Why I Ditched MyFitnessPal (And You Should Too)

Look, I'm about to piss off half the fitness industry...

But I think MyFitnessPal and macro tracking are doing more harm than good for most people.

ducks for cover

Before you come for me in the comments, let me explain. I've been coaching people through their wellness journeys for over a decade now, and I've seen some shit. I've watched perfectly intelligent humans become slaves to their food logging apps, having literal meltdowns because they couldn't find the exact entry for their grandmother's homemade soup.

That's not health. That's digital dependency with a side of anxiety.

My macro tracking era (aka my control freak phase)

I used to be THAT coach. You know the one - spreadsheets for days, color-coded meal plans, and enough macro calculations to make an accountant weep. I genuinely believed that if I could just get my clients to hit their numbers perfectly, transformation would follow.

Spoiler alert: it didn't.

Sure, some people saw results initially. But here's what else I saw:

• Clients who couldn't eat out without having panic attacks
• People weighing lettuce leaves (I'm not kidding)
• Social isolation because "the app doesn't have that restaurant"
• Binge-restrict cycles that would make your head spin
• Relationships ending because someone couldn't handle their partner's "food obsession"

I was creating food prisoners, not empowered humans.

The moment everything changed

About three years ago, I had a client - let's call her Sarah - who was absolutely crushing her macros. Like, religiously hitting every number. But she was miserable. She confessed during one of our calls that she'd rather skip social events than deal with trying to log unknown foods.

That hit me like a freight train. Here I was, supposedly helping people live better lives, but I'd accidentally taught someone that numbers mattered more than connection.

Something had to change. And fast.

Enter the photo method (or how I learned to stop worrying and love the mess)

Instead of having clients track macros, I started asking them to simply photograph their meals. Not for Instagram. Not to make it look pretty. Just real, honest photos of what they were actually eating.

The pushback was immediate. "But how will I know if I'm eating enough protein?" "What about my calorie deficit?" "This seems too simple!"

Yeah, it is simple. That's the fucking point.

Here's what I discovered: those messy, imperfect photos told me MORE about my clients' relationships with food than any macro breakdown ever could.

The 5 W's that changed everything

When I look at a client's food photos, I'm not counting calories. I'm investigating like a wellness detective:

WHO are they eating with? That photo of pizza and wine? She's with her college girlfriends for the first time in months. That's not a "cheat meal" - that's connection. Maybe we work on finding balance in social situations instead of avoiding them.

WHEN are they eating? Oh look, another 2 PM first meal. Not because of intermittent fasting, but because mornings are chaotic. Let's solve the real problem instead of pretending willpower will fix poor planning.

WHERE are they eating? Car again. Desk again. Standing over the sink again. These aren't moral failures - they're lifestyle symptoms that need addressing.

WHY are they eating? The timestamp says 11 PM and it's ice cream straight from the container. Stress eating after the kids are finally asleep? Let's talk about that instead of just cutting calories.

WHAT are they eating? Honestly? This is the least important question. If the other four W's are sorted, the what usually takes care of itself.

Why photos work when macros fail

Here's the thing about human behavior: we're not robots. We don't eat in a vacuum where only nutrients matter. We eat because it's Tuesday and Tuesdays suck. We eat because our mom made our favorite dish. We eat because that bakery smells incredible and life is short.

Photos capture context. Macros capture data.

Guess which one actually helps people change?

When someone sends me a photo of takeout containers at 9 PM, I don't see failure. I see someone who probably had a long day and needs strategies for busy evenings. When I see beautifully plated home-cooked meals, I celebrate that win and ask what made it possible.

The resistance is real (and expected)

"But Maya," you might be thinking, "what about people who genuinely need to track for specific goals?"

Fair point. Elite athletes? People with certain medical conditions? Yeah, they might need more precision. But Karen from accounting who wants to feel better in her jeans? She probably doesn't need to weigh her morning oats to the gram.

The dirty secret of the fitness industry is that we've convinced regular humans they need elite athlete protocols. It's like requiring a PhD to learn basic reading.

Most people need:

• To eat when they're hungry
• To stop when they're satisfied
• To include foods they actually enjoy
• To not feel guilty about their choices

Revolutionary stuff, I know.

Making the switch (without losing your shit)

If you're ready to ditch the macro madness, here's how to start:

Week 1-2: Just observe Take photos of everything you eat. Don't change anything yet. Just notice patterns without judgment. (This is harder than it sounds for us reformed tracking addicts.)

Week 3-4: Ask yourself questions Start getting curious about your photos. What do you notice about timing? Environment? Mood? No fixes yet - just awareness.

Week 5+: Small experiments Pick ONE thing to experiment with. Maybe it's eating breakfast before coffee. Maybe it's sitting down for lunch. Small shifts, not dramatic overhauls.

The results speak for themselves

Since making this switch, my clients report:

• Less anxiety around food
• Better relationships (shocking, I know)
• More sustainable results
• Actually enjoying meals again
• Trusting their bodies more

Are these outcomes measurable in a traditional sense? Not really. Do they matter more than hitting exact macro ratios? Absolutely.

Let's get real for a minute

I'm not anti-science. I still understand nutrition. I still help people reach their goals. But I've learned that sustainable change rarely happens through restriction and rigid tracking.

It happens through understanding, flexibility, and treating food as fuel AND pleasure AND social connection AND cultural expression.

Revolutionary concept: you can be healthy without making your phone calculate every bite.

Your turn

If you're currently trapped in macro hell, I want you to try something radical for one week. Just one. Instead of logging numbers, take photos and ask yourself those 5 W's.

Notice what comes up. Notice the resistance (there will be resistance). Notice what you learn about your actual eating patterns versus what you thought they were.

And if you're a coach reading this, maybe consider whether the tools you're using are truly serving your clients' long-term wellbeing or just giving you both a false sense of control.

Because here's the truth: the best plan is the one people can actually stick with. And for most humans, that's not weighing their food forever.

What's the worst that could happen? You might actually start enjoying food again.

Maya Chen is a wellness coach who believes health should feel good, not like homework. When she's not helping people heal their relationships with food, she's probably killing her houseplants or getting way too invested in reality TV drama. Find more of her unconventional wellness takes at her practice in Portland.