Closed Diaries?

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Replies

  • Pspetal
    Pspetal Posts: 426 Member
    I generally look at people's diaries not to comment or chide them about what they eat, but to get different low cal ideas for snacking... Like last week I saw Shirataki noodles in someones diary and googled it only to find that it could be the best thing I've found this year!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    i don't like closed diaries, it defeats the whole purpose

    Really? For me, the purpose of the diary is to track what I'm eating. Doesn't matter whether other people see it or not.


    ^^^ Exactly!!! It's not mandatory that we have to be attached at the hip, creeping on each others pages and in their diaries to give each other support!! We're all adults. Jeeshhhh maybe I'm recording my poop habits in my diary :blushing: It's none of anybodies business!
  • cyclerjenn
    cyclerjenn Posts: 833 Member
    I have a closed diary and here is my story. I am 5'10 and currently 150 pounds don't have weight to lose. I am a tri-athlete and burn from 300 - 5000 calories a day. For me I try to stick to a number of calories every day so some days I will have 3000 calories left to eat. I do load up on doughnuts and bagels before a race and most of my food is carbs, this help give me the energy for my workout and races , with out being tired afterwards. I would not want someone to use my day of eating as a guide for what they should be eatting, so I keep it closed.
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    If they stay within their calorie limits, why are you concerned about what they're eating?

    If you can't see their diary then you don't know if they're under/over by a huge margin or not. I'm not going to congratulate someone who only ate 500 calories a day, or who ate 3000 calories over their target. I'd like to offer support if someone is wildly over or under, that's why I like open diaries.

    Then don't comment on diaries at all just comment on exercise and status updates. I personally don't comment on diary entries because like you said I don't always know how their day was. Nor does their day affect me, they are only hurting themselves by not being honest, undereating, overeating whichever. To each his own. Mine is private because I keep personal notes in there..it is a diary after all. I eat clean 90% of the time so I'm not 'embarrased' by my diary but I wouldn't care what others think if I didn't eat healthy. I've lost 104 lbs with a closed diary. It's my tool not others.
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
    Some people are just private or sensitive...they don't WANT your remarks or input. I don't know why that's so hard to understand??
  • kurenaikumo
    kurenaikumo Posts: 271 Member
    Probably so the "MFP Police" won't hassle them... :laugh:
  • str8bowbabe
    str8bowbabe Posts: 712 Member
    I keep my diary as a private record.. not to get messages about why im eating less, or you should eat more of this, or less of that.

    Ditto...my diary is for my reference. I am sorry if you cannot creep because of me but there are plenty of people out there with open diaries to get ideas and creep on.
  • paxier
    paxier Posts: 59 Member
    Some people are just private or sensitive...they don't WANT your remarks or input. I don't know why that's so hard to understand??

    thanks I DO understand. however do they not want SUPPORT either from their MFP buddies?
  • ZugTheMegasaurus
    ZugTheMegasaurus Posts: 801 Member
    Someone asked this exact question in the Motivation subforum the other day, so I'm just copy/pasting my answer from there:

    I know that people are extremely judgmental of even healthy diets that do not match their own and I don't want to deal with it. If you spend two minutes randomly flipping through forum posts, you'll have no trouble finding people whining and criticizing and blatantly insulting others who don't happen to meet their standards for what a diet is supposed to look like. Pretty much daily, I see people with perfectly healthy diets accused of eating disorders, starving themselves, making stupid unhealthy choices, and so on. And those people eat a lot like I do.

    Honestly, I don't need help. I know what I'm doing. The last thing I need is a bunch of self-righteous food police who know nothing about me or my circumstances calling me names and telling me I'm an idiot. Don't get me wrong, I recognize that the majority of people aren't like that, but I'm not willing to open myself up to abuse from those who are.
  • peacefulsong
    peacefulsong Posts: 223 Member
    I keep my diary closed because I don't really feel like anyone else gets an opinion on what I eat, and I know myself well enough to know that if someone offered a negative opinion, it would likely have the opposite of the intended effect. Knowing people might be paying attention to what I'm eating would make me more likely to leave things off or something, to avoid that situation. With a closed diary I know I will be completely honest, which allows me to look at trends in what I eat (like for example I have seen how I sometimes tend to go over on carbs and fat) and make adjustments that I know will work for me to correct those things, as opposed to what someone else might tell me I should do.

    I'm not really interested in getting pats on the back for being under my calories for the day. My calorie goal is a range around the one set on MFP. Some days I'm over and some days I'm under, which is fine with me, so it seems a little pointless.
  • Mellie13
    Mellie13 Posts: 424
    I'm not really sure, mine is closed to anyone who isn't my friend, but I accept all friend requests, so it seems to be a moot point. I don't really care.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Some people are just private or sensitive...they don't WANT your remarks or input. I don't know why that's so hard to understand??

    thanks I DO understand. however do they not want SUPPORT either from their MFP buddies?

    No they want support.... but the fact that you can't see their diary, should not determine if you support them or not.. and if it does, well then you suck as an MFP buddy.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    I do get support from my MFP friends, and give the same. I don't need to pry into private space to do it.
  • gunmetalsunrise
    gunmetalsunrise Posts: 131
    Because it's no one's business but my own (or the few people I have friended) what I eat and how much I exercise a day?

    Personally, it kind of creeps me out if people are creeping other's diaries and making comments about it. Sometimes I don't log in, or I only log half a day (this rarely happens anymore), so I don't need anyone coming in and trying to tell me how to eat.

