New in MacroFactor: Food Logging AI Upgrade

MacroFactor’s food logging AI got a major upgrade, with stronger food identification and greatly improved instruction-following abilities.

You can now upload multiple photos, combine photos with text, and give the AI more specific instructions. Add a meal photo, individual meal components, a restaurant menu, or extra context like portions, exclusions, and anything else you want the AI to consider.

The AI tab has also been streamlined into two modes: Snap and Describe. Snap is for quick in-the-moment photo logging, while Describe gives you more flexibility with one or more photos and/or text.

And for something a little different, we added MacroFactor’s first mini-game. Celebrate your goals, head into space, clear the meteor storm, and see how long you can stay in orbit. The game will launch when you reach your goal, but you can also access it anytime by tapping the check-in button 10 times and then going to More >  Mini Games.  🚀

New in Workouts: Live Activity and Workout Change Log 

The “live activities” feature in MacroFactor Workouts is here! Now you can track your lifts, time your rest, and quickly access MacroFactor Workouts from your lock screen. 

You can also inspect changes made to the workout plan during an active session prior to committing those changes to your program or saved workout.

New Article

How to Warm-Up For Resistance Training

Warming up before training should be a pretty simple topic. But, as with a lot of things involving resistance training, it can get complicated quickly. A big reason for that is the amount of pressure placed on the expected benefits of warming up. There is often an assumption that warm-ups will prevent injury or produce exceptional gains in performance. 

But does warming up actually do those things? Where is the line between sensible preparation and overpromising benefits? And how should you approach warm-up sets if you are newer to resistance training or have never really thought about them before?  

The goal of this article is to help you understand what a warm-up is meant to do and how to apply it in a practical way.

How to Warm-Up For Resistance Training

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New Case Study

Nic’s Long Game With A Little Help From MacroFactor

At MacroFactor, we know we are not always the biggest part of every transformation, but we are proud to play any role. For Nic, we came in during the final stretch of a lot of hard work that was already underway. We are grateful to have played that part, and we hope sharing a bit of Nic’s journey helps someone else take their next step.

At 32, he feels better than he did at 22. Learn how Nic did it, his favorite MacroFactor features, and the advice he’d give to others.

Nic’s Long Game With A Little Help From MacroFactor

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In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

For MacroFactor, we’re continuing to work on further improvements to the AI food-logging workflows. Now, we’re focused on using MacroFactor’s smart AI capabilities to make it easier to create custom foods and to improve the label scanning feature. 

For MacroFactor Workouts, we’re continuing to make updates to the smart progression logic in the app, working on program updates (such as support for a PPL split option in program generation), and creating a super high-quality Apple Watch experience. 

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Food Logging Upgrade, Live Activity, and How to Use Warm-Ups in Your Lifting Programs appeared first on MacroFactor.

New in MacroFactor

This month, we released updates to our recipe creation workflow. It’s now easier than ever to make a recipe in MacroFactor. 

You can snap a photo of a written recipe in a cookbook, and MacroFactor will scan the ingredients and text and pre-fill the recipe details for you. You can then review the results and make any changes or corrections.

Check out our step-by-step instructions for this new workflow here.

As a reminder, you can also import recipes from links!

Whether you’re following a recipe from your favorite food blog, cooking an old favorite from a family cookbook, or creating your own recipe on the spot, MacroFactor’s recipe creation tools have you covered. 

New in Workouts

We also shipped several new updates in MacroFactor Workouts this month. 

More analytics in Levels

First up, you can now see contributing lifts for Levels. In the app, go to Levels, then click on a muscle group to see what lifts are contributing to the average weekly set count. 

Warm-up improvements

Warm-ups are also easier to manage now, with a new option to add warm-ups from a custom scheme and an option to show or hide completed warm-up sets during your workout.  

Skip exercises

Does your program call for an exercise to be done on one week but not the other? You can now skip an exercise for any day in the cycle. 

