Do you Hide Your Diary???

mermaidme23
mermaidme23 Posts: 60 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK. I need to ask you guys a question. Is it bad to hide your diary? What do you think about it? There are some days--like today--where I did an absolutely ****ty job with my food. I want to hide my diary, but I feel like it's kind of part of the "game" of being on MFP. Thoughts?

Haven't had a bad day like this in a while but today was stressful and I just needed it.
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Replies

  • sweetpeaz12345
    sweetpeaz12345 Posts: 64 Member
    haha, i had mine hidden for awhile, but i felt like it was easier to cheat. So I re opened it and I feel it makes me more accountable for what i eat. If im embrassed, it means i probably shouldn't have eaten it lol.
  • azcat1281
    azcat1281 Posts: 22 Member
    I hid my diary for a long time. I didn't think it was anyone's business to see my food choices. BUT it has been positive experience since I made it public. I havn't had anyone criticize me at all. It also helps me stay on track and accountable because I am more transparent to my friends. I wish I had gone public sooner :-)
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    mine is open to friends only. I have enough trolls in my life already.
  • doc800
    doc800 Posts: 148
    I keep it an open book
  • koshkasmum
    koshkasmum Posts: 276 Member
    Mine's for friends only. They need to see it 'cause they are the ones I want to give me feedback.
  • DavidC1857
    DavidC1857 Posts: 149 Member
    I'm not sure I would say I "hide" my diary, since it's my diary and it's no one else's business in the first place. It's open to a very select group of friends that I have chosen to be accountable to, and closed to anyone else. Semantics I guess.
  • LaurySch
    LaurySch Posts: 277 Member
    haha, i had mine hidden for awhile, but i felt like it was easier to cheat. So I re opened it and I feel it makes me more accountable for what i eat. If im embrassed, it means i probably shouldn't have eaten it lol.

    Yep, I'm this way too! Although I will admit that occasionally I have just given up and added quick calories or just stopped entering what I've eaten for the day! But I've never had any of my friends make me feel bad for what I've eaten yet, and I've been doing it for over a year now!
  • bfridey
    bfridey Posts: 25
    I agree. I make my diary visible for a few reasons.
    I look at other peoples diaries for inspiration / food ideas.
    I want people to check my day to give me tips on what i should/shouldn't eat
    It gives you accountability for what you eat/ exercise

    I think it helps everyone to get and give feedback.
    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.
  • chooselove
    chooselove Posts: 106 Member
    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    i think that's a little extreme. people join MFP to keep a food and exercise log for their own personal reasons. while i agree having an extra set of eyes is helpful, it is a personal preference. as long as you can seriously look at your diary with an objective eye, you won't need anyone else's input.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    I've never had mine open. I don't eat cleanly, and I don't need people trying to give me advice on eating more clean/you need to cut out these foods/blah blah blah. As long as what I am doing is working, I don't need other people to see it. And since I don't eat cleanly or enough veggies and such, I don't want to encourage people to eat like me cause I'm sure that eating more cleanly is healthier. Though I would like to be healthier in what I eat, I need to do that very slowly or I won't be able to stick with it.
    I log it for myself so I can most easily see what I am eating calorie/sodium wise so I stay where I want to in those areas. I don't use MFP as much for friends and support. More so to just track calories and read through the message boards.
  • LynneseLooksgood
    LynneseLooksgood Posts: 46
    My Diary isn't "hidden" it's "private" ... Honestly, I'm not real interested in what others are eating, and some who want to look are probably just being nosy. Someone un- friended me because my diary wasn't view-able. There are some people here who have hundreds of pounds to lose and some who've never been over 200 pounds in their life. Everyone is on THEIR OWN journey some may need the accountability to be successful some may not. Whatever the case I respect that.
  • LynneseLooksgood
    LynneseLooksgood Posts: 46
    I agree
  • LynneseLooksgood
    LynneseLooksgood Posts: 46
    Seriously? I shouldn't log my food because others can't view it? Wow...
  • nornyb
    nornyb Posts: 224 Member
    I don't hide mine 'cause I really don't care if someone doesn't like what I'm eating. What goes in my mouth only affects me and what someone might think about it is irrelevant to me. I like looking at other people's diaries to get new ideas about what to eat, so I keep mine open for others to do the same. I've never received any negative comments. Keeping food a secret suggests shame and embarassment to me, and I don't think those emotions should be tied to food.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
    My Diary isn't "hidden" it's "private" ... Honestly, I'm not real interested in what others are eating, and some who want to look are probably just being nosy. Someone un- friended me because my diary wasn't view-able. There are some people here who have hundreds of pounds to lose and some who've never been over 200 pounds in their life. Everyone is on THEIR OWN journey some may need the accountability to be successful some may not. Whatever the case I respect that.
    indeed. my diary isn't inspiring, but it's perfectly ok. i'm not here moaning about any losses & gains, i'm not asking for advice on my diet, so why should what i eat matter to anyone but me?
  • wickedwendy6
    wickedwendy6 Posts: 117 Member
    No, never have and never will. I feel that part of the whole MFP package is to have that diary there for all and any to see. I would feel FAR less accountable if it was hidden or private or whatever someone wants to call it. Having said that, I don't log my Saturdays at all purely because that is my free day - my one day off for the week that makes it easier for me to stay on track the other six. I eat what I like, I don't exercise and I don't log food. But that's a whole different topic. Lol

    As for anybody else, I'd say - if you're losing weight successfully with your diary hidden/private then all is good. If not, then why not try opening it to the public and see if this makes any difference to how you eat. :smile:
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    MFP is a personal tracking tool for me, I don't want amyone's opinions on what I consume and when.

