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Reviews

Tech Tutorial: MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is a popular food tracking app, but in my experience a lot of people aren't aware of some of its more advanced features. Here are a few tools to make your tracking better.

Amber Lee

Written by Amber Lee Last updated on July 18, 2013

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MyFitnessPal has become a household name for fitness enthusiasts and trainers looking to keep their clients in line and honest in food tracking. However, I’ve found lately that many people aren’t aware of the more advanced features of this software, and wanted to highlight a few of what I think are the less appreciated, but more advanced features of MyFitnessPal.

iPhone and Android Apps

MyFitnessPal is one of the few companies that has embraced the fact that there are a few different kinds of smartphones out there. While they don’t have an app for the BlackBerry, you can’t blame them, as the market is fairly small. Both of the MyFitnessPal apps are free, just as registration on the main site is, and can be used for logging and creating both food and activities, as well as writing journal entries. The apps also have a barcode scanner option that I personally think is awesome. Additionally, if you go to the Apps tab on the MyFitnessPal site, there are many other applications that integrate with MyFitnessPal – including running, cycling, and integration with fitness devices like the FitBit and Jawbone Up, as well as a variety of wireless scales.

Sharing Permissions

When logged into the main MyFitnessPal site you can set specific access for people to view your food logs, exercise logs, and more. While the normal activity-viewing permissions are fairly straightforward, if you want to share your Food and Activity Diary privately via several different methods, you can go to “Settings” on the My Home tab, then click on “Diary Settings,” which is pictured below. Here you will find not only the Diary Sharing settings on the bottom of the page, but a myriad of options on Nutrients Tracked and Meal Names. By sure to click “Save Changes” to update your settings when you are done.

Customizable Macros

By going to “Goals” on the My Home tab, then clicking “Change Goals,” you can then select the custom goals option to manually set your fitness goals, as shown at the right.

Once you’re in the custom goals screen, you can enter customized Daily Nutritional Goals and Fitness Goals, as pictured below.

This is a great feature for those of us using any diets outside the norm that would like a little more ease in tracking the correct macronutrients. Make sure to click “Change Goals” at the bottom of the screen to save your updated Nutritional and Fitness goals.

Summary

While some of us may have known about these features, I’ve found that for many of my clients who have been using this tool for years, and even some of my colleagues, the items mentioned above were a big surprise that made their fitness pursuits and training much easier. I hope this article, less of a review and more of a tutorial, is of use for you and your clients as well.

MyFitnessPal is available free of charge at MyFitnessPal.com.

Amber Lee

About Amber Lee

As someone originally more comfortable in a server room than a weight room, Amber Lee began as a technical support geek and training and development specialist. She started really enjoying the gym when she found CrossFit in 2007 and joined CrossFit Boston. Never one to do anything halfway, she received her certifications in CrossFit Level I, CrossFit Olympic Lifting, and Crossfit Endurance shortly thereafter.

While still working in technology, Amber continued moving forward with her coaching education, teaching outdoor classes and eventually moving away from CrossFit to pursue more knowledge about kettlebells and primal movement. She received her HKC in 2010. After taking time off to work in fine dining, do some consulting, and work with a trainer, she received her RKC in 2012. In December of 2012 she opened her gym, GiryaScope Kettlebell Training, just outside Boston, Massachusetts.

While Amber is still called upon to consult in the world of software, hardware, and medical devices, for the most part she focuses her time on developing her knowledge of movement. Amber was certified as a Primal Move instructor in March of 2013, and attended the CK-FMS in May of the same year. She considers any training that helps her clients move, feel, and function better to be worth attending. When not studying, she loves to research new software and gadgets designed to make fitness more fun, and help coaches manage their time and businesses more efficiently.

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