Why Your Calorie Goal Needs Adjustment
Over time, nutritional needs will change as you lose or gain weight, or as activity levels fluctuate. The initial calorie target that MyFitnessPal sets is a great starting point, but it's not a static number. A lighter body requires fewer calories for maintenance, so if you've been successful in your weight loss efforts, you will need to reduce your calorie goal to continue seeing progress and prevent a plateau. Conversely, those on a weight gain journey will need to increase their intake. Manually adjusting your goal ensures the app accurately reflects your current body and objectives.
How to Change Your Calorie Goal on the MyFitnessPal Mobile App
Changing your calorie target on the mobile app is a straightforward process, though the exact steps can vary slightly between iOS and Android versions.
- Navigate to the Goals Section: Tap the 'More' button, which is usually a three-dot icon or a '...' label, located in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
- Access Nutritional Goals: Select 'Goals' from the menu that appears. Then, tap on 'Calories, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals'.
- Update Your Intake: If you are a free user, you can only adjust your macronutrient distribution by percentage, which will in turn adjust your overall calorie goal. Premium users can directly enter a specific calorie number or gram amounts for each macro. Use the slider or enter your new numbers.
- Save Your Changes: Tap the checkmark in the top-right corner to save your updated goals. The app will then apply these changes to your food diary.
Forcing an App Goal Recalculation
Some users report that their calorie goals do not always update automatically. There is a simple trick to force a recalculation based on your current weight, which is often easier than updating the macro percentages individually. This can be useful after significant weight loss, as MyFitnessPal prompts you to update your goals every 10 pounds.
- Tap 'More' > 'Goals'.
- Change your current weight to a slightly different value (either higher or lower).
- Save the change.
- Go back and change your weight back to its correct, current number.
- The app should then offer to recalculate your calorie goal based on your new current weight.
How to Adjust Your Calorie Goal on the MyFitnessPal Website
For those who prefer a desktop experience or find the website's interface more direct, the process is equally simple.
- Log in: Go to the MyFitnessPal website and log into your account.
- Access the Goals Page: Click 'My Home' in the navigation bar, then select 'Goals'.
- Start Guided Setup: Find and click the 'View Guided Setup' button at the top of the goals page.
- Update Profile: Ensure your 'Current Weight' is accurate. The guided setup will walk you through your current weight and weekly goals. Click 'Update Profile' at the end to recalculate your net calorie goal.
Direct Editing of Nutrition Goals (Website)
Alternatively, you can skip the guided setup and manually edit your nutritional targets.
- From the 'Goals' page, click 'Edit' next to 'Daily Nutrition Goals'.
- Enter your new calorie and macro goals. Note that this is a premium feature if you want to enter specific gram amounts.
- Click 'Save Changes' at the bottom of the page. These changes will sync with your mobile app.
Customizing Your Macros vs. Guided Setup
Choosing between MyFitnessPal's guided setup and manual macro customization depends on your specific goals and account type.
| Feature | Guided Setup | Custom Macro Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Automatic, data-driven calorie calculation. Good for beginners. | Fine-tuning intake based on specific dietary needs or a professional's advice. |
| Calorie Adjustment | Recalculates based on updated weight and weekly goal. | Adjusts overall calories by changing macro percentages (free) or grams (premium). |
| Complexity | Simple, wizard-style interface. | Requires understanding of macronutrient percentages and their effect on total calories. |
| Flexibility | Less flexible. Goals are tied to weight and activity levels. | High flexibility. Allows precise control over carb, protein, and fat distribution. |
| Requires Premium? | No, standard feature for all users. | Entering specific gram amounts requires a Premium subscription. |
Ultimately, the guided setup is best for quick adjustments, while manual customization offers a more granular level of control for advanced users or those with specific dietary protocols.
Conclusion
Maintaining an accurate calorie goal in MyFitnessPal is a key component of successful long-term health tracking. By understanding how to manually change your intake on both the mobile app and the website, you can ensure your daily targets remain aligned with your evolving body and fitness goals. Whether you are using a quick recalculation trick or meticulously customizing your macronutrients, taking the time to update your settings is crucial for keeping your progress on track.
Important Considerations
- Always ensure your most recent weight is logged to get the most accurate goal calculation.
- If you have a Premium subscription, you have more granular control over your daily and weekly nutrition goals.
- Don't be alarmed if your calorie goal decreases as you lose weight. This is a normal and expected part of the weight loss process.
- If syncing issues occur, sometimes logging out and back in can resolve the problem.
For more in-depth information on MyFitnessPal's features and calorie tracking methods, you can visit their official support page.
Why Your Calorie Goal Needs Adjustment
Over time, nutritional needs will change as you lose or gain weight, or as your activity levels fluctuate. The initial calorie target that MyFitnessPal sets for you is a great starting point, but it's not a static number. A lighter body requires fewer calories for maintenance, so if you've been successful in your weight loss efforts, you will need to reduce your calorie goal to continue seeing progress and prevent a plateau. Conversely, those on a weight gain journey will need to increase their intake. Manually adjusting your goal ensures the app accurately reflects your current body and objectives.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue: My calorie goal won't update, no matter what I do.
- Solution: Some users have reported temporary glitches with the app's goals section, especially on Android. A common workaround is to avoid accessing the goals menu via the 'More' tab. Instead, tap the 'Edit' button that appears on your dashboard, make your changes, and save.
Issue: My macros changed when I updated my weight.
- Solution: When you use the guided setup to update your weight, the app recalculates and resets your macros to the default percentages. After the recalculation, you must manually go back into the goals section and re-customize your macro percentages if you have specific targets.
Issue: The calorie goal still doesn't seem right.
- Solution: For the most accurate calorie goal, especially if you have an active lifestyle, consider adjusting your activity level in your profile settings. MyFitnessPal bases its initial calculation on this setting. Choosing a lower activity level (like 'Lightly Active') and then logging your specific exercise can provide more accurate daily totals.
