Food diaries: private or public?
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I keep mine public because if I know that anyone can see it, I'm going to be more careful about what I put in there. I can't bring myself to lie about it so it gives me an extra kick to eat well.
I figure if I'm too embarrassed to tell people what I'm eating, then I shouldn't be eating it.
I also have an accountability group of IRL friends who have joined me on MFP. I appreciate that they will check in on me and hold me accountable. I definitely make better choices when someone is watching!0 -
Mine is private. It isn't because I'm "hiding" anything or because I'm "ashamed". I am more accountable to myself than I am to anyone else. I also don't want anyone else's opinion to affect my choices.
If there ever comes a time when I need help, I will gladly open it to my friends, but until that day comes, this works well for me.
What I decide to put in my body is my business.0 -
Mine are private and they will stay that way. Feedback is great but I work with a professional who reviews mine weekly. Some people may mean well but when they criticize it tends to get me off track. We are all different and that's the way it should be.0
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Since I've been here, I have kept mine open for friends only. I just started a job that has me working til almost midnight, and I am trying to tweak my diary to accommodate the change. My eating/ meal times are nothing like they were before (I was usually asleep before 10pm), so I am hoping for it to even out. But I have such great friends, and I get great meal ideas from them. It's only fair that I open mine up, too. I think it keeps me honest!
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I close mine because I'm recovering from an eating disorder, so there are days where I eat far too few calories, and I got frustrated with people telling me to eat more.
Agreed. I'm in recovery and struggling with relapse so there are days I deprive, days I binge, and stretches where I do beautifully. It is just something personal for me that I choose to keep private.0 -
When I first started here, I kept mine private. That way, all the crappy stuff would be between me and God. Wel, imagine my surprise when the evidence showed up on ny hips and thighs, and butt! Grrrrrr then I made it public but I didn't log ALL I ate. You know, I'd have two packs of zingers but only log one, then get sad and angry because my "diet" wasn't working! LOL
The last couple of months something clicked, diary is open I'm logging everything INCLUDING beverages and I'm working out more and well, SURPRISE it's working! Momma said, I always had to learn things the hard way. 0 -
same hereI close mine because I'm recovering from an eating disorder, so there are days where I eat far too few calories, and I got frustrated with people telling me to eat more.0 -
Many here are saying their diary is open when it fact it isn't...I guess it's what you feel benefits you most that counts...0
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Mine is private. It isn't because I'm "hiding" anything or because I'm "ashamed". I am more accountable to myself than I am to anyone else. I also don't want anyone else's opinion to affect my choices.
If there ever comes a time when I need help, I will gladly open it to my friends, but until that day comes, this works well for me.
What I decide to put in my body is my business.
Exactly this.0 -
Open
Who cares about what I eat? Only me.0 -
Mine is private. It isn't because I'm "hiding" anything or because I'm "ashamed". I am more accountable to myself than I am to anyone else. I also don't want anyone else's opinion to affect my choices.
If there ever comes a time when I need help, I will gladly open it to my friends, but until that day comes, this works well for me.
What I decide to put in my body is my business.
I love it when she speaks for me like this.0 -
If they're kept private, no one can help you or tweak ur diet, how are we supposed to give u advice if we have no clue what ur eating and vice versa? Plus, what are you hiding??
nothing, I just don't need the judgmental BS from people on this board who think that you should only eat XYZ, and that eating anything processed, or with salt, or junk food,e tc, etc, and jump you for it. . .I believe I can do this with moderation, and if that means having cookie, so be it, and if I fall off the wagon, I feel bad enough without having anyone on this board jump me for it. . my friends can respond,b ut i see no reason to let the sharks that circle these boards see it0 -
ditto! i also lost weight without this site and conitnue to do so, i don't take advice from strangers with their own agenda as well. i just like to read stuff on here, but I don't use the diary for calories just for protein and carb countsMine is private. It isn't because I'm "hiding" anything or because I'm "ashamed". I am more accountable to myself than I am to anyone else. I also don't want anyone else's opinion to affect my choices.
If there ever comes a time when I need help, I will gladly open it to my friends, but until that day comes, this works well for me.
What I decide to put in my body is my business.
Exactly this.0 -
Mine is open to my "friends". Maybe as I continue this I'll put it to open, but right now I'm appreciating the feedback from those who can see it. If I feel I need more advice I'll open it up.0
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It's a personal preference, but mine is public. It keeps me accountable, and if I need help people can see what I'm doing. Without an open diary people are just stabbing in the dark. I find it super helpful. I don't think MFP would work nearly as well with me at all if I had it private.0
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Mine are open. I guess because it helps me to know others are seeing what I eat. I try very hard to log honestly. If I'm ashamed to have my friends see what I've eaten that meal or day...then I need to make changes. I don't keep it secret..because I spent years eating in secret. So my diaries are open...and reflect my choices everyday at every meal.
I don't think there's a right or wrong when you ask public or private...each of us needs to do what is right for us.0 -
Mine is open only to my friends so they can have a look and make any suggestions if they want to
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Mine is private. It isn't because I'm "hiding" anything or because I'm "ashamed". I am more accountable to myself than I am to anyone else. I also don't want anyone else's opinion to affect my choices.
If there ever comes a time when I need help, I will gladly open it to my friends, but until that day comes, this works well for me.
What I decide to put in my body is my business.
Exactly this.
