Why do you care if people read your food diary?

domeofstars

This is a question for the people who have their food diary set to private. I'm just wondering why you care if people read it?

nooshi713

I am just a private person. It is not true that those with private diaries have something to hide. I am very accurate and measure in grams.

I will also add that a lot of what I eat is home cooked meals made in the recipe builder. Not sure if people would be able to see the ingredients. I never took the time to make it public.

kshama2001

As "Private" is the default setting, many did not make the choice for their diaries to be private - it came that way and stayed that way.

When I used to pay attention to my feed, I saw comments about other people's diaries that I'd rather not have to deal with myself. Not necessarily negative; just felt intrusive to me.

Also, I don't care what other people eat and just don't understand the interest. I feel like there are far better sources for inspiration:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/22453/everyday-cooking/special-collections/web-show-recipes/food-wishes/main-dishes/

https://www.177milkstreet.com

https://cooking.nytimes.com

And the one reference everyone should have (IMHO):

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-Irma-S-Rombauer-ebook/dp/B00AK78VTA

age_is_just_a_number

I’m not interested in what other people are eating and don’t feel like other people should be interested in what I eat.
I also don’t log everyday.

domeofstars

Oh ok cool I understand your points of view. Especially if private is the default setting anyway.
To me though, I may idly have a look at someone's food diary, but I'm not going to scrutinize it intensely...I don't think anyone would.
Plus it's not like it's my deepest darkest secrets, just what i have eaten and drunk that day.

domeofstars

kshama2001 wrote: »

As "Private" is the default setting, many did not make the choice for their diaries to be private - it came that way and stayed that way.

When I used to pay attention to my feed, I saw comments about other people's diaries that I'd rather not have to deal with myself. Not necessarily negative; just felt intrusive to me.

Also, I don't care what other people eat and just don't understand the interest. I feel like there are far better sources for inspiration:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/22453/everyday-cooking/special-collections/web-show-recipes/food-wishes/main-dishes/

https://www.177milkstreet.com

https://cooking.nytimes.com

And the one reference everyone should have (IMHO):

https://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-Irma-S-Rombauer-ebook/dp/B00AK78VTA

Thank you, those are great links 🙏🤗

Diatonic12

I know myself. I would try to spruce it UP and I don't need to do that. I would decorate and edit, make it look I know how to cook as well as some of these chefs here. I make good homecooked meals. Nothing fancy. I just want some place that belongs all to me in a judgment free zone. I've never looked at anyone's food diary. Truth.

Sidenote: I didn't disagree with you either.

lynn_glenmont

If there's someone's diary you want to read and it's private, ask them.

I just can't imagine how my diary would help anyone. It's not based on some specific "named" diet or even a restrictive WOE if someone needed help figuring out what to eat if they're vegan keto or whatever. And a lot of my meals are cooked from scratch -- so either recipes where all you would see is the name, or ingredients that you would have no idea whether I ate them as a salad, a stir-fry, a soup, etc.

And, as @kshama2001 mentioned, I have seen people making critical or intrusive comments in feeds -- and in discussion threads as well, although not that often.

Diatonic12

That's the truth right there. ^^^

NovusDies

I have lost a ridiculous amount of weight. People might try to mimic how I eat. That would be missing the point of calorie counting.

Also, how I log works for me. It is a balance of precision and looseness designed to allow me to log fast. It works because there are specific daily habits to support it. It took months for it all to fall into place. It would be a bad idea to look at my log and think it is a good example.

spiriteagle99

Because I get a lot of exercise, I can eat a lot. I am in maintenance and how I eat works for me, but would be no help to someone wanting to lose weight. I've been maintaining for several years, so my logging is pretty loose. I never weigh anything. Mostly it serves to remind me of the consequences of my choices.

The only time I look at someone else's diary is if they are complaining that they can't lose weight and don't know why. Sometimes the answer is obvious - erratic logging or picking data that undercounts the calories. Usually those who ask the question have their diary set to private, so it is impossible to tell if logging issues are the problem.

domeofstars

I didn't think of intrusive or critical comments. To me if someone specifically asks for diet advice/ways they might improve their diet, critical feedback might be ok. But only if done in a kind way and only because the person has sought feedback. We're all doing the best that we can to lose weight and even if we aren't, that's ok too.

Dogmom1978

My diary was private and then someone asked me about it and I made it public. I told that person that I don’t actually eat well at all and that they would be better served checking out the diary of someone who can

A: cook
B: eat in a more balanced manner

I lose weight consistently and I eat what I want, just in smaller portions than I used to...

I only check people’s diaries though if they are asking for help with why they aren’t losing weight. Otherwise, I never look at them.

