Do you Hide Your Diary???

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  • kazzsjourney
    kazzsjourney Posts: 674 Member
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    I think whether you have your diary hidden or not is simply a personal choice...its not bad or good...just whatever works for the individual. :) Mine is available to friends but not the public...but I dont see it a big deal either way.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I think whether you have your diary hidden or not is simply a personal choice...its not bad or good...just whatever works for the individual. :) Mine is available to friends but not the public...but I dont see it a big deal either way.

    I agree with this. I kept mine private initially, then opened it to friends when a friend said it would be helpful to her if she could see mine. I briefly had a friend who would diary check and make rather judgemental posts about people's food choices, but I solved that problem by removing her.

    I don't care whether someone keeps their diary private or shares it, but apparently some people on MFP are really disturbed by private diaries.
  • mozzie88
    mozzie88 Posts: 33
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    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    What a stupid thing to say... If you don't log your food how do you know where you are at??? My diary isn't open and that is because I use MFP as a tool to better myself not put on a show for everyone else.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Today I have been logging for 365 days. Mine is private. If you are not accountable to yourself and do not log honestly, the only one you are hurting is your self. Why cheat yourself, what purpose does it serve? Making what I eat public would not make me accountable, might work for others, but the opposite for me. If anyone asked me what I am eating, I would tell them, and no one has so far. Eating the same things may or may not work for another person and to me this carries a certain responsibility I would rather not take on, and I am not qualified to advise anyone. I have never felt the need to see what others eat. I experimented by trying different foods that are healthy and nutritious and that I like to eat. It has worked so far for me.

    To me , MFP is not a game, it is a tool that is making my life better.
  • getyourbeans
    getyourbeans Posts: 80 Member
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    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    Ridiculous.

    My diary is private because I am prone to the odd binge - for me, it is most important that I am accurately logging my calories at all times. I am more likely to be totally honest when I know it's only me looking at it. I have MFP friends for support and to get an idea how other people on similar journeys are progressing, if I want particular feedback on my nutrition, I'll ask for it.

    Mine is able to be accessed with a password but so far no one's asked for it. So clearly not really an issue for my friends, either.
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
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    Mine is open to friends as they are the ones who are likely to comment, I would hate for one of them to say good job without actually knowing that I did a good job. I don't make posts on the forums asking for help with my diary so I dont' see a need for it to be open to everyone on MFP. It's a personal choice, if keeping it private works for you then keep it private, if keeping it public works better then have it public.
  • gardendolly
    gardendolly Posts: 125 Member
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    Mine is private. This is a very personal journey, and I log everything - after all why not? If I leave things out because they are 'bad' then the only person I am cheating is myself. I am quite capable of reviewing each day and learning from my mistakes. So long as my general weight loss trends are downwards I am happy.
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
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    Mine is open. I don't believe that it's all that interesting that anyone would seek it out. Either way, I don't really worry about comments or snooping. I am human and prone to imperfection. In the end, I am only accountable to myself.
  • BetterThanExpected
    BetterThanExpected Posts: 104 Member
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    I do hide my diary and have since I joined this website. One of the reasons is because if I made my diary visible I would most likely be too embarrassed to log high calorie days, but want to see where I've been going wrong if I haven't been losing weight recently.
  • kaybelieve
    kaybelieve Posts: 118
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    I've kept mine hidden just because it's easier for me. My MFP friends aren't the type to make snobbish comments or put me down if I make 'bad decisions' and let me tell you now I make at least two a day. I don't eat 'clean' and I suppose it would look as though I'm not trying as hard as other people but this weight loss is for me. I'm happy to share the journey, but not my diary :laugh:
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    My diary is open and I couldn't care less what other people think about what's in it. I pre-log all my meals because I find it easier to plan ahead than eat and log later, so most of my meals are listed as personal recipes. But seriously, who gives a crap what other people think as long as you are getting the results that you want?
  • SRH7
    SRH7 Posts: 2,037 Member
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    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    Comments like that illustrate perfectly why I don't want some random know-nothing without two brain cells to rub together passing judgement on my nutrition ...

    QFT

    I'm far more honest about what I eat and drink now my diary is closed. Secret eating has been a part of why I put weight on and hiding it from people in my life simply transferred to hiding it from people on MFP. Being honest in my diary has helped me pinpoint why weight loss was previously an issue and has helped me tackle that and get my health back on track.

