Why Would You Keep Your Food Diary Private?

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  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    *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
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    mine is private because I am doing this for myself, not for anybody else
  • jhardenbergh
    jhardenbergh Posts: 1,035 Member
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    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
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    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: 1,307
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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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