how do you guys feel about public food diaries?

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  • scott1024
    scott1024 Posts: 279 Member
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    The first time I did this, I kept mine private. THis time I'm keeping it pulic and I think its making all the difference. While my MPF friends are not physically with me and can't see what I put in my mouth, I do still feel an added sense of accountability. I might be under, but if its all crap that's no good. THis way I'm more on the hook to make healthier choices/portions. My friends are so supportive and more often than not say positive things about my choices. Again, that incentive is there. Make good choices - get positive feedback. Make crappy choices - get constructive advice. I definitely think I'm benefiting from having it public!
  • Jessicaruby
    Jessicaruby Posts: 881 Member
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    mine is open because i like to get feedback from others and they only way they can really help is to see what you are eating. i dont really care what people think of my food intake. if they make a negative comment i take it into consideration. maybe they are right and i need to adjust something. i like when others have open diaries so i can compare what i am eating to others and see there progress and get ideas for meals
  • cartern1
    cartern1 Posts: 270 Member
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    Mine is open - I've nothing to hide and any criticism is greatly recieved.

    If it gets to the point where negative non-constructive criticism is recieved well my attitude is - It's my body, my diary, my choices, go **** yourself
  • m2purple
    m2purple Posts: 38
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    Mine is open, and I found I make better food choices because of it. I have a friend whose is open, and we check each other's for snack and food ideas, but neither of us make any negative comments... We try to be supportive, and as I said, because she is watching, I find I make better choices...
  • glasgowgirl101
    glasgowgirl101 Posts: 24 Member
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    Mine is private. I've thought about making it public, but I kinda feel a bit funny about letting people seeing what I eat. Don't know why I feel like that to be honest. Its not as if I'm secretly eating chocolate cakes every day lol. I think sharing the highs and lows with MFP friends and contributing to the forum posts, taking part in the challenges etc is enough for me to stay motivated and motivate others :-)
  • amfaery
    amfaery Posts: 267 Member
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    mine is private I do my best and when I screw up I know why! I dont need more criticism then I give myself at this point
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    I have mine public, but I would ignore any criticism (unasked for anyways) that friends would give me. I'd also no longer be their friend.

    It drives me up the wall though when someone posts 'I don't know what I'm doing wrong!' and leaves their diary private. You need it public then.
  • ckdub428
    ckdub428 Posts: 453 Member
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    I have mine open to friends and it has been awesome. Whenever I am struggling then they can pop in and see where I am going wrong. Also there have been times that I have decided against some yummy snack that I would normally scarf down and not tell anyone. For me, a public diary gets rid of the "closet eating" mentality, of no one saw me so it didn't happen.
    But I have seen people just get ripped apart by others "helping". I would just make sure you have good friends and if someone starts ripping you for it , un friend them because the should be supporting you and helping you through the down times, not ripping you a new one!
  • smbakke77
    smbakke77 Posts: 273 Member
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    I guess I have some pretty good MFP friends because even on my bad days I haven't had any make any bad comments about my diary. There may be a couple of times when it was suggested I make better choices, but the reason why I'm on here is for the support and motivation. If that means a kick in the *kitten* for my food choices once in a while, then I think it comes with the territory.
  • MayMaydoesntrun
    MayMaydoesntrun Posts: 805 Member
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    When I first started in Feb, I had it private because I didn't want people to see what a weirdo I was about my food...now it's open and I feel like it keeps me accountable. I have been less likely to binge knowing that my friends are going to see! So far, I've not had anybody say anything mean or critical..it's all be positive and humorous!
  • 6Pk2Go
    6Pk2Go Posts: 105
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    Public. For accountability and constructive criticism. Any comments that aren't constructive are taken with a grain of salt - however, I can't recall any...
  • Laura_beau
    Laura_beau Posts: 1,029 Member
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    Mine is open- I find it is a good way to stay accountable, as others have said.

    It's also a great way to share meal/ snack ideas.

    I have only ever really had positive comments, or people asking me for recipes!!

    I've nothing to hide :o)
  • ibbray04
    ibbray04 Posts: 227 Member
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    Mine is set to be seen by friends only.

