public diary?

Debbe2

I keep it open to friends and log whatever I eat. 3 reasons~ accountability, support, knowledge.

skinnygirlhiding1

Wow, I noticed that more than half the people who say they have an open dairy, really don't have open dairies.

Just wondered why that was or if I was doing something wrong.

DoBetterDrea

My food diary is public. It helps me remain accountable and even if I have a bad day, the support of my MFP friends keeps me going. It also helps if I need advice on what to eat or how to change what I eat.

mom2mozart

I keep mine open for others to see, to give ideas. I like looking at other diaries to get ideas for different foods.

We are all doing this for the same reason, to get healthier and to have support along the way. It is tough for some people to stay on track consistently... This is life, it is a journey - not a race!!!

Mine is only open to my friends, but I am not a really private person, so I don't think it would be a big deal if it was completely public.

Do what you are comfortable with...

One thing i read on this site that keeps resonating with me is... Everything you put in your mouth will put you one step closer to your goal or one step further from it... Keep taking it one step at a time, you will get there at your own pace.

dakiniverona

Thanks for the motivation.. I have now made my diary public for friends. I never knew that was an option (just joined). I was a WW person and liked the accountability, hated the new program and the $$$.

so..if someone wants to friend me.. I am open, but like someone said. do not judge me for my choices ;~)

I track food for myself, to see trends and to let me know when I am in excess, cause my personal filters are not always accurate. I might be hungry after eating 1600 calories at the end of the day because of stress.. and other days, I may find I have 100 calories left over. yeah.. I head for an ounce of cognac.

Silvercivic

When I first started MFP, I got a little discouraged when most of the open diaries I saw were really "perfect". It made me feel like I needed to be this wonderful clean eater if I was going to lose any weight. Then I saw a few "non-perfect" diaries, and it made me feel better- that I wasn't the only person who has a carb problem and who eats snacky food. I am inspired by the clean diaries and I have been trying little by little to make better choices, but I really appreciate those who post what they eat even if it isn't an organic leafy green.

So for that reason, I opened my very less-than-perfect diary to the public.

Kanzaki3

I have mine public. I'm not that embarrassed about what I put in. I find it entertaining and hilarious looking at my diary on days I do bad.

ancook02

Mine is viewable by my friends. Today was 500 over. Yesterday and the day before I was 300 under each day. No one said anything negative. We all have bad days!

nicehormones

I had my diary private for a long time up until recently. Mine was private due to issues I have with food and people judging me, as my dad used to make me keep and show him my food diary and would criticize me as a teenager. I didn't open mine for accountability, I opened it to overcome the fear of other people judging me for what I put in my mouth. I don't cheat with my diary and log everything the best I can.

I say, make it public and be honest if you think it will help you. If you find you can't handle it later and want to lie, then close it again. Always worth trying.

ginnylee74

Mine is open to all my friends. I love their support, feedback and accountability. I check out theirs too for food ideas, and help give suggestions where I can.

Mine is open to my friends too. I don't comment on whether they are over or under their goals unless I am able to see their diary. And I expect my friends to let me know if I'm blowing it too much. :blushing: If you want to ask on a forum for someone to check on you, you can always open your diary to the public for them and then change it back.

laceybrobie

Mine is public!! i like to be able to see wht people are doing that are successful with their weight loss. as well as let people see mine.


you do what is better for you! if you dont want everyeone to see it, keep it private. i will friend you weither its public or private. that means nothing to me.

mygrl4meee

I made mine public. It might help me not to eat the yummy stuff.

Kirabelly

Mine was private at first, but now that I make only good food choices I have nothing to worry about so it's public. In the beginning I felt the same way... I had it public for a couple of days and noticed I wasn't being as honest so I went private again. Now I know exactly what I'm doing and I know I'm doing it right so no worries

Mrsairforce

Mine is public to friends and keeps me accountable. I love getting feedback on different foods or better choices!

0RESET0

Public. I don't really give a flying fart what other people think about what I eat. However, since I like to give advice on here when people ask for it, I made it public so they can judge for themselves whether or not they should head my advice.

ts1122

Mine is public for the accountability I feel to myself and others and feedback from others on my food choices helps to give better ideas of "healthy."

Cold_Steel

Public... people see me eat right ? Or do you hide in a corner and eat ?

dalgal26

I keep mine open for others to see, to give ideas. I like looking at other diaries to get ideas for different foods.

