MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular calorie-counting apps out there with millions of users around the world, but the question is: How accurate is MyFitnessPal? Can I Trust it? Let’s find out.
MyFitnessPal is one of the most trusted calorie counter apps out there, and I have been personally using it for years.
Just like other calorie counter apps, MyFitnessPal requires you to manually input your calorie intake, and track the calories expenditure via your fitness band or pedometer apps on your smartphone.
Read here my post on the best fitness trackers compatible with MyFitnessPal.
So, in terms of accuracy, we can say that MyFitnessPal is accurate, but many variables can affect its accuracy. Let’s discuss what these variables mean and how you can ensure that the tracking is accurate.
Table of Contents
How Accurate Is MyFitnessPal Calories Burned (Calorie Goal Calculator)?
Let’s start with the Calories Goal Calculator. When you will install the MyFitnessPal on your smartphone and open it for the first time, you will be asked to enter your age, height, weight, your desired goal, and other personal details. The app uses your personal data to calculate the Calories Goal, which you should meet to achieve your fitness goal.
Now when it comes to calorie tracking, the app depends on two main factors: logged food and your activity. For food logging, the app comes with more than 11 million food items from around the world.
I have also personally used the app, and the database is pretty comprehensive; you can easily find the food you are eating on the app, and then you can log that food in the app. Then the app will let you know how many calories are there in the food and will log it into your daily goal.
However, the problem with the food logger is that it comes with pretty standard details. For example, if you search for the “Yellow Rice” in the database, it comes with a pretty standard number of 150 Calories.
But, in real life, the number of calories in food can varies depending on variables, such as the type of oil used for cooking, ingredients, and so on.
So, my point is that the calorie count of food items in the database won’t be very accurate always, but still, the difference won’t be huge if you stick to the products from reputed companies that mention the correct nutritional and calories details.
The second factor is the activity tracking, and for that, the app supports the variety of activity trackers that you can use with the app. MyFitnessPal is compatible with the Samsung Health, Fitbit Tracker, Garmin Tracker, Nokia Health Mate, Pacer Pedometer, Google Fit, and many more.
The app uses the data of the number of steps and burned calories from these apps, so if you are using a fitness tracker, then this data will be more accurate.
However, if you are using the pedometer apps such as Pacer or other supported pedometer apps, then this data won’t be as accurate as the one collected via Fitness tracker.
The conclusion of all this discussion is that the accuracy of MyFitnessPal mainly depends on the data you feed to the app. If you are willing to control your diet and only use the food items from reputed companies that mention the correct calories and nutritional values, then you will feed the correct data to the app.
Similarly, if you want accurate tracking, then you should invest in a good activity tracker as it will help the app to get accurate data. Once the data you entered into the app is correct, the app will accurately track your daily calorie goal, and it will help you achieve your fitness goals.
Another post that will interest you is about the 15 Best Fitness Trackers Compatible with MyFitnessPal(MFP) In 2023.
How Accurate Is MyFitnessPal Step Counter?
MyFitnessPal step counter is only available for IOS users, and the app uses the M7 motion-detecting Chip in iPhones to track your steps. However, you can also use the tracker for tracking your steps and other activities.
MyFitnessPal Android users can count their steps using pedometer apps or fitness trackers. The app supports pedometer apps such as Pacer to use the sensors in your smartphone to track the steps.
If you have any fitness tracker, then you can link the fitness app with the MyFitnessPal app, and it will get the data from the tracker.
So, the accuracy of MyFitnessPal step counter will depend on the data it is getting. If you want to feed the accurate data to the app, then you should use the Fitness tracker as it offers better accuracy.
However, you can also use the pedometer app to track your steps, but the data from the pedometer app won’t be very accurate.
Is MyFitnessPal A Good Way To Lose Weight?
When it comes to weight loss, calorie tracking is crucial because if you are not in a calorie deficient, then you won’t be able to lose your weight.
MyFitnessPal is a trusted app, and it comes with a very comprehensive calorie counting system and food database which you can use to track your daily calories and food intake.
If you can manage to log your daily food intakes such as your breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, water, and other details, then the app will keep full details of your calories, and you can use it to lose weight. At the end of the day, it will mainly depend on your Calories Deficit.
If your Net Calories are lower than what your body needs to maintain the weight, the body will start consuming your stored calories (Fat).
So, If you manage you to keep this calorie deficit every day, then you will start seeing the results, and MyFitnessPal can help you in this journey
Conclusion
I hope this guide helped you find the answers you were looking for. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comment section below. Also, visit the website for more useful guides.
Here is an article on my website that you must read, its about How Does Myfitnesspal Work And How To Use It Effectively For Weight Lose?
As a professional trainer and a gadget lover, I’ve spent a lot of money and time buying wearable activity trackers, smartwatches, and gadgets, and checking them out. My site is focused on helping you with your activity tracking and smart technology journey. I try to provide the most helpful updated content on this subject. Hopefully, you will love my blogs and be a regular around here.
