Hidden Diary

Mines open to friends. I think that some of the reasoning for not opening it to the public is because a lot of people have gotten unwanted comments on their foods. Personally, I like having the option. I do like being able to get advice off my friends on food but also wouldn't want random people commenting on too many carbs for the day or whatever the case maybe. I guess that's why there's an option! Different options for different approaches.

Mine is also open to friends with a password.

I am not worried about what I eat but I require no 'input' from the general population about it either. Not mean, just drawn that way. :flowerforyou:

I like having the option but it drives me crazy when people post "why am I not losing weight" and don't make their diary public! :bigsmile:

I wish there wasn't the feature to make your diary private. As i see it, we have friends on here to support each other, and that is hard to do when you can't see what your pals are doing for food and excercise! I really wish I could get some food ideas from other people but most people have blocked food diarys.

Maybe it could be that people don't want others to know when they eat bad but to me, knowing that others can see what I'm eating makes me think twice sometimes about what I put in my mouth!

I so agree with you. When I first joined I Didn't have my diary so anyone could view it because I didn't want them to see when I made bad food choices. But one day relized there was no accountability so I opened it and now even if I make bad choices everyone can see it. But I tend to make much better choices because I know anyone can view it.

Yeah i also think that is good motivation to have your diary open. Maybe some people dont like it open as they are trying to hide when they have overeaten or just as bad, undereaten. At the end of the day they are only kidding themselfs. You diary is there for you to keep track of your calories and hopefully inspire some others on healthy choices to make when it comes to food.

Never knew that was an option?! How can I change mine?

I wouldn't have joined if I couldn't make my diary private. It's open now, but when I first joined I was very nervous and didn't want to get any criticism. It would have been a no-go if I couldn't hide my diary then. I've changed my tune now, but a lot of people just need the privacy. Not to mention the fact that some people have different dietary needs that might seem extreme from an average standpoint, so they might get criticism and have to repeatedly explain themselves to other people, so maybe it's good for them that they can hide their diaries to avoid the hassle.

i agree, i was very self-conscious at the beginning when i was still learning how to use the diary itself and figuring out what choices i needed to change. but i am fine with people seeing my diary now that im ready for them to, and i do my best to log everything both good and bad. feel free to add me if you want to see my diary, too

I agree. I like to share what I eat and be able to look at others diary to get some ideas and so I don't get bored of what I eat. I hope everybody reads this posts.

My diary used to be open and now it's only open to friends. I closed mine for the same reasons as others - unsolicited diet advice. I'm working with an awesome trainer who has me on a strict diet and I'm not allowed any carbs, other forms of sugar and I'm pescatarian, so I don't eat meat. I don't believe in "starvation mode", and I think it's stupid to "eat back exercise" calories, so I almost never reach the insignificant 1200 calories that a lot of people (who are not doctors nor nutritionists) here seem to think I HAVE to have. Because of all of these factors, although I'm completely full, some days it may seem that I have an eating disorder (I weigh 260 lbs, an eating disorder is the LAST thing I have, lol). I started getting unsolicited advice that I should eat more and blah blah blah and instead of me telling people to go chase themselves, I just closed my diary for friends only.

That said, I almost always accept new friend requests and am always open to having positive people in my MFP circle.

How do I make my diary not private? I agree. I love to see what other people are eating!

Bumping this up; it frustrates me, honestly. I allow friends to see mine, I should be able to see theirs; this is why we're here.

I don't keep mine open because I don't need anyone's advice on how to eat, and unless you are willing to train 15-18 hours of cardio a week, I doubt anyone will get anything interesting out of seeing my massive calorie intake.

autumnsquirrel wrote: »

Bumping this up; it frustrates me, honestly. I allow friends to see mine, I should be able to see theirs; this is why we're here.

Here's a more recent discussion where people include a lot of the reasons they choose to keep their diary private. It might be a worthwhile read for you. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10015213/why-doesnt-everyone-make-their-diary-public/p1

This content has been removed.

I always choose private. It's my default choice.

Checking out what strangers are eating and then make nasty comments about it is weird and creepy. And just plain nuts. If someone gets mad that they can't see what I had for lunch, all the more reason to keep it closed, lol.

I never eat anything of any interest and I don't think any normal person really gives a crap what I had to eat. If I thought someone had a genuine interest, I'd tell them...but nobody does.