Open your food log to others or not, that's the question.

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245

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  • Cherbear67
    Cherbear67 Posts: 245 Member
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    I don't have mine open.. When I came to MFP I came to help myself and keep myself accountable.. I ended up giving others some encouragement and some postings on the forum..
  • Jkmumma
    Jkmumma Posts: 254
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    I don't even know what I have my diary set to anymore. Might be open, might not be?

    It's not the healthiest diary every. I'm pretty strictly a calorie counter, and it's working for me.

    My weight loss has slowed a lot lately, but that's most certainly because I haven't been working since my cross country move, and I HAD a very active on my feet, lifting 50 lbs many times throughout the day, running around a playground ETC. Now I'm pretty much stay at home, save for walking the dog and going to the gym.

    Am I going to eat less to speed the weight loss back up? Nope. I'm just going to suck up the slowed weightloss and enjoy that it's still a loss.

    I'm going to enjoy that I am continuously getting stronger and getting better endurance for my cardio.

    And I'm not going to worry about it.

    I might check my profile to see if my diary is visible or not, because now I'm curious LOL.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
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    :huh:
    This website can be used in many different ways. Just because someone has their diary private doesn't mean they are using MFP wrong.
  • amber1533
    amber1533 Posts: 117 Member
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    While my food log is open, coming here for support of friends about what I eat is not what I came for. I specifically came for ME to log what I eat so I can set goals food wise and reach them without reading every label and writing it down. Not everyone who uses this site is open for that kind of help. Maybe they need help with something else and food is not their concern. Also it is based on what you want to share or not, not what others tell you you need to share.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
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    I am extremely concerned when it comes to people on MFP who won't share their food logs.

    Firstworldproblems

    Chuckle
  • melusinagr
    melusinagr Posts: 205 Member
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    I had my diary open for quite awhile, and then I got extremely tired of the people who were constantly trying to tell me what I should eat, how much protein, how many carbs, etc. What I am doing has worked for me (lost 130lbs and been on maintenance a year) and I don't need or want people constantly remarking on my food choices (which I think are a good balance between healthy and enjoyment). Anyway, that is why my diary is closed.
  • _KATzMeow
    _KATzMeow Posts: 336 Member
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    What difference does it make?. I never look at anyones food diaries anyway. I give them a good job if they are under. I don't care what they eat.
  • neelia
    neelia Posts: 750 Member
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    Lots don't even realize it's an option, default is that your diary is private, if you don't go looking for settings you may not know it can be changed.

    ^ THIS
  • plynn54
    plynn54 Posts: 912 Member
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    mine is open to my friends now, but when it was closed it was only because Im a boring eater and pretty much eat the same things everday,
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    I am extremely concerned when it comes to people on MFP who won't share their food logs.

    You really don't have anything of more importance to be concerned about?
    If you want to lose weight, and you are friends with others on MFP, why wouldn't you want the encouragement one receives when they SEE what you've put in your face?

    Because I can do it myself. Not everyone needs a cheer squad.
    I think some have to think about why they came to MFP in the first place. Did you come to use the food and exercise logs?

    Yes, I did. Key word: I. For ME. I didn't do it for YOU.
    Did you come for advice from others who know your plight? Do you feel that you have no clue how to lose weight or to maintain your health? How can others help you if you aren't ready to give them the information they need in order to give a bit of advice?

    If I have a question, I will provide the necessary information it would require to get an answer.
    People can tell you all day how to do something but ultimately it is up to you.

    Exactly. So why does having a closed or open diary make any difference?
    Keeping a food journal makes a person responsible and accountable for what they put in their face. It is also a known fact that those who do keep a food journal lose more weight than those who don't.

    Please cite your sources for this information.
    I thought about it when I first came to MFP. Do I really want people seeing what I ate? No, I didn't, but when I found myself cheating and not getting anywhere I knew that I did it because there was no accountability. There was anonymity but no accountability. Now that I share with others what I put in my face, it makes me responsible for my loss or gain. It puts a fire up my butt to get off of it and exercise. It makes me accountable for MY loss or gain. Complete honesty with others and especially with yourself is a part of your winning at losing.

    Just because you can't control what you put in your mouth or exercise if no one is watching, doesn't mean others can't.
    Am I off base? Have I crossed a line?

    It's just none of your business what others do.

    I know some people will think I am wrong or am making a big deal out of something little, but I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to share their exercise, their thoughts for the day, their successess, their encouragements to others, and not their food logs. To me, it just doesn't make sense.

    It's none of your business. You don't have to understand why people don't care about sharing what they ate for lunch with you.