JessAndreia

I think mine is set to private just because it's the default setting. I post in the forum but honestly, I don't ever log anything. I'm pretty decent at estimating the calories I ate for the day (occasionally weigh things). I'm also at a weight where I can maintain or I can gain a few pounds and still be well within normal weight, so even if I go over my daily calories a little on a day or two it's fine.

kika5105

nooshi713 wrote: »

I am just a private person. It is not true that those with private diaries have something to hide. I am very accurate and measure in grams.

I will also add that a lot of what I eat is home cooked meals made in the recipe builder. Not sure if people would be able to see the ingredients. I never took the time to make it public.

Id like to see!! I coyld in grams too and try to make mostly home-cooked meals as well

tracybear86

People with eating disorders can find even the thought of people possibly judging what they eat triggering. There really is no reason to look through other people's diaries unless they ask for advice. 🤷‍♀️ As stated above unless you know specifics about that person it is completely without context.

Diatonic12

I don't even care to read it after it's done. Truth be told, I don't care about what I ate yesterday. I really don't care what I did 1-4 years ago. It doesn't mean anything if it doesn't stick. My time is better spent concentrating on the present and the future next meal that's coming around the corner.

ythannah

My diary is of no use to anyone else as I'm not trying to lose weight, I'm sodium-restricted, and I'm pescetarian with occasional relapses into vegetarianism. I also have a lazy habit of logging something wherever I know that item appears in my "frequents" so sometimes it looks like I had a 1700 calorie lunch and a 300 calorie dinner when I ate a frequent lunch food at dinner instead.

cyaneverfat

Someone sent me judgemental private messages about what I was eating and it annoyed me. Like, don't drink tomato juice, it has lots of sugar. Plus, I am like the other person here who doesn't log every day.

VeryKatie

Because my diet isn't like other peoples, its not even close to perfect, and people send rude comments sometimes. I'm not interested. I'm stressed enough. And I dont plan on changing what I'm eating because it makes me feel good and anytime I mess with it im starving.

paperpudding

domeofstars wrote: »

This is a question for the people who have their food diary set to private. I'm just wondering why you care if people read it?

I guess I would see this other way round , why do you care if you can't read it?

I don't need help on my food intake ( I do think it is helpful if people seeking help open their diaries) and I don't see how my diary is of any benefit or interest to anyone else and I don't need everything about me available for people to idly peruse.

lynn_glenmont

Another thing is when it's just me looking at it, I know I'll be completely honest in logging, and not have what I eat or log influenced by thoughts of people reading my diary and judging or my needing to be "a good example" to anyone who might read it for "inspiration."

I'm not 100% confident that I would successfully resist letting those thoughts influence what I eat or how I log.

missysippy930

I don’t care what others eat and wonder why anyone would care what I eat. It’s not inspirational to me, as tastes differ so much. I’m a lone wolf, and don’t need approval, or disapproval, to succeed. I love to cook, and Google is a great tool for finding recipes/ingredients that will fit into my family’s life style and taste and calorie budget.

Diatonic12

This was therapeutic. Several of us feel the same way and it has nothing to do with hiding.

yirara

Let me turn this question around: Why would you put your private information out on the internet?

Deviette

Why not? Why do you care if people have their diary set to private?

domeofstars

tracybear86 wrote: »

People with eating disorders can find even the thought of people possibly judging what they eat triggering. There really is no reason to look through other people's diaries unless they ask for advice. 🤷‍♀️ As stated above unless you know specifics about that person it is completely without context.

I didn't think of that, that's a really good point.

domeofstars

cyaneverfat wrote: »

Someone sent me judgemental private messages about what I was eating and it annoyed me. Like, don't drink tomato juice, it has lots of sugar. Plus, I am like the other person here who doesn't log every day.

I'm sorry to hear that. It's disappointing, especially when this is supposed to be a supportive forum.

domeofstars

VeryKatie wrote: »

Because my diet isn't like other peoples, its not even close to perfect, and people send rude comments sometimes. I'm not interested. I'm stressed enough. And I dont plan on changing what I'm eating because it makes me feel good and anytime I mess with it im starving.

I'm sorry to hear about the rude comments, it's completely unnecessary

domeofstars

Deviette wrote: »

Why not? Why do you care if people have their diary set to private?

I sometimes find it interesting to read food diaries, to see what works for others in their weight loss journey.

Thank you to the people who have answered my question. 🙏
Some really good points have been mentioned, ones I didn't even think of.

nighthawk584

domeofstars wrote: »

This is a question for the people who have their food diary set to private. I'm just wondering why you care if people read it?

because it is nobody's business. I mean that in the nicest way of course.