Why Would You Keep Your Food Diary Private?

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Replies

  • stef827
    stef827 Posts: 215 Member
    Mine is open, but I am seriously thinking about closing it. I can't have a large lunch and a small dinner without having people tell me I need to eat more dinner. Can't you have a late lunch and eat more and then have a smaller dinner before bed? If I am late for work and miss breakfast, I hear about it. Then, I feel the need to explain why I ate the meals I ate and when and I feel I have to defend my choices. To me, it is becoming a lot of negative energy. I need positive energy right now.


    You can eat your calories any time of day that works for you! It doesn't matter the time or how much at each meal as long as your meeting your Calorie goal. If I were you I would x the friends that are being negative and nit picky, who needs that. You deserve supportive positive friends!!!!!
  • Gargwin82
    Gargwin82 Posts: 152 Member
    PERSONALLY if anyone were to give a negative comment on my food diary without premise I would remove them from my friends. In the end if they aren't supportive they aren't friends. I enjoy being able to look for POSITIVE things in people diaries to point out to them. Getting their 8 cups of water in, choosing a healthy snack even if it put them over, or sharing in their cheat days when they do treat themselves to something more decedant. If I notice too many calories leftover I like to ask if they're feeling ill and wish them a quick recovery. Really I don't care if someone eats McDonald's 3 times a day, if they are close to the calories (a bit over or under) it's still good. Same with laying out meals, if it works for their lifestyle to have a muffin for breakfast, a large lunch and a snack for supper again as long as it evens out it's all good.

    In no way to I think everyone should put their diaries on public. A lot of people have clearly had bad experiences or are just not comfortable with the idea. Even I went a very long time with my diary on private, it took a lot of encouragement from a good friend to move it to public. I wish everyone would try and be postive and supportive of their friends, sadly it would appear that's not the case. :frown:
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Im on Day 870 of my 'weightloss journey' or whatever fluffy name you want to call this war. After 900 days of tracking... I pretty much know how many calories/protein/carbs are in the stuff I eat.

    This means, I can go all day without tracking here- and still track in my head- to a very close margin. But- sometimes I get a real kick out of eating lots of new things and diving back into tracking manually. Gives me a lift on occasion.

    HOWEVER, there is another weightloss website where I have a blog with close to 7000 subscribers and a homepage with over 350,000 hits. I got tired of people opening up my diary and saying YO YOU ONLY EAT 300 CALS A DAY or HOW ON EARTH DO YOU EVER EXPECT TO BE A ROLE MODEL WHEN YOU DIDNT EVEN TRACK LAST WEEK... etc. 20 or 30 msgs a day criticising me while Im at the gym and they are farting around on the computer.

    My diary is for me, and at some point- you may realise that you are really really good at eating and just dont need the constructive (or deconstructive) criticism frm people viewing your diary out of context.

    I know what works for me, I know what doesn't- and having a public diary invites people in to pressure you to do things their way- and bless their hearts- they forget I am not them.
  • billtonkin
    billtonkin Posts: 109
    It didn't even cross my mind that folks would criticize someone else's food diary, that's terrible. I leave mine open and enjoy seeing other diaries because I'm always looking for different choices of items to add to my diet. I get tired of eating the same things all the time. I'm always on the look out to try something new that I can fit into my calorie and macro goals.
  • busywaterbending
    busywaterbending Posts: 844 Member
    because too many people talk about open diarys and blogs!
  • jeyko
    jeyko Posts: 368 Member
    Mine is open, but I am seriously thinking about closing it. I can't have a large lunch and a small dinner without having people tell me I need to eat more dinner. Can't you have a late lunch and eat more and then have a smaller dinner before bed? If I am late for work and miss breakfast, I hear about it. Then, I feel the need to explain why I ate the meals I ate and when and I feel I have to defend my choices. To me, it is becoming a lot of negative energy. I need positive energy right now.
    That's why I closed my diary. I can handle the critism but the negativity was too much, I felt like I was on the defense!
  • mboutselis
    mboutselis Posts: 18 Member
    I have been lucky enough to only have positive supports on MFP...by opening my diary, seasoned users and people who have a better understanding of Nutrition have guided me to better eating...it may not be perfect every day...but I still generally stay within my counts. It is working for me for the moment, so I am happy with it. Don't let others bring you down. Surround yourselves with positive support and be open to feedback
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    I share mines, I don't comment on my friend's diary who don't have them open, there's nothing to judge. Being under doesn't tell me a thing about whether it constitutes a good job. I have friends who are eating well below 600-900 calories a day.
  • bstoetzer
    bstoetzer Posts: 96
    Mine is open, but I am seriously thinking about closing it. I can't have a large lunch and a small dinner without having people tell me I need to eat more dinner. Can't you have a late lunch and eat more and then have a smaller dinner before bed? If I am late for work and miss breakfast, I hear about it. Then, I feel the need to explain why I ate the meals I ate and when and I feel I have to defend my choices. To me, it is becoming a lot of negative energy. I need positive energy right now.

