Food diaries .. are you surprised sometimes?

Junk is also subjective to a degree.

And this is why my diary is private. I don't eat a bunch of junk, but I don't like the idea of people looking at my food choices and judging me. I try not to do it to others, either. Technically, you can eat what you like as long as you're within your calorie limit for the day, so getting on my high horse and looking down on other people for what they eat is not going to help them lose more weight.

This! Especially as i've had disordered eating in the past, MFP has actually really helped me in terms of getting over that, but there are some days where my calorie intake is really low, and some days where it's really over my recommended calories... not only that but my food combinations are really weird haha, don't want people thinking what a freak I am (; I prefer the privacy, but love the support you can get on here.

The OP has a point, but it's true that saying that won't help anyone lose any weight. It's true that we've all known people (if we've not been that person ourselves) who whinge about not losing weight... whilst eating a pack of doughnuts.

I'm generally surprised because other people's diaries seem to have a lot less food in them than mine do. But I tend to make things from scratch, and I add small portions of all kinds of different things, and log each one. I love reading my friends' diaries though - I find it really interesting to see how different people eat, and how it differs in different countries.

and bloody hell!! (I'm Eeengleessh .. NO WONDER!

I have PMS ..
does it show? .. :flowerforyou:

Ha Ha, too funny!

I'll be honest, I eat a lot of junk and still lose weight. Well, not A LOT as far as qty's but I don't eat clean like people talk about and I eat alot of processed foods. Right now, we have to eat cheap and that's what works for our budget. You can do it, just have to watch portions.

I know what you mean about people that still seem to be clueless about why they aren't losing weight. Not sure whether they really just don't know or if they are seeking attention. Either way, hopefully this site will help them get whatever they need to lose weight.

Or the people who eat all that and still lose weight. That pisses me off. Recently I'm getting annoyed that I've been busting my *kitten* to lose weight, sticking to 1300 calories (aside from a bad day yesterday), and someone who's been at this for a shorter time than me and doesn't log some days, and eats junk, has lost more than I have. Super annoying. I can't complain really though, 2 months and about 15 lbs gone is pretty good for me.

I don't look at other people's food diaries because other people don't have the medical issues I do.

You see, I am intolerant of fructose, and have IBS triggered by cruciferous vegetables.

I don't fantasize about cake and cookies and chocolate, but about oranges and strawberries and lush black grapes. And I stare with longing at broccoli and cabbage. But I don't want to live with a constant migraine and lowgrade nausea and bodyaches, and I do not want to have the gut upsets that indulging in a nice serving of beef with broccoli would give me. So I can't eat these things.

Using packaged meals on occasion is both simple (on really busy/painful days) and keeps me reminded of what a normal size portion is. It would be very easy to slip back into eating just too huge a quantity.

As it is, though, I find that I can eat just about anything I want, and what I want is mostly well within my calorie count for the day. (laugh) The other day I sat down in the evening to summarize, realized I was five hundred calories low, and groaned because I was SO not hungry! So I left it at that, because I have a rule not to eat when I'm not hungry, and that trumps the calorie intake math.

Everyone is different, different things work for different people. and I wish us all a smooth progress to the health we desire.

getting on my high horse and looking down on other people for what they eat is not going to help them lose more weight.

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

I disagree with this - I have an open diary so that if I need a reality check then I get one.

A "reality check" doesn't have to include nasty comments from people about the food choices you make. You might not like it much if a stranger posted on your wall that you eat like a pig and should be a ashamed of yourself. :bigsmile:

Well, maybe you're like me and don't really care what others think. :drinker:

Either way, people need to be supportive and not make their feedback negative. Unfortunately, not everyone has mastered the art of constructive criticism. That's why I tend to keep my opinions to myself about specific diary entries. Unless we are friends in real life, it's not my place to tell you what to do.

Hopefully, this site will one day enable them to look back on it and realize what they ate and what they were doing didn't work..?

The calorie counter has helped me immensely.

I don't look at other people's food diaries because other people don't have the medical issues I do.

You see, I am intolerant of fructose, and have IBS triggered by cruciferous vegetables.

I don't fantasize about cake and cookies and chocolate, but about oranges and strawberries and lush black grapes. And I stare with longing at broccoli and cabbage. But I don't want to live with a constant migraine and lowgrade nausea and bodyaches, and I do not want to have the gut upsets that indulging in a nice serving of beef with broccoli would give me. So I can't eat these things.

Using packaged meals on occasion is both simple (on really busy/painful days) and keeps me reminded of what a normal size portion is. It would be very easy to slip back into eating just too huge a quantity.

As it is, though, I find that I can eat just about anything I want, and what I want is mostly well within my calorie count for the day. (laugh) The other day I sat down in the evening to summarize, realized I was five hundred calories low, and groaned because I was SO not hungry! So I left it at that, because I have a rule not to eat when I'm not hungry, and that trumps the calorie intake math.

Everyone is different, different things work for different people. and I wish us all a smooth progress to the health we desire.

This. I am allergic to most fruits and would LOVE to be able to have 8 servings of fruit and veggies a day.

At times I will look at other diaries that are public for meal ideas, but like the OP said, it's an eye opener as some food choices people make are more than I ever ate to get here in the first place (i.e all fast food, multiple servings of franks, burgers, sandwiches as a serving) and when I see them posting about having no calories left or why they're not losing weight, I really do wonder what they're thinking. I mean, fine if it's working for you and you are losing weight, but if you aren't, somethings obviously wrong with what your'e doing.

I just shrug my shoulders and of course I'm not saying anything unless someone asks for an opinion on their diary or on what they're doing wrong. I do give people credit for keeping their diaries open despite what they say they're consuming. My diary is open to my friends and I log to keep myself accountable.

But bottom line is, yes I am surprised.

I keep mine public for the sole purpose of judgment, it might sound strange but thinking that some person out there might be 'tisking' at me helps me be more accountable. At first I was private about it, but now my grandmother knows about my foodblog (and will comment about things I eat when I visit her.) I can't tell you how much that has helped me make better choices.

The only time I look at other people's are when they make 'look at my eating habits' posts or logs of people on my friend's list for ideas.

I don't usually look at food diaries but I did look at one of someone's and it was literally, no lie, fast food, pizza, and cherry pie every single day.

I keep clicking back through the days thinking surely, surely I've just caught this young lady during a binge week and she doesn't always eat like this! But nope. Pizza, fries, and pies all day erry day. (And occasionally Hostess/Little Debbies snack cake muffiny things.) Well...whatever. More power to her, I guess?

I look at diaries from time to time. Primarily of people who're losing well, or have lost a fair bit of weight, to see how they're doing it and to get ideas for the future.

Edited to add: Darn, I really wish I hadn't read cherry pie.

I'm usually surprised at how much junk people can eat and get away with. Or how much packaged food they can eat and stay within their calories, that they can exist on so little junk and consider it nutrition . . . but I really don't judge them for it. LOL
Me, I am fairly certain anybody who looks at my dairy is going to be horrified by the fat and protein because MFP is ridiculously unbalanced when it comes to carbs vs. fat and protein.
I think everybody is different and different combinations work for different people. I can include carbs in my diet and it makes me hungrier next meal and I don't lose weight. If I cut those carbs out (even though my calorie count would allow for them) and add something more nutrient dense I am more full and more happy - and my skin is soo healthy!