Food Diary Snooping... OR Why is your diary CLOSED?!

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  • Apa93
    Apa93 Posts: 57 Member
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    I have mine closed; I just don't want people commenting on what I eat. Plain and simple. I probably have unhealthy food a little bit too often but I'm losing weight and it's working for me. I just don't feel comfortable with it. It's not just with my own diary either; in the past I have had a look at someone else's diary and it just felt wrong - it was like I was snooping. So I just don't do it, even if their diary is open. If I don't want people looking at my diary I don't feel comfortable looking at theirs.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
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    Mine is open because I don't really care. I am not eating anything special though, so probably not too great for people searching for ideas. It never happened so far that someone really commented on what I eat, but since I try to find friends on MFP that achieved a goal similar to mine and have similar fitness goals at maintenance, I wouldn't mind that happening. I would probably learn something new :p
  • cngeike
    cngeike Posts: 305 Member
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    mine is open. I want help with what I eat. I eat crappy. I try to eat good but I struggle all the time with what I eat and eating enough. It makes it hard, but I am working on it. So if you feel the need to comment on what I ate, then have at it. :)
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
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    My Diary is closed and I've only looked at a friends diary once because she asked! I have no specific reason for doing that..
    I do eat weird things but thats my business.
    .
  • honestlysweet
    honestlysweet Posts: 221 Member
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    Mine is closed because I don't want to have to explain some things. Like for lunch if it says banana, peanut butter, whey protein powder and milk, some people may be like, huh? But to anyone who makes protein shakes, it's obviously a shake. Also I eat things in strange combinations sometimes, and I don't need to be questioned. My diet is working. That's all that matters to me.
  • JanineHarrison
    JanineHarrison Posts: 164 Member
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    Mine is open to friends. My initial thought was that letting others see what I'm eating would hold me more accountable and make me less likey to choose junk over healthy food. I want to log everything so I have no question on why I gained or lost. It really worked for a while, but lately I've fallen back into old habits. It is embarrasing to me knowing that someone can look it at it and see that I ate 500 calories worth of Easter candy, but its only embarrassing because I know I shouldn't be doing it.

    HOWEVER, the friends I have chosen on MFP are positive and supporting people. If I fess up about having a bad day, I get comments like "you'll do better tomorrow" I have never had a friend bash my food choices.
  • jpuderbaugh
    jpuderbaugh Posts: 318 Member
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    My diary is closed. I have the same reasoning as somebody else here. I wouldn't log everything I ate if people (even only friends) could see it. I do look at my friend's diaries, (these are only people I personally know) if they are open, for ideas on if they are eating something I myself might like to try. Most of them have tackled the hurtle of incorporating more fruits & veggies into their diets, which I haven't done yet. Still trying to work on portion control first. I am a junk food-aholic.
  • JanineHarrison
    JanineHarrison Posts: 164 Member
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    Oh and I do look at my friends diaries that are open. I haven't seen a lot of weird combinations but have gotten great food, meal, and snack ideas. Also love that when I see one of my friends has tried something I've been thining about I can ask their opinion. That's how I starting using almond milk for my cereal.
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
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    I have mine set to open - because it really makes me question "Do you want to eat this, when you know people will see?"

    I haven't seen anything weird - but I get some good ideas for things to eat from others diaries - and I even discovered a product I never knew existed from a friend's diary, that I use all the time!

    This!! Mine is public. Like others have said I do not make the best of choices at times but when people have questions about certain calorie meals or what they should eat if they want to be a vegetarian, its there to get ideas! I also like looking at other diaries because I get stuck in a rut sometimes eating the same things over and over...gives me ways to mix it up!!
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Mine is open to my friends.

    I don't eat bad but I also don't want people looking in there and telling me what I "should" eat or commenting on my calories etc.
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Mine is open, and awash with Red wine.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    I only look at people's diaries if they ask a specific question.

