Why do people hide their food diaries on here?

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  • plynn54
    plynn54 Posts: 912 Member
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    Because they don't want to share them.
  • didntfeelcreativetoday
    didntfeelcreativetoday Posts: 39
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    Can't speak for others, Mine is wide open and I do try and log everything. There are days I miss due to being deployed or because I was lazy but if anyone wants to look go for it. I figure the more open I am about my struggle to shed the pounds the better chance I have for success
  • nicoleashley_24
    nicoleashley_24 Posts: 144 Member
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    If I had no friends, I would keep it private because then my point of being here wouldn't be to socialize but I think those with friends ought to open it up. Although, coming from an ED past, I could see how it would be triggering to open it up to criticism, it's hard enough dealing with the internal criticism.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    i find the assumption that closed diary = bad diet rather amusing.
    especially when it's made about a healthy person by a person with a LOT of weight to lose.

    feel free to keep on thinking i look this way on a diet of cake.

    WTF do you look like? Give me a break.
    well... a lot like the self av i use. prob'ly because it's me.
    not overweight, not underweight, reasonable amount of muscle.

    are you all huffy and offended by that?
  • Pixilox
    Pixilox Posts: 51 Member
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    Mine's open and I could care less if you see me eating steamed veggies or a whole chocolate sheet-cake. :laugh:
  • kitka82
    kitka82 Posts: 350 Member
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    My fd is closed so I can be honest with myself. If it was open I probably wouldn't have logged my 1,300 calorie overage yesterday. :noway:

    THIS right here. I had opened mine up for a while, but I wasn't logging everything. So now it's back to private, and I'm logging every little thing. It just works better for ME that way. If ever I wanted someone to peruse my diary, I would give them a key. Might seem bassackwards, but whatever.
  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
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    People judge when they think you eat too much and they judge when they think you eat too little. This is all relative, as what works for one person, may not work for another. I keep my food diary closed because I don't need to be accountable to anyone but myself. Also, at this point, I am more concerned about exercising and just staying active.

    Plus, I just ate a big @$$ cookie for breakfast. Don't judge...
  • barbaratrollman
    barbaratrollman Posts: 317 Member
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    "Private" is the default setting. You have to change it, if you wish it to be open to others.
  • kitka82
    kitka82 Posts: 350 Member
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    People judge when they think you eat too much and they judge when they think you eat too little. This is all relative, as what works for one person, may not work for another. I keep my food diary closed because I don't need to be accountable to anyone but myself. Also, at this point, I am more concerned about exercising and just staying active.

    Plus, I just ate a big @$$ cookie for breakfast. Don't judge...

    Yesterday I had a cookie ice cream sandwich before lunch.
  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
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    People judge when they think you eat too much and they judge when they think you eat too little. This is all relative, as what works for one person, may not work for another. I keep my food diary closed because I don't need to be accountable to anyone but myself. Also, at this point, I am more concerned about exercising and just staying active.

    Plus, I just ate a big @$$ cookie for breakfast. Don't judge...

    Yesterday I had a cookie ice cream sandwich before lunch.

    Hells yeah! I like you already...
  • sixthsense
    sixthsense Posts: 22
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    same as this
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    Because...

    wine-bottle-glass.jpg

    I don't want anyone telling me not to have it.

    I will say though that I needed help with my TDEE and I opened up my diary for advice. It's been fine lately.
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
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    Mine's open. I can't imagine that anyone would have the time or the interest to bother looking through it anyway. I mean, seriously people do that??? If someone decided to give me any unsolicited advice, that's their time and effort that has been wasted if I choose not to take it. I'm not going to get offended though, more surprised that someone had nothing better to do! But, if I'm going to post for advice about weight not shifting or bloating etc, I think it's a bit of a waste of time if no one can see what I'm doing.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
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    Also unsolicited advice is a thing. I've been told i must be pre-diabetic(nope), need to see a doctor because my blood pressure must be high(skews low, makes nurses frown), and that my lack of veggie intake means I'll fail and or never keep the weight off (you lost weight eating cookies abd bacon and white bread? Well when you increase your calories to maintain you'll gain cause...magic.), all by random people in threads that weren't about me or food at all.

    Yeah, no.
  • shatteredangel
    shatteredangel Posts: 15
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    Mine is hidden because it is for my benefit. I don't want to share it with others, it's a calorie counting tool for me and nothing more. I rarely post on the forums either, people use the site for different reasons I think.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    Mine is open because I post on the boards regularly, and I think if I'm commenting on other people's questions it might be helpful for them to see where I'm coming from.
  • kaylerrr45
    kaylerrr45 Posts: 8
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    I think it's better for more people to have their diaries open. I understand that it is a personal thing and if there was less non-constructive criticism out there, I'm sure more people would. At least for me, it's definitely an accountability. I am much more conscious of what I put in my mouth knowing that everyone else will know too. This is the whole reason most of us signed up for MFP - our own, private, personal eating and self-accountability wasn't working. We need the constant support and motivation to make better choices. But, I can understand the other side.

