This question comes up all the time.
Especially at this time of year.
You’ve maybe downloaded MyFitnessPal, or another tracking app, with the best intentions. A fresh start. A desire to get on top of your nutrition. To feel more in control again.
So the question I was asked was:
“Do you recommend using MyFitnessPal to monitor what I’m eating more closely?”
And as with most things when it comes to health, fitness and food, there isn’t one right answer.
For some women, calorie tracking can be genuinely helpful.
For others, it can quietly make things harder.
When calorie tracking can help
Tracking can be useful as a short-term awareness tool.
If you feel like food has become a bit mindless, or you’re not sure whether you’re eating too much or even too little, logging food for a short period can bring clarity. It can highlight things like:
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Portion sizes creeping up
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Protein being lower than you thought
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How often you’re grazing without realising
For women who are quite data-driven and like numbers, this can feel empowering in the short term. Used with curiosity, not judgement, it can help you reconnect with what you’re actually eating.
When tracking starts to backfire
This is where I see problems creep in.
For many women, tracking quickly turns into:
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Stress around numbers
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An all-or-nothing mindset
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Feeling like you’ve “failed” if you go over your calories
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Eating according to an app instead of listening to hunger and fullness
I see this a lot:
“I’ve gone over my calories, so I’ve ruined the day… I’ll start again tomorrow.”
Or the opposite:
“I’ve got 200 calories left, how can I spend them?”
In both cases, we stop tuning into what our body actually needs.
It can also take the joy out of social situations. Checking menus in advance. Avoiding certain restaurants. Feeling anxious about meals out. Food is fuel, yes, but it’s also connection, enjoyment and part of real life. We don’t want numbers overshadowing that.
Not all calories are equal
Another really important point that tracking apps don’t tell you is this:
Not all calories are absorbed in the same way.
Food labels and apps assume 100% caloric absorption, but that isn’t how the body works.
This is known as caloric availability — the amount of energy your body actually absorbs from food.
For example:
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Nuts often provide fewer absorbed calories than listed because some fat passes through the gut
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Raw vegetables are harder to break down, so you absorb less energy than the label suggests
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Protein has a high thermic effect, meaning your body uses more energy digesting it
So 200 calories of chocolate and 200 calories of vegetables are not equal in how they affect fullness, nourishment or even how much energy your body actually takes in.
Calories can also be inaccurate
Something else most people don’t realise:
In the UK (and the US), calorie information on packaging and menus is legally allowed to be up to 20% out.
That means even if you’re tracking perfectly, the numbers themselves might not be exact. Apps like MyFitnessPal also rely on user-entered data, so accuracy isn’t guaranteed.
This is another reason why obsessing over exact numbers often creates frustration rather than results.
Why tracking isn’t a forever solution
Most people don’t stick with calorie tracking long term, and that’s not a failure. It’s human.
Tracking requires constant mental energy. Logging everything. Remembering every splash of milk, every bite, every snack. That level of focus isn’t realistic or enjoyable forever, and I wouldn’t recommend it as a long-term strategy anyway.
What to do instead
If you want awareness without obsession, there are other ways.
Things I often suggest include:
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Focusing on protein at each meal
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Building meals around whole foods
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Using the plate method (half veg, a quarter protein, a quarter carbs, with healthy fats)
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Keeping meals consistent during the week to reduce decision fatigue
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Writing meals down without calories
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Taking photos of food for awareness
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Using tracking apps for a short, time-bound reset if needed
Consistency matters far more than perfection.
If your meals are broadly similar day to day and you’re not seeing progress, you can adjust portions gently and give it a few weeks. No apps. No obsessing. Just simple tweaks.
Awareness without obsession
I don’t hate MyFitnessPal. I don’t love it either.
I don’t recommend it as a forever solution, but for the right person, used short term and with the right mindset, it can be a useful awareness tool.
The key difference is curiosity over control.
Noticing how your body feels. How your mind responds. And choosing an approach that adds to your life rather than taking away from it.
Want support with this?
These are exactly the principles we use inside the 6 Week Course — focusing on sustainable habits, mindset, realistic nutrition and building something you can actually stick to long term.
If you’re looking for a reset that goes beyond “being good for six weeks” and helps you feel stronger, more confident and more in tune with your body, I’d love to support you.
👉 Get in touch here:
www.lornamariefitness.co.uk/get-started
Awareness without obsession.
Curiosity over control.
And always being kind to your body.
Want to hear more?
Listen to our podcast episode on this here
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