Why do people hide their diaries?
Replies
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In my case, it's because I'm doing this for myself and diaries / logs are the best way for me to assess my situation. I did not really come to MFP for the community aspect. I came here because I can access the site from any computer and it has the food database, which makes things easier than having to make sure I carry a notebook around and having to guess the nutrition information if I didn't get it off of a label.
Honestly, I feel no more desire to leave my diary open here than I felt to leave my old paper and pen logs out in public. I've got nothing to hide, but I just don't feel any great urge to share. It's simply not an important part of my path.0 -
Because I know it bothers people like you.
HA!0 -
because they feel guilty and shamed of what they actually eat. LOL
THIS is prime example of attitude that keeps my stuff to MYSELF~
THIS exactly.0 -
I see no reason to keep mine open for people who would rather profile creep than be friends.
I have mine open to friends, but my diary and profile, etc are all friends-only.
I always worry about giving an encouraging "Great job!" to a friend with a closed diary who's under as....my gf struggles with anorexia (for years, went into treatment, and now that her mom passed a month ago today she's struggling again) and if someone is restricting to ridiculously low calories in an unhealthy way -- as she did and struggles with -- I don't want to be giving positive reinforcement to that......
ETA - I mean I know days happen. Maybe you are sick and feel like crap and not hungry. Or it was an insane day and you just didn't eat as much as you otherwise would've. Or even the opposite end of the spectrum, 'though having been with my gf for 9 years of this journey so far, I'm more aware and concerned about that.0 -
Stop caring what other people think!
Has anyone honestly had an unsolicited PM criticising their food choices? (By unsolicited, I mean you haven't posted up asking why you're not losing weight or similar.) Because nobody in the 8 months I've been here has contacted me about my food diary. *ExpectsAFlurryOfInsultingPMsNow*
I wish I could stop caring, honestly! In the meantime, yeah, I posted once asking others if they found they had more incidences of getting sick at a deficit, as I had, and it's... you know... scientifically proven that it can happen.
Had people critiquing my one craft beer a week as the cause, someone pointed out, "You haven't eaten any veggies in a week, that's why" when I had been out of town for a week, so you know... I hadn't tracked in a week. By that logic, they might have been better off saying, "Wow, looks like you haven't eaten in a week! Maybe that's why."
I've lost weight and body fat just fine, with thyroid and cortisol issues, with factoring in things in moderation. I'm a healthy weight. Everything else is just gravy by this point. I don't need random people piping up when they haven't lost 1lb in the year they've been there, or said more than 5 posts in the two months they've been here, etc.
Because I wish I didn't care what others think, but as a recovering anorexic, yeah, food comments can really undermine me.0 -
I share mine with friends, but it seems odd to display everything I eat on the internet to any random stranger. Even if it's not odd (and I think it's fine if people do and I even appreciate it).0
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Mine is open to friends only for the same reason my Facebook profile is open to friends only: I want to control what information I make public on the internet. I use this handle for everything, and I don't want my 5 glasses of wine to show up when I'm Googled.I don't want everyone knowing which boys I think are cute
And that.0 -
I'm here for fitness support more than diet. I KNOW I should not be eating McD's. No point in having people trying to kindly help where I already know i suck.0
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I have mine open to friends only, but will add pretty much anyone. I don't care if others look at it, just want to know who.0
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i like to keep mine private because i tend to cheat when its public0
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I don't keep mine open because I don't want any advice or accountability for my diet.
And this!!!
I am accountable only to ME!
^^this.. and it's none of your business.0 -
Mine is open and I had a cheeseburger last night when I took my bro out to dinner.
No reason to cheat when it's open. Frankly it sounds like you haven't found the right friends on MFP.0 -
Just wondering why people don't publicly share their food diaries on here or even lock them with passwords? I love clicking on someone's forum post name and checking out their food diaries for comparison and learning sake but many have their diaries locked or hidden from public view. I realize many probably might not know that they have their settings on private or for friends only.. but just curious anyways. I just don't see any real negative consequences for making them public versus showing them so that others can compare and learn from them based on individual goals.
