The Beginner’s Guide to MyFitnessPal

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Whether you want to lose weight, tone up, get healthy, or just learn a little more about your eating habits, you’ve come to the right place. No matter what goal you’re working toward, MyFitnessPal provides the tools, support and motivation you need to succeed.

Over 100 million people have used MyFitnessPal to live healthier and happier lives.

Getting started is easy. Simply download MyFitnessPal and tell us a little bit about yourself. We’ll provide you with a daily calorie target that’s personalized to help you reach your goals. After that, you’re ready to start tracking.

The key to success on MyFitnessPal is consistent tracking. As you track, you’ll learn about your eating habits and how to make healthier choices. You’ll also gain a better understanding of the impact of exercise on your progress toward your goals. As tracking becomes a habit, you’ll start to see how your healthy habits impact the numbers you see on the scale.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re first getting into the habit of tracking on MyFitnessPal:

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  1. The more you track, the more likely you are to reach your goals.
  2. Tracking gets easier the more you do it.
  3. It’s always better to track something versus nothing at all.
  4. You can start building the habit of tracking by logging one meal at a time.
  5. If you can’t find an exact match for what you want to track, just pick something similar.

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1. Set Custom Reminders

Set custom reminders so you never forget to track your meals. Choose when you want to be reminded, and we’ll help you remember to track. This is especially helpful when you’re getting into the habit of using MyFitnessPal.

2. Connect Your Apps + Devices

Users who connect their MyFitnessPal account with another health app or device are twice as likely to succeed. We connect with all of your favorites.

3. Add Friends

When you add friends on MyFitnessPal, you have an extra layer of support, motivation and accountability. We give you control over whether your friends can see things like your weight, diary entries and amount of weight lost.

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4. Go Premium

MyFitnessPal Premium offers advanced tools (food analysis, macronutrients by gram, quick-add macronutrients), an upgraded experience (ad-free, priority customer support) and more customization (different goals by day, exercise calorie settings, home screen dashboard).

5. Try Our Other Apps

MyFitnessPal is part of Under Armour Connected Fitness, a suite of apps that work together to seamlessly deliver a 360-degree view of your nutrition and fitness. Try one of our other apps including: MapMyFitness, MapMyRun, MapMyWalk, MapMyRide, Under Armour Record and Endomondo.

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1. Save Your Favorite Meals

Whether it’s yogurt and granola for breakfast, celery and peanut butter for a snack or a turkey sandwich for lunch, many of our users eat the same meals over and over. Save your favorite meals so you can add them to your diary with one click.

2. Search the Database

We have the biggest food database in the world. With over 6 million foods and more being added every day, you should find what you want to log. And, just in case you don’t, we give you the ability to add foods directly to our database.

High-tech tip: Look for the  verified foods icon  when you search for a food. This icon appears next to items in our database that we believe have complete nutrition information.

3. Try the Barcode Scanner

Simply scan a food’s barcode to enter it into your diary. It’s that easy.

4. Use the Recipe Tool

Our recipe tool lets you save recipes from anywhere on the web without having to manually add each ingredient. If you have a recipe that you don’t know nutrition information for, you can easily calculate it using this tool.

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5. Try Restaurant Logging

Our restaurant logging feature makes tracking easy when you’re eating out. Simply search for a restaurant and you’ll see nutrition information for the items on the menu. You’ll have the information you need to choose an item that fits your calorie and nutrient goals.

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1. Tap Complete Diary

When you’re done tracking for the day, be sure to tap the Complete Diary button. This will give you feedback on how the choices you made during the day impacted your progress toward your goals.

2. Update Your Weight

As your weight changes, so will your calorie and macronutrient goals so it’s important to update your weight at least weekly. Be sure to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time, in the same clothes.

3. Visit the Progress Screen

The progress screen has graphs and charts of your progress over time. This can help you identify healthy changes you can make to your eating habits and exercise routine.

4. Reflect on Non-Scale Victories

Not all victories happen on the scale. Did you climb the stairs with ease? Skip the donuts at work? Reduce your blood pressure? Make sure you’re reflecting on how your healthy habits are having a positive impact on your life.

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If you’re interested in learning more about MyFitnessPal, nutrition, exercise or how to reach your goals, try these MyFitnessPal-approved resources:

Hello Healthy

Hello Healthy is our healthy living blog. Here you’ll find articles with helpful tips and information about eating, moving, living and learning.

Nutrition 101 Series

Nutrition can be complicated, so we break down the basics for you in this infographic series. Learn more about calories, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.

Community Forums

Connect with other people who are working toward similar goals in the MyFitnessPal Community Forums. Whether you have questions about getting started, losing weight or staying motivated, you’ll find answers in the forums.

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