Import more Jeff Nippard programs

With this update, you can now upload all of the Jeff Nippard programs that are still offered for sale on his website. 

And more! 

• Program generation improvements

• New program create/edit customization options

• Search improvements

• Exercise database updates

• Added daily and weekly program editor muscle group set counts

• Improved exercise description layout and added linked article content

• New setting that lets you choose reps-first instead of weight-first for set-to-set adjustments

• Various settings UI intuition fixes

• Bug fixes and performance improvements

New App Insight 

MacroFactor vs Cal AI: Which App Wins in 2026?

​We compared MacroFactor to Cal AI​, a newer app focused on AI-driven food logging. While the approach emphasizes simplicity, how well does it hold up for tracking Calories and macros?

This article provides a fair and clear side-by-side comparison of MacroFactor and Cal AI, so you can decide which app makes the most sense for you right now.

MacroFactor vs Cal AI: Which App Wins in 2026?

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New Article

How to Use Reps in Reserve for Lifting

Effective training programs rely on systems and a shared language of measurement. Without clear standards, you’re essentially guessing at your progress.

Reps in Reserve (RIR) is a vital part of that vocabulary. It’s a system designed to help you better understand the intensity of your training by measuring how close a set was to failure. By mastering this tool, you can move past guesswork and start regulating your training with more precision.

​In this article​, we cover the origin of Reps in Reserve (RIR) and how the system could help you gauge effort, rather than choosing weights at random.

How to Use Reps in Reserve for Lifting

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In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

The “live activities” feature in MacroFactor Workouts is now in ​beta testing​! Our team is also working on big updates to the strength estimation and fatigue logic in the app, which will smooth out a lot of the irregularities in assigned weight and reps in your workouts.

We’re also making good progress on program updates (i.e., adding a Push Pull Legs split option in program generation), and the Apple Watch experience for MacroFactor Workouts.

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Recipe creation updates, Workouts improvements, and MacroFactor vs Cal AI appeared first on MacroFactor.

New Article

Post-Workout Nutrition: Does Timing Matter?

When you try to learn about post-workout nutrition, you’ll encounter a wide array of expert opinions, ranging from “post-workout nutrition is a make-or-break factor for recovery and training adaptations” to “the entire concept of post-orkout nutrition is a scam, and it doesn’t matter at all.” 

In this article, we’ll cut through that noise.  Our workout nutrition series closes by looking at what happens after you stop training. Some of the questions we will cover include “Is there really an ‘anabolic window’?” and “How important is it to get protein or carbohydrates right after a workout?” We’ll look at what your body is doing post-training and whether timing really matters.

Post-Workout Nutrition: Does Timing Matter?

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New Success Story

From Surviving to Strategizing with MacroFactor

Bryan, a former Division I athlete, spent years working hard in the gym while trying to figure out his nutrition along the way, but without a clear strategy, he often found himself falling into periods of bingeing and not taking the best care of himself. 

Then in 2021, Bryan suffered a stroke, and he knew things needed to change and that he needed structure to make it happen. 

“I knew I couldn’t afford to keep winging it,” he said. “I needed a coach. I needed MacroFactor.” 

​Read Bryan’s full story here​.

From Surviving to Strategizing with MacroFactor

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

Our team is currently working on exciting features for both MacroFactor and Workouts.

In MacroFactor, you’ll soon be able to snap a photo of a recipe to quickly upload recipe details. It’ll make it super fast and simple to create a new recipe and will utilize the same processes as our AI food logging feature.

In Workouts, iOS users will soon see live activities for their workouts. You’ll be able to see your active set and rest timer on your lock screen, and see your rest timer in your dynamic island.

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Final Article in the Workout Nutrition Series, New Case Study, and Live Activity Coming Soon appeared first on MacroFactor.

New Releases: Versions 1.1.1 through 1.1.3

Here’s what’s new:

You can now get rest timer notifications even when your phone is on silent or playing music, so you don’t miss the next set. 🔔

Basic cardio support is here. Cardio equipment and exercises are now available in your Gym Profile and Exercise Search, including running, cycling, swimming, air bike, and more.

