sharing diary

Darrowland

I am accountable to no one but myself -- and managed to meet (and exceed) my goals for weight and fitness without having people creeping through my food diary. I'm a pretty reasonable and well-educated adult who doesn't need the approval (or disapproval) of virtual strangers to keep me on track.
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This!

Fullsterkur_woman

And my diary is public to everyone because I am reaffirming to myself that there is no moral value assigned to my food choices, so I have no need to be ashamed. If I wasn't getting something out of having it be public, I'd probably keep it private too, because like someone said above, I'm accountable to nobody but myself.

I also like to be able to tell new people who are struggling, for example, with getting enough protein, that they can have a look at my diary if they want to see how I do it.

Also I meant to add that it's hard for me to give you positive feedback and encouragement about finishing your food logging and being under your calorie goal for a day if your diary is hidden, because I won't give positive feedback for people who restrict too much. If I can't see your diary, I can't see whether you were under by 1 calorie, 100 calories, or 800 calories. Huge difference!

seilidhe

My diary is open to my friends. I know I don't eat right, but I also know I'm eating better than I have in the past. So far, I haven't received any negative feedback... it's all been encouraging and non-judgmental. What my friends are thinking without saying, if there is anything, is none of my business. If a friend's diary is open, I'll probably take a peek, mainly to see if they're eating something that sounds yummy and doable in my life. If their diary isn't open, maybe I'll just comment something like "Hey, good job logging!" or "Keep up the good work" or whatever.

This whole change in lifestyle thing is one time when it's okay to be "all about me." Do what works best for you, and be understanding that what works best for you may not be the best thing for your friends..

angelahammon

My diary is open to friends but not to public, i do sometimes feel embarrassed at my diary from certain things iv ate or drank lol but i do try to be as honest with myself as possible, if friends have decided to keep there diary private then thats up to them - no big deal

KathleenC12

Mine's open to friends for only one reason: more eyes on me keeps me more accountable for both my food choices and logging every day. (But I don't expect my friends to read it!)

Whether a friend's diary is open is irrelevant to me. The ticker tells the story.

LauraElectric

I keep my diary public to help motivate me make smart choices with my food. I think everyone should be able to set their diary to whatever they feel like.

This is how I feel, I feel more motivated to make the better choices if theoretically everyone can see when I don't!

MrsFowler1069

I don't really see the need unless a person is asking for specific advice to which that information would be relevant. If they are asking if they're eating the best sources of protein (or enough) or where they could work in more fiber or whatever, then being able to browse what they're already doing and their goals is helpful.

In general, their food diary does not impact my being able to offer support and encouragement or to accept such from them. I don't really care what they eat.

For the record, my diary is not open to the public (I don't really know why), but it is to friends. I cannot imagine why it would matter to them, but there it is. lol


Edited for spelling

chell53

Mine is open to friends only......I like to see what others have eaten and share in some recipes if they are willing. I don't give negative comments, I know I eat some of the wrong foods, I don't need anyone to tell me that!

ChristineinMA

Food is a very personal thing for some people. I prefer being able to view diaries, but I don't get mad if I can't. I just won't comment on the diary entry if I can't view it (I don't want to accidentally support something unhealthy).

I like being able to read diaries mainly for food ideas. I tend to eat the same thing over and over, so it's nice seeing what other people are having.

THIS :drinker:

Hannah_Hopes

Mine is open to friends I like getting the opinions on my food and when I go over/under people can see by how far etc oh and it puts me off binging when I know my friends will see but I still log it all that way I can receive full honest support

I like stalking others diaries and getting ideas for meals and how to boost protein and other stuff, also I feel like I can give better advice when I can see their diaries and can actually comment more than well done on logging :ohwell:

:flowerforyou:

A_Warrior_Princess

I think it is a personal decision to open your diary or not Personally, I choose to keep mine open, but don't expect a lot of comments from me if I can't see what your eating.

iamafoodaholic

I also think so .It helps me looking at them and thinking man I could eat this or that. I have a friend on here she even sends me a recipe if I ask. I wish when you were looking for friends it would say if they had a diary open .Just my thoughts

I totally agree! That is how I search for new friends. I love getting ideas from other people.

WaterBunnie

It doesn't bother me either way but if a friend's diary is closed I do suspect that they may be eating badly still but just less calories than they did.

modernshieldmaiden

I have mine open to friends only. I really have no desire to look at what most people eat. I have my food pretty well under control and don't particularly want random people slamming me because "hurr durr you don't eat what I do WAHT!!?" However, I know some people are curious what I eat, and if they are just nosy (like I am about so many other things) it doesn't bother me to let them look as long as they've made some sort of effort talking to me already.

dawnmcneil10

I share mine as do most of my friends and I find the sharing gives me some new options on occasion. It's a complete personal choice but if your friends are complaining about not losing or saying things like they feel they should be losing more and not sharing their diary it's hard to help. I say just try and respect that they aren't comfortable with it and carry on.

anewlife4me8610

I think diary sharing is a personal choice, but we are all here to help each other and give each other support. Sharing your diary just helps keep you accountable and it also gives suggestions to others. Many people in 'diet mode' think they have to eat cardboard and drink water to lose weight, seeing what others eat and how well they are doing is very helpful....I have a couple of friends on line and we email each other what we ate at the end of the day and just critique the menu, its very helpful.....For me, its not an invasion of my privacy, its accountability....

MuseofSong

I think it is up to the individual. I've met some really kind and supportive people here who have fantastic ideas about managing weight and increasing exercise, but my diary is mine. I delete most of my exercise entries off my wall, too because I’m just trying to track and meet my personal goals. Unless I have something to say about the exercise, I delete it. It’s no one’s business.

I do not friend people I do not like, but do I really know them? Do I report what I eat to my S.O.? Do I call my friends or my parents to tell them what I ate today? No. Why? Because I'm a grown up and I'm responsible for myself.

And when you have people here like the "Calories are NOT equal" person using her friends’ diary food choices to publicly attack people who do not 'eat clean' I have no desire to be cannon fodder for sadists. Did her friends know when they added her that she was going to look at their diaries to attack their eating habits? Probably not! (The OP's diary was set to private; I guess it's easier to judge others eating habits when you do not let anyone judge yours.)

Honestly, I rather not judge anyone on what they eat. Unless someone is struggling with a disease that is affected by certain foods (Celiac disease, Crohn's disease, IBS, uncontrolled Diabetes, etc) or just had weight loss surgery, I say eat your cake and lose weight, too!

LittleHungryGurl

I think the point of "friends" on here is to encourage and support each other. If I'm looking for your support, then my food diary should be open to you. Otherwise, what's the point to having "friends" who are supporting you?

Because there are 8 billion ways to be supportive and encouraging without looking at what someone ate. I have never looked at any of my friends' diaries, I don't know who has an open or closed diary, I don't even know if they log food. And yet, I find ways to support them. A lot.

My diary was closed forever and my friends still found a million ways to support me. My diary is open now, for the time being anyway, but having friends look at what I ate doesn't equate to support for me. Nor am I looking for feedback/suggestions. I'm all set.

^^^^^ I agree