Open diary -vs- closed diary

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  • Shrinking_Erin
    Shrinking_Erin Posts: 125 Member
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    The only comment on my diary (open to friend) is that it's interesting to look at, as most of the foods listed are in Dutch. I live in the Netherlands now and use the scanner as often as I can. I feel like I am honest in my logging 99% of the time.
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
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    I opened my diary as I don't care if people read it and I don't care if they don't. I mainly keep it open just in case someone gets some use from it being open.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    mine is open because i dont care what people think.

    it also shows people (especially new ones) that you don't have to eat special things or stay away from things and you can still lose weight (im down 80+ pounds total)

    i had one 'friend' accuse me of being an alcoholic. i guess if one or two nights a month of drinking with friends makes me that, sure.

    i also deleted her *kitten*.

    Other than that, ive never had anyone say anything to me lol
  • Weaz66
    Weaz66 Posts: 1,846 Member
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    Mine is open to my friends. I don't mind anyone looking at it. And you could say I'm a diary stalker, LOL. I actually enjoy looking at others diaries to get ideas.....I never know what to make or eat.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
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    My diary is closed. I never look at other people's diaries unless they say they're not losing and don't know why.

    If I ever find myself in that situation, I'll open my diary. Till then, I don't need to be harassed by woo-peddlers and/or well meaning but uninformed friends who tell me that I need to stop eating chocolate or bacon or whatever else is the forbidden food du jour.

  • cnbbnc
    cnbbnc Posts: 1,267 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I do look at friends diaries but I never criticize because it's not my place. We all have different goals and none of us are perfect. I like looking because it gives me ideas on different things to try myself. I keep mine open with the same in mind for them. I don't think having mine open keeps me eating to impress anyone.....

    I've never once thought of it as opening up discussion for criticism, unless someone asks for comments.
  • clhoward6
    clhoward6 Posts: 53 Member
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    Mine is completely open but I don't think anyone would bother looking. They might raise an eyebrow at my choice of breakfasts lately. I've found that eating meaty things in the morning keeps me going until lunch whereas porridge doesn't. I've not had time to go shopping so I've been grabbing easy things on the way to work. Like scotch eggs and sausage rolls. :D

    I'm not worried though. I'm logging everything and losing weight so I'm happy.
  • booksandchocolate12
    booksandchocolate12 Posts: 1,741 Member
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    Forgot to add, re: accountability:

    You guys are great, but I don't feel a responsibility to any of you to log accurately or make good choices. :wink: I have a responsibility to myself to do that and I don't need an open diary to fulfill that responsibility.
  • shinycrazy
    shinycrazy Posts: 1,081 Member
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    I made mine open from the start to friends and recently made it public. I find that it motivates me to make wiser food choices.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I don't feel it makes a difference for me if my diary is open or closed.
    My diary is open but I don't really think about it as being accountable to anyone. I'm logging as a tool for me... more like data collection. It isn't an emotional experience or extra motivating because it is open.
    I don't think people are wading through my diary all the time but I'd like people who might look at it to see you can eat regular food and lose weight. I'm not a binge eater nor am I going for perfect dieter award. I'm not ashamed or guilty over food I eat.

    I think people should use the tool however they want. Public, private...whatever makes you feel comfortable logging everything.
  • LLT38
    LLT38 Posts: 172 Member
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    I keep mine open to friends. I gained over 100 lbs keeping my eating private so I figure it's good to share my diary now. I only had one MFP friend comment on my diary but she seemed upset that I am losing weight while eating more food than she does.

    I like seeing other people's diaries because it gives me ideas. But it's not my place to judge anyone else's eating. People have to do what works for them.
  • emmycantbemeeko
    emmycantbemeeko Posts: 303 Member
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    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I figure that as the default is closed, by opening it I'm implying that i welcome discussion on what i eat, and i don't. I'd be honest either way, but when i had it open for a time and people would comment, id either ignore them, which i felt was rude, or have to discuss what i was eating, which i couldn't be bothered doing.

    LOL, I see your point. :smile: I probably do ignore people sometimes, but nobody really comments much.

