Mine started out open so my personal trainer could spy on me.

Now it is open, because I feel its only fair if I'm checking out others, that they can check me out too. Plus the embarrassment factor, having to own up to what I'm choosing to do is huge for me, if I know other people are gonna see it, I'm not as likely to do it.

I opened mine up to help my tolerance for vulnerability; my issues w/this are what I believe kept my weight on and derailed previous attempts to sustain a loss. I really don't like putting homemade cookies and ice cream on there, but that's what I ate.

Mine is open to friends ... I will admit I have never read any one else's diary. No one has ever personally asked me why I ate what I did etc so it might as well be closed. BTW, if any of my friends who stalk my diary are reading this, I have to estimated 75% of what I eat due to eating out 75% of the time. Any one meal could be way off or way under. I compensate by not eating pasta, potatos rice or bread. I try to eat dense calorie foods like protein, avocados,etc.

I opened mine because I want to be held accountable! I know a lot of my friends check to see what I eat each day, so I actually think about that when deciding what - or what not - to eat! It's a personal decision, so you shouldn't feel pressured. It really does help me make better choices.

My diary is open to anyone. I originally had it open only to friends, but I realized I am secure in the knowledge that I eat in the best way possible for myself. I don't fear criticism or questions about my food diary and I really don't care what anyone else thinks about how I eat. Nor do I spend time scrutinizing others' diaries. So I opened my diary up to anyone. I think it helps others who are sincerely looking for a solid, nutritious, healthy and sustainable way to eat; I would simply ignore rude, insensitive or cruel comments (if I ever received any, which I haven't).

Hi Lisa, I just read your profile, quite an inspiration.... How are you managing to stick at around 1400 per day permanently? I have to admit I love food and would find this quite difficult! Anyway, well done and I love your motivation... Babs

Thanks! I don't feel very inspirational most of the time; just plodding along trying not to get fat in my old age LOL! But I'm glad to hear I can inspire others.
Babs, I love to eat, too, and I have always had a hearty appetite. I'm only 5'5" but no one has ever called me "petite." I'm just short and solid, even now at 134 lbs. I would like to get back to between 120-125 lbs, my best active weight which I haven't seen since my 30s. I'm resigned to the fact that I'll probably never see 115 again (active high school and 20s weight) but I can live with that now. I'm so grateful that I have found "Eat To Live" (ETL) and "Eat For Health" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. His lifestyle eating plan has done for me what Weight Watchers (my previously most successful program) couldn't do, which was provide me enough food to never go hungry while whittling away the excess fat I carried most of my life AND getting off all medication. His main focus in on superior nutrition rather than calorie counting, that weight management is only part of overall health. I've been eating this way for just over a year now; I'm a true believer. I can eat between 1300-1500 cals a day without going hungry. That's priceless to me.

My diary is closed. I used to have it open to just friends then got tired of comments like "you need to drink more water." I closed the diary months ago and I'm glad to have done so. Ultimately the journey to good health and fitness is a very personal journey. Others can walk beside me, but exercising and eating right is still my responsibility.

Whether my diary is open or not, my body keeps a very accurate record of what I eat.

I'm a woman btw... I used my husband as my avatar.

My diary is open, I am who I am, I do what I do. Yes I want to be healthier and loose more weight, but I just don't care who looks. Its just food, and if I continue to make a big deal out of food then for me, that could be a bad thing...and if I think I'm hiding something, then I'm not really working on building a better life style.......so I'm letting it all hang out, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I try real hard for my diary to reflect my diet accurately, but admit I don't take the time to try to figure our exacts. Like I had La Fuentes chips and salsa, its not in MFP, so I put in what looked similar... its all about a way of thinking, a life style change for me, looking at what I eat, how much I eat, when I eat and taking walks & stretching (I can't traditionally exercise) .....I'm better today than when I began MFP and for me that's what its all about... a heart and mind change....we're all different and our journey's are different, that is a great thing.....

My diary is open to friends only (I think). I don't generally check out diaries unless someone is having a hard time and has asked for help. I have been so busy that I tend to comment on movement and losses more so than eating habits. If someone asks for help though, it helps to see what and how much they have been eating. I believe in calories in/out. Deprivation is not in my vocabulary. I need to be able to eat for wherever and whatever situation I am in. I do understand that I tend to stay fuller if I eat "good" food, but sometimes life just doesn't offer those choices. I don't judge those who choose to keep it closed, but it is hard to help if they are having issues.
All comments to friends should be supportive. That is what this site is for.
Good luck to all on their journeys whether they be small goals or large.

I hadn't thought about that before, but an open diary does help some MFPers to find ideas for what to eat. I know some of my MFP friends do actually look at my diary to see what I've been cooking, so that's a good thing. I don't think I've ever heard a criticism of my diary from anyone, even from the rude hoards out on the public threads here. I try to follow Mother's advice here on MFP at all times: "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."