I have mine private on purpose. My diet is specific to my personal issues and unlikely to be much use to someone who is not celiac and female.0 -
I think the default setting is closed. You have to go in and manually open it. Most people barely get through the goals setup, much less poking around in the settings...
Wait... there's even MORE settings to futz around with?0 -
cause it's MY DIARY not YOUR BUSINESS0 -
I keep mine open to everyone. I like to shop other people's diaries for new food ideas, but mainly I do that with friend's diaries.0
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Mine is open to friends only for the same reason my Facebook profile is open to friends only: I want to control what information I make public on the internet. I use this handle for everything, and I don't want my 5 glasses of wine to show up when I'm Googled.
My food diary is open to MFP members, but I hadn't thought of my vodka or rum intake on Friday and Saturday being googled! As I think about it, some may be surprised, but I suspect not many! I like to look at other diaries for the same reason that someone else mentioned - if someone is doing really well, I'd like to get a peek at it and see wth they're eating!
You have a valid point, but it reminds me of my mom (who normally recycles everything) who won't put her wine bottles in the recycle bin because she doesn't want the city workers to see how much she drinks!0 -
I don't have mine open because I got tired of all the internet googlers sending me random "research" about how their diet was the only way and I was doing it all wrong. I don't see how people can get an overall view of someones health through a few numbers and a screen name. If anyone asks me about how I lost so much I will gladly help in any way I can. I just don't appreciate nosey nellies.0
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I keep mine open. I've learned a lot about food options from looking at other's diaries too. At the risk of opening the door.......I've never had anyone comment on my food choices but I don't ask for input and don't complain when my weight doesn't drop and wonder why.
Thanks to everyone who's kept their's open so I can check them out. I've seen examples of paleo, low carb, vegitarian, and many other types of diet. I can't believe how much some of you weight lifters can eat and still look great.
To each their own.0 -
I think some people keep their diaries closed because it gets hard to take the criticism and ridicule when other people disagree with how you eat. There are lots of people that have a problem with how I eat, but I keep it open anyway. For some reason, not following the Standard American Diet seems to ruffle a lot of people's feathers, especially if I dare to mention my personal experience with others. There's a whole bunch of reasons that I eat the way I do. It's open and if it helps someone else, that's great. If it doesn't, oh well. No, it's not "perfect"; nobody is.0
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I love MFP but there are a few MFPisms I don't agree with. 1 is that you shouldn't weigh-in daily when clearly the evidence is that daily weigh-ins are effective in weight loss. However if someone has a problem with weighing in daily they shouldn't do it. 2. Another is public diaries. It is great if 1. you need the accountability 2. You are a great resource for others. 3. Don't have another reason for having it private which there are many. I do not feel the need for accountability. Often my diary would be a great resource for others but not always. I don't have it private because it would be more counter productive to me than helpful to others. I find that by logging daily which I do, I improve the quality of my food. I grew up with a critical mother who was into health food. I have had all the food advice I need for one lifetime and still get some. What I didn't get growing up was a chance to learn to manage treats since I never had any. That is what I am doing now. My kids are great with this and so is my husband. It is because they were available to them on occaision. So I need to find a way to not feel deprived but not go overboard either. I eat really healthily. To me the tools on MFP should help you get healthier. I support alot of friends. I moderate a group and a challenge. What I am not willing to do is open my diary up to comment. It just wouldn't help me and after so many years of putting my family first I am now putting my health on the front burner and am not going to let any MFPisms stop me. So if you don't want friends who keep their diaries private that is fine with me I have plenty of friends here and I am great at supporting them. I think looking at other peoples diaries can be both enlightening but also sometimes distressing. I won't offer comment on peoples diaries unless asked since I don't have mine public. Once a year we go on a family camping trip. So I hand log and put it into MFP after the fact. So each year my days log resets. But I log daily. Accuracy and logging daily trumps opening my diary for public or even friend comment.0
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I like when people have theirs open because sometimes I just want meal ideas or when I see someone who has done really well I am curious to see how they have been eating so that maybe I can learn something.