Workouts can now write data directly to Apple Health, making it easier to keep everything in one place.

We also fixed various bugs and made a handful of minor UI and usability tweaks to smooth things out.

New Article

Intra-Workout Nutrition: What Matters Once Training Begins

​Our second article in this series​ looks at fueling during training sessions, the factors that influence it, and how to fuel if needed.

In the simplest terms, pre-workout nutrition describes your starting point and what you bring into the session.

How recently have you eaten? What did you eat? How much? Intra-workout nutrition looks at how well that fuel sustains your session. Do you have nutrition available for the duration of your session? And if you add fuel mid-session, what’s ideal?

Intra-Workout Nutrition: What Matters Once Training Begins

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New Success Story

How RJ Balanced Medical School, Training, and Recovery

RJ Norton knows what it means to set goals and keep pushing forward. As she entered the second half of her first year of medical school, she set her sights on getting stronger, improving her pull-ups, and even finishing a novel with her writers’ group.   

“Diet apps have some major potential for abuse and anxiety,” she said. “I really appreciate that MacroFactor makes recommendations that are based in solid science, updates weekly to account for your lifestyle changes, and provides trend data to avoid the frustration that can come with watching the scale go up and down.”   

​Read RJ’s full story here​.

How RJ Balanced Medical School, Training, and Recovery

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

For MacroFactor, we’re working on an improvement to the recipe creation workflow. You’ll soon be able to use photos and text to upload recipe details. This new feature will use the same processes as our AI food logging feature. 

For MacroFactor Workouts, we’re putting the finishing touches on live activities. Live activities on iOS will allow you to see your active set and rest timer on your lock screen, and see your rest timer in your dynamic island. 

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Rest Timer Updates, Expanded Cardio Support, And Workout Nutrition Insights appeared first on MacroFactor.

Welcome to the first MacroFactor Monthly of 2026! Did you set any New Year’s Resolutions this year? If you have fitness goals, we hope our apps can help you achieve them this year. 

MacroFactor Workouts 

This month, we launched MacroFactor Workouts, our new app that’s built to help you track, train, and progress your strength and hypertrophy workouts. 

We’ve already said a lot about the app in other emails and posts in our communities, but to put it briefly: MacroFactor Workouts can build you a personalized workout plan (or help you build a custom one yourself), efficiently and comprehensively track strength- and hypertrophy-focused workouts, and guide long-term progression based on how your body is adapting. 

If you haven’t downloaded the new app yet, you can find it on the App Store and Google Play and learn how to bundle the two apps and save on subscription costs here. 

New Post-Release Workouts Features

We’ve already released a new update to MacroFactor Workouts with improved search and powered-up smart progression.

Here’s what’s new: 

Many of you asked for the ability to add custom exercises directly from search when you’re building a program or workout. You can now do this by tapping the plus button at the top of the page to access the custom exercise builder! And remember, you can always manage your exercises from the More page. 

Exercise search now mirrors MacroFactor’s plate, and exercises slide into a track above your search as you add them, signaling workflow success more clearly. You can collapse the search to reveal a management interface for the new exercises. 

We also improved smart progression features. The app can now widen a set’s target rep range when it’s optimal to do so, and offer fixes for all applicable sets at once. This should fix 95% of the instances in which you had to click the progression wand to fix wonky-looking sets.

Lastly, we updated the Smith Machine to use a barbell-style plate calculator, fixed various bugs, and made minor UI usability tweaks.

New Article

Pre-Workout Nutrition: What the Science Actually Says About Fueling Your Training

Workout nutrition advice is everywhere and can leave you wondering what to eat before, during, or after training. That’s why we’re doing a short series on pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout nutrition to explore what you might need for your next session and what’s worth testing.

In this first article, we’ll focus on pre-workout nutrition and what the research shows about eating before training. Is it okay to train fasted? Is breakfast enough to support training? Do you need specific amounts of protein or carbohydrate beforehand? We’ll review what the evidence shows to help you make more informed choices.

