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    Health & Wellness Tech
    Beginner
    2 min read 5 stepsApril 17, 2026Verified April 2026

    How to Use MyFitnessPal for Weight and Food Tracking

    Track your food, calories, and weight with the free MyFitnessPal app to hit weight-loss or fitness goals.

    At a Glance

    Category
    Health & Wellness Tech
    Difficulty
    Beginner
    Read Time
    2 min read
    Steps
    5
    Topics covered
    MyFitnessPal
    weight loss
    calorie counting
    fitness

    In this guide (5 steps):

    1. 1.Download MyFitnessPal
    2. 2.Set your goals
    3. 3.Log your first meal
    4. 4.Weigh yourself weekly
    5. 5.Check your daily budget
    1

    Download MyFitnessPal

    ~15s
    On your phone, open the App Store or Play Store and install MyFitnessPal. Open the app and tap "Sign Up" to create an account with your email.
    2

    Set your goals

    ~15s
    Enter your age, height, current weight, and goal weight. Pick your activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.) and how fast you want to lose weight — usually 1 pound per week is sustainable.
    3

    Log your first meal

    ~15s
    Tap the plus sign at the bottom and pick Food. Search for what you ate or tap the barcode icon to scan a package. MyFitnessPal adds the calories and nutrients to your daily total.
    4

    Weigh yourself weekly

    ~15s
    Tap Progress in the bottom menu and enter your weight once a week (not daily — it fluctuates). Over a few months, you will see a clear line showing your trend.
    5

    Check your daily budget

    ~15s
    On the home screen, your calorie goal shows at the top with how much you have eaten and how much is left. Try to stay within the target most days — exact numbers matter less than the trend over weeks.

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    MyFitnessPal is a free app that tracks everything you eat and compares it to a daily calorie goal based on your weight-loss target. The food database has millions of items and you can often scan a barcode instead of typing.

    Most people who use the app daily for 3 months lose weight because they become aware of what they are eating. The basic version is free — premium ($20 a month) adds meal plans and extra analysis.

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    MyFitnessPal
    weight loss
    calorie counting
    fitness

    Official Resources

    Medicare.govMedlinePlus — Health InfoAARP Health & Technology

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