To share or not to share your food journal

michellereeve2
michellereeve2 Posts: 11
in Getting Started
Thoughts on this? I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me doesn't want to share what I eat over fear of being judged. The other part thinks it may be beneficial. I need to be convinced either way.
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Replies

  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
    I share mine :) I view it this way.. it may help someone else to see what is eaten and it may also help me to have someone view it if I run into problems.
  • SuperCrsa
    SuperCrsa Posts: 790 Member
    I share mine cause its not about anyone else its about me, but its nice to get tips and comments from my friends :smile:
    You could always put your diary on private if you don't want anyone seeing.
  • Tickateeboo
    Tickateeboo Posts: 132 Member
    I don't think anyone really bothers with anyone's else's food journal unless you ask them to. Who cares what other people think anyway? Life's too short.
  • lnprough
    lnprough Posts: 2 Member
    I've been thinking the same thing! I've decided to keep it personal because I don't need negativity. Dieting and making lifestyle changes are hard enough than to have someone make harsh comments. It may come in the future I make it public and then ask how I can better choices or lower calorie options. But till then it's for my eyes only!
  • K1tt
    K1tt Posts: 37 Member
    no one is going to judge you, but they might be able to use it to help you improve your food choices. I share mine (chocolates and all) when I fill it in.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    it's totally up to you. people have so many different reasons for logging their food, different goals, and different needs, it's a decision you have to make based on what's right for you.

    if you're concerned about being judged by food puritans (of which there are quite a few on this site), then one option is to make your diary open to friends, then friend people who you know will give good advice, but still give you the accountability that you want.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
    Share! I have tried for years to lose weight and I finally was able to once I openly admitted how much I weighed. Openly letting others see my diary keeps me accountable for myself and what I'm eating. Other people can look and comment, too, and you can get great insights from doing the same.
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
    Mine stays private. I eat a diet talored to my own medical issues. I eat low fiber and lower fat to control my gastroparesis, I got tired of unsolicited advice about how I should eat more fiber and fruit. Yeah that would send me to the hospital...
  • melsy21
    melsy21 Posts: 193 Member
    I keep my journal private... That's just me. I don't check my friends journals unless they specifically ask. I'm just private when it comes to that. :smile:
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Meh, mine is open. I haven't gotten one unsolicited message and I eat quite dirty and often over calories. :smokin:
  • chelstakencharge
    chelstakencharge Posts: 1,021 Member
    I share mine! Although, I have closed it a few times while dealing with this divorce. I felt guilty on those days it was closed because I didn't want to hide behind it. My calories were extremely low on those days but mfp peeps are here to support me and if they judged then they were deleted
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    I open mine to friends so that they can offer me advice and if I wanted nutritional advice through a question on the forums then I would probably make it completely open.

    However while I prefer friends to have open diaries I also understand there are many reasons why some people don't want to do this.

    If you open it to MFP friends and they become judgmental you can always unfriend them, what you should be looking for is support and constructive criticism
  • Wildflower0106
    Wildflower0106 Posts: 247 Member
    no one is going to judge you, but they might be able to use it to help you improve your food choices. I share mine (chocolates and all) when I fill it in.

    There are plenty of people who stalk food diaries to criticize and judge...
  • paladinmfp
    paladinmfp Posts: 18 Member
    I share with my MFP friends. My reasoning is that I sometimes slip back into bad habits, like eating after dinner. Most of the time, I can still stay under my calories. Sometimes, I can't. Ideally, I'd be a responsible adult, and stop the bad behavior. But, sometimes, one needs a little nudge from someone to say that I've gotten off the road to well being.

    It's up to you, ultimately. If you don't want or need feedback, good or bad, by all means, keep it private.

    I also find it interesting to see the foods that people in other countries eat, like Europe or Australia.
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    Mine is open to friends.

