Open vs. closed diaries

Open diary, as I found I'm more likely to be honest with my logging with an open diary than with one set to private - which seems opposite to the experience of others.

I prefer friends who also have diaries which are open as I like looking through them for inspiration - which is why I tend to add european/UK friends than american so I'll have a better chance at sourcing the same food.

dorkyfaery wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

ki4eld wrote: »

My insurance carrier requires I keep my diary public so they and my medical team can monitor my intake without them requiring a MFP account and me having to friend twenty dozen people. The same applies to some of my info on Fitbit. Open is easier for us all. If not for that, I don't know if I'd have it open or closed. Probably open, because I don't care.

I'm frankly shocked at this due to privacy regulations (which I realize don't currently cover MFP and activity tracker accounts, but still). All your health care team would need to do is create one shared account.

But then, I'm the sort of person who doesn't use my real name on FaceBook due to their history of privacy abuses.

My husband participates in a program at work similar to this. He's not required to do it, but he does get a discount on his premium by doing so. I don't know if that's the case here, but I think in many situations people have a choice in sharing that information. Some people decide that the discount is worth the extra exposure.

I wouldn't mind sharing my food and activity log with my medical team. My problem is with medical staff not being able to figure out a way to view it other than it being open to the whole world.

toe1226 wrote: »

This is all great info!

It makes me think about how it would be great if the diary had a little comments section like "felt sick today, couldn't eat much." or WHATEVER, not just for others, but for ourselves.

The diary does have this section. You can click "add note" just like "add food."

I had mine open for over 2 years then closed it. I changed my goal to a low goal, knowing I'd be over a lot, but because if I'm not hungry, I'd rather save more calories, and a lower goal helps me to do that (as I see a smaller number, so I'm less likely to eat junk 'because I have the calories for it'). But if I'm hungrier, I eat more, so I'm in the red (even if still at a deficit) and didn't want to see comments about how I'm always eating too much... Plus PMS is insane for me and I didn't want more people judging me for it (because I get VERY hungry).

TLDR - my diary is a tool for me and I don't want unsolicited 'advice'.

I keep mine open so other girls can see they don't have to starve themselves to lose weight.

How do you find someone's diary?

Open.

When i started logging, I'd look through diaries to see how people were doing this. It was a bit frustrating that so many were not viewable, so I'm basically paying it forward. In hindsight, maybe not seeing the diaries was helpful because I just continued to search the forums and learn that way. Later on, when I would browse diaries, it wouldn't really give the complete picture, I don't think. How was the item cooked? Boiled, fried, roasted? What condiments were used? How about very low calorie items that lots of people don't log? There are lots of details not contained in a diary log, if the information needed is how to be successful with logging

Open. I welcome critiquing of my food. I use the 80/20 method and if that's too much for people to handle, they can buzz off.

My diary is open to everyone. I have nothing to hide. I log every day, although I may not finish any longer. There isn't anything or any amount I eat that I am embarrassed about.

My profile is also open. My goals and personal information are there as well. If someone sends a friend request and hasn't looked at it, I know it.

Following that, I don't accept friend requests from people with closed diaries, who don't log if they are in weight reduction, who don't have actual profile pictures of themselves, who haven't filled their profile information, and who already have a ton of friends listed (this is not Facebook).

It's pretty simple. I came to this website to lose weight. I found the support I wanted. I stayed because it worked. I don't play games with my health.

I have mine closed. I track EVERYTHING I eat. Some days, that is a source of great embarrassment for me. I had been on an amazing 45 day streak, until the last two days. I hope to get back on track today.

I figure the day I don't mind all of you seeing my darkest days, will be a major break through for me.

Mine is open because my fiance and I eat the same lunches and dinners most days of the week. To save time, he can just copy my meals. And if in the future I want suggestions of what I can do better, it's already open.

Its open, I have never had anyone send unsolicited advice regarding my logging but if seeing my plan helps others I want it available to them. Also if I do ever need to ask for help then I don't have that issue where the first 3 posts tell me to open my diary

I keep mine closed. I've only just started with MFP, but I've used other trackers in the past and I feel that: 1) What I eat is nobody's business. 2) I am a private person and I like to limit how much of my personal information is out there in the social media world. 3) How I've set my caloric intake, tracking, and goals is my own personal preference and what works for me. It's not going to work for everyone, and I don't feel anyone needs to critique what I'm doing or try and copy it. Everyone is different and has a different approach to weight loss/maintenance. I don't plan to read other people's diaries, and I don't want them reading mine. I am very honest with myself. In the first few days of tracking I did have a slip-up and I was honest with myself about it. As long as I'm being honest with myself, there is no need to get feedback from anyone else. Just my two cents.

Closed because I'm pregnant and have been hit with dysgeusia so my oddball food combos would make people question my honesty and/or sanity.