    I wouldn't worry about it unless you are consistantly going over your daily calories. Actually my personal trainer told me a couple of weeks ago that I should be eating a larger lunch and small dinner. I usually do cardio before eating dinner and he said I should consume the majority of my calories before my workout so I don't have to eat so much when I get home.
  • MizzDoc
    MizzDoc Posts: 493 Member
    My MFPals see my diary. It's just that simple. Nothing to hide at all :D

    If you are not a friend, then you don't get to see it.

    That is all.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    for me it's not about any of that fear of being judged stuff - I'm just plain not looking for advice or help with my food. =D what I don't get is why it bothers people so much?
  • JayneWilson1963
    JayneWilson1963 Posts: 543 Member
    I have been on this site since July, 2010 and kept my diary private. Just today, I decided to open my diary to friends. It not that I had anything to hide, but it's such a personal decision. To each their own I say. I know that my food choices could be better, but I am working on that :wink:
  • nihummel
    nihummel Posts: 21 Member
    Those who bring unwanted negative criticism, one word: DELETE! Good thing our friends on MFP are cyber friends and can be deleted at the click of a mouse.
  • luvnthenewme
    luvnthenewme Posts: 121 Member
    My diary is public. For me, it is another form of accountability. On my good days, I can share with my friends the "right" way it should be, and on my "bad" days, I can say "Don't do this!!!" I have never had anyone actually comment on what my diary said other than to notice the amount of water I normally drink. If someone has a comment or criticism, I will definitely listen. Who knows... I might actually learn something!
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    I don't log everything. So, it's ok to keep open.

    Although, I'm going to close it now and try something new.
  • diggly
    diggly Posts: 29 Member
    Hmm. Fascinating reasons. I keep mine private and my profile setting to viewable to "myself only". Being criticised does not even cross my mind. I'm just a very private person and my weight loss journey is private to me. I may change my mind if I find that things are not working out or if I feel the need to share but till then, private it will be!
  • albinogorilla
    albinogorilla Posts: 1,056 Member
    If i am eating like garbage, someone calling me on it is a form of support as well. Not all support is rainbows and butterflys. Some people on this site keep a diary closed and then you find out they are eating 500 calories a day, and a bunch of people are blindly congratulating them on "staying under their calorie goal."

    I don't see any point in keeping it private, and i welcome any criticism that anyone wants to offer to me................I surely dont need a bunch of people randomly tossing congrats at me for nothing to make it through my day...........
  • dr0p4ah0y
    dr0p4ah0y Posts: 22
    I keep it private because I've had people jump down my throat for eating fast food *once* (out of all of the days), and cheesecake once. Nooo thank you, those people can continue to pick themselves apart, and I'll be over here NOT cutting everything unhealthy out of my life forever, lol. My food diary is for my use, mostly so that I can track my iron and sodium intake, not really for cc. :):flowerforyou:
  • Lady_Senie
    Lady_Senie Posts: 100 Member
    I actually closed my diary a few weeks ago because I'm doing something with my eating that most people will not understand and I REALLY don't want the criticism. I'm on the Dr. Bernstein diet - one that's geared to rapid weight loss - and therefore I eat wickedly low amounts of calories a day. It's medically supervised, though, complete with 2 week bloodwork runs and monthly doctor's appointments. But to look at my food intake without knowing that would invite a LOT of condemnation and citique, which is just NOT what I need right now.