Pre-Workout Nutrition: What the Science Actually Says About Fueling Your Training

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

We’re looking forward to many improvements for both MacroFactor and Workouts in 2026!

Over the coming months, here’s what we’re working on in Workouts: The next major release will be the Apple Health integration. This will allow workouts logged in MacroFactor Workouts to be written directly to Apple Health, improving compatibility with activity and health tracking on iOS.  

In addition, we are working on systems to improve exercise search. The goal is to make it easier to find exercises that match individual preferences and equipment, with faster filtering and more intelligent handling of similar movements and variants.

We’re also working on some updates to the AI food logging features in MacroFactor that we’ll be able to tell you more about in one of the next editions of this newsletter. 

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Workout App Launched, Version Updates, And Deep-Dive On Workout Nutrition appeared first on MacroFactor.

We are hard at work preparing for the launch of MacroFactor Workouts in early January. 

Here are the Workouts-related updates we announced this month: 

How much will MacroFactor Workouts cost? 

When MacroFactor Workouts is released, anyone can try the new app for free. 

Current MacroFactor customers can then get both MacroFactor and Workouts bundled together for an exclusive low rate.

Current MacroFactor subscribers save big: Get the MacroFactor + Workouts Bundle for only $71.99 USD for your first year.

• When you upgrade to the bundle, the Workouts app is FREE for your first year!
• After your first year, the bundle renews for only $18/year more than MacroFactor alone ($89.99 USD / year).

Act fast: Secure this deal by making sure you have an active MacroFactor account before January 1, 2026! (Active trials count!)

If you’d rather do a shorter-term subscription or only use one app, Workouts will cost $11.99/month (the same price as MacroFactor).

Questions about the price and bundle? Go here. It includes details about how the bundle works for current annual subscribers, who is eligible for the bundle, and answers to other common questions.

MacroFactor Workouts AMA on Reddit

This month, we hosted a Reddit AMA focused on the upcoming MacroFactor Workouts app. Users were able to ask questions directly and get clear answers from the MacroFactor team about how the app works, what’s included at launch, and how it’s designed to evolve over time.

We covered topics including:

• How training progression works in practice
• The difference between smart-generated programs and fully custom programs
• Long-term tracking for lifts and muscle groups
• Managing and customizing multiple gym environments with different equipment
• Custom exercises, notes, and integration with MacroFactor Nutrition

If you’d like to dig into the full discussion, you can read the AMA here. 

New Article

Are Organic Foods Healthier and Safer Than Conventional?

While environmental concerns and animal welfare can play a role in people’s decisions to choose organic, health concerns are the main reason people choose organic over conventional foods. In this article, I’ll break down the key farming practices and guidelines for organic plant and animal foods, and focus on two areas: nutrient content and food safety. More importantly, we’ll look at whether these differences matter in any practical way for your daily food decisions.

Are Organic Foods Healthier and Safer Than Conventional?

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New Success Story

From Setback to Steps Forward: Cass’s Journey With MacroFactor

Cass, 41, lives in Florida and is the editor in chief of BroBible.com. He spent years dealing with injuries without realizing how much his diet could also play a role. Once he decided to take his health more seriously, he started looking at the habits behind his training and nutrition. 

“Prior to MacroFactor, I was the poster child of people who thought they could out-exercise a bad diet,” he said. “Once I discovered MacroFactor, I was able to identify the areas in my diet where I thought I was being healthy without having any recognition of the Calories I was consuming.”

From Setback to Steps Forward: Cass’s Journey With MacroFactor

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

We’re in the home stretch of preparing MacroFactor Workouts for launch, and are excited to share it with everyone in early January. 

Right now, our developers are working through beta feedback to squash bugs, refine algorithms, and resolve UX gaps. 

Another exciting element that we’re working on right now is adding exercise demo videos to the app!