    What I find more helpful with those that have open diaries, regardless if we are friends or not, is help with my own eating. Particularly when I started this journey, I had no concept of portion sizes/calories and what I could eat that fit in my allotment. A lot of the beginning stages were trial and error. However, as I've gotten more savvy with the community aspect, I can see others diaries and maybe try different foods/recipes that others with successes are eating just to change things up a bit. It's comforting to know someone is consistently losing weight and staying in their calorie goals while having a chocolate ice cream bar. It reinforces that not everything needs to be fruits, vegetables and brown rice and keeps me from "falling off".
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,710 Member
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    This is the whole reason most of us signed up for MFP - our own, private, personal eating and self-accountability wasn't working.
    i know this wasn't/isn't true for me and i don't know that it'll be true for most.

    the tool itself is a HUGE draw for me. i imagine it is for others too.
    you just tap in your meals and *CLICK* you instantly know how much protein you're eating, whether you get enough fibre or (in my case), with the 'reports' function, what impact hormones have on appetite during the month.

    the message boards are full of all manner of interesting things, problems, pictures, funnies.

    i think you're making a leap too far there.
  • Kitteeee
    Kitteeee Posts: 66 Member
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    wow...such animosity, I was wondering myself...
    The answer to all your questions as to "why should you care?", well for me:
    1.I would love some inspiration!, when someone is doing well, I like so see what they are doing so that I can also try to see if it'll work for me.
    2. It helps to know I'm not the only one struggling sometimes, we all do, and when my MFP friends need encouragement, I'm there!, I have many recipes, and love to share my food discoveries, and I feel more motivated and accountable. I have come to understand MUCH more from looking at people's diaries!, I have made many changes due to this!.

    I THINK THAT'S PROB ONE OF THE REASONS MFP WAS CREATED THIS WAY, TO HAVE LIKE MINDED PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER!.

    To those talking about strangers, crazed diet junkies or peeps with eating disorders commenting and making you fell bad etc:
    I have my food diary set for friends only, that's an option!, and you CAN CHOSE your friends!, and DELETE them if they are jerks...I don't understand those arguments.
    To those that are self conscious: I keep it real, I have never been ashamed to log ANYTHING I eat or drink...alcohol, eating like a pig at my Italian aunts house..ugh such good food!!!! lol!, we are not unique, we are all here because in one way or another we all had some bad food choices that got us to where we are, and we all will slip up from time to time, and if an MFP friend doesn't get what I'm about etc., then I will explain it!!. and if I have to, I'll just delete them!, easy.
    I must be lucky as I have AWESOME friends!, I have NEVER had anyone comment negatively on anything I've logged, I've always had great support!.
    I'll state something my husband told me a while ago that made me realize how ridiculous I am sometimes about my weight.
    I have always tried extremely hard to hide my weight, suck in belly, hide bingo arms with little over-sweater things with long sleeve or 3/4 length sleeves, wear only pants to hide legs, even in summer ugh!, anyway, I was in my room looking in my full length mirror after trying on a very short sleeved shirt that looked great everywhere else but revealed my arms, and none of my over sweaters/shirts looked good with it, they in fact hid the slimness of my waist and made me look bigger!.
    I must have been grumbling my indecision to wear the top out loud, as just then, my husband gently said: "Either with the sweater or without the sweater, you are still the same size, and nothing can disguise that, so be free!, who cares what people think!, do you think people will be shocked to see that your arms are also overweight?", lol!, yep!, he's an honest guy, sometimes to a fault lol!. but I realized that he was right!. These sweaters weren't like magic cloaks lol!, I'm fat regardless, I'm not fooling anybody but myself, and suffering for it!, especially during summer!!, so in conclusion: knee length skirts and dresses and t-shirts here I come summer 2013!!! LOL!, and I'm sure I'll look a hell of a lot more comfortable and relaxed in those clothes!.

    I have taken that approach to my journey with MFP, I'm honest about everything I log, as doing otherwise would only be fooling myself :),so I'm gonna take all the advice and encouragement I can get off of here while I'm at it!, no sense in worrying about being self conscious!, I am serious about this weight loss and I'm going for it all the way!.

    NOTE!!!: I am not saying anything against people with private diary settings-to each his/her own, simply giving you my reasons "why I would care" to see the food diaries of my friends, and why I decided to share MY diary,
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    This is the whole reason most of us signed up for MFP - our own, private, personal eating and self-accountability wasn't working.
    i know this wasn't/isn't true for me and i don't know that it'll be true for most.

    the tool itself is a HUGE draw for me. i imagine it is for others too.
    you just tap in your meals and *CLICK* you instantly know how much protein you're eating, whether you get enough fibre or (in my case), with the 'reports' function, what impact hormones have on appetite during the month.

    the message boards are full of all manner of interesting things, problems, pictures, funnies.

    i think you're making a leap too far there.

    ^^Yes!

    I joined MFP from a different calorie counting website because the database was better and the settings are more user friendly.

    I had my food diary set to open until I got several unsolicited messages about how I was going to die/end up skinny fat/never lose any weight/develop an ED/give other people ED because I ate 1200 calories/day. Give me a break. Since I've had it closed, no more nasty messages = win.

    If I ever need help (unlikely at this point), I will be sure to open my food diary, until then, it's just a tool to help me track my calories/macros.

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