    ::Shrugs:: Anyway, that's why I do it. Can't speak for anyone else, though.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Mine is private because I feel I am more honest that way. If I needed help, I wouldn't hesitate to open it, but until that day comes, it will remain closed.

    It's just a personal preference. It is nobody's business what I put into my body.
  • donaldonaldonald
    donaldonaldonald Posts: 3
    I keep mine private because I find it easier to be honest with myself if I know others aren't watching. I guess it's part of being a pleaser personality; I might fudge my entries if people were watching so they wouldn't think less of me and my eating habits. By keeping it private, I have nobody to please but myself.

    And as the weeks get by I am becoming more honest with myself and more conscientious about entering everything I eat, because I'm discovering what an accurate tool it can be if you use it to the fullest.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
    *shrugs* mine's open. But some of my friends have theirs private and that's okay too.

    If I started getting harassment from people, I might reconsider. I know I drink too much soda, you don't have to tell me :P
  • shaeni1221
    shaeni1221 Posts: 36
    mine is private because I am doing this for myself, not for anybody else
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
    I could careless if people see what I eat, but I am sure people keep their diary private because some people can be judgemental pricks, Most of my friends have public diaries on here, I look and comment once in awhile. If I see a day that doesn't look that good with choices. I usually won't say anything. For me, noone can encourage me to eat healthy, I have to be the one to encourage myself. If a friend asks for a critique I will be honest with them and they are looking for help and that's why we are all here and add people for friends.
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    Mine is closed - and staying that way - because it's MY diary. Quite frankly, it's pretty creepy when people want to be snooping around wondering what you eat or don't eat. I don't look at ANY of my friends' diaries, because it's none of my business. Who am *I* to judge their choices? Nobody is going to get the standard "WTG!" or "Great job!" from me over their food consumption.

    My diary is for my own tracking purposes only. I don't cheat on it... why would I? But it's mine, and mine alone. If I need advice on something to eat, there's a whole internet out there full of information.

    Would you give full access to your private diary of anything else to a bunch of virtual strangers?
  • seal57
    seal57 Posts: 1,259 Member
    It's just a personal preference. It is nobody's business what I put into my body.

    Hear hear!!!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    This topic has been posted over and over.....Getting so sick of people who need to know what others are eating......:grumble:
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
    i do intermitent fasting, i also have been at this for the last 15-16 months and i do not log faithfully anyway. I just look at how many calories i have for the day after gym and lunch and i know what i can eat....usually not really logging it. So for all those reasons, my diary is pretty useless to anyone else so i did made it private
  • birdieintx
    birdieintx Posts: 298
    When I started on mfp I had it private because I know for myself an open diary doesn't hold me accountable it makes me more likely not to log things I don't want other people to see. Keeping it for my eyes only keeps it more honest. When my friend's list grew I realized I liked getting ideas from other people's diaries so I opened mine. But to friends only. I saw a few posts on the forum when people's ideas or comments weren't agreed with and people responded with stuff like, don't listen to her she ate so and so for dinner or only this many calories, or whatever. Don't need that kind of baloney.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    People aren't Hiding it because they're ashamed. There are just some people here that if you post a question asking what movie's they've seen lately they take it as an invite to look through your food diary and talk crap
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
    I had mine set to private because I really didn't need constructive criticism. I get my diet advice from my doctor. I opened it for friends because they asked me to, curious about my rapid and consistent success.
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