WHY keep your food diary hidden?

KariQuiteContrary

Well I personally don't but really? Why is it a problem for YOU if YOU can't see a diary that doesn't belong to YOU or one of your trusted friends? Not everyone has something to hide. The ones that do are only sabotaging themselves, not YOU. Just saying.

change_happens

I keep personal notes in my diary that I wouldn't want anyone else to read. It is a diary. When did diaries become a must to show? I would be skeptical showing mine to anyone, especially folks who believe I am hiding something or not being completely honest because of its privacy. Joining this site doesn't necessarily mean anyone has to be open to public scrutiny. Funny, the people who want to see your diary say your hiding something if it is kept private. I wonder if these very same people have a negative comment about their wanting to be so nose-pokey? Just wondering.

PJilly

I'm just curious.....I understand if you want your page to be private. However, why keep your food diary private???? Do you do this....if so what's your reasoning? I personally think by making it viewable to friends that it hold you accountable.

Let me play devil's advocate for a second and ask why you would keep your food diary public? I can think of a few reasons why you might, like if you want input from other members or, conversely, you think your diary would be a helpful example to others. But if neither of those is true, what would be the point? There are as many ways to use the food diary as a tool as there are members on MFP. Not all of those ways include making it pubic.

PJilly

Or *public* even. :blushing:

butters1

haha it's funny how people get so offended, wonder what they are hiding or who they're trying to kid. You can lie to the world but not to yourself.

Mine is usually open. It has been closed for two weesk as i had dental surgury and am eating restricted (which changes by day) on what i can have. No i do not care to explain....

...i really do not mean to pick on this particular person, but really? some of you need to grow up....some people have issues you have been fortunate not to encounter - yet.

Sounds like a great strategy, how do i get dental surgery?

i suspect you do not need this but have a great colonoscopy guy to recommend.

worthashot73

I have mine open to friends only. I have no desire for someone to push their ideas of what a diet means on me. I have seen too many others criticized (without asking for opinions mind you) for their choices. If I ask for help, then I will open it up and expect criticism. But unwanted, unsolicited advice pisses me off, so I keep it locked except to those I have grown to know and trust. My two cents.

^^^^^^ This. My diary, my choice. Simple as that.

Perseverance10910

EXACTLY!!!

WTF7

So I dont get bashed for using all my calories for a white chocolate mocha frappe and a crispy creme then not eating anything else for the day!

busterbluth

Because I am trying to recover from an eating disorder and I don't want to (1) trigger other people who may also be in recovery or (2) inadvertently give "tips" to people who are desperate to lose weight or are "pro-anorexia" or whatever.

It is also counter-productive for me to be lectured about eating too little, etc, so I don't need that either.

Hoothill

I don't knows how to make it public or private.... Please HELP!! Just learning about this site and I want to be held accountable!!!

TazzytheMotivator

I agree. Maybe people don't want people to really know what they are truly eating. Or for people to judge them as to what they eat . Personally my diary has been open since day one and still is today.

takeitback1mt

When I first started here I felt really weird about sharing what I was eating with everyone. Especially at first when I wasn't staying under my calories and was still eating like 3000 calories a day. It just took me some getting used to, and I find now its a great way of keeping me accountable and learning about what I can do to improve my diet.

busterbluth

It reminds me too much of having my food intake _controlled_ by someone else. Even though that's not what it is.

Yes, this too.

busterbluth

I don't knows how to make it public or private.... Please HELP!! Just learning about this site and I want to be held accountable!!!

Under settings, diary settings.

SarahofTwins

I use to keep it open but I would get questioned about it...so why let some scrutinize my food when I've lost over 70 pounds! So yeah thats mainly why but everyone has their own explanation

deedeefelldown

Because I'm a lush and don't need everyone to know how much of my calories are consumed in wine. *shrug* just being honest lol

KandieLantz

I don't care if people have them private or not, however...... don't ask me to support you and keep it private because I can't support the unknown. I have seen many diaries where people are only logging 500 calories a day on a regular basis and those 500 (give or take of course) being nothing but junk food... these people of course asking for support and then getting mad when the obvious and ongoing lack of nutrition is mentioned, so if I can't see it, I'm not saying "good job" just because it says you're under calories!

