How do you change your calories on the calorie counter app?

October 14, 2025 •

5 min read

Over half of US adults have used a health or fitness app to track their habits at some point in their lives. For those leveraging these tools, understanding how do you change your calories on the calorie counter app? is essential for maintaining accurate tracking as their fitness and nutrition goals evolve. Manually updating your calorie goal is a simple process that keeps your app aligned with your changing needs, whether you're adjusting for weight loss, maintenance, or muscle gain.

Quick Summary

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for adjusting your daily calorie targets on popular apps like MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, and Cronometer. It covers the common methods for changing goals, from the initial setup to manual overrides, and offers tips for making effective adjustments based on your progress. Detailed comparison of app functionalities is also provided.

Key Points

Access the Goals Section: Navigate to the 'Goals' or 'Profile' tab within your app's menu to find settings for calorie targets.
Use Guided Setup for Recalculation: On MyFitnessPal, you can trigger an automatic recalculation by updating your weight and weekly goal through the 'Guided Setup'.
Manually Enter a Custom Target: Apps like Cronometer and premium versions of others allow you to directly input a fixed calorie number.
Adjust Based on Progress: If your weight loss stalls or your activity level changes, it's time to re-evaluate and adjust your calorie target accordingly.
Monitor and Adapt: Pay attention to your energy levels and scale measurements after an adjustment to ensure the new goal is working effectively.
Start with Small Changes: Incrementally adjusting your calories by 100-200 can be a gentle way to find a new, effective target without shocking your system.

A successful nutrition plan is not static; it evolves with your body and your progress. As you lose weight, your calorie needs decrease. As you increase physical activity, your body requires more fuel. This is why knowing how to change your calorie target in your food-tracking app is so important. While the exact steps can vary, most apps offer intuitive ways to update your goals.

Adjusting Calories in Popular Apps

Each calorie-counting app has a slightly different user interface, but the fundamental process for updating your goal is similar across platforms. Here is a breakdown of how to do it in some of the most widely used apps.

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular calorie counter apps and provides several methods for adjusting your daily goal.

Method 1: Guided Setup. For a full recalculation based on your new weight, you can revisit the Guided Setup process. On the website, click "My Home," then "Goals," and then "View Guided Setup." In the app, navigate to the "Goals" section from the menu. You can re-enter your current weight and weekly weight-change target to have the app automatically suggest a new calorie goal.
Method 2: Manual Override (Web). For users who prefer a specific number, MyFitnessPal's website allows for a manual edit. Go to "My Home," then "Goals," and click "Edit" for your daily nutrition goals.
Method 3: Quick App Fix. Some users have found that a quick workaround can force the app to sync a new goal. In the app, go to "Goals," change your current weight to something slightly different, save it, then change it back to your actual weight. This often triggers a recalculation.

Lose It!

Lose It! offers a straightforward path to updating your calorie budget through its profile and budget settings.

Through the Budget Section. From the app's home screen, tap the "Profile" icon. In the "Program" section, select "Budget". Here, you can adjust your weekly weight loss rate (e.g., from 1 lb/week to 1.5 lbs/week) or manually set a fixed budget if you're a premium user.
Editing Meal-Specific Targets. For more granular control, premium Lose It! users can also adjust calorie targets for individual meals (e.g., breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Cronometer

Cronometer is known for its detailed nutrition tracking and offers flexible options for setting calorie goals, including fixed targets or automatically adjusting ones.

Adjusting Weight Goals. Tap "More," then "Targets + Profile". You can update your weight goal and weekly weight change rate. The app will then recalculate your daily calorie deficit or surplus to match your desired pace.
Custom Energy Target. For a fixed daily calorie target, go to "More > Targets + Profile > Advanced Settings" and toggle on "Custom Energy Target". You can then input your desired number. This is useful for users who have a specific, non-automated goal in mind.

