WHY HIDE YOUR FOOD DIARY ??

Will someone please, please PLEASE define what they mean by "Processed Food"?

If I peel a banana is THAT processing?

How about peeling (sweet) potatoes?

Lighten up, please.

If your banana came from a factory and had 10 ingredients listed on the package and the third item was banana, then you have bought a processed banana.

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.

This is me, except mine is open to friends. If my friends start criticizing me, then I will lock it. So far so good. I have a crazy job so my eating can be questionable at times, but I would rather be honest and log it than worry what people I don't know think of what I've had.

I will open up my diary if I hit a plateau or need particular advice and I post about it, because I think that makes sense

Not everyone wants people to see their uncontrollable habits.

I don't think it really matters if someone's diary is public or private. The only time I think it becomes relevant is when someone comes on the forums looking for help/advice because they're not losing weight, despite the claim that they're doing everything right- eating healthy, staying within their calorie goals, excercising- and their diary is not available for viewing. Anything other than generic advice is rather pointless; people can't make helpful suggestions when they don't know what's going on, which ultimately defeats the purpose of the person asking for help.

These are just my thoughts, and I'm not advocating critiquing someone elses food choices, as I don't want mine critiqued unless I ask for it!

Its funny as no one has ever made a negative comment about what I eat or drink . If they did then I am cool with that also if its in a positive manner.

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.

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It's wonderful that you haven't had that experience but I did. And the guy who sent it wasn't even on my friends list! Kind of creeped me out a bit. Why would some stranger feel the need to make recommendations to another stranger? It was weird and I would have been one of those "no one snoops through strangers diaries" people until that incident.

I don't look at other people's diaries because I really don't care what other people are doing. If Susie is living on nuts, berries & green smoothies, good for her but that doesn't fit my lifestyle. I do what is sustainable long term for me. If I'm looking for food ideas, I go to the recipe section of the forum. To me counting calories is simple math (made easier by MFP). Looking at my answers won't help you on this particular test.

My diary is private because it isn't really anybody else's business what I eat. If I wanted it to be, it would be open and I'd be inviting people to look at it and comment. I know some people do this and that's fine.

Nobody NEEDS to see what I'm eating. I know the basics of a healthy diet and I can get along fine by myself. I know my own tastes and habits, I know my budget for spending money on food shopping, I know where I can shop, I know my routine etc. So I think the only person I want to be figuring out my meals is me.

I'm not being dishonest with myself, if I was being dishonest, quite simply I would not be keeping any diary at all! I think that keeping it private is being more honest with myself because nobody else enters into the equation. How can I be more honest than that?

We all have individual goals and aims. Some people want to keep to a very strict diet, carefully controlled, food weighed, nutrition scrutinized etc. That's fine. Some people want to just cut out the unhealthy snacking, or just control portion sizes, or try to eat more fruit and veg - that's fine too. Everybody approaches things in their own way and it's up to them to decide how they want to tackle it.

I'm trying to lose weight for me. When I prepare my meals I want to do it for normal reasons - what I like to eat, if it's good for me, is it healthy, will I enjoy it etc. Not 'Will the people on MFP approve of this!?' I don't need the added stress of every morsel that passes my lips being published for the world to see and jump in with criticism. I know my own personality and I think if I started down this road I would end up with seriously disordered eating.

I don't understand the mindset of anyone who routinely stalks people's food diaries, reads all the tiny details and then sits and judges. Support others yes, be a good friend yes, but your attention should be on your own life. Who honestly cares that much about what other people are eating, really? Does this person seriously think that EVERYONE with a private food diary MUST have a horrendous fat filled diet? What a ridiculous attitude!

I don't hide my diary. I don't know if it will be of any help to anyone, especaially lately that I have been eating a little more junk than normal, but I leave it open. It may help someone especially if they don't understand portion control of starches.

I try to be detailed and even add the oil i use to pan grill foods. It helps to be detailed when you are within 10 to 20 pounds of your ideal weight. thats when the going gets tough.

I think I blame twitter and face book for all this obsession with sharing everything lol never got on with either as a private person I like to keep myself to myself really.

probably cause they dont want to be ripped apart by the big mean MFP bullies who are being "helpful."

So, write out 100 times:

You're not Your
Separate not Seperate
Lose not Loose
Definite not Definate

- then, and only then can you possibly hope to lose any weight, apparently

I will never understand why people worry so much about what OTHERS are doing.

So, write out 100 times:

You're not Your
Separate not Seperate
Lose not Loose
Definite not Definate

- then, and only then can you possibly hope to lose any weight, apparently

Not everyone wants people to see their uncontrollable habits.

LOL, this cracked me up FAR more than it should have!

On a serious note, I do keep my diary open, but don't expect others to. The whole fear of being judged thing ran deep with me for awhile, and I can't honestly just expect people to automatically trust me NOT to judge them on their food choices, especially if, like me, they had a lifetime of people making constant judgements and "helpful" comments about what they should be doing differently all the time (and believe me, not even half of the advice I got in the past was good advice). For those friends who have open diaries, I've very, VERY seldom made any comment on it unless specifically asked, because I respect that they're doing what works for them, at this moment. So far the friends I've chosen have given me that same respect.

No sorry I am here read back you can see lots of replies and post another sad person who need to attack instead of joining a proper debate !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not sure why people hide there food diary as advice can help and lets be honest if your fat and overweight like i was you need to be honest with yourself.

This might seem harsh but come on people I found being honest with myself one of the biggest steps. I use to lie how fat I was to people and myself.

Surely you have your answer now? Where have you gone? Post and run? It's not the first time that this topic has been posted and for some obscure reason it's probably not going to be the last time I decide to read through the entire thread. In fact, got so engrossed I can't remember why my diary isn't open for every weird, over-opinionated pseudo-expert to have a browse through. Oh yeah. There it is...

Oh, was it another debate? I wasn't attacking, just giving my reasons, sorry you feel that way. Must have missed your responses on page x. And yes, you might think I am sad, but that is your opinion, which you are entitled to. My diary is open to mfp 'friends' who are welcome to comment on it. I hope that satisfies.

To each his own. That said, having mine open keeps me in check.
"Do I REALLY want MFP seeing I had 12 Hershey kisses?"



And I also hope I can give people some ideas on how to change things up if they want.