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

alise_lmx

I had the same concerns as you. I really wanted to do it but I was afraid I would not log everything if I messed up. Honestly, since I've made mine public (to my friends only), once I got used to it I never really thought twice about it. I think that making it public has really helped me stay accountable. And none of my friends have EVER said anything negative in regards to my diary on an "off" day (I have great mfp friends!!) If anything, they tell me encouraging things so that I can start the next day on a positive note. And if I have a REALLY off day, I just quit logging for that day so i don't get super discouraged and just start fresh the next day. It's kind of cheating, but it keeps me sane

I'd say try it for a week and see how you feel! I think it's a big step in making mfp really work for you, at least it has been for me!

wowbagger42

Public.. I have good days, I have bad days... and I have REALLY gluttonous days... I just love food. I'm always thinking about it, haha. I could eat a whole pizza, and be hungry 2 hours later. In a way the 'public' setting shames me into eating lighter, but I need to realize I'm eating for myself, and that no one really gives a crap about what I'm eating anyhow. Either way, it doesn't keep me from tracking every morsel. The REAL shame would be if I had to track cigarettes smoked... Still working on that...

Theresafinallygetsitright

I keep mine open for others to see, to give ideas. I like looking at other diaries to get ideas for different foods.

I do the same for the same reason. It never occurred to me to be snarky to other people about what they put in theirs. At the end of the day, it all comes down to you and I think we all know how we got here. Do what works best for you! It is helpful to see what others are putting together for meals.

jamiem1102

Mine is public.

Originally I kept it private, but then I realized... if I don't log it, the only person I'm lying to is myself. So... I opened it up, and whenever I'm thinking of having something bad, I think "Uh... everyone's going to see it..." and usually I end up not eating it. haha...

But you know what? If I want to eat it, I'll eat it, because if someone on this site is judging you for having a piece of cake, they're an *kitten*. Plain and simple. Judgment is not what this site's supposed to be about.

FitN50s

Choose whichever option that will ensure you are being honest. I've heard of people leaving things out of their diary because it's public, but on the flip-side, some people tend to make better choices knowing that their diary is public. Just be honest with yourself and you'll make the right choice. me personally, I just started a 30 day challenge I made for myself for this month, and to go along with it, I decided to make my diary open to my MFP friends starting today. If you want to see the challenge it's in my blog.

Good luck!!

This. Everyone is different, and it takes what ever works for you. Mine is private. I'm a boring, very picky eater. Sometimes I drink. I log it all, but I don't need anyone lecturing me (which did happen when it was public and I was here before) I log for myself, to keep track of what I am doing and how it's working. I don't ask for advice so I don't feel the need to open my log for anyone else. Some people like the accountability, and I think that's wonderful - for them.

jmobashrn11

My log is public and I'm ok with that because I like to share the link with my best friend, who does not want to sign up to view it. I've had a few days when I've gone over really bad, but never had anyone criticize me at all. I can't imagine being discouraging to anyone on here and I hope no one ever does that to me.

LadyBeryl

Mine is open to "friends" for accountability and advice but I prefer not to share much with the "public".

KLavallee322

My diary is public. The only reason is so when I ask for advice or if I get frustrated I don't have to hear the "well maybe if your diary was public we could help." Plus I feel like I am doing a good job (most of the time) and I am proud to show it.

rosemiller11

The locked with a Key is an awesome compromise on this. lock it with a key, then share that key with only a few select people that you know will motivate you, and not judge. It helps you to be accountable, but also have some control over who gets a chance to peek into your life. IMHO

hedgiie

i think it's a personal choice, if your not comfortable making it public then by all means don't. this is all about being stress free so you can concentrate on the most important thing.

emstgm

Mine is public. Not just to my friends, but to all. I changed it a while back when I was asking for feedback so I could get 'unstuck'. I have bad days, I have high calorie days, and I recently had a 5 day long cake splurge! No one has judged me for it. But I have received honest and constructive feedback from people, such as, 'wow, do you realize how much sodium you consume?' Or "You might try to get a bit more protein." It all helps. It helps me to see other people's diary's too, because I get ideas for new things to eat or try.

It is really each person's choice, but I personally prefer if my friends have open diaries, as I prefer to have similar goals.

StatHaldol

Mine is public, I like the positive AND negative feedback from others. It keeps me accountable.