How to change calories remaining on MyFitnessPal?

January 7, 2026 •

3 min read

According to research from the University of Arizona, smartphone apps are a popular tool for dietary self-monitoring, with MyFitnessPal being one of the most widely used platforms. Knowing how to change calories remaining on MyFitnessPal is a key skill for users who need to adjust their targets for specific diets or fluctuating activity levels. This guide breaks down the process on both the mobile app and the website to ensure your tracking is accurate and aligned with your fitness goals.

Quick Summary

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for adjusting your daily calorie goal in MyFitnessPal using both the mobile application and web portal. It covers manual changes, recalculating goals based on updated weight, and navigating different settings to maintain accurate nutritional tracking.

Key Points

Access the Goals section: On the mobile app, navigate to 'More' and then 'Goals' to find calorie settings.
Manually input new calories: Tap the calorie number in the goals screen to manually enter your desired daily intake.
Adjust macro percentages: Free users must use percentage sliders to approximate macro grams, ensuring they total 100%.
Use the website for forced recalculations: Log into the MyFitnessPal website to update your body metrics and have the app recalculate your goals automatically.
Premium offers more control: Premium subscribers have the ability to set specific gram amounts for macronutrients and adjust goals for individual days.
Disable exercise calories: For more reliable tracking, turn off the feature that automatically adds burned calories back into your daily budget.
Weigh your food: For maximum accuracy, consistently weigh food items in grams rather than estimating volume.

Why you might need to adjust your calorie goals

While MyFitnessPal automatically calculates your daily caloric needs based on your initial profile, this figure is a starting point, not a permanent target. Your nutritional requirements change over time due to various factors. Maybe your weight loss has plateaued, or your activity level has changed. A manual adjustment gives you greater control and accuracy in your tracking.

Methods for mobile app (iOS and Android)

Adjusting your calorie goal on the MyFitnessPal mobile app is a straightforward process accessible through the 'Goals' section. Whether you're a free or premium user, the steps are similar.

Navigate to the Goals section: From the app's home screen, tap the 'More' icon (the three horizontal dots or lines) in the bottom right-hand corner.
Access calorie goals: In the 'More' menu, select the 'Goals' option. This takes you to a screen with various health targets.
Edit your nutritional goals: Tap on 'Calories, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals'. Free users can only adjust the total calorie number by percentage, while premium users can set specific gram increments.
Enter your new calorie target: Tap the 'Calories' section and input your custom number. This is where you manually change calories remaining on MyFitnessPal.
Save your changes: Tap the checkmark or 'Save' button in the top right corner to confirm your new goal. The change will be reflected on your main Diary page.

Methods for the MyFitnessPal website

For those who prefer a desktop interface or need to force a recalculation, the MyFitnessPal website offers a reliable alternative.

Log in online: Using a web browser, go to www.myfitnesspal.com and log into your account.
Go to the Goals page: Click 'My Home' in the main navigation, then select 'Goals' from the dropdown menu.
Edit your nutrition goals: Find the 'Nutrition Goals' section and click 'Edit' next to your current daily goals.
Change your settings: You can either go through the 'Guided Setup' to recalculate based on updated stats or manually adjust your calorie and macronutrient numbers directly.
Save and sync: Click 'Save Changes' at the bottom of the page. Your new goals will sync to your mobile app automatically the next time you open it.

Comparison of manual vs. automatic adjustments

Deciding between a manual override and letting MyFitnessPal handle the calculation depends on your tracking goals and needs.


Feature	Manual Calorie Adjustment	Automatic Recalculation
Control	Full control over specific numbers.	Relies on the app's formula.
Accuracy	High, especially with a coach's input.	Can be less precise due to generalized formulas.
Flexibility	Set different goals for different days (Premium).	Recalculated only after weight changes.
Setup	Fast once you know the process.	Guided setup, requires updating profile info.
Premium Feature	Specific gram-based macro tracking.	N/A

Expert tips for accurate calorie tracking

To maximize the effectiveness of your calorie tracking, consider the following strategies:

Ignore Exercise Calories: The app's estimates for calories burned during exercise are often inaccurate and lead to overeating. It's best to disable the feature that adds calories earned from exercise back into your daily budget.
Measure Consistently: Use a food scale to weigh ingredients in grams for the highest accuracy. Portion sizes are easy to underestimate, which can derail your progress.
Pre-log Meals: To stay on track and prevent overshooting your budget, plan and log your meals for the day in advance. This removes guesswork and promotes consistency.
Understand Macro Percentages: If you're a free user, remember that adjusting the calorie goal will auto-adjust your macro percentages. Make sure these still align with your dietary needs.
Create Recipes: Use the 'Create Recipe' feature for homemade meals you eat frequently. This saves time and ensures consistent, accurate logging.

Conclusion

Adjusting your calorie goal in MyFitnessPal is a powerful way to take control of your diet and stay on track with your health and fitness journey. Whether you prefer the quick adjustment on the mobile app or the more detailed control offered on the website, understanding how to manually change your daily targets is essential for navigating plateaus and adapting to changes in your lifestyle. By combining these manual adjustments with best-practice tracking habits, you can ensure your data is as accurate as possible, leading to more consistent and reliable results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can manually set your calorie goal on the free version. In the app, go to 'More' > 'Goals' > 'Calories, Carbs, Protein & Fat Goals' and tap on the calorie section to type in your number.

To prevent MyFitnessPal from adding calories for exercise, go to the website version and disable negative calorie adjustments in the 'Diary Settings'. This is crucial for consistent tracking.

MyFitnessPal may auto-recalculate your calorie goal if you update your weight, height, or activity level in the settings. It also recalculates after a certain amount of weight loss, such as every ten pounds.

When eating out, you can estimate calories by searching for similar items in the MyFitnessPal database, breaking the meal into ingredients, or using a slight overestimation factor (1.5x) to account for hidden oils and sauces.

Yes, MyFitnessPal Premium users have the ability to set different calorie and macro goals for each day of the week, offering greater flexibility.

When you manually change the total calorie goal on the free version, the macronutrient percentages will auto-adjust to maintain a total of 100%. You may need to manually readjust the percentages to reflect your desired protein, carb, and fat split.

On the website, you can force a recalculation by going to 'My Home' > 'Goals' and clicking 'View Guided Setup'. After ensuring your current weight is accurate, click 'Update Profile' to receive a new goal.

For simple, daily adjustments, the mobile app is the most convenient. For a full profile update, guided recalculations, or disabling advanced features like exercise adjustments, the website offers more options.