You can track more than 900 different exercises in MacroFactor Workouts, and Jeff Nippard recorded demo videos for 638 of those – with three angles per exercise and super detailed technique notes too!

The demo videos will be available for your reference during a workout, and their corresponding thumbnails are shown when you’re reviewing a workout or scrolling through the exercise library. 

Before we sign off, we also wanted to take some space to answer two common questions we’re seeing about Workouts: 

• When will MacroFactor Workouts be out? The most precise answer we can give at this time is “early January.” We aren’t able to provide an exact date. 
• Can I be a beta tester? We do not need any more beta testers before launch; our team already has enough feedback to refine the app and get it ready for public release. Thank you for your patience!

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

See you in January!

The post Workouts AMA, Pricing Preview, and a Look at Organic vs Conventional Foods appeared first on MacroFactor.

New Release: Shortcuts Revamp

This update gives your shortcuts a full redesign! You can customize shortcut colors, add any shortcut to your toolbar, and set the shortcut sheet to display as few as 1 or as many as 14 shortcuts. You can also toggle shortcuts on or off, or remove the entire shortcut sheet for a more minimal setup.

You can find all of these options by pressing the Quick Actions button (the + button at the bottom middle of your screen) and going to More > Shortcuts. If you want a walkthrough, check out this KB article for navigation tips.

New App Insight: An Examination of MacroFactor’s Expenditure Modifiers

Last month, in our 5.5.0 release, we introduced two new Expenditure Modifiers: Step-informed updates and predictive goal adjustment. These modifiers build on the V3 expenditure algorithm and give you optional tools to improve the accuracy and responsiveness of your expenditure estimate in the app and, thus, your Calorie targets.

In this new article, Greg explains what the new modifiers do, how they work within the existing system, and why they support better long-term predictions. He also walks through a small update to protein recommendations based on new evidence. If you want a deeper look at the changes, the full breakdown is now available.

An Examination of MacroFactor’s Expenditure Modifiers

Read the article

New Article: How Does Alcohol Affect Body Composition?

Drinking is deeply woven into social life around the world. Globally, roughly 43 percent of adults drink at least once a year, with higher rates in Europe and the Americas. Because of that, it’s common for people pursuing fitness or body composition changes to wonder how alcohol fits into the picture. Does a glass of wine at dinner matter? Will a few beers after a workout undo your effort?  

This article looks at how alcohol affects body composition and whether there’s still room for it in your goals. 

How Does Alcohol Affect Body Composition?

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New Case Study: How Terry Used Data to Take Control of His Results

As a 34-year-old engineer and powerlifter, Terry Jones has always trusted data to deliver the best results. But when it came to managing his nutrition, the tools he used couldn’t keep up. The soon-to-be dad wanted something more accurate and adaptable, and that’s when he found MacroFactor.

“Pairing my nutrition improvements in MacroFactor with my new training and coaching, I’m honestly shocked at the results I’ve seen,” he said.

How Terry Used Data to Take Control of His Results

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

We are entering the final sprint toward the MacroFactor Workouts app release! 

As a reminder, the app will come out in early 2026, and we’ll be welcoming a new group of beta testers in early to mid-December. We’ll have an open, first-come first-served call for beta participants in our Facebook group and subreddit. 

Have you been keeping up with the previews of the new app that we’ve been sharing on Instagram and in the communities? Make sure you’re following us there to see a few more in the coming weeks. 

Here’s what we’ve revealed so far: 

Confirmed features in previews: 

• ⏰ Workout Time and Rest Timer
• 📓 Notes
• 🤝 Left / Right Reps  
• 🪫 RIR Tracker
• 💪 Partial Reps  

Confirmed features in previews: 

• 🧞‍♂️ Personalized Workout Programs
• ⚖️ Scale Weight Considerations
• 🧮 Plate Calculator
• 🏋️‍♂️ Bar Weight Options
• 🤓 Save Your Own Routines

We have a few more exciting announcements about app features, pricing for MFers, and the launch date coming soon!

