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AyFit Coaching · Free Tool
How to Set Up MyFitnessPal
The free version of MyFitnessPal has one job: to show you whether what you eat matches your calorie and macro goals, then help you adjust until it does. This guide walks you through setting it up properly in a few taps, from your goals to logging your first day, with no premium version and no guesswork.
common questions
My Fitness Pal FAQs
The quick answers to what people ask most about calories, macros and getting an accurate target.
Do I need MyFitnessPal Premium?
No. Everything in this guide works on the free version, including setting your calorie and macro goals and logging your food. The paid version mainly lets you set macros in exact grams instead of percentages, which is a nice-to-have, not a need. Feel free to close the upsell pop-ups when they appear.
How do I set my calorie and macro goals in MyFitnessPal?
Open the More menu, tap Goals, then Calorie, Carbs, Protein and Fat Goals. Enter your daily calorie number first, then adjust the macro percentages to sit as close to your targets as the app allows. If you are not sure of your numbers, run our calorie and macro calculator first and bring those figures across.
Why does MyFitnessPal give me a different calorie number to my target?
The app tries to guess a calorie goal from your age, weight and a weekly weight-loss setting, which is usually rougher than a proper calculation. You are better off ignoring its suggestion and entering your own number from a calculator or your coach. Once you set it manually the app just tracks against that figure.
Should I let MyFitnessPal add calories back for exercise or steps?
No. Turn step tracking off and do not eat back exercise calories. Your calorie target already accounts for your training, so letting the app add movement on top inflates your allowance and blurs your results. The guide above shows exactly where to switch this off.
Do I really need to weigh my food?
Weighing is the most accurate way, and it is worth it early on while you learn what portions actually look like. Cups, spoons and eyeballing tend to undercount by a fair margin, especially with calorie-dense foods like oils, nut butters and rice. After a few weeks you will estimate far better without the scale.
How long should I track my food for?
Long enough to learn, not forever. A few honest weeks teaches you what your meals actually contain and where your calories hide, which is a skill you keep for life. Most people track closely for a block, then loosen off once the habits stick.
What do I do when I eat out or miss a day?
Log it as best you can and move on, an estimate beats a blank. For a restaurant meal, search the dish or a similar homemade version and round up rather than under-guess. One rough day will not undo your progress, but pretending it did not happen is what trips people up.
Want your targets built on real numbers, not estimates? Book a body composition scan.