I'll 3rd this. It has nothing to do with being "embarrassed" by what I eat, it's just that I don't feel a need for feedback or advice on what I eat. I know what works for me and what doesn't. Sometimes I listen to myself, other times I don't. Having a public diary isn't going to change that. And being more of a grazer, if someone is looking for meal ideas I wouldn't be of help to them in that area.0 -
I honestly didn't even know public/private food diary were options..lol0
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Great feedback everyone! Thanks for your input. Very interesting to hear. -OP0
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I keep mine public because if I know that anyone can see it, I'm going to be more careful about what I put in there. I can't bring myself to lie about it so it gives me an extra kick to eat well.
I figure if I'm too embarrassed to tell people what I'm eating, then I shouldn't be eating it.
This!!
Plus, if you ask for help, and no one can see what you are eating - well, it's kind of hard for them to give to you advice....0 -
Mine is private and here's why. I started out on another weight loss forum and was keeping a diary for ME that I didn't realize was public in the first place. I never asked for advice, ideas, or criticism. There was one member who constantly criticized my food choices, everyday she piped in with some way I need to change my diet. I told her a few times very nicely that I am a picky eater and so I eat what I like, cutting back calories.
She insisted eating a whole egg instead of just the whites was "bad" for me. Then she started up on my choice to have a bowl of cereal as one of my meals for the day. She told me my cereal choices were processed garbage and it was obvious I wasn't on the right road to good health. (My cereal choices are either Life, Honeycomb, or Grape Nuts).
She said that me drinking 2, 8 oz cups of coffee with fat free cream and splenda was "unwise". Whatever!
No matter what I did or didn't do, she kept bugging me. I didn't necessarily care what she thought, but it ended up being a major annoyance in my life, and it was no longer pleasant to log my food diary. I don't ever want to deal with that again!0 -
Mine is private and here's why. I started out on another weight loss forum and was keeping a diary for ME that I didn't realize was public in the first place. I never asked for advice, ideas, or criticism. There was one member who constantly criticized my food choices, everyday she piped in with some way I need to change my diet. I told her a few times very nicely that I am a picky eater and so I eat what I like, cutting back calories.
She insisted eating a whole egg instead of just the whites was "bad" for me. Then she started up on my choice to have a bowl of cereal as one of my meals for the day. She told me my cereal choices were processed garbage and it was obvious I wasn't on the right road to good health. (My cereal choices are either Life, Honeycomb, or Grape Nuts).
She said that me drinking 2, 8 oz cups of coffee with fat free cream and splenda was "unwise". Whatever!
No matter what I did or didn't do, she kept bugging me. I didn't necessarily care what she thought, but it ended up being a major annoyance in my life, and it was no longer pleasant to log my food diary. I don't ever want to deal with that again!
That would be hard! Hopefully MFP is a better experience for you. I've had positive feedback on my diary. A few questions but nothing rude like that.0 -
Public.
If I need advice it's up there. If I don't who cares.0 -
Mines open. I enjoy what I eat and have whatever I want as long as it fits my macros.0
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I keep mine closed. I keep the diary for myself to keep myself accountable. I am on this board for motivation and fun. If I need advice, then I will ask for it. 0
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If they're kept private, no one can help you or tweak ur diet, how are we supposed to give u advice if we have no clue what ur eating and vice versa? Plus, what are you hiding??
It's not hiding. Some people come on here to see other people in the same boat. To get some ideas...motivation. Not everyone is on here for advice.
Now it is different, when someone makes a post asking how to eat, exercise...etc. then yes, they should open it because they asked for it.0 -
Mine is private and here's why. I started out on another weight loss forum and was keeping a diary for ME that I didn't realize was public in the first place. I never asked for advice, ideas, or criticism. There was one member who constantly criticized my food choices, everyday she piped in with some way I need to change my diet. I told her a few times very nicely that I am a picky eater and so I eat what I like, cutting back calories.
She insisted eating a whole egg instead of just the whites was "bad" for me. Then she started up on my choice to have a bowl of cereal as one of my meals for the day. She told me my cereal choices were processed garbage and it was obvious I wasn't on the right road to good health. (My cereal choices are either Life, Honeycomb, or Grape Nuts).
She said that me drinking 2, 8 oz cups of coffee with fat free cream and splenda was "unwise". Whatever!
No matter what I did or didn't do, she kept bugging me. I didn't necessarily care what she thought, but it ended up being a major annoyance in my life, and it was no longer pleasant to log my food diary. I don't ever want to deal with that again!
Whoever this is sounds like an extremely unpleasant person. I would agree -- I'd probably close or password mine if I started getting that.0 -
Me too. And even though I'm doing well right now, ANY comments about what I eat (even positive/encouraging comments) tend to trigger the ED part of my brain and make me either restrict or binge. My diary isn't closed because I'm 'hiding' anything or ashamed of what I eat; it's closed because that's what works best for me, and keeps me in a healthy place.I close mine because I'm recovering from an eating disorder, so there are days where I eat far too few calories, and I got frustrated with people telling me to eat more.
Agreed. I'm in recovery and struggling with relapse so there are days I deprive, days I binge, and stretches where I do beautifully. It is just something personal for me that I choose to keep private.0 -
I keep mine open, I eat what I want w/n reason. I think having it public is better bcuz ppl can see that you aren't gonna blow everything if u have one bad meal0
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