Closed diary's

jamie610811

Just a quick observation , I love looking at the success stories . And the one thing that sticks out is 2/3 of the people have closed diary's ? Why is this ? Surely an open diary would help other MFP people ?
Is there a reason why ?

TheVimFuego

Just a quick observation , I love looking at the success stories . And the one thing that sticks out is 2/3 of the people have closed diary's ? Why is this ? Surely an open diary would help other MFP people ?
Is there a reason why ?

Some people use MFP as a personal tracking tool and think it's nobody else's business what they consume and when?

sandradev1

I understand that some people do have friends on here that they actually know in *real* life, so would be different for them, but...mostly people on here are anonymous to each other. All of my friends have 'open' diaries and they are good, they are bad some days. It helps me to be accountable to other than myself and also lets me see that I am not the only one when I have a fail day. We all comment on each others dairies to encourage.

If I were to receive any critical comment from them I would consider it, as having chosen my friends list very carefully, I know it would have been said in a positive way.

I have had learned so much from seeing what other people eat and how they manage their macros etc and I hope that my diary has done the same for other people.

Each to their own.

ejha77

Some people use MFP as a personal tracking tool and think it's nobody else's business what they consume and when?

Exactly.

XXXMinnieXXX

My friends view mine, but otherwise private...youve made me wonder if i should open it though!

ETA.. I opened it! Lets see how it goes!

sunlover89

I'm on here to help myself primary, not other people! Also, I don't track most days - because I'm in a good eating routine eating mainly cottage cheese, turkey and a variety of fruits and veggies. I know if I've eaten enough or too much. I also don't fancy smart alecs, people who don't know my training and eating schedule making comments about how I only track one or two days a week and that I'm wayy over my budget for the day - this is my higher calorie day, which I do track because it contains different foods each week.

The good thing about MFP is that you can use it how YOU want to, not how other people want you to.

Gail3260

Personal choice and probably for a variety of reasons although mine is open to friends.

I prefer friends with open diaries. I won't comment positively on days where they show they have completed below their calorie goal if I can't see what they did eat. It's their business what they do eat it but it would be wrong to say 'well done' to someone who eats consistently at 500 calories a day or ony ever logs ice cream!

Ta2dchic20

Too many food nazi's.

witchy_wife

I think it's because some people feel that their way is the ONLY way. So if you have your diary open to everyone, then something that works absolutely great for you might end up with critisism from others. Things like keto diet or intermittent fasting are ways of eating that work for people, but some other can have strong opinions about them. At the start you might spend a lot of time showing the benefits of your way of eating and why you are not doing damage to yourself, but eventually you get fed up of the arguing.

I have mine open to my friends.

subconscious_ink

I think for some people who struggle with attaching moral value to food (ie. "good" foods and "bad" foods) it can be helpful to have a closed diary, especially if you're worried about people judging you. I know that sometimes, when my diary is open, I obsess a bit about what I eat and feel guilty, especially if I've had a day with lots of "bad" foods. That's a mindset people need to change (myself included) but until it happens, sometimes it's just easier to keep your diary closed.

Lupercalia

I have mine open to friends. I don't feel like I need to share it with anyone--it's my food log and I don't necessarily want anyone else to look at what I eat and decide that's what they should eat, too. I kept it private initially, but a friend asked to look, so I decided to open it to friends. So far, so good.

I love what I eat, and I eat very healthily...however I have health issues that require me to not eat certain things, etc. and I wouldn't want someone to take a quick look through my logs and get the impression that they shouldn't eat some foods and should eat others in the same quantities as me. I'm not a fan of needless restriction and don't want to promote that. There are a lot of unwell people on MFP, and I really don't want to encourage disordered behaviours or thoughts about food.

Goodbye_Thunder_Thighs

Some people don't know that the can open their diary. The default setting is closed. Some people don't want other people to critise their choices. Some people are more accountable when no one else can see their diary, others are more accountable when people can see.

susiepet

Thanks xxMinniexx - I found looking at a few days of your diary really interesting and very informative - and thankfully full of "normal" food! Great to see lots of treats amongst the veggies and protein - makes me think I too can do it...

Sue

XXXMinnieXXX

Thanks xxMinniexx - I found looking at a few days of your diary really interesting and very informative - and thankfully full of "normal" food! Great to see lots of treats amongst the veggies and protein - makes me think I too can do it...

Sue

Thats great Sue. My diary is a little unusual right now as i just had surgery, so not as much cooking as normal! Lots of shakes and bars, id usually have more real foods and shakes here and there. Shows it can be done whatever the situation. I try to eat 80% good clean, healthy food, 20% treat. Got to have a treat! X

trudijoy

Mines closed and will stay that way ...3 reasons

1.... Judgemental people...and actually any form of commentary on my choices will irritate me because

2.... Keeping my ED in control means keeping my control and i feel that an open diary jeopardises that

3.... Noone else on here has my assortment of needs and tastes. i get sick of answering questions about food and drink habits

susiepet

Thats great Sue. My diary is a little unusual right now as i just had surgery, so not as much cooking as normal! Lots of shakes and bars, id usually have more real foods and shakes here and there. Shows it can be done whatever the situation. I try to eat 80% good clean, healthy food, 20% treat. Got to have a treat! X
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Hope you feel better soon!

XXXMinnieXXX

Thankyou. Just carpal tunnel surgery on left hand, so cooking with one hand is rather tricky! X

jcc4

Mine is open.. I respect the ppl that have theirs closed but I look at it this way.. My wife sees what I eat, my children see what I eat, my coworkers see what I eat... Why would I be worried about what strangers think? Unless you are "sneak eating," which is something I used to do, and then you don't want ANYONE to see what is going on, but if that is the case you have other issues to deal with. Once I took accountability for, and gained control over (for the most part) my eating habits, I realized that having my diary open doesn't matter (to me).

benol1

Just a quick observation , I love looking at the success stories . And the one thing that sticks out is 2/3 of the people have closed diary's ? Why is this ? Surely an open diary would help other MFP people ?
Is there a reason why ?

Privacy.
I share my diary with friends which I think is reasonable.
kind regards,

kazzsjourney

Yep personal choice. I dont want or need for that matter someone critiquing my eating unless I have contacted them as I feel they are knowledgeable/experienced in that area and value their opinion (and I have done that before). I do have my diary open for my friends...just not for the public

MsPudding

I'm only weeks into my weight-loss journey and mine's open because I don't mind if people critique it - I'm in no way a nutritional expert so not precious about it.