MyFitnessPal Setup Guide for Beginners

MyFitnessPal is the most widely used food tracking app in the world and a solid choice for managing your cut. The default setup isn't ideal for body composition goals, though. This guide walks you through setting it up properly.

Downloading and Creating an Account

MyFitnessPal is free on iOS and Android. The free version covers everything you need for effective tracking — the premium version adds features like detailed macros analysis and food logging reminders, but isn't necessary.

Create an account with your email. When asked about goals, you'll set these manually rather than relying on MFP's built-in calculator, which we'll cover below.

Setting Your Calorie Goal Manually

MyFitnessPal's default calorie calculator is unreliable because it estimates your activity level optimistically and doesn't give you the control you need. Skip it and enter your own number.

How to set a custom calorie goal:

1. Go to Goals (via the main menu)
2. Tap Calorie & Macronutrient Goals
3. Set your daily calorie goal to your TDEE minus 300–500kcal (see the macro calculation guide)

Don't let MFP add exercise calories back to your food budget. This feature causes most people to significantly overeat on training days, because MFP dramatically overestimates calorie burn from exercise.

To disable exercise calories:

• Go to Settings → Diary Settings
• Turn off "Negative calorie adjustment" (or simply ignore the exercise calorie additions)

Setting Your Macro Targets

After setting calories, set your macros:

1. Return to Calorie & Macronutrient Goals
2. Set macros as percentages of total calories

The problem: MFP only lets you set macros as percentages, not grams. You'll need to convert.

Example for 2,100kcal with 160g protein, 70g fat, 207g carbs:

• Protein: 160g × 4 = 640kcal = 640/2,100 = 30%
• Fat: 70g × 9 = 630kcal = 630/2,100 = 30%
• Carbs: 207g × 4 = 828kcal = 828/2,100 = 39%

Round to nearest whole number (percentages must total 100%). Set accordingly.

Setting Up the Food Database

MFP's food database is vast but contains errors — user-submitted entries can be inaccurate. Use verified entries where possible.

Green tick entries: Entries with a green tick have been verified by MFP or the food's manufacturer. Prioritise these.

Scanning barcodes: The barcode scanner (camera icon when adding food) pulls up the packaged food entry directly. This is highly accurate for branded UK products.

Creating custom foods: If a food isn't in the database, you can create it manually. Enter the nutrition information from the food label. This is essential for home-cooked meals with specific portions.

Logging Meals Efficiently

Log before eating: Add foods to your diary before eating them. This prevents the "I'll log it later" drift and lets you adjust before committing.

Use meal templates: If you eat the same meals repeatedly (which is advisable on a cut — fewer decisions means fewer mistakes), save them as meals you can add with one tap.

Copy yesterday's meals: MFP allows you to copy previous diary entries. If your breakfast is the same every day, copy it rather than logging it individually each morning.

Restaurant meals: Use MFP's restaurant database as an estimate only. Restaurant calorie counts vary significantly. For regular social eating situations, stick to menu items with published nutritional info where possible.

What to Weigh vs. What to Estimate

Log everything. Even small items that seem insignificant add up. A splash of milk in 3 cups of tea per day is approximately 45kcal — not nothing over a week.

Items definitely worth weighing and logging:

• All protein sources
• Grains and starches (rice, pasta, bread, oats)
• Oils and spreads
• Nuts, seeds, cheese, nut butters
• Any liquid with calories (juice, milk, flavoured drinks)

Tracking Progress in MFP

MFP has a weight log that creates a progress graph. Weigh yourself each morning under consistent conditions and log the weight. This produces a visual trend that's more reassuring than any single reading.

Use MFP's reports feature to review weekly calorie averages and macro adherence. Weekly review takes about 5 minutes and tells you where you're going over or under.

Key Takeaways

• Set a custom calorie goal based on your TDEE calculation — don't rely on MFP's built-in calculator
• Disable exercise calorie additions — they cause systematic overeating
• Set macro percentages to match your gram targets (you'll need to convert)
• Use verified (green tick) and barcode-scanned entries for accuracy
• Log before eating and use meal templates to reduce daily effort