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Shortcuts Revamp, Understanding Expenditure Modifiers, and Workouts Previews appeared first on MacroFactor.

New Release: Expenditure Modifiers

MacroFactor’s expenditure algorithm is at the heart of the MacroFactor coaching system. It’s what allows the app to adjust your weekly Calorie and macronutrient targets to keep you on track toward your goals.

Expenditure V3 was already the best-in-class algorithm for goal-driven diet programming. In this update, the algorithm’s performance was slightly enhanced across the board with Expenditure Modifiers. 

An Expenditure Modifier is an optional add-on to the algorithm that enables you to eke out extra performance in specific scenarios.

Try out MacroFactor’s two new Expenditure Modifiers by enabling them from the More Menu under “Expenditure” in Feature Settings.

Step-Informed Updates: This modifier uses step trends to speed up expenditure updates during periods where the step data improves confidence.

• We do NOT attempt to directly assign an expenditure value to your steps or activity.

Predictive Goal Adjustment: This modifier applies a predictive adjustment to expenditure based on the likely impact of goal changes.

• As a predictive modifier, we’re necessarily getting ahead of the data here, so one should expect less than ideal results if they set a goal they don’t intend to pursue.

If you want to learn more about these changes, stay tuned! Greg is working on a new article discussing the overall impact they have on algorithmic accuracy. It will be published in the next few weeks.

New App Insight: MacroFactor vs. MyFitnessPal: Which Macro Tracking App Wins in 2025?

There are a lot of food logging apps out there, but none with the name recognition of MyFitnessPal. It’s been the go-to choice for millions of people, and for many, it’s where their tracking journey started. But is it the best app for people who want to track their food and macros in 2025? 

If you’ve ever wondered how the two compare, from cost and accuracy to coaching features and data insights, we’ve broken it all down in one place so you can see which app makes the most sense for your goals.

MacroFactor vs. MyFitnessPal: Which Macro Tracking App Wins in 2025?

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New Case Study: Escaping the All-or-Nothing Mindset with MacroFactor

Andriana is a 33-year-old who spent years battling the balance between training and food in her life. She put too much mental energy into food and often felt like her efforts in training were wasted because her body never reflected the work she put in. The mismatch left her frustrated and searching for a better way.

Once Andriana began using MacroFactor, she started to see what the right diet for her could actually do.

“I started to fuel my body properly, and as a result, I had more energy in the gym. Shockingly, after years of trying, I nailed my first proper push-up,” she said. “That small win was a huge milestone and proof that my body was responding positively. It showed that my previous jump from one extreme to another was stealing a lot from my progress.”

Escaping the All-or-Nothing Mindset with MacroFactor

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

We’re continuing to make great progress on our new app, MacroFactor Workouts, which is scheduled for release in January. 

One thing we’re currently working on in the app is finalizing the smart program-building and auto-progression algorithms in the app. 

Imagine having a coach who keeps up with exercise science research, reviews every single one of your workouts, and makes thoughtful suggestions and updates for how to update your program to keep making progress. 

Using MacroFactor Workouts will be like having that coach in your pocket. It takes the guesswork out of making gains and gives you smart recommendations for your workouts based on what you’ve done in the past. 

Here’s how it’ll work:

When you start using MacroFactor Workouts, the app will walk you through a questionnaire about your goals, experience level, and equipment availability. Then, the app will create a custom strength training program, personalized just for you. In that way, it’ll be similar to creating your macro program in MacroFactor!

As you start logging workouts, MacroFactor Workouts will handle progressive overload. The app automatically adjusts your weight and reps from session to session to help you avoid plateaus and keep you on track toward your strength and hypertrophy goals.

The app will serve you these auto-progression recommendations regardless of whether you use a program we create for you, or whether you’re running a program of your own.

In addition, MacroFactor Workouts will be able to estimate and account for fatigue over the course of a training session, and will suggest smart exercise substitutions if you want to swap anything out. 

We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the new app!

