10 Tips For Tracking in MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal; to use or not to use?
Overall, I think MFP can be a great tool… IF used correctly.
However, I do believe there’s a time and place for MFP and if you are using it, it’s important to make sure you are using it correctly, effectively and for the right reasons.
Here’s my top tips and how I’d recommend using it:
1. Know why you are tracking
What’s the purpose? What are you looking to achieve by tracking? Tracking should be a short term tool to help you achieve a set goal (be that body comp, performance, education, knowledge or health). If you don’t know why you are using it, how will you know HOW you should be using it, what metrics are important, or when you can/should stop using it again.
2. Don’t eyeball or guesstimate portion sizes ⚖️
Get the scales out, weigh things. Eventually you’ll be able to eyeball things, but you can only do this once you’ve built up an awareness of portion sizes.
3. Track in real-time ⏱️
I can hardly remember what I had to eat for breakfast 3hrs later, never mind everything I ate for the entire day or weekend! Track as you go. Not at the end of the day. You’ll never remember everything.
4. Know what your calories and macros should be for your goal 🎯
If you don’t know, ask someone who can help. And make sure they are a qualified professional.
5. Calculate your own targets, not those set by MFP 📊
The targets set by MFP are a generalisation and may not be right for your goals and lifestyle.
6. Have an exist strategy 👋🏻🏃♀️
How long are you going to track for? I’m assuming you don’t want to use MFP forever. How and when will you transition away from tracking?
7. Focus on building healthy habits and behaviours. Not just hitting numbers 🍎
It’s very easy just to mindlessly plug numbers into an app and think the work is done. But tracking macros is only one part of the puzzle. Most healthy eating habits and behaviours that result in long term change are those not trackable in an app. Don’t neglect the other stuff out-with macros and numeric targets.
8. Track all days, not just most days 📆
Don’t just track the ‘good’ days or the ‘healthy’ meals. It’s normally the other days where it matters most to track. When it comes to nutrition, in most cases, ignorance isn’t bliss. The more accurate you are, the better an insight you will get. The whole point in tracking is to remove the guess work. If your food diary isn’t a true reflection of your food intake it makes it very difficult to know what’s working and what’s not.
9. Don’t just mindlessly track 🧠
Reflect and review on each week. What does your MFP tell you about your week? Do you need to make any changes? Identify any changes that need to be made and implement them the following week.
10. Use it as a tool, not a crutch 🛠
Life without MFP should not cause you stress! Taking a break from tracking can be a useful way to check that you are not relying too heavily on MFP.
11. (Bonus point) Don’t connect your activity tracker!
Just don’t. 😅
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