    I have lovely friends who cook nice things and whose feedback is always constructive. :flowerforyou: You can see what people have been eating and if it sounds nice get a recipe and try it yourself etc.
  • Ohnoes
    Ohnoes Posts: 98 Member
    Share cause if you are doing well it can help to motivate someone else.
  • Greywalk
    Greywalk Posts: 193 Member
    share..anyone who judges a person based solely on journal is a bit shallow. We all do the best we can and are not trying for the a journal of such exactitude that later generations will say...wow really perfect.
  • rhondatime2chg
    rhondatime2chg Posts: 92 Member
    I share mine and no one has ever been negative to me about it. I've only heard good comments from my MFP friends. People will tell me that I've done great, or if I've had a bad day, they motivate me and tell me I'll do better tomorrow.
  • BorntoROAR
    BorntoROAR Posts: 91 Member
    open it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I've lost my weight ONLY through the accountability. I can handle criticism well though...at least when it comes to my eating and I really don't care what others think.
  • PeaceVegan
    PeaceVegan Posts: 37 Member
    I choose not to share my diary and was told by a friend that I was selfish for not doing so. They couldn't be a friend if I didn't share my diary. Really!?!?! Yeah, what did I say to that?? Peace out and have a fantastic life! :bigsmile:
  • OhLeita
    OhLeita Posts: 99 Member
    Mine stays private. I eat a diet talored to my own medical issues. I eat low fiber and lower fat to control my gastroparesis, I got tired of unsolicited advice about how I should eat more fiber and fruit. Yeah that would send me to the hospital...

    Yep! Same here. Mine looks wonky for medical reasons, too. Most of my protein and nutrients have to come from non-meat sources and no red meat at all. Some days my diary looks like it was filled in by a six-year old. Nice thing, though, most of the people who see mine know the reason why.

    Having it public does keep me honest with myself. It's hard to justify an extra cookie ("it's okay, won't hurt ya,") when I know someone could wag a finger at me.
  • selfepidemic1
    selfepidemic1 Posts: 159 Member
    I just started sharing mine, but if I got any negative comments because I'm doing Keto I'll probably hide it again, I'm not really arsed with all the "omg you're gonna die from 70% fat!!!!!"
  • starrycarina
    starrycarina Posts: 59
    I share mine. I figure if someone gets negative, I'll ask them to keep things positive and motivational on my journal and if they continue with the negativity, then they can easily be removed.

    But if I were you, I'd share it. Why not open yourself to more positive comments and suggestions/tips as well as helping others with ideas with meals! I've gotten awesome ideas for meals for the husband and I from looking at other people's food journals! So as far as I'm concerned, the positives outweigh any potential negativity which can easily be fixed anyway! :)
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    I just started sharing mine, but if I got any negative comments because I'm doing Keto I'll probably hide it again, I'm not really arsed with all the "omg you're gonna die from 70% fat!!!!!"

    Yeah I was similarly cautious in the sense that I do Intermittent Fasting but all my friends know about this, so I don't really get anyone giving themselves a coronary while telling me all about "starvation mode" etc. And now about 50% of my friends are fellow IF-ers...
  • wateryphoenix
    wateryphoenix Posts: 644 Member
    I share mine, but none of my mfp friends are negative in any way. It is more to keep me accountable. ^_^
  • kowajenn
    kowajenn Posts: 274 Member
    Mine's open for friends only. No one has ever commented on it. I rarely look at other people's journal unless they are asking for feedback. Does anyone really care what anyone else eats?
  • Chevy_Quest
    Chevy_Quest Posts: 2,012 Member
    I share mine... but I still HATE sharing it.

    But, I run a challenge based on Green Days vs. Red days so I would be a big hypocrite if I did not share it! :laugh:

    I do have some MFP friends that look into it and we find "common ground"

    On the other had i have some friends that make spot judgements that frankly really piss me off :explode:
    Re: not eating enough of this or that or eating too much of this or that.
  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
    I figure if people like looking at food journals to get ideas and such ... they certainly don't need to look at mine. It isn't inspiring in any way. At best I'm boring, at worst I'm bad. I opened mine up for a bit, hoping maybe I'd feel pressure to keep my intake cleaner ... it didn't really work, I just felt the urge to fudge things. I decided to go back to private and at least stay completely honest. That few days I had it open though, I didn't get any negative comments from friends. It's just my own insecurities.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
    I share mine, to friends. You'll find beer. ice cream from time to time, and other things some people may question if they think you are "on a diet" you'll also see exercise so I can have a beer or pizza or maybe beer and pizza.

    I don't feel a need to hide anything and I just ignore it if anyone comments on my choices unless I've invited comment and that's different, I would be looking for troubleshooting assistance.
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    I'm horrible at getting my food logged. However I don't care if others don't like what I eat. The nice part is if I'm struggling I can ask friends to look and give me some advice. I usually get told you need more veggies. I know when I open the fridge I think about their comment and try to grab veggies. If someone is going to judge me over my food intake sorry you'll be deleted! Being helpful and being judgmental are two different things.

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