The simple habit that puts you in control of your food
“Tracking” just means writing down what you eat in a free phone app, which adds up the calories and protein for you. It takes a couple of minutes a day — and it's the single move that turns eating from guesswork into something you actually understand. Here's what it unlocks.
A budget isn't about never spending — it's about spending on what you want without surprises. Calories work the same way. Once you know your daily “budget,” you can plan in the pizza on Friday, eat a little lighter earlier in the day, and still hit your goal. You're the one calling the shots.
The goal isn't to track forever — it's to learn enough that eating well feels effortless.
Track what you eat now
Before changing anything, see where you actually stand.
Log a full normal day of eating (2+ days if your routine varies) in a tracking app. This tells you if you're currently over- or under-eating.
- Use MyFitnessPal (web) or the iPhone app — the walkthrough below uses it.
- Prefer something else? Cronometer, Lose It!, MacroFactor, and FatSecret all work — any tracker with custom calorie & macro goals.
- Don't guess a food's macros — most foods mix protein, carbs, and fat. Log it and learn.
Calculate your TDEE
TDEE = Total Daily Energy Expenditure — what you burn in a day.
Open the calculator and enter your stats. If you mostly work at a desk, pick Sedentary for activity level. Write down your TDEE number.
Pick your calorie goal
To lose weight, you need a calorie deficit.
In the Calorie goal section, choose one of the two loss targets:
Write down your daily calorie target.
Think of this number as a starting point, not a promise. Real weight loss is often a little slower than the math predicts, so give it a few weeks and adjust if the scale isn't moving.
Set your protein target
If you track only one number, make it protein.
Protein protects muscle while you lose fat, keeps you full, and burns the most calories just to digest:
In the tool, set your protein target first. Aim to get it from whole-food sources like meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and beans. Whey protein powder counts too and is an easy way to top up.
Per ~100 g serving (whey: 1 scoop). Approximate.
Protein bars and collagen are less useful — bars are often closer to candy with added sugar and fat, and collagen is missing key amino acids your muscles need.
For most people whey is the simplest default. Casein is a nice extra, not a must-have.
Adjust your macro split
Fill in the rest of your calories with carbs and fat.
Start with the low-carb preset, then nudge the carb and fat sliders to a balance you enjoy and can sustain. Keep your protein where you set it in Step 4.
Example split — yours depends on your goals and preferences.
Now you have your daily targets — track against them in your app each day. Here's how 👇
How to log in MyFitnessPal
A quick visual tour — press play on each step.
Create a free account →clip-1.mp4
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Good to know
A few things that make the whole process click.