New and noteworthy
New Feature: Beta for food timeline
Over the last several months, we’ve been working on a revamped version of the food timeline in MacroFactor.
We’re so excited to say that the new experience is now available in beta!
This timeline revamp upgrades the primary “Food Log” page that you access from the main navigation and the respective food detail view.
In addition to visual changes that make the timeline adhere to our new design system, you’ll also find some new, highly requested features.
- In-line macro summaries shown directly on the food hour, so you don’t have to collapse/uncollapse hours
- Ability to customize the information shown on the food tiles on the timeline (much like you can do with the search tiles now)
- Features and improved functionality that make actions like copying and moving foods much easier
- Sweeping workflow enhancements that streamline common utilities and make all food-level actions more discoverable and actionable
- Alignment of the food timeline to the new design system established in prior revamps
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the changes:

If you’d like to participate in the beta, you can opt in by going to More > Beta in the app. Learn more and plug into the discussion in our posts in the Facebook group and subreddit.
- Important note: This is a beta, so you may encounter some bugs. Minor aspects of the new experience may change before the timeline revamp comes out of beta.
If you’d rather wait until the revamp is dialed in and out of beta, that’s cool too! We’ll give you an update in next month’s MacroFactor Monthly.
How to get the newest version of the app: If you have app updates turned on, you will get the newest version automatically. If you want to manually update the app, you can find instructions for iPhone here and instructions for Android here.
New Article: Can You Lose Fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time?
A large percentage of MacroFactor users have long-term goals that involve a combination of both muscle gain and fat loss.
The conventional wisdom within the fitness world suggests that they should focus on one of these goals at a time, as the dietary recommendations for gaining muscle and losing fat are, on the surface, contradictory.
So, is it possible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time? Who, if anyone, can actually achieve this feat? Is it ever advisable to pursue both goals simultaneously?
These are the exact questions that this new article by Eric Trexler aims to cover.
Read the new article here.
New Case Study: Davis’ 20lb weight loss
We’re excited to share a new MacroFactor case study with you today, too!
Davis Wanless used MacroFactor to lose 20 pounds, better understand her body’s needs, and improve her relationship with food.
“[MacroFactor] used my data to help guide me to understand my body’s needs,” Davis said. “So I wouldn’t restrict when my body needs fuel to power my workouts, and not overeat when life gets stressful.”
Read the new case study here.
Noteworthy Article: Evidence-Based Goal Setting and Behavior Change
Are you looking to achieve a goal or New Year’s Resolution in 2023?
Turns out, most of what you’ve probably heard about goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions is wrong at best, or incomplete at worst.
Successful goal attainment and behavior change are possible, but leaning exclusively on willpower and determination isn’t likely to get the job done.
This article from the Stronger By Science archive covers evidence-based strategies to support New Year’s resolutions by promoting successful behavior change and goal achievement.
Make sure to check it out now, as Eric is planning to publish a follow-up article on the topic at the start of January.
Read the article here.
What we’re working on
Food Timeline and what’s next in development
We’ve been focusing on this huge food timeline revamp for the past several months. Now that it’s in beta, we are concentrating on gathering feedback and making final tweaks before releasing the new timeline to everyone.
At the same time, we’ve been making progress on the infrastructure for the desktop version of the app. As we mentioned in our Annual Report in September, our focal points for this year are the timeline revamp (which is almost done now!), building out micronutrient-related features in the app, and the desktop version. We’re looking forward to being able to dive in deep (and give some more updates) on those other two items very soon.
Learn more about what we’re working on: As always, you can also check our public roadmap to see our short- to medium-term 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.
Content to support you in the New Year
We have tons of new content coming your way in January – including more new articles, another case study, videos, podcast episodes, and more.
The best way to stay up to date with all of that is to join our communities on Facebook, Reddit, or Instagram.