    I couldn't give a monkey's what my wife thinks, never mind some random on the interwebz ;)
  • joyjay4fun
    joyjay4fun Posts: 160
    I didnt even realize you could share it for a while, one of my friends asked if Id mine sharing it since Im usually under my calorie goal so I did. Its been a good experience for those that actually read it and make helpful comments.
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    Comments like that illustrate perfectly why I don't want some random know-nothing without two brain cells to rub together passing judgement on my nutrition ...
  • mjhedgehog
    mjhedgehog Posts: 249 Member
    mines hidden because its my business what I eat. I think I'm more honest with tracking if I have it hidden.
  • kazzsjourney
    kazzsjourney Posts: 674 Member
    I think whether you have your diary hidden or not is simply a personal choice...its not bad or good...just whatever works for the individual. :) Mine is available to friends but not the public...but I dont see it a big deal either way.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    I think whether you have your diary hidden or not is simply a personal choice...its not bad or good...just whatever works for the individual. :) Mine is available to friends but not the public...but I dont see it a big deal either way.

    I agree with this. I kept mine private initially, then opened it to friends when a friend said it would be helpful to her if she could see mine. I briefly had a friend who would diary check and make rather judgemental posts about people's food choices, but I solved that problem by removing her.

    I don't care whether someone keeps their diary private or shares it, but apparently some people on MFP are really disturbed by private diaries.
  • mozzie88
    mozzie88 Posts: 33
    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    What a stupid thing to say... If you don't log your food how do you know where you are at??? My diary isn't open and that is because I use MFP as a tool to better myself not put on a show for everyone else.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
    Today I have been logging for 365 days. Mine is private. If you are not accountable to yourself and do not log honestly, the only one you are hurting is your self. Why cheat yourself, what purpose does it serve? Making what I eat public would not make me accountable, might work for others, but the opposite for me. If anyone asked me what I am eating, I would tell them, and no one has so far. Eating the same things may or may not work for another person and to me this carries a certain responsibility I would rather not take on, and I am not qualified to advise anyone. I have never felt the need to see what others eat. I experimented by trying different foods that are healthy and nutritious and that I like to eat. It has worked so far for me.

    To me , MFP is not a game, it is a tool that is making my life better.
  • getyourbeans
    getyourbeans Posts: 80 Member
    If you hide it, you may as well not even log it.

    Ridiculous.

    My diary is private because I am prone to the odd binge - for me, it is most important that I am accurately logging my calories at all times. I am more likely to be totally honest when I know it's only me looking at it. I have MFP friends for support and to get an idea how other people on similar journeys are progressing, if I want particular feedback on my nutrition, I'll ask for it.

    Mine is able to be accessed with a password but so far no one's asked for it. So clearly not really an issue for my friends, either.
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    Mine is open to friends as they are the ones who are likely to comment, I would hate for one of them to say good job without actually knowing that I did a good job. I don't make posts on the forums asking for help with my diary so I dont' see a need for it to be open to everyone on MFP. It's a personal choice, if keeping it private works for you then keep it private, if keeping it public works better then have it public.
  • gardendolly
    gardendolly Posts: 125 Member
    Mine is private. This is a very personal journey, and I log everything - after all why not? If I leave things out because they are 'bad' then the only person I am cheating is myself. I am quite capable of reviewing each day and learning from my mistakes. So long as my general weight loss trends are downwards I am happy.
  • mkeller234
    mkeller234 Posts: 121 Member
    Mine is open. I don't believe that it's all that interesting that anyone would seek it out. Either way, I don't really worry about comments or snooping. I am human and prone to imperfection. In the end, I am only accountable to myself.
  • BetterThanExpected
    BetterThanExpected Posts: 104 Member
    I do hide my diary and have since I joined this website. One of the reasons is because if I made my diary visible I would most likely be too embarrassed to log high calorie days, but want to see where I've been going wrong if I haven't been losing weight recently.
  • kaybelieve
    kaybelieve Posts: 118
    I've kept mine hidden just because it's easier for me. My MFP friends aren't the type to make snobbish comments or put me down if I make 'bad decisions' and let me tell you now I make at least two a day. I don't eat 'clean' and I suppose it would look as though I'm not trying as hard as other people but this weight loss is for me. I'm happy to share the journey, but not my diary :laugh:

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