WHY keep your food diary hidden?

I have mine hidden because I don't log properly. I just work out the calories and add them in as quick add calories rather than finding the actual food. I still log all my calories accurately, I'm just not trying to limit sodium or carbs or sugar or fat or anything so I don't bother searching for the exact food when I add it in. So I'm pretty sure no one would ever want to read my diary and I CBA to explain myself for being lazy so I just keep it hidden.

I had no idea mine was set to private. Thanks for the post. I just changed mine.

I agree.. i think its because they don't want to be held accountable...or to me are they being completely honest?

I hold myself accountable and am completely honest. I lost my weight through an "everything in moderation" approach. I still ate pasta and bread, cheese and other dairy, ice-cream every night. I also ate lots of fruits and veggies, salads and healthy fats. I logged it ALL and it worked for me.

That said, I have seen far too many people on here pass judgement on what others are eating or take a very extreme approach with their own eating. Some are unable to see that their approach doesn't work for everyone or that their way isn't the only way. Some judge or get argumentative. Keeping my food diary private allows me to disengage from this type of controversy and enjoy the many other pleasant aspects of MFP.

thanks for posting this. I had no idea that there was a setting for this; so I put my food diary to public:)

Mine is open to my friends. I eat weird food sometimes. Lol

People are scared I think, I unlocked mine so people could say, WHYD you eat that? You know

I keep mine public BUT I have had someone once tell me (cause I was eating Chobani yogurt for breakfast everyday for months) that too much yogurt can permanently mess up my digestive system with the "active yogurt cultures". I was annoyed by this, show me proof or hush.

lol, it wasnt their business, and I dont blame you for being annoyed (I also question their info). Personally I like mine open so that I am accountable, but I believe some may just not know that its closed unless one resets their settings.

I know that I've been judged for something or another my whole life so its not about judgement for me. If you are my freind you are for a reason I welcome your opinion and your advice. If you are not a friend and are a stranger just remember opinions are like *kitten*... everyone has one. Become a friend read my profile and learn about me before you can give advice on my eating habits.

I'm just curious.....I understand if you want your page to be private. However, why keep your food diary private???? Do you do this....if so what's your reasoning? I personally think by making it viewable to friends that it hold you accountable.

I decided to hide mine because it was unhidden at first and I took a lot of flack through messages because I wasn't eating my exercise calories back. People get very worked up over this, and I didn't like being made to feel like a horrible person because I don't, so I hid it!

I'm just curious.....I understand if you want your page to be private. However, why keep your food diary private???? Do you do this....if so what's your reasoning? I personally think by making it viewable to friends that it hold you accountable.

Some people do not want to be held "accountable" by anyone...Other than themselves and the scale and their Health Markers. That IS ME! I have been coming here about a year and I had "Friends", participated in News Feeds...That stuff eventually began to get the heck on My NERVES! People were interested in "just saying 'it's OK, you'll do better NEXT Time..." And weak stuff like that, OR they were interested in "Dumping" their problems on anyone who would listen...OR if a few were having success all they wanted to talk about was themselves - giving their daily "Update."

I have lost Over 100 lbs by eating right, I log daily and follow MY Wellness Plan. Some people do not or may not agree with what I eat...I don't want to hear that, nor do I want to see someone else's Diary and CHANCES are they are NOT losing weight and/or their health is LOUSY! I quit the "Friends" stuff, focused on ME and My Plan, stopped reading so many posts and NOW I am doing GREAT...I don't use this sight as a social networking place anymore. I am here for SELFISH Reasons...To Get Healthy and Lose Weight. That means getting useful info, logging every day... THIS keeps ME accountable. After all, WHY would anyone RELY on anyone else (Especially Cyber Strangers) to Keep them on Task and get Healthy?! Only someone who is NOT motivated and will always need others to pump them up...and if you need someone to keep you Motivated about your HEALTH then I do not want to be around that person...They will drain you and make you lose focus. That's ONE reason why over 80% of these people will NOT achieve what they came here for OR why 10% of the 20% who met their goals will regain and come BACK "Lamenting" about being BACK...

I not your entertainment, for you to sit around and look at My Diary when you are BORED...read a Book. For Me this is a SERIOUS PLACE...The QUALITY and QUANTITY of My LIFE are at Stake...and I'm VERY Careful who I share that with or allow in!

I keep mine open, but I could see setting it private -- once when I had a stomach flu, I was way under calorie and got a message about eating more or else I'll be entering starvation mode. Puh-lease. I've also received a message about drinking too much wine one night and going over calories...truth though, it happened whether I log it or not

Things like that don't bother me, but I could see that really discouraging someone else.

I have mine open to friends. I think it is helpful to see what folks are eating. I may see something in someone's diary I hadn't thought of.

I'm curious! What kind of food are people eating that they wouldn't want people to see? I mean... It's food! Are you eating bull testicles or monkey brains or something? Just wondering.

Just because I make decision A for reasons B, it does not mean that someone making the opposite of decision A doesn't agree with or subscribe to reasons B.

If someone chooses to keep her diary open for accountability, it does not mean that someone else who chooses to keep his diary closed means the decision has anything to do with accountability. I know it's easy to fall into the thinking-pit of "I think this way, everyone else surely must think this way too" but it usually results in miscommunication, myopia and murt feelings.

I think accountability is a good. I think making decisions based on a desire to be accountable is good. I commend all of you on MFP who are making decisions to be accountable. I don't care if your diary is private or not. Some of my friends that keep their diary private eat the most fascinating things because I like to comment on what I imagine they ate that day.

I don't want the opinion of random strangers telling me what to eat or how to eat. Which is different from me *asking* for opinions/help.

Plus, I just like my privacy. I have a different place to discuss with people and who help keep me accountable for getting more active, rather than eating (which I think I do pretty damn good on as it is).