Link to MacroFactor website for downloads: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/macrofactor/
If you are a MyFitnessPal veteran, chances are you have checked out some of the other free and paid tracking apps on the market. If you want to learn more about some of those other apps, check out our blog on the Easiest to Use Tracking App and 5 Apps to Track Your Nutrition!
But today we are taking a first look at the new app called MacroFactor. Popular science-based fitness YouTuber Jeff Nippard partnered up with Stronger By Science to create this new app. Here's what Jeff had to say in his recent Instagram post:
The app is perfect whether your goal is to lose fat, build muscle or a combination of both. Those who follow me closely know that I don’t always track every day. I believe that being able to use an auto-regulated (or even intuitive) approach to nutrition is important, especially once you’ve mastered the basics. So one of the things I love most about MacroFactor is that it doesn’t punish you for not tracking some days. The app’s built-in AI accounts for untracked days and will update your macros accurately based on your weigh-ins (again, not required daily) and the days that you do track.
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I wanted to partner with MacroFactor because I truly believe it is based on the best science and coaching methods available. It has a “Coached” option if you want the nutrition expertise behind the app’s technology to guide you to your goals AND a “Manual” option if you would rather set your macros yourself and self-coach.
Initial thoughts when first opening the app: before I even got to the download screen, I noticed that there are already 141 ratings and the app is already at 4.9/5 stars - that is IMPRESSIVE for the time the app has been on the market. Upon opening the app, you are greeted to sign in with Apple, email, or Google.
Once you make it past the health disclaimer screen, you are able to enter an affiliate code or skip the 1 week trial. The pricing breaks down to the following:
- Monthly rate is $9.99/month
- If you buy 6 months for $41.99, it comes out to $6.99/month
- If you buy 12 months for $59.00, it comes out to $4.99/month
These rates are right on par with the similar app Carbon by Layne Norton (blog post here). For testing, we used the affiliate code JEFF for a two week free trial. Here is the welcome screen:
Next it asks if you'd like to connect to your Fitbit or Apple Health. This is a new integration we previously haven't seen with other popular tracking apps and it makes a lot of sense with so much wearable technology. Then you will be asked a series of questions about your body composition and exercise habits. We set up a goal to lose 5lbs using the standard/recommended weight loss rate (which is 1lbs/week).
After you set your goals, the app lets you set up your program type: balanced, performance, low-carb or keto dieting are all options. You can even do "calorie shifting" to move calories around your workouts or specific days of the week. We love this because you can adjust your goals based on workload and training schedules.
After finally getting everything set up, here is what the main screen looks like:
The Home Screen is a bit cluttered, but let's track some food - which is the primary reason you are here! For our test, we searched "chicken breast" to track 4 ounces of plain oven roasted chicken breast. The default comes up to 1 chicken breast (120g) but we can easily change the units to OZ and type in 4 OZ. Unlike MyFitnessPal that tracks your food by meal, this app appears to track your food on a timeline for each day. It is worth noting that the food database initially does look very accurate, which is an issue that plagues MyFitnessPal.
Overall first thoughts? An AWESOME option for someone who needs a bit more accountability, adjustments, and guidance with dieting. If $10 a month isn't in your budget, you can likely still achieve much of the same success using free apps like MyFitnessPal, but you won't be as optimized as much compared to using this app. We give the app a huge thumbs up 👍🏽
To send this blog off, here is some marketing materials from MacroFactor comparing key features to their competitors:
