WHY keep your food diary hidden?

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  • Bermudabarbie
    Bermudabarbie Posts: 568 Member
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    I've gone back and forth keeping them private and then open to friends only. Currently, they are private.

    I do this because I am working on staying "under" in fats and sugars, but trying to achieve my maintenance calories of almost 1800 a day. This relatively "high" calorie count that I am allowed is because I am on maintenance now. I had, in fact, gone a little too far and lost 4 or more pounds that I am trying to regain.

    Whatever works for you is just fine. If your diary is private you may find that your own focus is improved. Really an individual choice.

    Recommendation? Try it both ways and see where you feel most comfortable.
  • nyprdiva
    nyprdiva Posts: 76 Member
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    I think some people don't like the idea of disclosing something so personal; it's a way to avoid judgement (which of course wouldn't happen here, but it's a valid concern). Some people probably don't know how to make their diary public.

    Sometimes people aren't ready to share that much of themselves yet. Even in our tickers some of us (myself included) hide a bit from the world. I wouldn't be so quick to assume that it is an accountability issue. It might be a case of needing to become a little more comfortable with themselves and MFP in general. Some have dealt with some heartbreaking situations like bullying and the like that can be very hard to get over....just a thought.
  • disciplineisgood
    disciplineisgood Posts: 36 Member
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    Who in the world has the time to read or really cares what others eat for every meal anyway??? Just seems a bit odd to me.
  • Strobins05
    Strobins05 Posts: 716
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    I'm accountable to myself.
    ^^^^ LOVE THIS! Really do not log all my food because I do not have the time too. So that is at my discretion. I have opened to my pals. I do not read or comment on other diaries unless I'm asked too by them.
  • nanmosta1
    nanmosta1 Posts: 55
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    MIne's open but I do like to read others diary. II don't do it t to critize or stalk anyone but to get ideas on other foods or meals I could eat. We all get caught in the eating the same thing trap and it's nice to see someones who successful and what they eat.
    :love: :flowerforyou:
  • fitchic_76
    fitchic_76 Posts: 8
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    I keep my diary private....I am honest about what I put down, but this is a hard enough process for me without public scrutiny and comments about what I eat. I am held accountable by turning in a written journal to my weight loss coach and would like to keep it that way. Weight loss is also a very emotional process and I just dont want to invite anyone to look at me and what I am doing.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    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 dont need to be held accountable by anyone but myself
  • Tori_356
    Tori_356 Posts: 510 Member
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    I don't do this but why does it have to be everyone's business?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Frankly - I could care less what anyone thinks about what I've eaten. Mine is open - and open to anyone on MFP. I hide nothing. I think people don't want others to see what they've eaten for several reasons - they're hiding stuff, not "really" working to lose weight, eat junk, and dont' want comments
    Why do I look at other people's diaries? For one reason - I'm curious. I want to know what people are eating. Give me ideas on things I'm not eating - and could try something new. Especially desserts/late night stuff that's healthy. Vege's, too - love new ideas.
    It's pretty much a given that when your actions and words are heard and seen by others - they're different than if you were alone or with close/personal friends. When you know others see what you're doing and eating - it helps keep you on track.
    We're all here to lose/maintain or get in better shape. Having others watch and see us in our progress - encourages and supports, and occasionally gets us back on track and out of the mud. Accountability is a good thing for a lot of people - which is why the most successful programs have group meetings, group weigh ins. Another way of accountability. You may not like it, but it is successful enough that programs use it.
    If you don't like that aspect - then why bother posting anthing on this site? Close your diary, keep your info private
    Oh - and someone commented about nasty or hurtful comments - this site shouldn't be for INTENTIONAL comments designed to hurt someone. That being said - when you're NOT eating right, when you're SLACKING and making EXCUSES - you will hear about it. Tough nuts - get over it. If you don't want to hear about it - then stop posting stuff, keep your info closed. We're also here to encourage and get all of us on the right track. Sometimes you need a head thump to get back on track.
    I offer head thumps at a very reasonable rate. Free. lol

    Not everyone is looking to lose weight. Some are here to maintain or even gain weight.

    I am not hiding anything with my private diary, I am on a specific diet for a specific goal under the guidence of someone who knows what they are doing and don't want feedback. I am working my *ss off literally. The fact I keep my diary private does not change that.
    Not everyone has the same motivations. I don't need someone kicking my *kitten* about what I am eating because, I can hide my diary all I want, not log food, whatever, but at the end of the day, I am the one getting on stage. My results will show there, whether I was honest in my diary or not, whether it was open or not. I know that. I don't need someone else to tell me that. I have never complained about lack of results, nor would I. I know where to look when they don't come.

    I am not here to share meal ideas, not that anyone would be interested in the boring meals I am eating right now.
    For those saying people with a private diary are hiding something, an open diary =/= being honest. It is just as easy to not log a cheat as it is to log it in a private diary.
    .
    As for the group support, most of those weekly meetings are for weigh ins, not to share what you ate all week. Since I log my weightloss, can I still stick around or should I still pack it up because I won't share my food diary?
    My friends still support me, with every workout I do, every pound I lose.
  • untilthesun
    untilthesun Posts: 30 Member
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    mine was open, then i had ONE people trying to tell me exactly what to do and exactly what to eat etc. i felt judged so i removed them and have closed it for a while. but ill open it when i feel confident that im not going to suffer the same stint again,

    i wont name and shame becuase i dont hold grudges and i guess they were just trying to help, but im losing sticking to my own, so what if i eat a peice of chocolate every day. im weaning myself off of it and stayed under my calorie goal!

