Why do YOU block your food and exercise from view?

healthybabs
healthybabs Posts: 589 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I am new here but have discovered that alot of people do this.
Why? The way I look at it is that we are all here for the same reason. Sometimes it really helps to look at another persons food journal that is having really good success. What do they eat? When do they eat it? How do they spread out their food throughout the day? I see it all as part of the "support system" .

Just curious, that's all.......
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Replies

  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
    Unless I feel I need someone to look at my diary and help me out, personally it's my business. I am my own worst critique so I'll be hardest on myself.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    We're not all here for the same reason. Some people are here to lose weight, others to gain muscle, some are trying to monitor specific parts of their diet. Some people are actually trying to gain weight. We all have different goals, and we all have different ways of getting there.
  • audram420
    audram420 Posts: 838 Member
    who knows why some people do and some people don't....what really ticks me off is when someone posts a thread about wanted help and not losing weight and THEY don't let anyone see their food diary...
  • healthybabs
    healthybabs Posts: 589 Member
    We're not all here for the same reason. Some people are here to lose weight, others to gain muscle, some are trying to monitor specific parts of their diet. Some people are actually trying to gain weight. We all have different goals, and we all have different ways of getting there.

    By "the same reason" I did not mean to infer that it was only to lose weight. I believe we are all here to get healthier and whatever that means to each of us most certainly can be different. Once again, just curious, not criticizing.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    Because it's no one's business. People on here have had issues with unsolicited advice. I have it open to my friends now because I have found a group of folks I feel OK with. But if someone I didn't know PMed me to tell me how THEY think I should eat, I wouldn't appreciate it. We all have our own comfort zones. By the same token, I can't figure out why people get so bent out of shape about others having their diaries private. It goes both ways.
  • vizamy
    vizamy Posts: 60 Member
    I had mine set to friends only - I've only been here a month - but have actually just set it to public.

    I keep things as private as possible on places like Facebook and it took me a while to feel comfortable about opening it here.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I started out more private as well then went to friends and now it is public. I don't get unsolicited comments about my diary and if what I do helps someone else than I am happy for it. Inspiration is a two way street.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
    Isn't it a default setting? I never bothered with it. So it's probably still private by now. :)
  • mmstgr
    mmstgr Posts: 578 Member
    Mine is open to friends.
    Closed to everyone else.
    Why?
    Because there are some people who have nothing better to do than randomly look at other people's business and judge them.
  • kathykroeger
    kathykroeger Posts: 3
    I agree that it's a good tool to use on this site. It's a proven psychological fact that we will lie to ourselves if we don't think other people will see it. I know someone said they think they're their own worst critic, but that's not possibly true. I'll eat a pint of ben and jerry's if I think no one's watching, and I'm willing to bet that everyone would (or whatever their vice is). I keep my profile open to my friends because I know they'll keep me on track. It's easier to ignore cravings if you think your best friend will see that you downed 1000 calories in a snack binge. IMO
  • perne11
    perne11 Posts: 46 Member
    My diary is open for anyone to see. I don't always eat the best, but I have a great group of friends that do not comment on the "bad" parts of my diary. Also I never have received any unsolicited advice, so I see no reason to lock it. Even if I did receive unsolicited remarks about my food log, I wouldn't lock it. I'm not the type of person to get offended easily, especially if it's coming from a stranger over the internet.
  • koosdel
    koosdel Posts: 3,317 Member
    I don't, cuz I can handle the troof.
  • maryd523
    maryd523 Posts: 661 Member
    It just feels really personal. And it's weird to think people would be looking at every single thing I consumed. So my diary is all mine.
  • california_peach
    california_peach Posts: 1,809 Member
    Honestly I never bother to look at anyone elses food diary and I am not sure why anyone would want to look at mine. And sometimes I put personal things in the notes, like 'pasta from Tuesday gave me horrid farts, must have been the garlic.'. I mean, who wants to read that (made you do it~lol).
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    I started out more private as well then went to friends and now it is public. I don't get unsolicited comments about my diary and if what I do helps someone else than I am happy for it. Inspiration is a two way street.
    ditto
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Cause I feel like it. lol I don't even bother completing it cause I hate that whole "If you eat like this every day you would weigh ____ in 5 weeks." Its never true. :laugh:
  • ignatiusreilly
    ignatiusreilly Posts: 411 Member
    I've decided to make my diary public, but I keep my identity private (i.e., I don't provide my real name or a face picture). In the age of data mining and face-recognition software, I'm very wary of providing a true picture of myself. I realize that it makes it harder for my MFP friends to identify with me, but people have been very kind nevertheless.
  • ignatiusreilly
    ignatiusreilly Posts: 411 Member
    Honestly I never bother to look at anyone elses food diary and I am not sure why anyone would want to look at mine. And sometimes I put personal things in the notes, like 'pasta from Tuesday gave me horrid farts, must have been the garlic.'. I mean, who wants to read that (made you do it~lol).

    I've found many good food ideas in other people's diaries...
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Every single time I've ever allowed access to my food diary - someone takes it upon themselves to criticize, question, etc about what I am eating.

    I eat what works for ME. Cheating in my food diary would only be cheating ME - so why would I bother to do that? I wouldn't.

    But, really? I don't need nor want unsolicited advice, criticism or whatever.

    Better to keep it private.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I agree that it's a good tool to use on this site. It's a proven psychological fact that we will lie to ourselves if we don't think other people will see it. I know someone said they think they're their own worst critic, but that's not possibly true. I'll eat a pint of ben and jerry's if I think no one's watching, and I'm willing to bet that everyone would (or whatever their vice is). I keep my profile open to my friends because I know they'll keep me on track. It's easier to ignore cravings if you think your best friend will see that you downed 1000 calories in a snack binge. IMO

    This may be 100% true for YOU, but it is NOT 100% true for me.

