How do I get started logging exercises and tracking meals

VictorBravo8825
VictorBravo8825 Posts: 3 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I only just gotten MyFitnessPal. Currently on the first month trial period. I want to track my exercises as well as meals in order to start focusing my fitness journey. Unfortunately, I don't always find the exercise I've done in the app list. As far as meals go, the variety is a little overwhelming for a beginner. Is there a MFP for dummies I can look into?

Best Answer

  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    Answer ✓
    Any chance you have a Fitbit or an Apple Watch?

    It’s not needed, but it I find the tracking easier by just adding in my “active calories” from my apple fitness exercise session.

Answers

  • VictorBravo8825
    VictorBravo8825 Posts: 3 Member
    MargaretYakoda wrote: »
    Any chance you have a Fitbit or an Apple Watch?

    It’s not needed, but it I find the tracking easier by just adding in my “active calories” from my apple fitness exercise session.

    I have a Samsung Watch and it does some of the tracking. But I honestly don't even understand it very well myself, so don't know how to interpret the metrics I get from it.
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,997 Member
    edited May 31
    See if it has “active calories” during an exercise session. That’s what you probably want to record.

    I have my Apple Fitness linked to MFP.
    When I do recumbent elliptical I will go to my diary here and see if the active calories recorded by my watch have synced over.
    Sometimes they don’t.

    If that happens I add a cardio session (elliptical) and add enough minutes to come close to the active calories recorded by my watch.

    Some potentially useful links:

    Use and manage trackers in Samsung Health
    https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00083510/

    Burned calorie data on your Samsung watch
    https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01003163/


  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,600 Member
    Personally, I found this thread a useful on-ramp to using MFP successfully:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Don't let that joke-y clickbait title put you off, it's solid, sensible information.

    After that, there's lots of good information in the "Most Helpful Posts" section of each MFP Community topic area. (Some people call these the "stickies" because they stick around long term to help us.)

    I recommend chipping away at reading any of those that look interesting in the "Getting Started" and "Health and Weight Loss" topic areas here in the MFP Community, the branch out from there.

    Don't be afraid to ask questions or make comments. People here have wildly different perspectives and communication styles, everything from tough love to warm'n'fuzzy . . . but I truly believe most MFP-ers genuinely want to help others. If you can focus on posts that speak to your needs, and ignore those that don't suit you, there's a lot of help to be had.

    Wishing you success: In my experience, the results are more than worth the effort!

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