    Basically, if I want your opinion, I'll ask for it. If not, please stay out of my business. :)

    (all you's or your's are used in a general sense, not directly said at the OP)
  • onedayillbeamilf
    onedayillbeamilf Posts: 966 Member
    Because I'm here for me and nobody else. I don't need generic WTG's for eating. I eat with or without a cheer group. That's why. If the day comes where I feel I need help, I will open it and ask all my bad *kitten* friends to take a looksy.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Some people are just private or sensitive...they don't WANT your remarks or input. I don't know why that's so hard to understand??

    thanks I DO understand. however do they not want SUPPORT either from their MFP buddies?

    You people are focusing on the wrong stuff.

    Logging your food and exercise doesnt matter as much as the fact that you did those things today. You can support and encourage each other without knowing what stuff is going into their poop.

    The diary is the smallest part of MFP and the most impersonal part of the whole get-fit-mission.
  • jamiesadler
    jamiesadler Posts: 634 Member
    I have mine open but it doesnt bother me when others do not. It only irritates me when they ask for help but wont tell you what they eat. How can you help????
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
    Mine use to be open, but I closed it becasue i was not doing well for a while and i found that I was too embarrassed to keep track of what I was eating , so I wasn't logging accurately. i closed it to help get my butt back on track. I've since gotten through it, but I just haven't reopened it.
  • lind3400
    lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
    I personally keep my diary public...just so my friends will read it and then I'm less likely to go out and eat McDonalds or a bag of chips....but thats what works for me everyone is different:smile:
  • bedinky1207
    bedinky1207 Posts: 53 Member
    I go back and forth on this one. I don't tend to look at other peoples diaries unless they are saying they are struggling with weightloss and then I hope I can give them a few pointers. I turned my food journals into a personal trainer numerous times for tips and advice. I've been successful at weightloss so I worry that if people see I had Taco Bell this day they will judge me or think that they can do the same thing. My one day slip of Taco Bell does not ruin my diet.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Some people are just private or sensitive...they don't WANT your remarks or input. I don't know why that's so hard to understand??

    thanks I DO understand. however do they not want SUPPORT either from their MFP buddies?

    No they want support.... but the fact that you can't see their diary, should not determine if you support them or not.. and if it does, well then you suck as an MFP buddy.
  • StaceyL76
    StaceyL76 Posts: 711 Member
    MFP is a tool that allows one to track food intake and activity output. It is nice to have the option of setting the diary public and receiving feedback on one's choices. If that is the kind of feedback that folks want or need.

    I had my diary open for a long time and it was very helpful. At this point, I don't want that feedback - not because I am faltering - it is the exact opposite. I am doing very well.

    However, for a while, when I was faltering it added a lot of stress.

    Not everyone is in the same place on this ride. Needs vary from one person to the next, my pals honor that and don't give me grief.
  • misscristie
    misscristie Posts: 643 Member
    i don't like closed diaries, it defeats the whole purpose

    Really? For me, the purpose of the diary is to track what I'm eating. Doesn't matter whether other people see it or not.

    Exactly. I am here for me and me only. What I eat etc, is my business. My caloric intake affects my body alone.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
    I like my McD's... there are no NO NO foods it's all moderation and caloric deficit. But to answer your initial question I know some friends who keep them private because they keep personal information about their day in them to refer back to.
  • stephl81
    stephl81 Posts: 122 Member
    I like to look at other people's diaries but respect those who keep their's private.
    ^^^^^ this!
  • TeresaWash
    TeresaWash Posts: 283
    I keep track for me, and me only. I don't care if anybody ever says "nice job" when I eat under my calories. I can honestly say, I've never looked at another persons diary.
  • ashleynicol3
    ashleynicol3 Posts: 187 Member
    My diary is open because I really don't care what anyone has to say! I'm doing this for me, not anyone else. I pretty much eat what I want, within reason - as long as I can fit it in and still be under my calorie goal. I like to look at other people's diaries to get meal or snack ideas from people who have similar calorie goals, so I leave my diary open so others can do the same if they choose. I really don't get any harsh comments or anyone telling me I should eat more or less of something, but I'm sure some people do and probably choose to keep their diaries private for that reason.
  • FrancesOReilly
    FrancesOReilly Posts: 23 Member
    Some people just aren't comfortable letting others see what they eat for various reasons.. be it they don't eat very healthy, or they don't eat enough, or they forgot to log half the time.

    Whatever the reason, the point is mind your own business and let people alone. If you are that nosy and must know what all of your friends do, then just ask them and potentially creep them out.

    P.S What the hell is wrong with MCD? If people want to eat that or junk, then who cares? I eat junk all the time and am doing just fine thank you!

    Wow.. Bit OTT if you dont mind me saying.. It was just a question in gest.. And as pointed out at the start, no offence was intended.. I agree its nice to see what people are eating.. Not to be nosey at all.. But to get ideas for my own meals.. As most people will I'm sure agree, its easy to get stuck eating the same few meals regularly which leads to getting bored n giving up...
    If people wana keep their diaries private that's fine.. The person asking the Q wasn't saying they shudn't.. was just a general query...
  • KelseyDawn84
    KelseyDawn84 Posts: 129 Member
    Because I use the site to track the nutrients and calories going into MY body. MY body belongs to ME. I don't even know you.
  • sizzle92
    sizzle92 Posts: 1,015 Member
    i don't like closed diaries, it defeats the whole purpose

    How so?
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