Why do you care if people have open food diaries ?

2

Replies

  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    I have MFP friends with both open and closed diaries, I have mine open to everyone because I don't care/mind people seeing and if I ever ask for advice people can see what I've been doing.

    I do look at other peoples diaries if they're open to steal ideas though, and hope keeping mine open might give people ideas (when I have a good day). :)

    I think most people who only add friends with open diaries don't request so to feel better about their friends failures, I think it's more so they can steal what's working ;P
  • SweetCheekszx0
    SweetCheekszx0 Posts: 478 Member
    Started with it open.. & honestly had way more progress with it closed. People talk *kitten* or jump to conclusions, & too many people try to play physician on this site.. Um I have a doctor thank q very much. :bigsmile:
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Honestly, people are nosey around here and are know-it-alls. If you aren't eating their way, well then they are clearly doing it wrong.

    Thats why a lot of people keep their diaries shut.. so the nosey ones don't come poking around telling them that the piece of candy they are for lunch is going to make them balloon up and gain 500 pounds.

    Me personally, mines open.. do I log as much anymore? No. Mainly because I'm on maintenance and eat the same thing everyday.. so I know what my calorie counts are.
  • osualex
    osualex Posts: 409 Member
    I like to look for meal ideas. I'm not here to judge anyone-if a friend has 3000+ calories of junk food, I normally won't say anything, as this is their journey, not mine (unless they ask for help of course). Also, if someone is very successful in their weight loss, it's helpful to others to be able to see what they eat and maybe copy that to their own eating habits. I have friends with both open and closed diaries, but I prefer open ones.
  • CarolinaMoon76
    CarolinaMoon76 Posts: 78
    Mine is open to friends only and I am happy with that and will sometimes have a look at diaries of other friends for ideas etc. Some friends have closed diaries and thats ok too.

    Actually I have been wondering about diaries - slightly OT but I do like to encourage people and say well done on healthy meals - I tend not to though when I see that its fast food for 2/3 meals a day. I know they are sticking to their calories but to me thats not healthy eating.
  • NonvoidableRypticus
    NonvoidableRypticus Posts: 5
    I couldn't care less. Then again, I'm a n00b, so things may change I guess.
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    Mine's open to friends.

    I never look at my friend's diaries. I'm just here for support and to support them, it's up to them what they want to eat at the end of the day.
  • SweetCheekszx0
    SweetCheekszx0 Posts: 478 Member
    Mine's open to friends.

    I never look at my friend's diaries. I'm just here for support and to support them, it's up to them what they want to eat at the end of the day.

    ^^thats how it should be:flowerforyou: if we wanted to be judged we would've never thought to join the site smh:brokenheart:
  • taekwonkenpo
    taekwonkenpo Posts: 1,004
    I like people looking at my diary. I don't even mind it when my MFP friends give me a little bit of a hard time when i go overboard. For me, knowing that i have people paying attention actually helps me to make better food choices. I like to hear it when i screw up and i like the positive encouragement as well.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    1. If you ask for advice on your progress, it's much easier to give some meaningful comments when you can see what the person is eating.

    2. It keeps you accountable when you know others can see it.

    4. People can make helpful suggestions for how to improve it.
    I don't ever ask for advice. I know what I need to do and I do it or don't do it. That's on me. I also am not accountable to anyone but myself.

    If the time came where I needed advice, I would gladly open my diary (though mine is currently open to friends, it isn't always). I honestly don't want unrequested negative comments (even well-meaning ones) about my eating habits. It's no one else's business.
    3. It gives others good ideas and suggestions - you wouldn't believe how many new people join and ask "What can I eat for 1200 calories? Has anyone got a meal plan?"

    I can answer that question without an open diary.
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    two words. Food porn.


    other than that I don't really care.
  • stephdeeable
    stephdeeable Posts: 1,407 Member
    I don't care if someone has theirs open or closed.

