{"id":10383,"date":"2022-08-09T14:18:14","date_gmt":"2022-08-09T13:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mensfitness.co.uk\/?p=10383"},"modified":"2024-04-10T11:38:37","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T10:38:37","slug":"how-to-track-calories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mensfitness.co.uk\/health\/nutrition\/how-to-track-calories\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Track Calories With MyFitnessPal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Find out how to track calories to slim down or bulk up with our expert guide…<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While the process can feel impossibly hard, the concept of either losing belly fat<\/a> (or gaining weight) couldn\u2019t be simpler.<\/p>\n

If you consume more calories than you burn, you will put on weight; if you burn more than you consume, you\u2019ll lose it. Easy.<\/p>\n

Of course, tracking those calories in a reliable fashion requires some attention to detail. Which is where a calorie-tracking app like MyFitnessPal<\/a> can help.<\/p>\n

Undoubtedly the most renowned food-tracking app on the market, MyFitnessPal has around 200 million users.<\/p>\n

And the concept is pretty straightforward: you build a profile, MyFitnessPal gives you a calorie and macro target, and by adding in the foods you eat each day, the aim is to hit this target in order to see results.<\/p>\n

Naturally, though, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Many of us are using MyFitnessPal incorrectly, or may simply encounter problems.<\/p>\n

So we checked in with the experts to find out how to track calories correctly.<\/p>\n

RELATED: 55 ways to eat better<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

How to track calories with MyFitnessPal<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you type \u2018brown bread\u2019 into MyFitnessPal, or \u2018lasagne\u2019, you\u2019ll be inundated with brands and wide fluctuations in calorie counts. Different brands will add different ingredients to their seemingly similar foods.<\/p>\n

It may seem easier to pick the lowest-calorie option from the choices available, but that can lead to a flawed calorie count.<\/p>\n

Added to this, Charlotte Fisher, nutritionist at Marvin\u2019s Den<\/a>, says that there are often inaccuracies on food labels:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a 10% tolerance on food labelling, and even seasonal variation in the energy content of your food. These factors make tracking a \u2018best guess\u2019 at most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always log liquid calories on MyFitnessPal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, the calories in certain drinks can be pretty high. That full-fat milk on your cereal? Around 150 calories. A cup of orange juice? That\u2019s another 100kcals. The \u2018one\u2019 beer after work? Each pint packs in over 200 calories.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy to ignore liquid calories as they\u2019re easy and quick to consume,\u201d says Rob Hobson, Healthspan\u2019s Head of Nutrition. \u201cBut these calories do count and if you\u2019re tracking seriously, then they need to be included.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, measure your liquids out into measuring cups before you consume them and add them to MyFitnessPal. Hobson also adds that these liquid calories normally come from sugar, which can obviously play havoc with blood sugar levels. \u201cThat can lead to hunger pangs and might promote mid-afternoon tiredness and snacking,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

How to track calories: remember they aren’t all equal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Of course, fundamentally calories are<\/strong> the same. But the way food reacts in your body \u2013 and the impact it has on hormones and energy \u2013 isn\u2019t taken into account on MyFitnessPal. According to Hobson, while there is truth to the fact that creating a calorie deficit can lead to weight loss, the concept is somewhat misguided:<\/p>\n

\u201cHow your body burns calories depends on lots of factors including the type of food, metabolism and even gut bacteria. That means everyone is different, so you can eat the exact same number of calories as someone else but get a different outcome when it comes to weight loss.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThose who track calories also need to remember that while an avocado and a Kit Kat Chunky might have similar calories, the calories coming from a chocolate bar are much higher in sugar,\u201d adds Patrick Dooley, trainer at John Reed<\/a>. \u201cSo be aware of macronutrients and that an avocado contains much healthier fats.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quality can trump quantity\u00a0when\u00a0it comes to calories<\/h3>\n

Which leads to this point\u2026 \u201cWhen focusing on calorie intake,\u201d says Dr Aria, a high-performance psychologist and behaviour change expert (dr-aria.com), \u201csome people then overlook the quality and nutritional value of foods.\u201d<\/p>\n

For good health generally, we need to be consuming nutritionally dense foods, but MyFitnessPal won\u2019t know the difference between the carbs in an apple and the carbs in a croissant. We don\u2019t need to tell you which one contains a greater amount of health benefits\u2026<\/p>\n

Processed food lacking in nutrition<\/a> can also leave your body craving more food as it seeks out the vitamins and minerals it needs. In one metabolic study<\/a>, participants were split into two groups and given meals with an identical number of calories, sugar, fat, fibre and sodium, with one group tucking into ultra-processed foods, and the other, unprocessed. \u201cWhoever was in the ultra-processed group tended to eat 500 calories more per day and gained weight,\u201d explains Dr Aria.<\/p>\n

Put simply, as Hobson says, \u201cFood quality should be made a priority when choosing what to eat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why you shouldn’t log your exercise on MyFitnessPal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Upon joining MFP, you\u2019ll typically be asked to enter your daily activity levels from sedentary (zero exercise), to very active (tough gym sessions and an active job, for example). So, your \u2018exercise\u2019 has technically already been accounted for in your daily calorie suggestion.<\/p>\n

Plus, when most people track exercise, Dr Aria says that we often overestimate the number of calories we burn: \u201cResearchers in Canada found that \u2018normal weight\u2019 men and women who expended 200 calories by walking briskly estimated that they had burned 825 calories on average. When asked to then eat the number of calories that they thought they had used up in a buffet-style setting, participants ate two to three times more calories than they burned, overeating by around 150-550 calories.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, if your goal is to increase strength and muscle size, then eating at calorie maintenance or surplus will help achieve your goals \u2013 with around 1.2g to 1.7g of protein needed per day per kilogram of bodyweight. This protein-for-strength scenario might not be factored into your MyFitnessPal calorie equation.<\/p>\n

Certain exercises do also need more calories than others, which might not necessarily be noted when adding into MFP. Fisher says that endurance exercises like running, swimming, and cycling tend to use the most calories, while different positions in various sports also have different energy requirements \u2013 a fullback in football, for example, will tend to do more running than a centre back.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for resistance training<\/a>, Fisher says it burns relatively few calories in comparison. Also, the \u2018afterburn effect\u2019 (EPOC) \u2013 calories burned after working out \u2013 \u201cisn’t as exaggerated as some might like to think.\u201d<\/p>\n

Your weight changes on daily basis<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For many reasons, weight fluctuates from day to day. You might sweat more on a hot day, or a particular food might leave you bloated and carrying extra water weight. Illness and stress can also impact your weight, and naturally these aren\u2019t factored into MyFitnessPal. Any fluctuations on the scales can then lead to the unnecessary increase or decrease in calories.<\/p>\n

Hobson says it\u2019s best to weigh yourself in the morning, at the same time, every week. If you\u2019re sure you\u2019re tracking correctly and consistently, to a correct calorie count, you will see results.<\/p>\n

Don’t cut too many calories at once<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ultimately, the question you need to be asking is, how sustainable is your new low calorie count? For months at a time? It\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll keep it up, especially with side effects of low mood, fatigue, and also potential physical issues such as hair loss and acne.<\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

A post shared by MyFitnessPal (@myfitnesspal)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n