    I do not cheat in my food diary. I do not lie. I write down every single thing that goes into my mouth.

    I have absolutely NO reason to "eat whatever is my vice in large quanities behind everyone's back". If you do that, you aren't cheating THEM - you are cheating YOU. No one else. If you choose to consume an entire pizza and not log it -- do you honestly think you're lying to your friends? Nope. You're lying to YOU if you aren't being honest about it.

    If I bite it, I write it down. Today, I ate 1/4 of one 1/2 of a sub bun at lunch... do you know that I logged it? Yep. Sure did.

    I don't hide in a corner and consume foods hoping no one will know. Plain and simple. Don't assume because YOU will do it that we will ALL do it. Because that simply isn't true.

    I've come way too far in this journey to go back to my old ways.
  • calibri
    calibri Posts: 439 Member
    I don't need more critics; I'm a Virgo so criticism is my specialty.
  • hoosiermama1977
    hoosiermama1977 Posts: 43
    mine was public and I got so much criticism I completely stopped using the site and closed my acct. Then a friend mentioned to me that you can just close your diary and I was like --- okay that works! Most of the critical comments revolved around the fact that I use a packet of splenda in my morning coffee or have a diet coke when I go out to eat - stupid things that maybe if just 1-2 people messaged me about I'd just ignore but I was getting tons of it.

    Now I keep it closed because I don't even count calories so seems silly for everyone to read my notes/info when they don't probably know my plan. My friends know what I'm doing and that I "report" to them daily for accountability.
  • splackk
    splackk Posts: 163
    Mostly because I don't often log everything I should. Rather than try and find all the ingredients I think I ate (in Singapore most people eat out 3 meals a day, I hardly know anyone who cooks and I literally have no access to a kitchen) since I usually have no idea exactly what is in my food I'll skip logging it.

    Considering I can't even pronounce most of my food and many times actually don't even know what meat I'm eating, I'm just working on making healthier day to day choices (none of the fat laden chicken rice or greasy you tiao, go for the plain rice and lean meats instead). But unfortunately that leaves my diary with a total of about 400-800 cals a day in the few items I can log, such as fruits and packaged things. I don't want to get tons of comments about how I don't eat enough from well-meaning people who don't realize I'm not logging a big portion of my foods.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Mines public but I understand those who keep them private. You don't have to look too hard to find threads on peoe upset because others eat junk or McDonalds.

    And sadly unsolicited advice seems common here. I'm eating healthily, drinking water and exercising at least 5 out of 7 days. Nothing to criticize right? I had someone msg me to tell ms I was losing too fast and it's unhealthy!

    It frustrates me when people ask for advice and leave it closed but other than that if they want to keep it closed it's their choice.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    too be honst the way i see it if you don't open up 110% and are totally truefull about the whole area of weight loss you will not do as well by far,
    if you have a chocky bar then tell! no one is gonna tell you off for it(ok well i might)! :frown:
  • mowu
    mowu Posts: 245 Member
    My diaries are open to the people on my friends list - I don't feel the need to go around telling random people how I eat and exercise (or why) in real life so why would I do it on the internet.

    If people are interested in seeing what I do and how I do it they can send me a friend request and chances are that I'll accept them just because the showed interest in me.
  • SaddyPants
    SaddyPants Posts: 152 Member
    I keep mine private because I write my weight and other personal things in my "notes" section. I haven't even told my boyfriend or family my weight so I don't really want anyone else to know.
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
    I agree that it's a good tool to use on this site. It's a proven psychological fact that we will lie to ourselves if we don't think other people will see it. I know someone said they think they're their own worst critic, but that's not possibly true. I'll eat a pint of ben and jerry's if I think no one's watching, and I'm willing to bet that everyone would (or whatever their vice is). I keep my profile open to my friends because I know they'll keep me on track. It's easier to ignore cravings if you think your best friend will see that you downed 1000 calories in a snack binge. IMO

    I think that an obvious follow on from this, would be whether the people who would lie to themselves if they knew no one saw their diary (which is what I've interpreted this comment to mean), would also lie by failing to log foods / drinks if there wasn't the option to keep their diary private, which negates the notion that you should keep it public. If you're the kind of person who indulges in their vice secretly, then you will find a secretive way of doing it!

    For me, mine's open for anyone to see. As yet, I've never been PM'ed by people outside of my friend list, if I can handle my husband asking if I really need that extra biscuit, I'm sure I can handle comments from a bunch of strangers online!
  • daydream58
    daydream58 Posts: 572 Member
    I just want to say thanks to everyone who does share their journals and their journey online with everyone. I do actually get ideas from time to time reading them. Quite a few are not eating how I want to, but even then I still find it interesting to see the kazillion different ways people can arrive at roughly the same number.

    I tend to get in a rut and am scared to make changes or I just don't think of any to make. Once in a while someone will be logging that is similar to me in age, weight and food choices and those are the most interesting for me, the most fun if they're way ahead of me, and a good source of ideas if they're just enough different to give me ideas. But again, all are interesting - especially to realize there are so many roads to success, which helps me relax and not freak out about falling off a really narrow little path.

    If I really wanted NOT to share, I suppose I'd log my food with a pen and a notebook that I keep under my bed. I mean people could do as they pleased before the internet, but it wasn't as easy to share, so for me that's sort of the point of being in an online community, but to each his own I guess. Some must only be here to use the tools and such is all I can think.
  • Enforcer25
    Enforcer25 Posts: 350 Member
    People don't know the default setting is private
    People like to use the site to track calories and don't want it public
    People don't want to share the food diary because it is their business.
    I have mine set to friends.
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