WHY keep your food diary hidden?

Well I personally don't but really? Why is it a problem for YOU if YOU can't see a diary that doesn't belong to YOU or one of your trusted friends? Not everyone has something to hide. The ones that do are only sabotaging themselves, not YOU. Just saying.

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.

Let me play devil's advocate for a second and ask why you would keep your food diary public? I can think of a few reasons why you might, like if you want input from other members or, conversely, you think your diary would be a helpful example to others. But if neither of those is true, what would be the point? There are as many ways to use the food diary as a tool as there are members on MFP. Not all of those ways include making it pubic.

haha it's funny how people get so offended, wonder what they are hiding or who they're trying to kid. You can lie to the world but not to yourself.

Mine is usually open. It has been closed for two weesk as i had dental surgury and am eating restricted (which changes by day) on what i can have. No i do not care to explain....

...i really do not mean to pick on this particular person, but really? some of you need to grow up....some people have issues you have been fortunate not to encounter - yet.

Sounds like a great strategy, how do i get dental surgery?

i suspect you do not need this but have a great colonoscopy guy to recommend.

EXACTLY!!!

Because I am trying to recover from an eating disorder and I don't want to (1) trigger other people who may also be in recovery or (2) inadvertently give "tips" to people who are desperate to lose weight or are "pro-anorexia" or whatever.

It is also counter-productive for me to be lectured about eating too little, etc, so I don't need that either.

I agree. Maybe people don't want people to really know what they are truly eating. Or for people to judge them as to what they eat . Personally my diary has been open since day one and still is today.

It reminds me too much of having my food intake _controlled_ by someone else. Even though that's not what it is.

Yes, this too.

I use to keep it open but I would get questioned about it...so why let some scrutinize my food when I've lost over 70 pounds! So yeah thats mainly why but everyone has their own explanation

I don't care if people have them private or not, however...... don't ask me to support you and keep it private because I can't support the unknown. I have seen many diaries where people are only logging 500 calories a day on a regular basis and those 500 (give or take of course) being nothing but junk food... these people of course asking for support and then getting mad when the obvious and ongoing lack of nutrition is mentioned, so if I can't see it, I'm not saying "good job" just because it says you're under calories!

Whew... I feel better now!

Because I'm a lush and don't need everyone to know how much of my calories are consumed in wine. *shrug* just being honest lol

OHHH then you must know about all of my 'liquid therapy' sessions held in Cabo Wabo? lol

Actually, by keeping it private, one is holding oneself accountable. And who controls what goes in your mouth? YOU!! not the people looking at your diary. There are alot of great people on MFP for help and motivation, but in the end, it is the individual who ate the right thing, exercised and met their goals. I joined in May, kept mine private and lost 29 pounds and have reached my goal. The only one who held me accountable was ME!!

mine is only open to friends. I don't keep it public because people like to chime in on what you are eating even when you don't ask their opinion.

I think different diets work for different people. What works for me might not for someone else. What works for someone else might not work for me.

WOW!

Basically, it's not something I feel like sharing, especially with all of the unsolicited advice that seems awfully common here and on other sites. If it were set to public by default, I might never have changed it, but I am happier leaving it set to private. I eat some pretty terrible food sometimes (or all the time, depending on your definition of "terrible"), and I hold myself accountable for every calorie - with notable success, thus far. So if I'm doing well, losing weight and feeling healthier, and then I eat some french fries, I don't want to have to think, "what will internet strangers think when they see that I had this?" Which I *would* worry about, so I don't do that. If I know I'm going to go to an unhealthy place with something, then I don't do it.

I also really don't want people telling me that I shouldn't eat red meat, any meat, dairy, white flour, sugar, starches, non-organic veggies and fruits, processed foods, or any meals more than 500 calories. That leaves me with literally no foods that I eat. It's working for me the way it is, so I'm leaving it the way it is. My reaction to the question that started this thread, in all my defensive/reactionary glory, is, "why do you give a sh-t?" *shrugs* Just my two cents.

Mine is open to my friends, not to the rest of MFP. I have nothing to hide, and am very honest when logging, I welcome comments and constructive criticism from my friends, but my husbands ex- girlfriend has a tendency to cyber stalk me so I keep all of online profiles set to private, this includes my diary.