    If it's open, I might take a peek to get meal/snack ideas, but that's it. I don't judge them if I see fast food or something I wouldn't eat.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
    At the start of this I would look at diaries to get breakfast ideas. Trying to figure out 5 meals at about 350 each was not easy for me. So I used them to learn. Now reading them makes me hungry so I don't look into them as much.

    I've never judged people on what they eat. It is none of my business as to how anyone but me "gets there". And anyone who wants to critique my love of cool whip free can piss off.
  • Hitem20
    Hitem20 Posts: 121
    Mine is open and I am only embarrassed by how many popchips I eat!
  • Lana1253
    Lana1253 Posts: 12
    I like to see what people are eating as in this house we eat a lot of things over and over again.So by me looking at some one else's food I get new ideas on what to make.
  • AmyFett
    AmyFett Posts: 1,607 Member
    I have mine closed. It used to be open, but i'm not here for anyone but me! I know what I'm doing and what I need to do, I'm using the diary to just count calories, not to make others critics.
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    1. Personally, I keep mine open so that I can be held accountable. If I have a crappy day, I can't blame someone for pointing it out to me. I treat it like I have 50 nutritionists tracking my progress- I wouldn't want to slip up with 50 people watching me.

    2. I've had people ask me for recipes for things they see in my diary- I enjoy helping people find good recipes to help them stay on track.

    3. I've had people ask me for advice on supplementation after seeing what I take. Again, I enjoy helping others help themselves.

    4. I don't have anything to keep secret. When I was at my highest weight, I used to be ashamed of what I was consuming, to the point that I used to eat when people weren't around so I wouldn't feel so bad- no longer the case. I sometimes look back at my past entries and give myself a little pat on the back; it keeps me motivated to see how far I've come in such little time.

    5. I like seeing other peoples dairies to see if there are foods that I'd like to add to my own repertoire.

    I don't criticize people for having closed diaries, but I think it is helpful to not only you, but your friends, if it is open.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
    I typically do not look at the diary of others unless I am noticing them losing a lot. I keep mine open so i can hold myself accountable and make better choices.
  • niknak2308
    niknak2308 Posts: 315 Member
    Personally I prefer to see other's diaries as I like to know whether they're undereating/starving themselves or whether "being under their calorie goal" is more due to healthy eating and eating exercise cals. I've de-friended some people who were constantly under cals but survived on just one fast food meal a day.
  • kel665
    kel665 Posts: 401 Member
    Only reason I like to see my friends diarys is to see that there not starving themselves. I have just asked one of my friends if I can see their diary simply because everyday the do a great workout and everyday are under their calorie goal, which I think is great.

    But how do I know if my friend is 5 cals under or 500 cals under.

    I want to be supportive, I don't mind what they are eating but I don't want to keep saying "yay well done" if they are starving themselves everyday.

    What she said. I don't always look at people's diaries, I just don't have the time but I do have a look now and then. I would hate to think I am encouraging someone to starve themselves by commenting on a closed diary. I also get ideas for lower calorie foods that I can use to replace the higher calorie ones that I eat. Some people eat hardly anything all day and use up their calories on food with hardly any nutritional value and they are starving at the end of the day. Other people seem to eat heaps, but when you look at their diary they are just making healthier lower calorie choices, so they can eat heaps more but still stay within their calories for the day.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I only give a **** if someone comes on the forums and goes, "I'VE PLATEAUED/GAINED WEIGHT/STARTED POOPING FOREVER, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?" and refuses to open his or her diary.

    Or if I point out to a friend, "You've netted 500 calories the last 3 weeks? Everything ok?" then they close his or her diary.

    I think closed diaries can be telling ;)
  • AimersBee
    AimersBee Posts: 775 Member
    I only give a **** if someone comes on the forums and goes, "I'VE PLATEAUED/GAINED WEIGHT/STARTED POOPING FOREVER, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?" and refuses to open their diary.

