WHY HIDE YOUR FOOD DIARY ??

1. Not everyone here started out "fat." I'm 160 pounds and just looking to lose some weight to get closer to a healthier BMI.

2. Not everyone wants advice on their food. You can count calories and figure out basic nutrition without having other users comment on every little thing you put in your mouth.

3. New question: Why do you CARE if people keep their diaries private? It's really none of your business.

and this

As explained on my profile, my diary is hidden because I work odd shifts, and I have enough trouble working out when to eat during them without explaining it to other people. During a 12 hour shift as a nurse when the ward is short staffed, I might plan healthy meals, but only be able to grab something when I get 5 minutes (sometimes not even that). I can go for 10 hours or more without being able to eat at work, not through choice, through the fact that I can't just leave the ward for a snack/a meal when there's a crisis situation, and when I do eat it might have to be something I grab from the kitchen. I've gone 12 hours on 2 slices of bread that I managed to eat in the 2 minutes something wasn't happening, after a stressful I day I really don't want to be explaining why that was my lunch to someone. (Before anyone says it, I can go with good intentions to take a healthy thing to eat on the go, but when you're so hectic you have to take whatever is on the ward and can't even get to the staff room, you take what you can.)

Yeah, we're all here for the same thing, but we all do it in different ways. The food diary judgement on here is really starting to annoy me. Live and let live, and try being supportive, not critical. You don't know what goes on in some peoples lives, and maybe like me they really can't be bothered to explain it!

I locked mine down for friends only to see. Why? Because I started a fun topic on another board, and everything was going along really well, people were responding right and left, and WHAMMO! Someone came on and started telling me everything I was doing wrong with my eating. Somehow, a question about food quirks became a lecture on all the crap and processed foods I was eating, and maybe I should go see a nutritionist. I eat well 99% of the time, yet this person looked at one day where I chose to eat some potato chips, and all this person had to say was how horrible an eater I am.

I locked it to friends only immediately after that.

I saw that topic, and remember thinking that someone had gone a little bit mad on you! Lol.

I have to say very surprised at peoples reactions and even an attack on my grammar which is funny as someone who is supposed to suffer from dyslexia or so I am told. This has never caused me an issue .

Of course its up to the individual and I respect that as an individual choice. I do however feel that if you have lost alot of weight or found something that works for you why not share it ?

This is after all an online community, I was actually amazed at how easy it is. I have done the gyms in the past and always played sport. However it was what was going in that was wrong. I was kidding myself that I was fat and fit when really I was just a fat bloke thinking I was fit.

Just because something works for me doesn't mean it will work for others.

My diary is private because sometimes I eat... Dare I say it... PROCESSED FOODS! I know... The horror of it!! But in my defense I have low blood pressure (to the point of lightheaded spells) and my cardiologist recommended I not cut my sodium. So what I eat would not necessarily benefit someone else. Processed foods taste good and is the easiest way to keep my sodium up. I also eat lots of "healthy food" but people seem to only focus on the things you are doing "wrong".

I had it open briefly and got a recipe in my inbox for some kind of green spinach and flax seed protein smoothie thing with a note explaining all the things wrong with what I was eating. So I set it back to private. It's easier than telling people to mind their own business constantly.

Because when I think about other people looking at it, I feel tempted to lie about it. It is a place where I want to be scrupulously honest with myself. What I'm doing is working fine. I don't feel I need advice. I do feel I need to log honestly and scrupulously.

Different people are different. I want my diary private.

I flit between having diary open and closed, usually I close it when I've had a really bad few days and imagine someone might notice. Then when I've had a good day or two I reopen it and hope no one noticed. I'd like to think I make better choices if I'm accountable, unfortunately the reality is rather than resist choices due to being 'observed', I just close the diary and do it anyway. Defeats the purpose!

wow I never noticed anyone could see your personal note!

I understand why people hide their dairies. SOME people on MFP are self-righteous and judgmental! PERIOD!!!!

Quite frankly, it's nobody's business what I eat. If I don't go over my calorie goal then it's all good. People shouldn't be that nosey about what I'm eating anyway. Worry about your own diary and I'll worry about mine.

Be well and good luck with your weight loss.

loving this one :O)