal as a single tap instead of having to log individual meals
2) Log entire food groups as a single or similar thing.
For example, if you ate a salad that you think was about 2 cups of vegetables, then add it as 2 cups of carrots. You can also log any type of poultry as “chicken thighs” or any cooking oil as “olive oil.”
It won’t be perfectly accurate, but if it gets you close to the target that’s really all you need.
3) Copy meals from previous days.
Had the same lunch as yesterday? Just copy it over!
4) Enter and save the recipes that you regularly use in the app.
This does require a bit more effort, but can save you time in the long run.
5) Enter a “generic” version of the meal you created instead of listing individual foods
For example, if you ate chicken tacos, but don’t want to enter 3 ounces chicken breast, 2 taco shells, 1 tablespoon cheese, etc, you can search “chicken tacos” and enter whatever comes up that seems close to what you had.
This won’t be the most accurate, but an estimation is better than not tracking at all and if you’re new to tracking, you’re still building the skill of recording things. Precision can come later.
6) If you have the premium version of MyFitnessPal, use the barcode scanner for anything prepackaged.
It’s often faster than searching for something.
How to view your calories and macros in MyFitnessPal
- Tap “Diary” to see your daily intake
- Hit the “Nutrition” tab for your macro breakdown
- Look at the pie chart to see if you’re close to your targets
Watch the video for a more in depth explanation of how you can use the app to track your macros.
Not sure about what calories or macros you should aim for to reach your goals or confused about how to interpret or use these numbers? Grab my free calories and macros guide!
Additional features for tracking progress beyond calories and macros
MyFitnessPal also includes the ability to record your measurements, weight, and progress pictures.
If you have a weight loss goal, tracking your weight over time can help you see overall trends rather than getting caught up in daily fluctuations. However, weight alone doesn’t tell the full story.
How to track other body metrics in the app
Measurements (Waist, Hips, etc.): Helpful for tracking body composition changes, especially if the scale isn’t moving but your clothes fit differently.
Click here for a guide to using measurements to track progress!
Progress Pictures: This can help you see changes over time that go beyond the scale, which is helpful, because it’s hard to see how our body is changing in real time, since we see ourselves every day.
- Heres a tutorial on how to record your weight and measurements in the app.
- And here’s one on how to record progress photos.
Should you track your workouts in MyFitnessPal?
MyFitnessPal lets you log exercise, but here’s my hot take: I wouldn’t use this feature to inform your calorie intake. This is because MyFitnessPal tends to overestimate calories burned.
Instead, I would follow the target that you’ve set for yourself in the app regardless of what the activity tracker tells you and if you happen to have a more active than usual day and you’re hungry, then honor your hunger signals and eat a little more if you need to.
This is all to say that I wouldn’t recommend logging your workouts in the app. However, if you want to do so, here’s a tutorial.
5 common tracking mistakes to avoid when using MyFitnessPal
1) Using a wildly inaccurate entry
You don’t need to track every gram to make progress, but some entries are so far off that they can throw you off by hundreds of calories. For example, if you search for something like “pizza” and the entry says it’s 25 calories, then you know to use a more realistic entry.
2) Not tracking the things you graze on during the day
You don’t need to be obsessive, but if you think you’re in a calorie deficit and not seeing body composition changes, it might be worth tracking those random bites and nibbles They may add up more than you realize.
3) Not tracking because you don’t know the exact calories or macros
Something is better than nothing. Do your best and move on. If you’re eating out, look up a similar meal from a chain restaurant and log that. It won’t be exact, but it’s close enough. If you’re worried about underestimating, you can always add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to account for hidden calories.
4) Eyeballing portions before you’ve learned what different amounts look like
Estimating portions is a great skill, but if you’re new to tracking, it helps to measure for a week or two. Learn what 4 ounces of chicken or half a cup of rice actually looks like before relying on guesses.
You don’t have to do this forever, but if you’re tracking and not seeing changes in weight or measurements (assuming fat loss is your goal), tracking errors are often the culprit.
5) Logging raw food instead of cooked or vice versa
A half-cup of raw oats is very different from a half-cup of cooked oats. The same goes for pasta, rice, poultry, and vegetables. Try to match your entry to the actual amount you ate.
Tip: If you’re weighing cooked poultry or vegetables, multiply the cooked amount by 1.33 to estimate the raw weight. For example, if you have 3 ounces of cooked chicken, multiply by 1.33 and log it as 4 ounces of raw chicken for a more accurate entry.
Final tips for using MyFitnessPal
If you’re new to tracking, keep it simple.
Start by focusing on total calories and protein for the first few weeks. As you get comfortable, you might also want to pay attention to fiber, but most people naturally meet their carb and fat needs without much effort.
Log consistently, even if it’s not perfect. Small inaccuracies matter less than building the habit of tracking.
If you’ve been tracking for a while but aren’t seeing changes in your weight or measurements, consider these adjustments:
- Measure your food more closely for a couple of weeks.
- Pay attention to whether you’re skipping entries for small bites and nibbles throughout the day.
- If you eat out frequently, consider doing it a little less to reduce variables and get a clearer picture of your intake. (This isn’t about never eating out, just making it easier to troubleshoot.)
At the end of the day, tracking is just a tool. It’s meant to provide awareness, not stress. The goal is to collect useful data, not to be perfect. Focus on consistency, adjust as needed, and give yourself time to see results.