    Or if I point out to a friend, "You've netted 500 calories the last 3 weeks? Everything ok?" then they close their diary.

    I think closed diaries can be telling ;)
    hahahaha.. too funny
  • kel665
    kel665 Posts: 401 Member
    Mine's open to friends.

    I never look at my friend's diaries. I'm just here for support and to support them, it's up to them what they want to eat at the end of the day.

    ^^thats how it should be:flowerforyou: if we wanted to be judged we would've never thought to join the site smh:brokenheart:

    I have my diary open to friends and I never feel judged, I feel my MFP friends are interested and supportive and I love that. If suppose if I did come across a friend that had nasty things to say all the time I would probably just de-friend them.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I used to keep my diary open during september till october 2nd week... I used to eat well and sometimes, i cannot eat more. Since i am a vegetarian, i cannot uplift my calories. But some people never understand it, they give discouragements or impolite words and most of the time, i got verbal abused through personal messages and got racial abused 3 times...Some of them spoke friendly and un-friended me saying i eat less which is a silly reason because during my sad days, i eat about 1000 calories... I was tremendously upset and one of my MFP friend advised me to keep my diary private. There are some people who encouraged me eventhough my diary was private. Now, i am able to consume about 1400 net calories per day. =)

    It sounds like you have bigger fish to fry than food diary issues.
  • blissfulself
    blissfulself Posts: 193 Member
    although it's not a huge deal, my thought is why wouldn't you open your diary? we're all [presumably] here for the same reason- to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle so why wouldn't you want support/ideas in the nutrition area. it seems like people are hiding something to me- eating way too much or way too little. why even bother adding friends on here if you don't want advice or support from others?
  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
    I have not come across any negativity about open diaries until I saw this topic posted

    Me neither.
  • Shamrock_me
    Shamrock_me Posts: 161
    It only matters to me in one case. If someone wants my advice and their diary is closed I pretty much can't offer any helpful suggestions. I'm an impatient person so it annoys me that people waste my time in this manner.

    I really don't care if anyone looks at my diary on a day I've done fantastic or on a day I've scarfed up a whole lot of bad foodies. I'm not accountable to them I am accountable to me. A lot of people 'work' their diets on programs and plans, ideas of how other people may judge their diary.. I don't. I prefer a reality balance - I want to eat healthy and well so I don't jump on every diet plan bandwagon especially one that limits you. In the real world you require variety in your foods and your food types. You're going to have awesome days and crappy days. I'm going to go out with the girls and we're going to have junk food, or go to birthday parties and eat cake, that's reality. Accepting that leads to less depression and frustration when I do go way over my calorie limit. I see way too many people making a big deal about one meal or one day where they snarfed up massive calories and I've seen good friends beat themselves up over a cheeseburger and give up the whole day or days or weeks because they let that cheeseburger eat them up from within.

    It's just not worth it to me.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    I keep mine open to my friend's only because it keeps me accountable. I don't think people look at it every day, but just in case they do, I try to eat better. I don't want strangers to see it because I don't want to get the "you should/n't eat this or that" lectures.

    As far as my friends go, I don't care if it's open or not. I'm not going to comment on a closed diary because I don't have a reference, but that's their perogative. I also don't comment generic "great job!" comments on an open diary no matter what. If I can't think of something to say, I won't say it. I also won't be mean about calorie intake because I don't know their situation.

    I'm here to support and get support, not to judge.
  • Shamrock_me
    Shamrock_me Posts: 161
    two words. Food porn.


    other than that I don't really care.

    Oh yeah!! That too!! There's a bakery counter at a place I like to get lunch on Fridays and I love to just go look. When the counter guy asks to help me I explain that I'm eating healthy and I just want to window consume! It's like the going to the strip club seeing all the action but not spending any money...
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I have not come across any negativity about open diaries until I saw this topic posted

    Me neither.

    Pay closer attention. At least once a week (or sometimes a day) someone posts a thread ranting about people with closed diaries.

Categories