You’ll have an opportunity to receive access to the MacroFactor Workouts beta soon. In November or December, we’ll have an open, first-come call for beta participants in our Facebook group and subreddit. 

Then, the app will be available to everyone in early January 2026.

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Expenditure Modifiers, New Success Story, and MacroFactor Workouts Progress appeared first on MacroFactor.

MacroFactor on WatchOS

MacroFactor’s powerful tools for smart food logging are now available on Apple Watch, and it’s the most effortless way to track meals anywhere, from the kitchen to the café.

On the watch, MacroFactor surfaces the essentials at a glance: calories, macros, and key micronutrients.

A scrollable timeline lets you review what you ate throughout the day, so you can efficiently add foods to their proper place and gain insight into your day.

Designed for approachability and precision, MacroFactor pairs a clean, glanceable interface with deep nutritional details when you want them. Voice logging, haptics, and complications – all available on your wrist.

To learn more, check out the full update here.

Community Foods and App Icon Customization

Our community has already contributed over 300,000 foods to the Open Food Facts open source initiative this year. Now, in addition to finding these foods with the barcode scanner, you can also find them in search. Head to More > Food Log > Food Search to enable Open Food Facts results.

This release also includes an update to give you more control over your app experience.

With the latest update (5.4.4), you can now customize your MacroFactor app icon. Whether you want to keep it classic or switch it up with the new look, the choice is yours.

Head to More > Other > App Icon on iOS or Android to make the change and personalize your homescreen.

New App Insight: Is MacroFactor Still The Fastest Food Logger? (2025 FLSI Update)

This month, we revisited one of the most important ways to compare food logging apps: speed.

Using the Food Logging Speed Index (FLSI), we tested how quickly today’s top apps let you log meals through search, multi-add, barcode scans, and quick-add Calories.

But did anyone manage to catch MacroFactor at the top?

Check out the chart below for the results, then be sure to check out the full article here to learn more about the tests and results.

New Article: How Menopause Impacts Body Composition, Strength, and Performance

Menopause is a topic that brings strong reactions and confusion, and the information online can leave people feeling more overwhelmed or worried than informed. Additionally, menopause is not a single event that occurs over a short period; it unfolds gradually over many years, so this can make it hard to separate the effects of menopause from those of aging. In short, as a topic, it’s a lot. 

In this article, we’ll look at what to expect with aging in general, how menopause can add its own effects, and what this all means regarding body composition, strength, and performance. Hopefully, this will provide some guidance on how to approach this phase of your life (or better understand it for clients or a loved one).

How Menopause Impacts Body Composition, Strength, and Performance

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New Success Stories

Case Study: How Brandon Lost 40lb and Overcame a Rut

Brandon, a 35-year-old professional and father, faced a tough stretch with injuries and two skin cancer surgeries. He hit a low point, frustrated by not being able to play basketball or do the activities that once brought him so much joy.

“In all honesty, I used those circumstances as an excuse to feed my body absolute junk,” he said. “I couldn’t work out or play sports the way I wanted to, and I was in a rough spot toward the end of the year.”

Check out this new case study featuring Brandon’s story to see how he achieved his goals.

How Brandon Lost 40lb and Overcame a Rut

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In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

On the occasion of MacroFactor’s fourth anniversary earlier this month, we published our MacroFactor Annual Report.

In the report, we reflect on the improvements made to MacroFactor in its fourth year, and provide a sneak peek at the development we’re planning for Year 5.

The main thing we’re working on right now (and the main focus of that section of the Annual Report) is MacroFactor Workouts.

If you haven’t heard, we are building a workout app that will embody the same data-driven approach and intuitive experience you value in your nutrition tracking with MacroFactor.

MacroFactor Workouts will craft a personalized resistance training workout program for you based on your goals, experience, the equipment you have access to, and more. As you start tracking your workouts, the app then uses auto-progression to dynamically adjust your program based on your progress.

We know you’re eager to learn more about the features and structure of this new app, and we’ll have many more details to share in the next few months.

