Myfitnesspal: Pros and Cons of the Best Weight Loss App

Everything in our life needs a balance between:

  • Family.
  • Friends.
  • Job.
  • Hobbies and recreational activities.
  • sleep, among others.

Among these activities is also your diet, especially if you are looking to eat according to the type of physical activity you do.

Keeping records may seem impossible, until a few years ago, but thanks to smartphone technology, it is now possible.

The applications on our smartphones are not only used to play Candy Crush and check our social networks, they also save you the effort of registering your food and physical activity in a practical and intuitive way.

One of the most popular apps for this purpose is MyFitnessPal, a website that helps you track your calories and physical activity throughout the day online.

This app will help you if you have a very busy life and want to:

  • Maintain your current weight.
  • Lose weight.
  • Lose body fat.
  • Improve your health.

MyFitnessPal adapts to meet your nutritional needs, is free, and is available for Android, iPhone, Windows, and Blackberry.

MyFitnessPal Review: What Are Its Key Features?

Community and Social Networks

It is a forum where you can exchange tips and share experiences with other users who use this application. You can share your progress, the exercise you do during the day, as well as the total calories you consumed.

Exercise Record

MyFitnessPal keeps track of over 350 strength, cardio, yoga, and Pilates exercises, showing you how many calories you burn during each activity, based on your gender, weight, and height.

Calories counter

MyFitnessPal allows you to set daily goals, it keeps track of calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, as well as some vitamins and minerals, for each meal you eat.

Also, save your foods, favorite dishes and those you eat frequently, which allows you to find them more easily when you eat them again.

MyFitnessPal Review: Pros

Convenience

When you use MyFitnesPal you can record the food you eat from anywhere at any time, very quickly. This app has a database of 3,282,000 different foods that you can choose from, but you can also create your own custom foods and recipes, from your phone, tablet, or computer.

Instant Feedback

A study in people with diabetes and obesity found that self-monitoring calories (eaten and used) using an “electronic tracking program” or phone app, such as MyFitnessPal, aids in healthy weight loss by allowing you to be aware of what you eat. MyFitnessPal provides you with direct feedback, informing you about what is healthy, specifically for you, according to the goals you set.

Flexibility

MyFitnessPal is not an application configured for a single objective, since it allows you to create personalized profiles for your diet, which can be adapted and changed according to your needs. MyFitnessPal allows you to monitor specific and strict diets or with certain nutritional recommendations.

MyFitnessPal Review Disadvantages: Points Against

Inconsistent Information Update

One of MyFitnessPal’s features allows you to scan the barcode of the products you consume, and add the respective nutritional information. However, sometimes the application can’t find the information in its database, so it needs constant updates.

On the other hand, the app does not allow you to edit a certain amount of food consumed, for example, if you want to add less than 237 ml (8 ounces) of wine, it will not allow it.

Mobile Connection Reliability

Although it is possible to use MyfitnessPal anywhere on the planet, it is only possible if you have an internet signal, which will limit its use, especially in remote areas where you cannot even access a data signal.

Disadvantages for your Health

Counting the calories you consume during the day is not the best or healthiest way to lose weight and body fat, nor to improve your health and quality of life.

Although science indicates that a calorie is only one calorie, there are other factors at play as well. The fewer calories you eat, the more weight you’ll lose, but there are other reasons why you should select your foods.

The different types of fats, carbohydrates and proteins are digested, absorbed and interact differently, and that is most important so that you can:

  • Lose weight.
  • Lose body fat.
  • Gain muscle mass.
  • How to Choose the Best Weight Loss Diet for You
  • The foods you eat can have hormonal effects that cause:
  • Fat storage.
  • Increased blood sugar.
  • Building muscle mass.

If we compare two diets that are different in fat, protein and carbohydrates, but with the same amount of calories, their effects on your body and your level of satiety will be very different. Diets high in protein and fiber increase the level of satiety; while diets high in sugars and refined flours increase cravings.

A correct diet is much more than calories, it must contain adequate amounts of:

  • Proteins .
  • Fiber .
  • Complex carbohydrates.
  • Water.
  • monounsaturated fats.
  • polyunsaturated fats.
  • vitamins.
  • minerals.

Taking only calories into account can increase anxiety and impair the process of losing weight and body fat. Counting calories on restrictive diets can become an obsession, similar to what people with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and vigorexia experience.

  • low carb diet
  • ketogenic diet
  • Mediterranean diet
  • It’s Time You Try MyFitnessPal

Your body is much more than fat, muscle, height and the weight that appears on the scale. MyFitnessPal is an application for your smartphone that will help you lose weight , following the correct steps, to improve your health and, in the long term, your quality of life. Now that you have the information, it’s time to give MyFitnessPal a try to see if it’s the best option for you. If after trying it, you decide it’s not the right one, don’t worry, there are other options.