All of us want to stay fit. It’s not just about looking slim but having a healthy body as well. When we stay healthy, it reflects on our bodies. Making sure that we constantly move will help keep our heart pumping. In turn, this will help lose unwanted calories. Also, when we eat healthy food, we feel better and we look better. Not only that but being healthy is a good investment! Health is wealth. However, with our daily busy schedule, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of what we eat and how much we move. We find that take-out is so much more convenient than healthy home-cooked meals.
In this article, we will discuss MyFitnessPal, a popular app to help you reach your fitness goals by tracking your steps and calories. Available for Android and iOS users, the app is not just for athletes and fitness buffs but practically for anyone who wants to improve their health. You will find that, in time, you’ll be more conscious of your food intake and movements with the MyFitnessPal app. You’ll notice a lot of changes not only in your outer appearance but also with your overall well-being. This is how MyFitnessPal can help you take better care of yourself.
What is the MyFitnessPal App?
MyFitnessPal started way back in 2005. It was founded by Albert Lee and Mike Lee. MyFitnessPal originally started as a food database site where its users can know how much calories are in their food. By February of 2015, MyFitnessPal was acquired for $457 million by Under Armour. By May of the same year, MyFitnessPal made a premium package available that has more features than the free package. This was a hit with those who wanted to monitor their health and fitness.
Those who just want to be more active or conscious of their diet also subscribed to the premium package. When you’re just starting with health and fitness, we would recommend going with the free package first. Once you’re more inclined to the app and getting yourself into a healthier lifestyle, then you can choose to upgrade to premium.
Now, let’s be honest, when we are out and about with friends, we usually just eat as we please. There’s a lot of temptation when eating out and eating alone because no one’s preventing you. You can eat what you want anytime and anywhere. What’s good about having a fitness tracker like the MyFitnessPal on your phone is that you’ll be reminded of your calorie intake as well as movement.
The saying, “Do everything with limits,” can apply to your lifestyle choices. Being an adult gives you all the freedom to do whatever you want. But you should always know how to limit yourself for the best. This means that you can treat yourself to a slice of cake or a cup of coffee. It’s just that, you shouldn’t overdo it. Keeping track of your calories will not only be helpful to yourself but also your wallet!
Features of the MyFitnessPal App
The MyFitnessPal app is mostly a fitness tracker and an all-in-one tool for fitness enthusiasts and those who want to lose weight alike. It’s a good app that can motivate its users to keep moving and be more conscious of their food intake. In this section, we’ll be discussing some of the key features of the MyFitnessPal app and how you can sync it to a Smartwatch. You’ll be able to make the use of the app so you can finally start a healthier lifestyle.
Smartwatch or Fitness Band Syncability
Nowadays, having a smartwatch or a fitness band is common. Smartwatches are useful to keep track of your phone notifications. Other than that, a smartwatch counts your steps and the calories you consume. But sometimes, the suggested apps that come with Smartwatches aren’t always the best. They may fall short of the user interface or overall features.
You can use the MyFitnessPal app without a smartwatch (or fitness band). But there are some advantages to using it when paired with a smartwatch. When you sync your smartwatch or fitness band to your MyFitnessPal app, you’ll notice that you’ll get more accurate results. You will also be able to monitor your heart rate and steps taken. The MyFitnessPal app will work well with a variety of smartwatches of different brands to pair with the app.
The app made for smartwatches or fitness bands is already comprehensive on their own. But the food database on the MyFitnessPal app is more varied and with better selections for food. Pairing your smartwatch with the MyFitnessPal app can be more helpful in keeping track of your food intake as well as overall health. You’ll find that you can sync different smartwatch brands with MyFitnessPal, such as Fitbit, Garmin, Polar, Strava, Misfit, and Nokia Health Mate just to mention a few.
Speaking of fitness bands, daily use can damage the bands or straps of your device. If you need a new one, why not check out our article on the best Fitbit replacement bands? And if you’re an outdoorsy person who loves beaches and mountains, be sure to check out our list of the best waterproof smartwatches today!
Here’s how you can sync your Fitbit watch to your MyFitnessPal app:
- Open the MyFitnessPal app on your mobile device
- From the drop-down menu of the app, tap “Apps & Devices”
- Select your smartwatch brand
- Tap” Connect”
- You will then be prompted to log in to your smartwatch account (if needed). Once you have finished logging in, let the MyFitnessPal do the rest.
You’ve just paired your Smartwatch to your MyFitnessPal app! You can now have a more comprehensive monitoring of your health, fitness, and calorie intake.
Subscriptions
The MyFitnessPal app is essentially free. There is no need to pay or input your credit or debit card details upon downloading. But there is more exclusive content for premium subscribers. You can get the MyFitnessPal premium package for $9.99 monthly or $49.99 annually. You can access premium on the MyFitness app website or Android or iOS devices.