    I've actually thought about this a bit, because I've seen it asked a bit and I don't think I'd be any less or more honest if it were open. I just don't like explaining myself haaaha. "Why was your lunch half a cup of jello, three dill pickles, 2 sips of an ice tea, a tin of tuna and half a hot cross bun?" "....... *blank look...."

    This is why mine isn't open. For one thing, I don't have any questions/welcome any input, and for another, I eat like kind of a weirdo and I get more than enough unsolicited "advice" and commentary on it, especially from dudes, in real life. I don't need any more of that online.

    My diet is nutritionally balanced and generally at or below my calorie target but it is not very typical, and I don't really care to hear any more about it than I already have to from people I can't help eating in front of.

    If I ever had a question I wanted a crowd-sourced opinion on, I'd open it up, but I don't see any benefit to having it open all the time for myself.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I don't feel it makes a difference for me if my diary is open or closed.
    My diary is open but I don't really think about it as being accountable to anyone. I'm logging as a tool for me... more like data collection. It isn't an emotional experience or extra motivating because it is open.
    I don't think people are wading through my diary all the time but I'd like people who might look at it to see you can eat regular food and lose weight. I'm not a binge eater nor am I going for perfect dieter award. I'm not ashamed or guilty over food I eat.

    I think people should use the tool however they want. Public, private...whatever makes you feel comfortable logging everything.

    I agree with this. Mine is open, but I don't want to get in the habit of eating a certain way just because people can see it, or to feel ashamed about eating badly. I think that might be a bad path to go down.

    Different things work better for different people, but I try not to let the fact that anyone else can see my diary impact what I eat or don't eat.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    So my diary is like a bible or koran? Full of admonishments for how to lead a morally superior diet? Or a really juicy novel? Maybe Anna Karenina in three meals a day... Or a work of utmost fantasy akin to Harry Potter?
    LOL nope
    I just record what I eat. I add up the math. I leave it open in case anybody wants to nose around. I really don't give a f@+k what anyone thinks.
  • chatlieretherford
    chatlieretherford Posts: 22 Member
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    I agree with most of what ppl are saying but when I started mine was closed and I was having trouble with losing weight I was just going up but one of my friends was talking to me and asked if I could open up my diary to just my friends and that helped me out a lot cuz I thought I was doing it right but wasn't thinking about the calories do like a little bit of oil or even vinegar I realized that I wasn't counting all my calories I was eating I was new at it but opening it up to just friends helped you don't have to do the public just your friends
  • chatlieretherford
    chatlieretherford Posts: 22 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I don't feel it makes a difference for me if my diary is open or closed.
    My diary is open but I don't really think about it as being accountable to anyone. I'm logging as a tool for me... more like data collection. It isn't an emotional experience or extra motivating because it is open.
    I don't think people are wading through my diary all the time but I'd like people who might look at it to see you can eat regular food and lose weight. I'm not a binge eater nor am I going for perfect dieter award. I'm not ashamed or guilty over food I eat.

    I think people should use the tool however they want. Public, private...whatever makes you feel comfortable logging everything.

    I totally agree with this hands down we are all doing this to help ourselves or for our loved ones like our kids or what ever but most of all ourselves
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I went from having it open to friends, to setting it to private, and just opened it up back to friends a few months ago. I had someone leave a comment where they compared what I was eating (canned chicken that I put in a salad) to dog food. After that I found myself not being honest with my logging because I didn't want to hear comments like that so I closed my diary for awhile. I'm finally in a place now where I really don't care what others think about my diet (noun) and feel comfortable sharing again.
  • LBuehrle8
    LBuehrle8 Posts: 4,044 Member
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    I leave mine open. I don't care what anyone thinks.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I've had mine both open and closed in the past when I logged...for myself, I was accountable and honest either way but I think a lot of people are a lot more honest with themselves when it's closed. I ultimately chose to keep mine closed because I grew weary of comments from people who really didn't know jack *kitten* about nutrition...bad mouthing my baked potato is going to get you *kitten* slapped.

    People tend to have all kinds of whack notions of what constitutes "healthy"...and they often really don't have any working knowledge of nutrition.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I will take it does not make a difference, and none of your business for $500.00...

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