HOW TO set up & USE MYFITNESSPAL for the best fat loss results?
If you’re looking to lose the belly and love handles, getting on top of your nutrition needs to be your number 1 priority.
To that end, I’m going to provide you with everything you need to know to get started with understanding how best to control the most important variable that will guarantee your fat loss results.
That being said, this guide will give you clarity on best practises and practicalities involved in using and setting up MyFitnessPal.
myfitnesspal best practices
units of measurements to use when tracking
When tracking food in MyFitnessPal, they must all be to the gram or millilitre. I make an exception with protein powders as the scoops are standardised, the protein is lean and protein is the one macronutrient that we don’t mind overconsuming.
This will be much more accurate as a tablespoon of peanut butter can vary in size depending on how hungry you are.
raw weights vs uncooked weights
It’s also important that you log RAW weights and NOT COOKED weights. This is because cooked weights can vary significantly due to the cooking process, which can cause the food to lose or gain water content, leading to inaccurate calorie and macro tracking.
By logging raw weights, you ensure consistency and accuracy in your food tracking, making it easier to manage your nutrition effectively.
Please do not reweigh food after cooking. Weigh once. Log it. Eat it.
how close to targets
When it comes to your daily calorie targets, +/- 100Kcals should be our target
In terms of protein- this is the macronutrient that we should be no more than -10g from. Going over +10g is fine, as this macronutrient is going to help us to feel full and spare muscle.
In terms of carbohydrates, this should be no more than +10g
In terms of fats, this should be no more than +5g and no less than 30g total.
STEP 1 - BUY PREMIUM
In order to get the most out of MyFitnessPal, you’re going to need a premium account. Otherwise you’re going to find it difficult to execute on everything we discuss in this guide. This really is an investment.
STEp 2 - SET YOUR MACROS
At this point, you should already know what your macros are, having used a Macronutrient calculator.
So your next step is to enter these into MyFitnessPal. It’s important that you ignore MyFitnessPal’s suggested Macronutrients here, and go with your coach’s recommendations, as these will have been set up with a view to you losing 0.5 to 1% of your bodyweight per week.
STEp 3 - turn off exercise calories
Your macros will have been figured out, taking into account activity levels. So they should not be adjusted during the day. They should only be adjusted in these scenarios.
SUMMARY
You now have the tools needed to ensure that you’re using MyFitnessPal as a planner not a tracker.
This will ensure that you’re fully aware of exactly what and how much you’re eating, making it much easier to hit your fat loss targets.