And that's why I leave mine open. I eat for health, not weight loss.0 -
In my case, it's because I'm doing this for myself and diaries / logs are the best way for me to assess my situation. I did not really come to MFP for the community aspect. I came here because I can access the site from any computer and it has the food database, which makes things easier than having to make sure I carry a notebook around and having to guess the nutrition information if I didn't get it off of a label.
Honestly, I feel no more desire to leave my diary open here than I felt to leave my old paper and pen logs out in public. I've got nothing to hide, but I just don't feel any great urge to share. It's simply not an important part of my path.
This is my reason in a nutshell. I enjoy sharing on the forums from time to time, but really I use MFP mainly on my iphone when not at the computer, and I do not use the community aspects when on a mobile device. Just too annoying to type, and I am not much into dictating posts either.
I am happy to share tips on gluten free diet, but not interested in giving people who do not need a gluten free diet the wrong impression that this works for weight loss. People gain weight on GF diet, without other factors like portion and calorie control and exercise. Gluten free works to control my celiac disease, but I managed to gain quite a bit of weight being gluten free too! I have to be extra careful about any sort of commercially prepared products that they are gluten free, so the latest fad powders and shakes are zero use for me when they are not gluten free. I've seen enough judgmental people in the forums that I have no desire to share information that is likely to be misunderstood by someone who doesn't understand my medical condition.0 -
I keep mine closed because, unfortunately, there are a LOT of opinionated people who tend to want to go into other's diaries and criticize. I don't want people to make comments about too much this, or not enough that. I am doing the best I can and have some great resources for what I should be and what I am eating. This is a very personal journey for me.0
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My food diary is open to MFP members, but I hadn't thought of my vodka or rum intake on Friday and Saturday being googled! As I think about it, some may be surprised, but I suspect not many! I like to look at other diaries for the same reason that someone else mentioned - if someone is doing really well, I'd like to get a peek at it and see wth they're eating!
You have a valid point, but it reminds me of my mom (who normally recycles everything) who won't put her wine bottles in the recycle bin because she doesn't want the city workers to see how much she drinks!
I mean, I know that someone isn't likely to Google my name and look at my MFP diary in practice, but I know that employers and recruiters HAVE Googled my name. The likelihood of an employer looking at my food diary isn't great, just like they probably wouldn't come to my house and look in my recycle bin for empty bottles, but all the same, I am hyperaware of information about me available on the internet.
P.S. FUTURE EMPLOYERS OR OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES, I DO NOT ACTUALLY DRINK 5 GLASSES OF WINE A NIGHT.0 -
Because 57 Oreo's for a snack looks bad? are you going to finish that Oreo?0
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If you don't want every Tom, **** or Harry or creepy profile crawler viewing and commenting on your diary then just set it to be viewed to your friends only.
I also wish that people who do block their food diary would change their setting so it does not show up on the News Feed, why do I care if you ate within your calorie range if you are not willing to show me what or how much you ate??? It cracks me up how people comment on those by saying "Good Job" or something like that when you have no idea of what they are doing....just saying!
Me personally have mine open to friends. I like to look at my friends logs so I can get ideas for different meal ideas. Alot of people also ask me for my recipes that they see on my log since they know I love to cook and create healthier recreations from some of our favorite things.0 -
I love MFP but there are a few MFPisms I don't agree with.
1 is that you shouldn't weigh-in daily when clearly the evidence is that daily weigh-ins are effective in weight loss. However if someone has a problem with weighing in daily they shouldn't do it.
MFP says you have to weigh in every day?0 -
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I love MFP but there are a few MFPisms I don't agree with.
1 is that you shouldn't weigh-in daily when clearly the evidence is that daily weigh-ins are effective in weight loss. However if someone has a problem with weighing in daily they shouldn't do it.
MFP says you have to weigh in every day?
O.O Huh? Really?0
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