If you’re into fitness tracking for the long run, we highly recommend getting the subscription annually so you can save a ton of money.
MyFitnessPal Premium Features
Ad-Free
No interruptions during your calorie and step counting.
Macronutrients by Gram
You can choose either gram or percentage when setting your macronutrient goals.
Food Analysis
You’ll be able to differentiate which are the best and worst types of food intake.
Quick Add Macronutrients
Users can quickly monitor their macronutrient intake daily.
Different Goals by Day
You can customize your daily goals.
Exercise Calorie Settings
You can keep track of the calories you burn while exercising without having to change other settings.
Home Screen Dashboard
You will be able to view all your progress and goals in one tab.
Priority Customer Support
You will be prioritized in case you have inquiries regarding the app.
Data Export
You can keep track and save your daily records, tracking, and activity.
Macros by Meal
All your meals can be broken down into macronutrients for you to see which one is the healthiest.
Calorie Goals By Meal
You will be able to monitor and set goals for your daily meal intake.
Food Timestamps
Tracking meal intake by time may help you learn how it affects weight and calorie loss (this feature is only available on iOS and Android devices).
Plans
You will be granted coaching and access to content that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
Recipe Discovery
There are tons of healthy recipes available on MyFitnessPal that you can save to help you make new meals.
Calorie Counting
You can track your calories daily by making sure to input your food intake each time. Calorie tracking is like a food journal that will help you take note of all the kinds of food that you eat as well as how much. The purpose of calorie counting or tracking is so for you to not go beyond your recommended calorie intake. It will also be able to track your steps much more accurately so that you’d know if you were able to balance your calorie intake and your calories burned.
It’s good to lose the extra calories by moving your body now and then to keep your heart beating.
How to Download and Install the MyFitnessPal App for iOS and Android
The MyFitnessPal app is available for download on both Android and iOS. If you are using Android, go to the Google Play Store. If you are using iOS, go to the App Store. Once you are in the app store, search for “MyFitnessPal” and tap “Get” or “Download.” Wait for the app to finish downloading. You will find the MyFitnessPal app on the downloaded apps on your mobile screen. You can then open the app and sign-up with your Facebook account or email.
How the MyFitnessPal App Works
Once you have downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on your mobile device, you’ll be able to log all your food and drink intake. You can also manually keep track of your activities on the app. But if you sync the MyFitnessPal app to your fitness tracker or smartwatch, you’ll automatically have a log of your activities. You’ll find that you have full control of logging your meals because you can manually record your food intake by portion.
For example, if you’ve only had one-third of an apple, you will be able to adjust the serving size of the fruit you’ve eaten. That’s the best part about the MyFitnessPal app, you can find the right estimated measurements for your food.
Many users of MyFitnessPal has commended the app for its food database. It has almost all the kinds of food you can think of. You will find everything from fruits and drinks to packaged foods in the app. This is unlike other apps that you can’t be specific in the food you consume.
The MyFitnessPal app lets you be as specific as you possibly can. At the end of each day, once you have indicated that you’ve completed your food and activity log for the day, you will be given an estimated weight if you would continue to move and eat the same way as that day. This is very helpful for you to know whether or not you should continue eating and moving similarly.
Pros and Cons of the MyFitnessPal App
Every app has its fair share of good and bad. In this section, we’ll be discussing MyFitnessPal’s strengths and weaknesses so that you’ll have a gist of the app and how you’ll make the most use or make a way around it.
PROS:
- The MyFitnessPal app is essentially free (upgrade to premium for more features).
- It has a bar code scanner, which is very helpful if you want to get instant information on the food you’re eating.
- The user interface of the app is very clean and easy to use.
- The app is well-designed and its system works smoothly.
- It shows your daily calorie count and protein intake in pie chart form, which is very easy to understand.
- It is very convenient, especially since the MyFitnessPal app has a database of over 3 million different kinds of food.
- You will get instant feedback on your calorie intake and calories burned.
- The MyFitnessPal app is flexible since you can customize settings based on your specific needs.
CONS:
- The app is really for health-conscious people who want to lose weight. Those who are into strength training may not benefit much for the MyFitnessPal app.
- For meals that are made from scratch, you will need to manually enter the information in the MyFitnessPal app’s logging system.
- Having to enter your meals manually can be taxing and time-consuming.
Stay Healthy and Active With MyFitnessPal
The MyFitnessPal app has been deemed as one of the best diet and exercise trackers. You will be able to attain your body and fitness goals with the app as long as you discipline yourself. Making sure to track your calorie intake as well as calories burned will pave your way to a healthier and lighter body. Our bodies are very important and putting in junk food in it all the time won’t be good for it.
It’s great to start taking care of your body while you still have time. As they say, “Prevention is better than cure,” and that’s true! Try out the MyFitnessPal app now and start your journey to a healthy new you!
If you want to know more, here is our list of amazing fitness apps that you can try right now.