Whew... I feel better now!

nicksaysnever

I don't need the "encouragement" of people commenting on my food choices. If people could read my diary I would just end up feeling horrible about every minor and imagined slip up. I already have issues eating in front of people, this seems ten times worse.

cramernh

Because I'm a lush and don't need everyone to know how much of my calories are consumed in wine. *shrug* just being honest lol

OHHH then you must know about all of my 'liquid therapy' sessions held in Cabo Wabo? lol

SocraticS

I'm a professor and really don't care to have, potentially, my students discussing my diet. I share a lot of myself with them but I like to have a boundary some where. ACCOUNTABILITY HAS NOTHING TO DO WHETHER I MAKE MY DIET PUBLIC.

instructor03

Actually, by keeping it private, one is holding oneself accountable. And who controls what goes in your mouth? YOU!! not the people looking at your diary. There are alot of great people on MFP for help and motivation, but in the end, it is the individual who ate the right thing, exercised and met their goals. I joined in May, kept mine private and lost 29 pounds and have reached my goal. The only one who held me accountable was ME!!

DannyMussels

Then you'd know I eat 2,000cals of white chocolate pudding erry day.

redraidergirl2009

mine is only open to friends. I don't keep it public because people like to chime in on what you are eating even when you don't ask their opinion.

I think different diets work for different people. What works for me might not for someone else. What works for someone else might not work for me.

fitjunk

Mines private, anyone got a problem with that..lets take it outside and ......count cals??

TrinaCanDoThis

WOW!

happybrooke

I've noticed on some boards that when people post things, other members will go read their diary and then post their findings as a way to knock on something they said. I think that is very immarture, but its bothersome too.
I KNOW what I should be doing, but we all have good days and bad days and sometimes I give in to a craving. And honestly, I should be able to. If I'm exercising, then I should be able to enjoy something in moderation. I would NOT want to have advice or my opinion knocked down simply because I decided to eat chocoloate or potato chips. Or be accused of starving myself when I simply just didn't log everything. I guess I didn't realize that there were different level of settings, but I probably won't be changing mine. I still like it private, for no known reason. That comforts me, I guess. Although, you've raised a good question and I'm contemplating changing it.

ambut

Basically, it's not something I feel like sharing, especially with all of the unsolicited advice that seems awfully common here and on other sites. If it were set to public by default, I might never have changed it, but I am happier leaving it set to private. I eat some pretty terrible food sometimes (or all the time, depending on your definition of "terrible"), and I hold myself accountable for every calorie - with notable success, thus far. So if I'm doing well, losing weight and feeling healthier, and then I eat some french fries, I don't want to have to think, "what will internet strangers think when they see that I had this?" Which I *would* worry about, so I don't do that. If I know I'm going to go to an unhealthy place with something, then I don't do it.

I also really don't want people telling me that I shouldn't eat red meat, any meat, dairy, white flour, sugar, starches, non-organic veggies and fruits, processed foods, or any meals more than 500 calories. That leaves me with literally no foods that I eat. It's working for me the way it is, so I'm leaving it the way it is. My reaction to the question that started this thread, in all my defensive/reactionary glory, is, "why do you give a sh-t?" *shrugs* Just my two cents.

forme2310

Until recently I kept my private as I emailed my food daily to my OA sponsor and did not feel the need to have my diary public. However I have changed it as what I eat or don't eat might help someone. Even though its public it still does not give someone the right to tell me what I am doing it wrong.

No two people will have the same weight loss journey that is why it is a journey not a diet.

loombeav

Mine is open to my friends, not to the rest of MFP. I have nothing to hide, and am very honest when logging, I welcome comments and constructive criticism from my friends, but my husbands ex- girlfriend has a tendency to cyber stalk me so I keep all of online profiles set to private, this includes my diary.

Kenzietea2

Some of us have bad relationships with food, and don't feel comfortable sharing what we eat. Especially those of us who have either suffered from eating disorders or are currently suffering from an eating disorder.