The Short Answer: Free vs. Premium Features
When it comes to setting a weekly calorie goal on MyFitnessPal, the answer depends entirely on your account type. Free users can track their weekly progress and are given a 'Weekly Digest' summary, but cannot set a flexible goal. The Premium version offers advanced features that allow for day-by-day customization, effectively allowing a weekly, or even flexible, approach to calorie tracking.
MyFitnessPal Free: Daily Goal Focus
For users of the free version, MyFitnessPal primarily operates on a daily calorie budget. The app calculates your daily target based on your initial weight, goal weight, and activity level. If you choose to log exercise, your daily calorie allowance for that day will increase, following the 'net calorie' system.
While you can't set a different goal for each day, there are ways to manage a more flexible weekly calorie budget. The app provides a 'Weekly Digest' that recaps your performance over the last seven days, showing your average daily intake and total weekly consumption. This is helpful for reviewing trends but doesn't allow for proactive planning.
MyFitnessPal Premium: The Weekly Flexibility
The most significant advantage of a MyFitnessPal Premium subscription is the ability to set different calorie and macronutrient goals for each day of the week. This is ideal for those who practice calorie cycling—eating more on active days and less on rest days—or for those who simply want more flexibility for social events on weekends. This feature allows you to manage your calorie budget over a seven-day period, ensuring you meet your weekly target without being constrained by the same number every single day.
Premium users also gain access to other valuable tools, such as the barcode scanner (which was moved behind the paywall), advanced food analysis, and ad-free logging. These features make the entire process of tracking more efficient and insightful.
How to Manage Your Calorie Goals by the Week
Whether you're a free or Premium user, you can adopt a weekly strategy. The methods, however, differ significantly.
Method 1: For Free Users (Manual Adjustment)
Since the free version locks you into a single daily target, a manual approach is required for weekly flexibility. The key is to think of your budget in terms of a total week instead of a single day.
- Calculate Your Weekly Budget: Multiply your daily calorie goal by seven to get your total weekly allowance. For example, a 1,500-calorie daily goal is a 10,500-calorie weekly budget.
- Budget Your Days: Mentally or with a separate note, budget your calories across the week. For example, if you plan a high-calorie weekend dinner, you can reduce your intake slightly on the weekdays to save up.
- Manually Adjust as Needed: If you go over your daily goal, you can temporarily change your calorie goal for subsequent days to compensate. This is done by navigating to the Goals section in the settings.
- Review the Weekly Digest: Use the Weekly Digest, sent via email or available in the app, to see your average consumption and total calories for the past week.
Method 2: For Premium Users (Daily Customization)
Premium users have access to a much more streamlined process that makes weekly tracking simple and integrated into the app's functionality.
- Open the MyFitnessPal App: Navigate to the 'More' tab on the bottom right of the screen.
- Access Goals: Tap 'Goals' and then select 'Calorie, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals'.
- Set Different Goals by Day: Choose the 'Different Goals by Day' option and toggle it on.
- Customize Each Day: You can now set unique calorie and macronutrient targets for each day of the week individually.
Weekly Calorie Goal Comparison: Free vs. Premium
| Feature | MyFitnessPal Free | MyFitnessPal Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Weekly Goal | No, only daily targets. | Yes, by customizing goals for each day. |
| Daily Flexibility | Manual adjustments required and not proactive. | Fully customizable daily calorie and macro goals. |
| Weekly Summary | A 'Weekly Digest' is provided but is a look back, not a forward planning tool. | Unlimited access to Weekly Digests to review progress over any past week. |
| Ad Experience | Features advertisements. | Completely ad-free. |
| Barcode Scanner | Only available for users who created accounts before a specific date, otherwise behind a paywall. | Included and integrated into the faster logging features. |
The Benefits of a Weekly Calorie Strategy
Adopting a weekly calorie approach, whether manual or using a Premium feature, offers several benefits that can help with long-term success:
- Flexibility: It provides a buffer for social gatherings, holidays, or unexpected high-calorie meals without derailing your entire progress for the week.
- Better Adherence: Focusing on a weekly total can reduce the psychological pressure of hitting a precise daily number. It turns a misstep from a failure into a simple adjustment.
- Calorie Cycling: For some fitness enthusiasts, varying calorie intake based on workout intensity is a beneficial strategy. MyFitnessPal Premium makes this easy to implement.
Conclusion: Making the Best Choice for Your Goals
While MyFitnessPal does not have a single, direct weekly calorie goal setting for free users, it is still possible to manage your weekly budget with manual daily adjustments. The app’s Premium subscription, however, offers a much more integrated and seamless way to customize your goals by day, providing the flexibility many users desire. For those serious about calorie cycling or needing greater control over their nutrition plan, the Premium features are a valuable investment. For casual trackers, the free version, combined with a manual mindset, remains a highly effective tool for long-term health and weight management.
Find more on weekly habits and features on the MyFitnessPal Blog