    Edit to add: Not everyone is here for the same reason.
  • phatnotfat81
    phatnotfat81 Posts: 171
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    Don't like people who don't have open journals? Fine. Don't friend them. Otherwise - why do you care, outside of a need to find some way to make yourself feel superior to how you are losing weight?

    Food is a deeply personal relationship for lots of people. Implying that other people are not committed simply because they don't want to publicly air that is just plain being nosey and overconcerned with what others are doing. (And this comes from someone with an open journal. Who cares, really?)

    ^^^^Well said
  • Sarah1023
    Sarah1023 Posts: 194 Member
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    I love your passion, but you're extremely concerned about someone like me that chooses to keep my diary private?! What I eat, how I get my calories is my business, no one else's. If for some reason what I was doing wasn't getting results and I *needed* help, then yes, I'd probably open it up to my friends so they could point out where I'm going wrong. But at this point, my diary is private. I'm fully able to hold myself accountable and it's working. Why fix something that isn't broken?

    ^^ditto!
  • CLW614
    CLW614 Posts: 7 Member
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    I keep my diary open to my friends, but I have no problem with people keeping there's closed. It's no skin off my back, and I doubt I'd really look anyway unless someone specifically asked me to. I kept a food journal before I found MFP...the old fashioned way, pen and paper. It wasn't open to anybody obviously.

    I don't personally keep a food journal because I need people to comb through it and make suggestions or whatever...I keep a food journal because I'm tracking my calories and macros as well as sat fat intake and sodium intake due to health reasons. I can pretty much do that on my own...I'm an accountant and I'm pretty good things like this, as well as finding solutions to "budgetary" issues (i.e. my nutrition budget). If I want someone's advice, I'll ask for it. If I think a friend has some particularly good nutrition ideas, I might ask them if I could take a peek at their diary...otherwise, I really don't care what anyone else is doing.

    ^^^^^ THIS^^^^ minus the Accountant thing :) And the fact that I have mine closed....
  • lacurandera1
    lacurandera1 Posts: 8,083 Member
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    I have often considered deleting people on my fl who have private diaries. it seems silly.

    Edited to say: Just as I have deleted people who consistently under eat. I am suspicious that they go hand in hand.
  • spearfox
    spearfox Posts: 276 Member
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    I could care less.
    My food diary is open. I don't hit complete. Don't log my water either.
    A few people have made comments about my choices.
    There have been a few that added me because of the open diary.
    If someone wants to talk to me about my food choices, lack thereof or poor logging that's fine ny me.
    I know it bothers others so I don't get on their case at the slightest infraction. I also believe in cheat days.
  • BlueObsidian
    BlueObsidian Posts: 297 Member
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    I know some people will think I am wrong or am making a big deal out of something little, but I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to share their exercise, their thoughts for the day, their successess, their encouragements to others, and not their food logs. To me, it just doesn't make sense.

    So? I don't know you. You aren't a friend of mine. Why would I care what you think about my food log? Particularly since you seem to just be judging those of us that are private? I have no need to be judged by others. I'm following a nutrition plan that works for me. Perhaps you should focus on your own weight loss plan and stop worrying about what anyone else is doing?

    I don't need random strangers on the internet to make me accountable. I've relied on others for motivation in the past. All it does is lead to more weight gain. I have to get healthy for ME, not because I want other people to be impressed by what I eat today.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    I spend more time goofing around with my friends on my home page than anything else. If someone has something specific they need my help with, I don't have any problems doing what I can...but generally speaking I'm not very good with the "atta boys" and "keep it up" stuff. When it comes down to it, the people I've known who have had the most success have found a way to motivate themselves and change their lives...they may have needed a kick in the pants from time to time along the way, but for the most part, they have found a way to be self-motivators. I don't know...that's just been my experience.
  • kschhr
    kschhr Posts: 103 Member
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    I've been about 99% vegetarian this year, and I don't want someone giving me **** if they see I've had chicken.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    I've been about 99% vegetarian this year, and I don't want someone giving me **** if they see I've had chicken.

    What the ****.....you had ****ing chicken! :tongue:
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    I've been about 99% vegetarian this year, and I don't want someone giving me **** if they see I've had chicken.

    ooooh I can top that... I put up a friend and generously said they were willing to share in whatever I was cooking on the day... only to have them grumble about not enough meat (I switch between chicken, fish, veggie in a week... mainly because I am too damn stupid to remember to take food out the freezer)...
    That was a real life person in my house... not even some nosey random on the internetz!

    Guess who's never staying here again!

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