How do I turn off calories burned from exercise on MyFitnessPal?

Over 50% of MyFitnessPal users track their physical activity in the app, but many find that eating back exercise calories can hinder progress. To gain more precise control over your daily calorie intake, it's crucial to understand how to turn off calories burned from exercise on MyFitnessPal.

Quick Summary

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for disabling exercise calories on MyFitnessPal to prevent the app from automatically adjusting your daily calorie goal. It details the process on both mobile and web versions, discusses the pros and cons of this setting, and explains how to handle automatically synced steps.

Key Points

• Access Settings: Disable the 'Exercise Calories' setting found within the 'Goals' section of the MyFitnessPal mobile app's 'More' menu.

• Disconnect Devices: Unlink step trackers like Apple Health or Fitbit from the 'Apps & Devices' menu to prevent automatic calorie adjustments.

• Use the Website: Adjust the Exercise settings directly on the MyFitnessPal website under the 'My Home' and 'Goals' tabs for desktop management.

• Promote Consistency: Turning off this feature helps maintain a consistent daily calorie target, leading to more predictable weight management.

• Avoid Overestimation: Prevents overestimating your actual calorie expenditure, which is a common flaw with fitness apps and devices.

• Control Your Intake: By manually logging exercise, if desired, you gain full control over whether to incorporate those calories into your daily total.

Why You Should Turn Off Exercise Calories

Many fitness and nutrition experts advise against eating back calories burned during exercise, especially if your primary goal is weight loss. The reasons for this are rooted in potential inaccuracies and the risk of overestimating your calorie burn. First, wearable fitness devices and app-based estimations are notoriously inaccurate. The number they provide is an approximation, not an exact science. Second, automatically increasing your daily calorie target after a workout can subconsciously encourage you to consume more food, potentially offsetting the very deficit you worked to create. For these reasons, many users prefer a more predictable and consistent approach to their calorie budget.

Step-by-Step Instructions: MyFitnessPal Mobile App

1. Navigate to the 'More' Menu: Open the MyFitnessPal app and tap the 'More' button located in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. Access Settings: From the 'More' menu, scroll down and tap on 'Goals'.
3. Find Exercise Calories: Scroll to the very bottom of the Goals page. You will see an option for 'Exercise Calories'.
4. Toggle the Setting: Tap on the 'Exercise Calories' option. On the next screen, ensure the setting is turned off. It may appear as a toggle switch or a different selection, depending on your app version.
5. Confirm the Change: Close out of the settings. The change is saved automatically and your diary will no longer add calories burned from logged exercise.

How to Disconnect Step Trackers to Prevent Automatic Adjustments

For users who have connected wearable devices like Fitbit or Apple Watch, MyFitnessPal may still automatically adjust your calories based on your step count. To fully disable all exercise-related adjustments, you need to disconnect the device.

1. Open the 'More' Menu: Go to the 'More' section in the app.
2. Find 'Apps & Devices': Scroll down and tap on 'Apps & Devices'.
3. Manage Your Connections: Locate your connected device (e.g., Apple Health, Fitbit) in the list and tap on it.
4. Disconnect the Device: Look for the 'Disconnect' button or option to unlink the service completely. You can also often manage permissions directly from your phone's settings under Privacy > Motion & Fitness.

MyFitnessPal Website: Disabling Exercise Calories

If you use the web version of MyFitnessPal, the process is slightly different:

1. Log In and Go to 'My Home': After logging in, hover over the 'My Home' tab at the top of the page.
2. Select 'Goals': Click on the 'Goals' option from the dropdown menu.
3. Adjust Exercise Settings: Scroll down to the 'Exercise' section on the Goals page. You will find options related to how exercise is tracked and its impact on your calorie goal.
4. Save Changes: Make sure to save any changes you make before navigating away.

Comparison Table: Enabled vs. Disabled Exercise Calories

Feature	Exercise Calories ENABLED	Exercise Calories DISABLED
Calorie Goal	Your daily target fluctuates based on recorded exercise.	Your daily target remains fixed and consistent.
Tracking Method	You rely on app or device estimations for calories burned.	You rely on your baseline calorie goal, which is a more consistent metric.
Eating Habits	Encourages eating back calories, which can be inaccurate.	Reinforces sticking to a consistent calorie budget, regardless of activity.
Weight Management	Can lead to slower or inconsistent weight loss due to overestimation.	Promotes more predictable and consistent weight loss outcomes.
Best For	Casual users or those not focused on precise calorie deficits.	Users aiming for consistent, predictable weight loss or maintenance.

Expert Recommendations and Conclusion

Ultimately, deciding whether to turn off exercise calories on MyFitnessPal comes down to your personal goals and approach. For those serious about achieving a specific weight target, disabling this feature is often the recommended path due to the potential for overestimation and the encouragement of a more disciplined calorie tracking method. The fixed calorie target provides a clearer picture of your progress and removes the guesswork associated with exercise-based calorie fluctuations. However, for casual users or those who are extremely active and need to ensure they consume enough fuel, keeping the feature on might be appropriate, provided they understand and account for its inaccuracies. For more reliable information on nutrition, consider visiting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans website.

By following the steps for both mobile and web versions, and by disconnecting any syncing devices, you can take full control of your MyFitnessPal experience. This simple adjustment can lead to a more accurate and ultimately more successful journey toward your health and wellness goals. Always listen to your body and make adjustments as needed, but for precision, less is often more when it comes to counting exercise calories.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the 'Exercise Calories' setting in the MyFitnessPal app?

You can find the 'Exercise Calories' setting by tapping 'More' in the bottom-right corner, then selecting 'Goals', and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

What is the primary benefit of turning off exercise calories?

The main benefit is gaining more consistent and accurate control over your calorie deficit, which leads to more predictable and reliable weight loss progress.

Will disabling exercise calories also stop my step tracker from syncing?

No, you must also manually disconnect any synced devices, such as your Apple Watch or Fitbit, from the 'Apps & Devices' section in the 'More' menu to prevent step-based calorie adjustments.

Is this a premium feature on MyFitnessPal?

Some workout calorie-related features may be premium, but the ability to simply turn off the basic exercise calorie adjustments is typically available to all users.

How can I disable exercise calories using the MyFitnessPal website?

Log into the MyFitnessPal website, hover over 'My Home' and click 'Goals'. Then, scroll down to the 'Exercise' section to make your adjustments.

Should I still manually log my exercises if I turn this setting off?

You can, but it's not necessary if your goal is a consistent calorie intake. If you still want to track your activity but ignore the calorie adjustment, it is safe to log it.

What happens if I accidentally eat back the exercise calories?

Eating back exercise calories can unintentionally slow or stall weight loss, as exercise calorie estimates are often inflated and lead to overeating.