We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Can someone get a meal plan from the app to get to my macros?

mybestlifeup
mybestlifeup Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss

I need help, I’m

New at counting macros. I thought that the app could set that up am I wrong?

Best Answer

  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,879 Member
    Answer ✓

    Welcome! The app doesn't give you a meal plan. It gives you a calori goal based on your height/weight/age/activity level, and it gives you the default macro split (I believe 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat?) but doesn't customise any further than that. You can set your own macro split.

Answers

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,835 Member

    I don't think a structured meal plan really works out as well as people might think it would, but if a person wants something like that, there are apps that can do that, like this one:

    https://www.eatthismuch.com/

    I believe you can fine tune macros to a detailed degree by signing up for a an account there, but you can play with the simpler version of the features to try it out without even signing up for an account. No, I don't work for them, nor am I compensated for linking that. Like I said, I'm even skeptical that it's a good idea. But it does what I think you're asking for.

    Why am I skeptical? To lose a meaningful amount of weight, and perhaps more importantly keep it off long term, we need to find a routine we, personally and individually, can stick with basically forever. How many people really, truly want some app to tell them exactly what to eat every meal, every day, forever? I sure as heck don't.

    I guess a person could use something like that for a while, maybe get an idea of how to eat differently . . . but I think it'd get old fast.

    For me, the way MFP actually works was excellent: I could eat foods I liked, log them, then look at my logs and notice where my nutrition was falling short based on the default macro goals. Then, over time, I could gradually remodel my eating habits - still using foods I like, find affordable and practical - to get the nutrition I wanted within the calories I had available. Totally personalized eating plan!

    YMMV, but that was perfect for me. There's a more detailed description about how to do that here:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm

    If a very specific list of what to eat for every meal works better for you, try the other app I linked above, or one like it.

  • mybestlifeup
    mybestlifeup Posts: 4 Member

    thank you I was more so looking for an example so I could have a better idea on how to break down the macros in my meals since I’m new to it, instead of guessing and then seeing what I did wrong today and adjusted tomorrow. But all

    Of the comments help me move in the right direction.

    I eat healthy and workout every day but sometimes healthy doesn’t mean right for my body, so the breakdown helps me understand where to make the adjustments


    thank you so much 😊

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 35,835 Member

    It's fine to evolve your eating in the direction you prefer over a reasonable period of time.

    Humans are adaptive omnivores: We're not going to become malnourished eating in some reasonable but not ideal way for a while as we sort it out. There might be an exception if someone is already medically diagnosed with a specific deficiency or deficiencies, or for someone newly diagnosed with a dire health condition that requires particular eating rules. But someone who's in normal health has a bit more time flexibility, certainly.

    Even in the long run, macros don't need to be exactly exact every single day to achieve good nutrition and health: Pretty close on average will be fine.

    Also, another couple of things that can evolve over time:

    1. As you say, an understanding of how our own personal body responds to a particular mix of foods, nutrients, or even how we time eating them. Those needs can even change over time, or as other parts of our lifestyle change.
    2. Knowledge about nutrition generally, if we pursue learning about it: As we learn more, we can fine-tune things to eat even better.

    I think there's normally not a reason to stress out about it, even if we do want to work at improving it.

    Too many online "influencers" and marketers want to convince us that this stuff is difficult, arcane, needs to be perfect . . . so they can convince us to send them $$$$ to learn the "one weird trick", the "hacks", the "secret". Nah, don't.

    Humans of regular intelligence can figure this stuff out plenty well enough on our own.

  • herblovinmom
    herblovinmom Posts: 477 Member

    @mybestlifeup there is an ‘intro to tracking macros’ 28 day meal plan under mfpals plans. It is a premium plan though so not free.

Categories