MacroFactor Workouts Beta Begins Soon

You will have the opportunity to test the new MacroFactor Workouts app very soon! In fact, the first few beta testers will get access to an early version of the app in just a few weeks.

Here’s how we’re picking beta testers:

We’ll start with users who completed the survey we sent out a few months ago.

There will be multiple waves of new people coming in, with the first waves being very small and gradually getting larger.

Later in the beta period (likely November or December), we’ll have an open, first-come call for more beta participants in our Facebook group and subreddit. If you didn’t fill out the survey a few months ago, this is your opportunity to claim a spot in beta!

Then, the app will be available to everyone in early January 2026.

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post MacroFactor on watchOS, Fastest Food Logger Index Results, and beta for Workouts appeared first on MacroFactor.

New article: The Connections Between Sleep, Weight, and Exercise

Sleep plays a key role in both body composition and performance. And slightly pun intended, but its importance is often slept on, despite it being a free and available aid.

In this article, we explore how sleep influences hunger and performance, and how training and nutrition, in turn, impact sleep. If you’re trying to optimize this part of your life, take a moment for this one. You might pick up a helpful tip or two.

What you’ll learn in this article:

• How sleep duration and quality could affect weight regulation or lean mass retention
• The impact of sleep debt on hormones or recovery
• Which types of performances are affected by loss of sleep (skill vs. strength, endurance, etc)
• How exercise and weight loss influence sleep quality and duration
• Practical strategies to improve sleep

To read more, check out the full article.

The Connections Between Sleep, Weight, and Exercise

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Case Study: How Ryan Built a Routine and Brought His Family With Him

Ryan, a 35-year-old father of three, knows what it means to put in a day’s hard work. He regularly juggles the demands of three jobs while trying to be present for his wife and kids. That leaves him with very little time to focus on his health or nutrition. Trying to find the balance, Ryan decided to use the 100-Day Challenge and found the structure he’d been missing.

“MacroFactor pulled me out of the quicksand,” he said. “It not only changed me, but the lifestyle of my family of five who follows my example every day.”

Check out this new case study featuring Ryan’s story to see how he achieved his goals.

How Ryan Built a Routine and Brought His Family With Him

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Case Study: How Molly Rebuilt Her Relationship With Progress

Molly is a 34-year-old who travels often for work. For years, she battled lifestyle and health problems, and was diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia after slowly losing her hair for years. She had cycled through countless apps, challenges, and restrictive eating plans, and was ready for change. The problem? She still hadn’t found a system that allowed her to make progress without feeling miserable in the process. 

“Even when I ate something ‘healthy,’ I felt like I was doing something wrong,” Molly said. “I couldn’t enjoy food at all. I was surviving, but I wasn’t living. And I definitely wasn’t healing.”

Check out this new case study on how Molly changed her story.

How Molly Rebuilt Her Relationship With Progress

Read the article

In Case You Missed It

We share a lot of informative content on our Instagram and in our groups on Facebook and Reddit throughout the month. 

Here are some of our favorites from the past few weeks, in case you missed them. 

What We’re Working On

The Apple Watch app has been in beta testing and is the next feature down the pipeline. We’re looking forward to sharing it with everyone soon.

Next month is MacroFactor’s 4-year anniversary, which means we’ll be sharing our Annual Report. The purpose of the Annual Report is to document the changes and improvements we’ve made in the app and as a business in the last year, as well as to give you a peek behind the curtain at our plans for the future. (Here are our prior reports: 2022, 2023, and 2024.) 

In this year’s report, we’ll be sharing an update on MacroFactor Workouts, our new app that is scheduled to be released in January. 

To learn more about what we’re working on, check our public roadmap​ to see our plans for new features and improvements. You can also submit features for consideration and vote on the upcoming features that are the highest priority to you. 

The post Sleep’s Role on Our Bodies, More Success Stories, and a Preview to Our Annual Report appeared first on MacroFactor.