What are the reasons behind a private food diary?

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  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    I keep mine private for one reason...its not because I am embarrassed about being over; afterall, they can still see if your over even if you don't make it public, just not why. I keep it private because, I wanna learn what to eat and what not to eat on my own! For me trial and error works the best! And no one knows what works best for your body besides you!
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 986 Member
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    I first joined mfp when I got the app on my iPhone - I then told my friend who lives in South Africa about it... and we both started logging.

    It wasn't until after a couple of weeks that we realised that we could share our diary - as y friend was curious as to what I was eating that was getting the results. So I think an open diary is a good thing, as it will help & give my friend ideas for a meals.

    As for the friends I've just made on mfp - at first I was uncomfortable about my diary being open - because I felt a bit self conscious. Because what you eat, is actually quite a personal thing - even though, it's something you also so in public...!

    But now, I realise that having can help me (stay accountable) and possibly help others by seeing my varied diet & that I still lose...
  • Jenn728
    Jenn728 Posts: 683 Member
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    I like to view others food diaries for tips or other food ideas!
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    Let me just say FIRST, I am 100% honest in my food diary and TWO except for a weekend out of town and my annual vacation I have NEVER gone over in my calories and even then it was not by a lot, nothing like 5 slices of pizza. Now with that said, my food diary is private to the public but open to my friends and that is only because of some of the RUDE trolls on here. A month after I began there was someone trolling around on random peoples diaries and then would critisize their diaries! I most certainly didn't NEED that and it is not anyone's place to do that without a person asking. Heck, just last week, one of my actual friends received a private message from some RANDOM person saying "you know, you would lose more weight if you quit eating so much cheese!" First of all she has lost 59 pounds and is doing quite well, CHEESE AND ALL! Second, she is always under her calorie goal and works the cheese in just fine. Third, THAT WAS FLAT OUT RUDE! So you bet my food diary is private to the public and I would thank you to not presume something about someone that you don't even know.

    Mine was initially public but I had the same exact thing as above happen to me. Totally unsolicited random person decided to send a private message to me to tell me that my drinking wine was not healthy and proceeded to rattle off all the statistics re: health, weight loss, etc. Seriously?? I don't remember asking for anyone's advice!:explode:

    I know I'm not perfect. Do I know that the couple of glasses I have each evening probably aren't the best thing? Of course. But 95% of my time I am under calories. So I decided to make it private because my eating habits really aren't about anyone but me. I love this place and it's so supportive but there are a few people out there that have no boundaries and ruin it for everyone else.

    I think it's really a matter for preference mostly, whether or not to have it public.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
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    Mine's public. Feel free to add me or just peek anytime. I'm not ashamed of what I eat, I think I do pretty well :).

    I use a FitBit to track my calories burned and know when I'm more active so I eat more on those days, generally (and go over). In my notes, you can see what the FitBit says I burned every day. My average deficit is 466 calories, which is dead on the money as far as MFP's goals.
  • thomasvision
    thomasvision Posts: 129 Member
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    Originally had mine public but there are a lot of MFP trolls here. People who've lost 2 lbs in 2 months and think their experts. You also have BIG TIME "Sodium Stalkers", you know them they don't every comment on your exercise but are addicted to you sodium intake. Then you also have the Eat back all your Exercise Calories corporation. I don't know about you but I got over weight by eating when I'm not hungry and refuse to do so now and have been losing weight just fine.

    It's unfortunate but not everyone is supportive and some just don't know what the heck their talking about.

    So mine is password protected and I have given the password to lots of my supportive friends here.
  • krisnshan
    krisnshan Posts: 41
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    I have mine where you can access via password, so if someone wants to see it they can ask me. I am not ashamed in at all bc I eat very healthy and am proud of that. I just don't like to feel persecuted if I want to enjoy a banana muffin one day either. I shouldn't have to "hear" about it.
  • lenwie
    lenwie Posts: 240
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    Mine's private from everyone, cuz it's really nobody's business what I eat. I'm tracking for myself. Believe me, I'm perfectly honest with myself..if I wasn't I might be more likely to share it.
    I could give a rip what anyone else on here eats either..I don't look at food diaries.