    Besides, I don't need someone I don't know passing judgement on me. I'm not on some great "journey" or here to "change my life". I'm here to lose a few pounds, get advice on exercise, make some online friends and have a bit of a laugh along the way.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    I disagree.

    I log my food so I know how much I've eaten (i.e. how many calories, how much protein, fat and carbs), so I can ensure that a) I eat what my body needs and b) I know whether I can fit less nutritious stuff like chocolate into my macros.

    that is it. the end. I'm accountable to me.

    I'm always amazed by how emotive and presumptuous people get over things like this... different people track food for different reasons, and some will benefit from asking others to help keep them accountable, while others just simply want to keep a record of what they've eaten for their own benefit....

    my diary's open to friends in case they want to steal my meal ideas or something... I'm not going to be offended if they give me feedback on what I eat (whether they think it's good or bad) but I don't have any need for that feedback (but it's nice to socialise and it's an interesting topic for conversation...) I know what I should eat, I know how much "junk" I can get away with eating, and I'm accountable to me and it's only me that suffers if i make really terrible food choices.
  • Clcleeds2012
    Clcleeds2012 Posts: 41
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    Mine is open, I like to see what others are eating and I have no problem with others seeing what I am eating. I've only got about 6 "friends" on here so I doubt anyone is particularly interested anyway.
  • daphne_m
    daphne_m Posts: 84
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    Mine is friends only. I only have one friend! I figure that at the end of the day people on a forum, while possibly supportive, are not going to be gaining or losing weight because of what I eat. Why should they really care? They can cheer me on if they want, and I can bask in the attention that comes from having a great diary, but I'm the one who gains or loses.

    I do wonder if having a public diary encourages people to be dishonest in their logging. If you've been getting lots of positive attention for eating well or clean or whatever, you might be tempted to fudge the numbers just to ensure it continues despite slipping up occasionally.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.
    Really? So calorie counting only works if you have other people looking at what you've eaten? So, presumably those people that haven't added any friends on MFP will have no success?

    I use MFP as a tool to track my food, to hold myself accountable, not for other people's approval or disapproval. If I couldn't make it work without a load of random on the internet watching and approving, then I'd be in trouble.

    One of the reasons mine is not on public display is that I'm not comfortable with other people giving their opinion on what I eat. My choices are my own, and I know better than anyone else when things are getting off track or I need to make changes. Looking at my diary, I don't think anyone on the outside can tell when I'm having any issues with my eating. Days when I struggle with emotional eating can look really good on "paper", and really great days where I relax a bit regarding calories might look like I've fallen off some proverbial wagon. I really don't need to be encouraged to do better on those days. I also don't need to be told "good job" for eating. That's not why I'm here. If things change and I feel I could use some feedback, then I will open it.

    OP - hide your diary if you think it will be more beneficial to you to do so. MFP isn't a game (unless that's how you decide to use it). It's just a tool - you can't fail at it. Use it in a way that helps you the most.
  • skinnymalinkyscot
    skinnymalinkyscot Posts: 174 Member
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    Hi everyone, as a newbie to this website ive decided to make my diary public, I welcome anyone who takes the time to email me with their thoughts on my food choices. Part of the reason ive got overweight in the first place is eating the wrong foods and as this is my first time dieting at the age of 53 there are going to be far more experienced nutritionists and dieters out there than me, so as for me i welcome any comments especially if they notice something important which could help me then im happy to let others read my daily choices.
  • funhouse77
    funhouse77 Posts: 179 Member
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    mine is open to friends only. I have enough trolls in my life already.


    ^^ This.
  • Happylady123
    Happylady123 Posts: 166 Member
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    When I first started using mfp my diary was open. I joined this site to eat healthier, not neccesarily to lose weight. I have lost 12 pounds, and I am quite lean now. I have never really been overweight in my life as I have always tried to live a healthy lifestyle. I do feel much better about the food choices I am making, and the exercising that I log. I can say at 50 I am in the best shape of my life. However, after logging publicly for some time I started to feel pressure about what I ate from comments people made. It kind of made me feel like there was a video camera in my kitchen! lol. It became unhealthy for me and just felt like too much pressure. At that point I decided to go private with my food diary. It is working much better for me now. I believe to each his own... whatever makes one happy and healthy is top priority!
  • sriley721
    sriley721 Posts: 68 Member
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    Mine is open because if I lose weight it might help someone else and if I don't someone else might be able to help me.

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