    and it wasnt just oh you shouldnt eat the chocolate it was eat nothing but this this and this. and im not here for that, im here to adjust my way.
  • alapoint89
    alapoint89 Posts: 632
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    i totally agree why do you do it because i would think that it would be more motivating to a person if someone saw how horrible or how wonderful they ear because it could go both ways like im humiliated or could be more like what now!!!
  • Justien_c
    Justien_c Posts: 9
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    I think your food diary is a way to stay accountable to yourself. If everyone is looking at it and judging what you ate, good or bad, you would be less likely to 100% honest. Do I want everyone to know if I ate half my daughter's cookie? Do I want to be able to look back and see why my weight has gone up or down with wondering if I fudged the details at all? It sounds like a great idea to be accountable, but I think your weigh-ins and the posts about your exercise and being under calorie goal are more than enough. I don't need someone else to approve or disaprove of what I eat. I need to know what I am putting in my body to do my best. Seeing what someone else ate won't help me, either. I like that it is a choice. If it will help you to know people could be checking up on you then have your diary open. If you know you would not be 100% honest if you were plagued by the thought of judgment then keep your diary private. I personally don't have the time to check up on other people's food logs, but I do make time for my sister so I can give her helpful hints on how to change her habits.
  • Ang5669
    Ang5669 Posts: 14 Member
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    I think the question should be why do others feel the need to look at peoples food diaries??? Unless of course that person asked them to. I use this site just for me...I havent added friends nor do I creep others profiles. I do read some of the forums obviously but thats about it. I find some good recipe or food ideas on there so I dont feel the need to look at diaries.
  • cariliz
    cariliz Posts: 82
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    I have my diary open to friends.

    I guess the pros and cons include the following:

    PROS:
    - Keeps you accountable
    - Positive comments from others (when warranted) keep you going!
    - Negative comments from others (when warranted) keep you going!
    - Allows you to encourage others in different ways (e.g. they can see that you can be disciplined sometimes, falter other times - its what you do most of the time that counts - and how this impacts your results)
    - Encourages others (particularly friends) to open their diaries (which is very helpful as you too can see what they do to get results)

    CONS:
    - Some loss of privacy (particularly in relation to "comment" type entries) - this is particularly an issue for some who post sensitive comments.
    - Negative comments from others (which are not warranted)
    - Temptation to "cheat" by not properly logging calories if you are having a bad day/week etc (personally I like logging cheat days and "bad" days as once again, it keeps me accountable)

    All in all, I believe that the Pros outweigh the Cons. However due to some loss of privacy, I have chosen to make my diary available open to mfp friends only.

    Having said all of the above, I don't judge friends who have a closed diary (although appreciate all those with an open diary).

    When making "comments" in my diary, I always remember that others may be reading and therefore don't include overly sensitive details

    Also imho information stored in "the cloud" is never 100% guaranteed safe irrespective of settings. Therefore I would still not store overly sensitive information in comments even if my diary was kept "private".
    Well stated Steven. =)
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
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    I think some people don't like the idea of disclosing something so personal; it's a way to avoid judgement (which of course wouldn't happen here, but it's a valid concern). Some people probably don't know how to make their diary public.


    Actually the judgment here happens ALL THE TIME
  • v_addison
    v_addison Posts: 114 Member
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    I have mine open to friends only. I have no desire for someone to push their ideas of what a diet means on me. I have seen too many others criticized (without asking for opinions mind you) for their choices. If I ask for help, then I will open it up and expect criticism. But unwanted, unsolicited advice pisses me off, so I keep it locked except to those I have grown to know and trust. My two cents.

    This.
  • smitty328
    smitty328 Posts: 164 Member
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    WOW...some people need to relax, it was just a question. I personally like mine open to my pals...if they want to complain about what food choices I make then.... there is always a delete button. It helps me a bunch when I can see what others eat, it gives me ideas for myself.
  • Mrs_ALM
    Mrs_ALM Posts: 39 Member
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    I have it open to friends right now. Basically I can do without the judgement from others who don't know my entire health history and why I choose to eat or not eat something. I also cannot stand when people tell me I don't need to diet when most of the time my goal is to be healthy, but if just looking at how I watch calories, some automatically assume I'm dieting & trying to lose too much weight when it's not the case.
  • smashatoms
    smashatoms Posts: 144 Member
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    Mine is set up so that only my friends can view.
    I do consider it something very personal. I like when my friends call me out on my bad days, but that's because I trust them to think of my best interest. I don't really trust non-friends to go about it that way, make sense?
    Also, recently I set my diary to private (it's now switched back) for a brief time because I found that I wasn't be honest with myself. I wasn't logging EVERYTHING, doing myself a disservice. So I made it private for that short time until I could own up to my own failures publicly.
  • Gwen7121
    Gwen7121 Posts: 126 Member
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    Two reasons:

    1. Because it's very personal. I don't need people I don't know judging me and you know you do. It's like at the gym when people look around as they are waiting to do their next set or as they are running on the treadmill and size others up. We shouldn't, and probably say we don't, but we do.

    2. My dad used to say, "Opinions are like a**holes, everyone has one." Unless you're a professional nutritionist, trainer or whatever, I really am not interested in hearing how you feel about what I'm eating or not eating. If I want an opinion, I'll ask, but otherwise, what makes you qualified to give it? You may have done really well at dieting and/or exercising, but what worked for you is not necessarily the answer for me. I used to constantly ask people's opinions on what I needed to do, but when I started listening to my own body and quit listening to others' opinions based on their own, I lost weight for the first time in years.

    This ^

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