public diary?

issyfit

Mine is public because it helps keep me on track.

gwmedicgod

you can always set it so only your friends can see it... they should be more supportive and less judgemental and you have the accountability..

wickedcricket

mine is public. if it's worth eating, it's worth tracking- your friends over-indulge too & should not judge or criticize. Lots of us just call a really off day a 'splurge' day or free day- whatever- don't log it. But that can't be every day LOL

Commit or don't, whatever YOU are comfortable with- this is totally customize-able. Don't worry though that ppl here will throw rocks at you for what you eat.
Having a public journal is helpful when you have plateaus - and you will - someone else might be able to see something & tell you why you're stalled.
Mine is open, anyone can read it. You'll find great support & encouragement here

Good Luck!

michelleinpa

Mine is and will remain public..I'd welcome any feedback and am always open to advice. I actually just gave my trainer/nutritionist the link to them so they can also see what I am doing

TrailRunner61

I made mine public to give me accountability and support when I do bad or when I do well.

This!

tinamina78

Mine is public. I like that I know other people can see what I am eating.
I have no problem with the fact that you can see that I ate some cookies today.

Just dont tell me I drink to much

This!! Except mine is view-able to friends only because I think going all the way public is a little too far for me. The friends I choose on MFP are people in line with my goals and habits for the most part so I feel I have a really good, supportive group of people to view and 'judge' my diary

nk17

Mine is opened with a key. I only give the key to those I trust or want to help.
There are too many people that will pick apart what you eat when you haven't asked their opinion, so I don't invite them.
If someone has constructive criticism, then I am happy to share.

zombilishious

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.

ThePersnicketyOtter

Mine is public, because knowing that other people who are doing so well on their diets will see if I fail, or see if I do good. That helps me stick to my eating habits some, more than if I were to have it private, at least. And I haven't found anyone who's said anything negative about it.

Also, I like seeing people's public diary's because it helps me find low-calorie foods I didn't think about that I can eat for meals.

HLeAnn

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!!

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.