    Mine is closed because it's not really any of anyone else's business. Plus, people here are SO judgemental. I see them jumping all over people for eating processed foods. I track LOTS of processed foods that weren't really processed. If I have to estimate calories, I might just grab a processed equivalent because I KNOW what I had was likely better than processed.
  • muddyventures
    muddyventures Posts: 360 Member
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    I had mine open orgininally and found myself eating way less than I should because I didn't want to look "bad", I closed it about a month ago and I'm doing much better at keeping at or just barely under my target calories. I also thought, when I reach my goal I want to e able to keep at my calorie count for me not for someone else.
  • jenbunboo
    jenbunboo Posts: 90 Member
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    Mine is open to my friends, partially because it helps me to hold myself accountable, knowing that I am not the only person who will see it. I also have it open because I'm a vegan, and it is nice to show folks how much variety I have in my diet and what tasty foods I eat, when so many people assume that it is tremendously restrictive. The last food I was asked for a recipe on was my spanish garbanzo peasant stew I made up, which was freakin' delicious. (sweat a chopped onion in your soup pot, add a few minced cloves garlic, add a stalk of celery and a carrot all chopped, a red or other sweet pepper, some oregano and rosemary, 2 cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, and a can of diced tomatoes with juice, and broth to cover. simmer for 30+ minutes, gets better for a few days as well as the flavors marry). lots of veggies, good protein, and just delicious! great with some crusty bread, or I served it with a veggie paella.

    in any case. i keep mine open for accountability and to share, and I love when my friends keep theirs open. when they log their food and come out significantly under calories, I remind them about eating back their exercise calories, and warn them about starvation mode if they do it too often, and have a low calorie threshold to begin with. if they look, or i know that they're set for a slow loss rate, i don't worry about it as much, and just take it as a day they're working overtime on themselves. if somebody looks to be going over on a regular basis, i touch base and make sure everything is going all right. i don't try to be a nanny, but what are friends for if not support?
  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    How do I know if mine is open?
  • Helenatrandom
    Helenatrandom Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Mine is open to friends. I don't mind friends mentioning "Where are the vegetables?" or "You have been under protein lately", or even "Maybe you want to track sodium for a bit,...". I want their help and support. And I have been known to get on the case of a friend of mine suffering from a deficiency if she doesn't get enough of something for a few days in a row. Mostly though, I stick with positive reinforcement, which is what I mostly get as well.
    BUT, my diary isn't open to the public. I trust my friends to make observations because they care. I do not trust the public at large.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
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    Mine is closed because I am still working on reducing what I eat, not changing what I eat...and what I eat is pretty terrible right now. BUT I do work 25 hours a week and I am taking 5 classes at the university so cooking is definitely not fitting in anywhere! haha

    However, once I graduate in May, it is my goal to make changes to my diet so that my diary can look much, much healthier (and a lot less "fast foodie" haha)

    Oh...and when I first started using MFP, I added some, uh, personal cardio in and labeled it accordingly. I didn't realize it would post to my profile as "Shellsrenee burned X calories doing 45 minutes of sex" :laugh: :embarassed: Oops! Learning as I go :blushing:
    :laugh: fantastic!!! Lol. I just count that as a hidden extra. Did someone seriously eat whale sperm?:noway: I keep my diary open as I like being held accountable. Friends don't bash me if I'm over, but if a patterns immerging they will give me support and I love it! I check everyone elses food diaries, and give them support and constructive help if they need it, and I think they appreciate it! I feel people with closed diaries aren't getting everything out of this site that they could, but reading some explanations on here definitely makes me more understanding of why some people keep theirs closed. What ever works for you is what you need to do. X
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Mine has always been open. Since I have PCOS and IR and hypothyroidism..many fellow MFPers want to know what I eat..since I am pretty much at maintenance now. I also know the diary is better on some days than others..but its all good. But I can say this..I have a new friend..and she completed her diary..I noticed some weird stuff with her macros..where her protein was 50..I asked if she was using the default MFP settings..she said yes..I recommended her to change it..since she needs about .7-1g of protein per pound..she appreciated it..

    For me..I look at people's macros..cause sometimes you need the nudge..but I dont go all psycho on them if they went to McDonalds..thats counter-productive..
  • Spanaval
    Spanaval Posts: 1,200 Member
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    My diary is closed, except for friends. The reason is that my diet is very heavily ethnic (South Indian), and unless you're from my part of the world, a lot of it would make no sense whatsoever.
  • NancyNiles
    NancyNiles Posts: 145 Member
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    I think of my poor eating habits like weeds that flourish in the darkness, but wilt under the sunlight of exposure!

    Mine is open because the scrutiny motivates me. I know if I eat three cake pops someone is going to see it. Thankfully I don't have any MFP friends who would deride me for it. No one is perfect and anyone who would take a pot shot at me for a moment of weakness is no friend of mine. But just knowing its out there to be seen is enough to keep me in line.

    *I should note, by open I mean to friends. Anyone else is just snooping! lol

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