Comparison of App Calorie Adjustment Features


Feature	MyFitnessPal	Lose It!	Cronometer
Automatic Recalculation	Yes, based on weight updates and weekly goals.	Yes, recalculates with new weight loss rates.	Yes, automatically adjusts based on weight goal.
Manual Calorie Entry	Yes, though a Premium feature on iOS and Android for some options.	Yes, particularly for Premium users to set fixed budgets.	Yes, via the "Custom Energy Target" feature.
Customizable Macros	Yes, with Premium for precise gram amounts; standard users get percentage increments.	Yes, with Premium, allowing for meal-specific macro targets.	Yes, with both fixed targets and ratio-based options.
Activity Integration	Integrates exercise calories into your daily budget.	Budgets can be influenced by activity level settings.	Includes expenditure above baseline into energy target.

Why Adjust Your Calorie Target?

Setting and adjusting your calorie goal is a dynamic process that should be revisited regularly to ensure you are on track and making healthy progress. Here are some reasons why you may need to update your calorie intake:

Plateauing Weight Loss. When you lose weight, your body requires fewer calories to function. If your weight loss stalls, it’s a sign that your old calorie target is no longer effective and needs to be lowered.
Increased Activity Level. As your fitness improves and your workouts become more intense or frequent, your body burns more calories. You may need to increase your calorie intake to fuel your performance and recovery.
Switching Goals. If you've reached your weight loss target and are now focused on weight maintenance or muscle gain, your calorie needs will change accordingly. A maintenance phase requires a higher calorie intake than a weight-loss phase.
Fatigue or Low Energy. If you feel constantly tired or lethargic, your calorie intake might be too low. Your body needs enough energy to function optimally, and sometimes a slight increase can make a big difference.

How to Adjust Your Calorie Target Effectively

Adjusting your calorie goal is not just about changing a number in an app. It's a strategic move to optimize your progress. Here’s how to do it mindfully:

Track Your Data. Use the app consistently for at least one to two weeks before making any major adjustments. This provides a baseline of your current intake and how your body responds.
Make Small Changes. Instead of making drastic cuts or increases, adjust your calorie target by a smaller, more manageable amount, like 100-200 calories. This allows your body to adapt more gradually.
Monitor Your Progress. Continue to track your weight, energy levels, and overall feeling for a couple of weeks after the adjustment. This data will tell you if the new target is working for you.
Consider Professional Guidance. For complex nutritional needs or significant weight changes, consider consulting with a registered dietitian.

By regularly revisiting and updating your calorie goals within your tracking app, you ensure your nutritional strategy remains aligned with your health and fitness journey. The flexibility offered by these applications empowers you to adapt and succeed, whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy balance, or build muscle.

Conclusion

Changing your calorie target on a calorie counter app is a simple yet crucial step for staying on track with your nutritional and fitness goals. Whether you use MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cronometer, or another app, the process is typically found within the goals or profile settings. By knowing how do you change your calories on the calorie counter app?, you take control of your progress and can make informed decisions based on your body's changing needs. Regular adjustments prevent plateaus, support new goals, and ensure your energy levels are optimized for a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may need to change your calorie goal for several reasons, such as hitting a weight loss plateau, increasing or decreasing your physical activity level, transitioning to a weight maintenance phase, or building muscle.

In the MyFitnessPal app, go to the 'More' menu, then 'Goals.' You can either use the 'Guided Setup' by updating your weight, or if you have a Premium account, you can manually edit the 'Calories, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals'.

Yes, premium users of Lose It! can set a fixed calorie budget by navigating to the Profile tab, then Budget, and choosing 'Fixed' as the budget type.

A fixed calorie target is a specific number you aim for each day, while a dynamic target adjusts automatically based on your weight and activity changes, which is often calculated by the app.

Calorie counter apps often integrate with fitness trackers and can automatically adjust your daily budget to account for calories burned during exercise. Some apps, like Cronometer, also offer an 'Add Expenditure Above Baseline' feature.

If you are not seeing the desired results after a few weeks with a new calorie goal, you should reassess and consider further adjustments. It's often best to make small, incremental changes rather than large ones.

In the Cronometer app, you can find your calorie and other nutritional targets by navigating to 'More,' and then tapping on 'Targets + Profile'.