Accountability Coaching|August 9, 2026|Francis
How to Import a Doctor, PT, Dietitian, or Workout Plan Into BodyBuddy
Import a PDF, photo, spreadsheet, or pasted plan into BodyBuddy, review what it extracted, and turn off any action you do not want on your agenda.
A useful plan can still disappear into an inbox, camera roll, or gym bag. Plan Import brings a doctor’s after-visit summary, a physical therapist’s home instructions, a dietitian’s plan, or a trainer’s workout schedule into BodyBuddy so the parts that require follow-through can stay visible.
Plan Import is an organizational aid, not an authority. Compare each imported item with the original before using it. Trackable actions are turned on by default, so switch off anything wrong, unclear, duplicated, or not meant for your agenda.
What you can import
BodyBuddy accepts:
- a photo taken in the app;
- an image already on your phone;
- a PDF;
- a CSV file;
- an XLS or XLSX spreadsheet; or
- plan text pasted directly into the app.
That covers sources such as after-visit summaries, printed PT handouts, dietitian documents, trainer spreadsheets, and plans written in another app.
Keep your own copy of the original. The BodyBuddy version is an organized working record, not a replacement for the source document.
How to import a plan into BodyBuddy
1. Open Add a plan
Open the Plans tab and tap Add a plan.
Choose Import a file for a photo, PDF, CSV, or spreadsheet. Choose Paste a plan when you already have the instructions as text.
2. Choose the clearest source
The Import a plan sheet offers three options:
- Take a photo
- Choose a photo
- Choose a file
For a photo, place the page on a flat surface, use even lighting, and keep the full page in frame. Photo import reads one image at a time. For a multipage document, use a supported PDF when possible.
For a spreadsheet, upload the actual file instead of a screenshot. Preserving the rows, columns, and sheet names gives BodyBuddy more structure to work with.
You can also associate an import with someone already on your Team. Open that person, tap Photo or upload a visit, then choose Take a photo, Choose a photo, or Choose a file. The picker displays Add a visit with that person’s name, and the resulting plan stays associated with them.
3. Let BodyBuddy finish reading it
The new row in Plans shows Processing… while extraction runs. The detail screen says BodyBuddy is reading your plan, document, or instructions, depending on the result. You can leave the screen and return from Plans.
Before a file import creates a plan, it must produce readable text. A PDF with an unusable text layer may go through bounded optical character recognition. If BodyBuddy still cannot read the file, no plan is created and you will need a clearer photo or fresh export.
When processing succeeds, the plan may contain:
- a plain-language overview;
- organized sections from the source;
- notes and follow-ups;
- the person or source connected to the plan; and
- actions BodyBuddy can place on your agenda.
4. Compare the result with the original
Read the imported plan beside the source before relying on it.
Check:
- dates and times;
- names, amounts, and units;
- sets, repetitions, duration, and frequency;
- restrictions and stopping instructions;
- the difference between an action and a question to ask;
- anything missing, duplicated, or placed in the wrong section.
The Looks right and Something’s off buttons record your assessment. They do not edit the extracted record, rerun the import, or change its agenda switches.
If something is incorrect, switch off the affected action. If the source was unclear, archive the plan and import a clearer version.
5. Choose what belongs on your agenda
Trackable actions from an imported plan normally arrive with their switches on. An active switch means the item is on your agenda and can shape BodyBuddy’s follow-up.
Turn off anything that is:
- incorrect or unclear;
- duplicated;
- already complete;
- included only for reference; or
- not something you want BodyBuddy tracking.
You can turn an item back on later.
A long document may contain background information, education, and only a few actions. The switches let you keep the complete record while choosing which parts deserve ongoing attention.
Current import limits
- Photos: one image per import, up to 10 MB. BodyBuddy normalizes the upload to JPEG.
- PDFs: up to 20 MB. Text extraction reads at most the first 50 pages.
- Scanned PDFs: optical character recognition is available for eligible PDFs up to eight pages and 10 MB when no usable text layer is present.
- CSV, XLS, and XLSX: up to 10 MB.
- Spreadsheets: the first 30 sheets, with up to 2,000 rows and 64 columns from each sheet.
- Extracted document text: BodyBuddy reads the first 20,000 characters and adds a truncation notice when more remains.
- Pasted text: up to 20,000 characters.
A blurry image, damaged file, empty workbook, or unusually large document may require a clearer photo or a smaller export.
A synthetic example
Demo only — the following is fictional and contains no medical instructions.
Suppose a sample handout from Demo Care Center says:
- review the original handout before relying on the imported copy;
- log applicable handout review each day for the next 30 days;
- write down questions as they come up and review the list weekly; and
- bring the original handout and question list to the next appointment.
A useful import keeps the daily action, weekly review, and appointment note distinct. If BodyBuddy turns a reference note into an unwanted recurring task, switch it off. The source remains available for comparison, while the agenda contains only what you want BodyBuddy to follow up on.
Keep the source in charge. BodyBuddy can organize instructions and help with follow-through. It cannot decide whether to change medication, progress rehabilitation, reinterpret a result, alter a therapeutic diet, or resolve conflicting advice. Bring unclear clinical instructions back to the clinician or pharmacist who provided them. Do not use Plan Import for urgent or emergency care.
What happens to the source file?
For an imported photo, BodyBuddy retains a normalized JPEG copy with metadata such as EXIF and GPS removed.
For a PDF, BodyBuddy retains the uploaded bytes as a source attachment.
For CSV, XLS, and XLSX imports, BodyBuddy extracts the readable plan information and discards the original file bytes. The organized plan record can remain.
Direct recipient shares and Copy read-only link can include source attachments that are ready to view. For eligible plans, Invite anyone to join this plan publishes the exact plan snapshot shown in the preview. Source attachments and account preferences are excluded, but the displayed plan text, summary, sections, and actions become public—review every word before publishing.
Review the BodyBuddy Privacy Policy before importing sensitive information, and leave out unrelated details the plan does not need.
Archive, unarchive, and delete do different jobs
Archive moves the plan out of the active Plans list and retires its active agenda items. You can unarchive the plan later, but doing so does not reactivate those old items.
While a plan is archived, its direct shares and copied read-only link stop opening the plan. Their records remain, so access can return if you unarchive it.
A live joinable public page is different: archiving its source plan does not take that page down. Use Stop sharing to close it to new people.
Delete permanently removes the plan, its stored source record and attachments, linked agenda items and logged history, direct shares, copied read-only link, and public publication. This cannot be undone.
Permanent deletion cannot erase screenshots, downloads, or other copies someone already made. It also cannot recall a plan another person already added to their own account.
If access must end without deleting the plan, use Unshare, Revoke public link, and, when present, Stop sharing before archiving.
Turn the source into something you can follow
The useful part of Plan Import is not merely getting a summary. It is finding the few actions buried inside a larger document, reviewing them against the source, and deciding which ones should remain visible during the week.
If you have a plan sitting in your inbox, camera roll, or bag, get BodyBuddy on the App Store, open Plans, and add the source you already trust.
Put this into practice
Choose a useful next step
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