Why do people hide their diaries?

AllonsYtotheTardis

It's set for friends only right now.

If I set it to public, than anyone on the internet can view it - even if they are not members of MFP. I don't want that.

MsMuniz

I don't keep mine open because I don't want any advice or accountability for my diet.

^^same.

PikaKnight

It's set for friends only right now.

If I set it to public, than anyone on the internet can view it - even if they are not members of MFP. I don't want that.

Go into your Settings..then Diary Settings and you can see the options. There is public, friends only, private and locked with a key options.

And if you go into profile privacy settings - you can make it for MFP members only, which I think also makes the diary (if public) only for MFP members only. I think.

skellyness

Because I like some privacy and don't want random strangers browsing it.

LassoOfTruth

I think it's mostly for shame of what they eat. Mine's public and I eat crap half the time. But, I've lost 60+ pounds, so I'm doing something right. There are stellar days for me, and not so stellar days (like yesterday's Taco Bell fiasco), but i'm one of the few that could care less if an "unsolicited comment" comes my way. No one is perfect.

lunglady

Because I didn't join MFP for anyone else's advice or opinions. I simply needed a food diary. For myself.

PikaKnight

Because I didn't join MFP for anyone else's advice or opinions. I simply needed a food diary. For myself.

So why even have friends then?

ParkerH47

I had mine open for a while, but I found because I knew people could look at it, I was always underestimating, and not being completely honest. It sounds silly but I do better when I know I'm the only one looking at it

Having said that I agree that it is awesome to go on other peoples diaries and see what they are eating.. especially those that have been really successful!

darloeye

I Don't understand why people want to know what other people are eatting to be honest. Never signed up for someone else on the otherside of the world to tell me off for what i'm eating or not eating.

mariposa224

Mine used to be open to just friends, but a while back I made it open to all. I'm in maintenance. I've always been a believer of "all things in moderation," and since being in maintenance, sometimes I have even had to go over my goal purposely to regain weight that I didn't want to lose. The reason I had it closed, then open to just friends was because I was afraid of people criticizing me. Now I don't really care and I've been fortunate enough that no one has.

But, in all honesty, to each their own. It doesn't really make a big difference to me one way or the other if people have their diaries open since I don't look all that often anyway. I track everything, as much as possible anyway, because I feel that I need to be accountable to MYSELF, not anyone else.

rascallycat

I think it's mostly for shame of what they eat.

um, no,,, it's just none of your business

CharleneExtreme

I don't like people commenting on my bad food choices. Its humiliating! Maybe someday i'll open it again when i cut out the crap after Christmas but right now people can p*ss off!

RunsOnEspresso

I have it set to friends only. If you want to know what I eat, be my friend. Otherwise, why should you know or care? I don't even look at my friends diaries much unless they ask a question or want advice.

yoovie

I think it's mostly for shame of what they eat.

hahaha

my food diary is actually instagram. cant fake that kind of diary!

Missjulesdid

I'm on a VLCD (nutritionist supervised) which is highly frowned upon here at MFP and I don't need constant comments that I'm not eating enough.

rm7161

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?

MFP does recommend that you do it weekly, but I suspect she meant the collective wisdom. I weigh daily but record weekly to minimise fluctuations due to hydration.

felcandy

I used to hide my diary from everyone cause i was eating sooooo bad. now i keep it open to friends so i will feel more motivated to eat right so i dont get lectured!! i still make bad choices, but i always try to keep my numbers green!!!

crystalflame

I don't need a bunch of random people who don't know my issues/story judging me for what I eat. Most of my MFP friends have some idea.

TheCaren

I've got a couple friends who battle eating disorders and the scrutiny of their diaries is detrimental to them right now, although they have indicated the plan to open it up as they recover.

I keep mine open for accountability, but I have thick skin and if people are mean about what I eat, I really don't give a cr*p... But that's just me...

emzypemzy93

It's their own choice, if they don't want people so see what they're putting in their mouth that's up to them... Personally.. I hardly ever check anyone else's food diary lol... I'm just too lazy to have a look at what everyone's eating.. I'd rather focus on what I'M eating and doing...

Contrarian

I don't "hide" my diary. What I put in my body is my business, and I'm not here to give people ideas of what to eat. I'm here for me. If I ever needed to ask for help, I would open it, but that has never been the case.

mockchoc

Mine was open to everyone until I hit goal weight because I wasn't sure what I was doing at first, now it's open only to friends. I'm doing fine right now and don't need any opinions or help on it and if that changes then I'll re-open it.

BACONJOKESRSOFUNNY

I eat people. I like keeping that to myself. Otherwise, law enforcement gets involved, and then I have to clean up and hide my stash, and blah blah blah.

brynnsmom

I don't keep mine open because I don't want any advice or accountability for my diet.

Ditto. If I'm going in the wrong direction, I'm well aware of why.

schondell

I unfriend anyone who has a private diary! The main reason i use MFP is to get healthy food ideas and see what works and what doesn't calorie wise.

vmekash

I keep mine closed because I have come across some surprisingly judgy people here. I have not been attacked by anyone, but have been witness to some very rude, and actually mean, attacks.

I do not eat "clean." I do not deprive myself. I simply limit my calories and net my daily goal give or take a few. I do not intend to start eating clean. And I do not wish to be judged for it. What I am doing is working for me. I eat some healthy and some not-so-much. Once in a while, lunch/dinner is a delicious, high fat, high calorie shake from Coldstone Creamery. Of course, I do this w/in my calorie budget, and I do not do it often at all, so I'm in good health and I am losing weight. And I can do this w/o guilt or regret.

So, that's my answer, personally, to your question.

As a side, I suppose I might be inclined to open my diary IF I were interested in someone else's diary. But I'm just not. Here, I'm doing my own thing and learning new things by perusing and participating in these message boards. BTW, I think that mostly, this is a happy, positive place, and most of the nice folks are truly helpful and very supportive.

Sister_Someone

I just don't feel like letting a bunch of random people flip through my food choices. I originally joined MFP because I figured it was more efficient in terms of time and space than keeping a food journal on paper and calculating the calories by myself. For months I was logging every day but had zero friends. I got into the whole friends and forum thing when I searched the boards for hypothyroidism and found out how many people are struggling with the same problems I have.

Doodlewhopper

Im not worried about profile creeping, unsolicited advice, criticism or judging - all are welcome to my little space on the internet. I look at others diaries for new food ideas.

I also suggest you not put anything on the internet you dont want the world to see.


Best to all and if I can help in some way Im happy to do so.

tvanhooser

Well, everyone has an opinion about the "right" way to diet and some are quite militant about it, doomsaying and second guessing everything you do. I barely have time to enter the stuff and get all the necessary exercise and healthy meal preps done to stay on track. If I had to put up with every random stranger who felt it necessary to tell me I was doing it all wrong and that I was doomed to failure and death if I didn't do it their way, I would go INSANE!! I learned a long time ago to smile gracefully but tune out all the conflicting advice but I don't need to have the distraction of having to filter out that kind of information overload, as well meaning as people may be. So I have friends that I know personally face to face on here only, and we respect each other, support one another and don't overload one another with unsolicited advice so I keep my diary to only them. That's why I do it--don't know about anyone else.

Bronx_Montgomery

Because they are not here to work out and lose weight but to use this as a dating site...............Oh hey how you doing? You come here often?