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How to Log and Track Food and Meals in MyFitnessPal Calorie Counter App

MyFitnessPal (MFP) is one of the most popular calorie and macro tracking apps available. With over 18 million foods in its database and easy tracking features like barcode scanning, MFP makes logging meals simple and efficient. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to log and track your food intake using MyFitnessPal:

Set Up Your Account

  1. Download the MyFitnessPal app or go to www.myfitnesspal.com to create an account.
  2. Enter your details like name, email, height, starting weight, goal weight, etc. to create your profile.
  3. Set your daily calorie and macronutrient goals. You can use MFP’s recommendations or set custom goals.

Pro Tip: Set realistic calorie and macro goals to make tracking sustainable.

Log Your Food

There are several ways to add foods to your diary on MFP:

Search the Database

  1. Tap the “+” icon and select “Food” to start logging.
  2. Type the name of the food item into the search bar.
  3. Pick the item from the results that best matches what you ate.

Pro Tip: Choose foods with a green checkmark as they are verified entries.

Scan Barcodes

  1. Tap the “+” icon and select “Food”.
  2. Select the barcode scanning icon.
  3. Scan the barcode on the food package using your phone’s camera.

This pulls up the item from MFP’s database instantly if available.

Create a Custom Food

  1. If an item is not found, select “Create Food” after searching.
  2. Enter the nutritional information and details for the custom food.
  3. The food is now saved in your database for future use.

Pro Tip: When adding custom foods, overestimate calories to be safe.

Import Recipes

  1. Tap the “+” icon and select “Recipe” to import recipes.
  2. Enter the recipe URL or ingredients and number of servings.
  3. MFP analyzes the recipe and allows you to log servings.

Pro Tip: Save homemade meals as recipes to quickly add them later.

Restaurant Meals

  1. Tap the “+” icon and select “Food”.
  2. Tap the location icon next to the search bar.
  3. Search for the restaurant name and locate your meal to log it.

This allows you to easily track calories when dining out.

Pro Tip: Planning your order in advance using MFP helps pick lower calorie options.

Quick Tools

  • Previous Meals: Log meals faster by selecting your previously logged meals.
  • Meal Names: Name and save meals to quickly add them again.
  • Frequent: Quickly tap frequently logged foods.
  • Recent: Select recently logged foods.

Track More Than Calories

Along with calories, MyFitnessPal tracks:

  • Macros: Carbs, protein, fat goals are displayed.
  • Micronutrients: Vitamins, minerals, and more.
  • Water: Log daily water consumption.
  • Weight: Track weight changes over time.
  • Exercise: Add workouts and link to devices.

This provides a complete picture of your diet and fitness.

Pro Tip: Upgrade to MFP Premium to access meal plans and insights based on tracked data.

Tips for Seamless Logging

  • Log meals before eating when possible.
  • Weigh food for accuracy.
  • Track everything consumed, even small snacks and tastes.
  • Round up calories and portions if uncertain.
  • Save frequent meals.
  • Verify entries for completeness.
  • Request missing restaurant meals.
  • Make notes about meals, hunger levels, etc. using the “Notes” feature.

Consistency and honesty is key when tracking to get a clear picture of your nutrition habits.

Get Support Staying on Track

Take advantage of MyFitnessPal’s community features for accountability and motivation:

  • Share your progress on social media.
  • Connect with friends using the app.
  • Participate in challenges like walking challenges.
  • Read blog posts and watch videos under the Community tab.
  • Ask questions and give tips in the community forums.

Pro Tip: Connect with a dietitian using MFP’s Ask the Expert feature for personalized advice.

Using MyFitnessPal takes the guesswork out of tracking calories, macros, and other aspects of your diet. Consistently logging meals provides insights into your nutrition habits while community features and goal setting keeps you motivated. Follow these tips to seamlessly log meals and get the most out of MyFitnessPal’s features.

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