Keepin it open, your food diary that is.

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13

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  • Jen514
    Jen514 Posts: 16
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    Like another person's post on this topic, I tend to wonder why people have theirs private. What do they have to hide? I have had mine public since day 1. I thought about making it private because I needed my chocolate on some days and felt bad but you know what? I don't care about others judging me. If you are going to judge, don't be on here. I just got started and need motivation to keep my on track. I need "my fitness pals" to encourage me and that is what I have gotten so far (since I joined this past Monday). Also being able to view what others are eating gives me ideas and I think its very helpful. I would never judge. Also keeping it public helps me to stay on track because like others, I log EVERYTHING.
  • Tomhusker
    Tomhusker Posts: 346 Member
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    I opened mine. Please ignore the outrageous sodium numbers. I am working on it. :blushing:
  • Jen514
    Jen514 Posts: 16
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    Hey Tom, I am working on my chocolate. lol
  • M_lifts
    M_lifts Posts: 2,224 Member
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    ive never given it a thought actually. but it doesnt really bother me if people see what i eat. now to figure out a way to open it
  • debruhf
    debruhf Posts: 196 Member
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    I totally agree...mine has been open since I joined! Feel free to add me as a friend if you like, as well!!:flowerforyou:
  • katschi
    katschi Posts: 689 Member
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    I have mine open and don't mind if people take a peek and I sure love to go rummaging around in everyone else's.

    What I would mind is to receive unsolicited advice or opinions about what I eat and I sure wouldn't offer any to others without them asking for my 2¢.

    Like others have noted, it's definitely making me think twice about eating certain foods knowing that I HAVE to log it.
    Tonight at work, I turned down a chocolate. Yesterday a piece of baklava and the day before that, cookies.
    It's also keeping me from my usual late night after work bingeing.
    I just don't want to have to face it in black and white and also have my friends in real life see what a piggy I am. :bigsmile:

    and lets face it. It's not like we're advertising our sordid sex lives on here. Just food. :blushing:
  • PaulC9554
    PaulC9554 Posts: 117 Member
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    My diary is public. Since starting on here and logging everything I've found myself stopping at times when I go to pickup a 'nasty' when passing through the kitchen. Thinking..."I've got to log that, do I really need it?". In most cases it's worked and now three weeks in I'm finding that my craving for some of the stuff I used to eat is passing. I find it useful that others can see what I eat. When I used to binge it was always in private, now it doesn't seem that way
  • WEN575
    WEN575 Posts: 34
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    keeping your food log open can also show people what to avoid. I took my kids out to lunch the other day and I ordered the item that was supposed to be the "lifestyle" or lower fat option, when I came home and logged it, I discovered it had almost 1000 calories...in one meal??? I have 1400 calories for the whole day! How is that the healthy choice??? I did a big workout on the bike after that!!!
  • LiveLife73
    LiveLife73 Posts: 73
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    My biggest issue is also sodium.. now I observe what others are eating it helps me alot.. thank you..
  • mamijujuphat
    mamijujuphat Posts: 407 Member
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    I'm glad to know there's a lot of people that feel that way about people being able to see your diary...I know to each their own but in my opinion I leave it open for my friends to see...& as far as people saying that you're more likely to "cheat" if you make it public because you're afraid of what others may think...I feel that they only "cheat " themselves..because this website is made to help you count your calories and receive/give support..so by doing that they only hurt themselves...I keep mine open to my friends only because they are my support group...& anyone that adds me can see it because..I do have my bad calorie days I have my flaws...but tips from people who have shed some weight are always welcomed...I also get new ideas on how to plan a better meal...& what to do to improve my workout...& if anything sometimes I think twice sometimes what I'm gonna stuff in my face since I'm gonna have to put it on the diary for peeps to see...lol
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
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    I think it's silly to keep it private. I Mean, it's not like it's your daily sex log or something...it's just food! We're all in this together, so I just don't understand why keeping something so straightforward and non-offensive private. JMO.

    I personally don't like being friends with people who don't open their diary.

    I have gotten messages telling me anything from kudos to thank you about what I'm eating. Recipe requests and food choice questions... I agree with doing this together and I offer advice to those in my News Feed. Some say Thanks and try what I suggest and others ignore it. No foul in any case. I've done research on weight loss and am offering suggestions that I think will help them be more successful not to try to run their lives. Some things I get from looking at other people's diaries are ideas for food choices when I get further along and need to make even better choices than I am now. Or from those who are doing intense weight training and are carb/protein heavy. Or long distance runners who are carbing up for long runs.

    Just like the internet in general, this website holds a veritable plethora of info right here for the reading.
  • Simonscat
    Simonscat Posts: 249
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    I love reading what people eat :) and I love it when they read mine :)
    However I found no one is as encouraging when they look at your diary. You get lots of motivating comments on people's diaries when they have it hidden. But when you show it, no one comments them.
  • steffie88
    steffie88 Posts: 13
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    I love looking at other peoples diary so I thought it was only far to make mine public aswell
  • nezeray
    nezeray Posts: 34
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    My diary's been wide open since I started. I want people to look at it and suggest things that I might like. I am a very picky eater so dieting's been hard. This site has helped me greatly! :D

    James / Nezeray
  • forgiven4life
    forgiven4life Posts: 451
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    I totally agree to. It helps me to look at other people's food diary to see what they are eating to get ideas, not to judge.

    ETA: It's so funny that people are saying they have their diary public, but when I click on their profile to check it out, a lot of them are not public. :laugh:
  • jessieinblue
    jessieinblue Posts: 287 Member
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    Mine will always be public, and I love looking at everyone else's for ideas. It's one of the many great things about MFP.
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    I think it's silly to keep it private. I Mean, it's not like it's your daily sex log or something...it's just food! We're all in this together, so I just don't understand why keeping something so straightforward and non-offensive private. JMO.

    Mine is open to friends - and anyone who asks, I will accept. I love seeing others' diaries, for ideas.

    But, for a lot of people food IS very intimate. Remember that overeating is also an eating disorder. Thus, for many people it is just as "private" as sex. For anyone with an eating disorder, food is "the big white elephant" and the urge is to keep it secret. Hopefully, as they learn better habits and work on the disorder, they feel more comfortable with it.
  • 1113cw
    1113cw Posts: 830 Member
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    Mine is open. I do check out others once in awhile but for the sole purpose of getting meal ideas. As far as my diary is concerned, I'm not really interested in what others think. I know what I need to improve on and I'm working on it. But I haven't encountered any negative comments but also don't ask for feedback either.
  • jenX1174
    jenX1174 Posts: 154
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    Great post!
    This is exactly why I chose to keep mine open, and for many other reasons posted by others previously.
  • kennedar
    kennedar Posts: 306 Member
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    I think it's silly to keep it private. I Mean, it's not like it's your daily sex log or something...it's just food! We're all in this together, so I just don't understand why keeping something so straightforward and non-offensive private. JMO.

    I am actually on a trying to conceive forum and your daily sex log is open to other couples!! It was a little weird at first, but you quickly get used to it! Obviously if I can share when we had sex, I can share what I ate, even if it wasnt as healthy as I would have liked!

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