    I agree with everyone who says it adds to the accountability. I honestly had no friends make any comments on my dairy, good or bad.
  • philOHIO
    philOHIO Posts: 520 Member
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    It may make you think twice about what you are consuming... makes you accountable. I have it set for friends only.
  • kimberly702
    kimberly702 Posts: 369 Member
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    Mine is open to my friends. I make better choices because of it and I DO like the suggestions and criticism and the compliments! It doesn't bother me. It's not like I eat alone anyway or am trying to hide what I eat.
  • SomersetJo
    SomersetJo Posts: 20
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    My diary is open as i feel that its better for me to have people look at it and give me ideas on what i should and could be eating etc.

    I am open to whatever if i was not then i would not have my open.

    I am not ashamed of what i eat per day so dont care who see's.

    I can see why some people would take things to heart but at the end of the day its personal choice and we all have that option. The one that make's me laugh is the blocked by pin number what is that all about. :laugh:

    Good luck all with your weight loss :smile:
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
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    I keep my public so when I do talk on the forums, I can show that I am doing what I talk about (low fat, high carb diet) and it keeps me honest to my mfp friends and family.

    Not that I am the greatest dieter, but I hear on the forums that carbs means sugar, and so when I say I am a diabetic type 2, and I eat starchy carbs (potatoes and rice), I have to be able to show just how much.

    As people tell me that saturated fat is good for them and high protein (over 20%), I want to show that you can do something different. Don't get me wrong, I am not a poster child for low fat diets, but I feel I have to be show that I talk about to show some creditability when I talk about diet.
  • cherdan
    cherdan Posts: 162 Member
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    I feel fine with having mine public, and I do greatly enjoy looking at the diaries of other vegetarians. People can say or think what they will. However, I feel, there generally should be some kind of unspoken mutual understanding that, if you request to be my friend, you should be supporting me on my path, not trying to be my nutritionist. We all have our on and off days. I will not critique your diary, for it is not my body, and I expect you to be on the same page about mine. I had one chick request me, who I was already initially a bit wary about, and, lo and behold, approximately 10 minutes after accepting her request, she took it upon herself to page through my last 5 days of entries, and leave her little critiques and suggestions on each one. I thought, "Honey, Jillian Michaels, you ain't," and promptly deleted her. This led me to putting a disclaimer on my profile about my intolerance for unsolicited diary critiques. The lone exception to all this, however, is if you consistently go under 1,200 calories a day. I won't say anything about it, as it's not my place, but I will deny or delete. You're not eating a healthy calorie intake, you're not losing weight healthily or normally, and I want nothing to do with such behaviors.
  • naonah
    naonah Posts: 119 Member
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    My diary is open to my friends so that they can hopefully help me by giving me constructive feedback on what I did well or how I can improve. The point of sharing is also to get meal/food ideas!

    However, although it is in no way my intention to "snoop", I am very big on giving people tips on making healthier choices. I try to do it in a very constructive and positive way. If a diary is not viewable I don't like to comment because I have no clue if people are under goal by a bit or a lot (I believe in sticking to the min of 1200 daily cals), and what their food choices were. For all I know, they could have eaten junk food all day and still be under. Since that's not healthy, I can't say "way to go". I also don't comment when people have meal replacements every day.

    So basically, if your intention isn't to be healthy (and lose weight) then I understand that you wouldn't want to be my friend. on a positive note, those who are trying to be healthy appreciate my comments to the point that they send me messages to look at their diaries or asking for tips or opinions.

    Happy losing!
    Nadia
  • erieli04
    erieli04 Posts: 37 Member
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    My diary is viewable by friends only. I have only been using MFP for a few months but have had a few instances where a friend made comments about what I ate. And while I understand that her comments were probably coming from a place of support and concern, I don't think they are helpful or motivating.

    I look at a lot of people's diaries and am appalled by the lack of fruits and veggies in their diets, but I don't think it is my place to tell them to eat more of them. We are all adults and can make our own choices, and most of us are extremely aware of what we eat and what is good for us. Some days will be better than others, and that is OK. But I think people need to be very careful of being too judgmental about what people are eating, because you don't know what might be going on in their life. Some people on MFP are major over-sharers, but most are not. Personally, I like to look at people's diaries more for inspiration than anything else, because I am always eating the same food and like to get ideas for meals and snacks from others.

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