    Im the same as you and to be honest I think some folk are more likely to be a bit thin with the truth so that they dont get slated for eating over or wrong, they make their diaries look perfect, I track for me and me alone and im honest down to the last half tablespoon of butter!:wink: cos i'll only be cheating myself if I dont.
  • bigcurt61
    bigcurt61 Posts: 51 Member
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    I love how we are all so different!! :-) I think I have mine set to friends only. I look at my friends logs sometimes to provide POSITIVE feedback, if they aren't asking for advice then I don't give it. I also like to look because sometime people have awesome healthy snacks that I have never thought of or tried. Some people feel that what they eat is private and that's fine too. If I eat 5 slices of pizza I put it down for everyone to see, I mean we are human after all.
  • lenwie
    lenwie Posts: 240
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    I love how we are all so different!! :-) I think I have mine set to friends only. I look at my friends logs sometimes to provide POSITIVE feedback, if they aren't asking for advice then I don't give it. I also like to look because sometime people have awesome healthy snacks that I have never thought of or tried. Some people feel that what they eat is private and that's fine too. If I eat 5 slices of pizza I put it down for everyone to see, I mean we are human after all.


    Absolutely, if we were all the same what a boring world this would be lol
  • maxmum
    maxmum Posts: 12
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    How do you see someone's food fiary? I have clicked on a few members names who say they have public food diaries to try and get some ideas for food but I cannot see a link to look in thier food diaries....

    Thanks
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
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    I keep mine open for friends to view, just to keep myself accountable, not because I'm necessarily asking for "help" or "advice".
    What I don't understand is the mindset of not writing down everything just so you "appear" to be under your calories. Who are you cheating? I am not doing all this hard work to look good on paper....I want to look good in real life :) The only way to do that is to be 100% honest with what calories one is taking in and burning off...whether one's diary is viewable or not. If some people need to keep their diary private so that they CAN be honest with themselves without being criticized, i respect that.
  • spacegirllost
    spacegirllost Posts: 10 Member
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    Same as other people here. I keep mine private because this is MY experience. At one point I approved a random friend request but ultimately, I don't need anyone cheering me along though who knows.... I may change my mind later down the road when it gets tougher. The numbers going down on the scale, feeling better and my old clothes fitting right now are all the positivity I need. MPF is simply a tool for me to keep an eye - for ONCE! - on what I'm eating, what the values are, how much of all that I'm working off and it is all the accountability I need. And hey! It's working! :)
  • dengarrett
    dengarrett Posts: 367
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    I started out using the iPhone app and didn't know about the forums or that anyone else cared about what I ate. I made mine public, and I find it interesting to read others food diaries. But who cares? Or, who should care? I am here for rme - the forums and communities are an interesting diversion.
  • prettybrownround
    prettybrownround Posts: 362 Member
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    Who gives a rat's azz? Have you ever heard the saying, "What I eat dont make you *kitten*".
  • marci355
    marci355 Posts: 292
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    Same reason I'm not on facebook anymore....It's nobody's business! I grew very weary of too much info, being plastered all over the internet. Thats just me, I guess. I'm a uber private person....
  • shaheerahs
    shaheerahs Posts: 79 Member
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    I had a friend that got some very rude comments about her diary from people that thought she want eating enough which made her decide to change hers to private. So, no embarrassment about overeating is not the always the reason.
  • Kandy3
    Kandy3 Posts: 24 Member
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    The reason why I decided to stop my diary being seen by others was because I had a group of people who made very judgemental and nasty remarks about what I was eating. It was bullying and upset me so much that I blocked them and made my diary private so it couldn't happen again.
    A real shame but I'm not about to pit myself in that situation again
  • Terri73
    Terri73 Posts: 238
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    Mines private and i like it that way. Why is it when its hidden its always because we over indulge, Its not always the case!!!!

    I occasionally over eat and sometimes i under eat but thats my business. I'm not on here to be lectured on how much and want to eat. I'm on here for help and advice when needed, so i feel no need to have my diary open. I am accountable to for my cals in and out and fairly happy with that!
  • FutureMrsWanland
    FutureMrsWanland Posts: 47
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    I think it's truly your choice and you shouldn't feel bad for keeping it closed. I keep mine all to myself and who says I'm not honest? I log everything that I eat , good or bad. I'm here to keep myself accountable and it's no one's business what I'm eating. After the horrible post that someone started by copying and pasting this poor girls' food diary, I won't ever keep it open. Those people who choose to cheat or feel guilty about what they eat, won't truly ever lose the weight that they want to. To each his own.

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