Positive comments on unhealthy diaries

If someone on here said something bad about what i eat I would unfriend them. I am here for support not looking for FOOD POLICE.

Totally agree.

Wow... It's just a discussion people! There is no need to be nasty. Sometimes people just need clarification on what other people post on comments to help them understand things a little better. This thread alone helped me today. If I ever do comment on food journals, it will be on positive eating habits as to encourage them to continue on that trend. I usually only comment on exercise logs.

Wow... It's just a discussion people! There is no need to be nasty. Sometimes people just need clarification on what other people post on comments to help them understand things a little better. This thread alone helped me today. If I ever do comment on food journals, it will be on positive eating habits as to encourage them to continue on that trend. I usually only comment on exercise logs.

This.

Why bother even posting this if it isn't any of your business. Just ignore it and move on.

Well...it is our business if they are our friend and have an open diary....why would you give positive feed back for a poor diet?? That is just counter productive...

Comments like "awesome" and "good job" are very nice and can be supportive, but I don't get it when I see these type of comments, then I peek at the diary to which they are referring, and while they may have been under their calories, the day's food is nothing but sweets, carbs and a bunch of "junk" food. No fruits and veggies whatsoever. Very little protein. How is that "awesome" or a "good job"?? I would never criticize with a comment, as it is none of my business really, but to offer congratulations for that kind of eating? I don't think that's really all that helpful.

I would love to have someone look at my daily log and tell me the truth about it. Give me suggestions I don't go through and put positive comments on everyone though, and I wouldn't want someone to put great job or awesome on mine unless I really did do a good job. Also I agree this is a discussion board while we do need to encourage and motivate we also need to be held accountable.
Angel

Why bother even posting this if it isn't any of your business. Just ignore it and move on.

Well...it is our business if they are our friend and have an open diary....why would you give positive feed back for a poor diet?? That is just counter productive...

I agree it is our business. It doesn't always have to be positive. It can be supportive as well. Saying good job on tracking can be just what someone is looking for. Sometimes asking if a friend is ok means a lot.

Be careful what you put on these boards. As you can see from some replies, you are likely to get skewered. As to diaries I just quit looking cause the same thing bugged me.

WOW, we're supposed to look at their food diary and THEN say something supportive???? I've been doing it all wrong. I just see that an MFP friend has logged for x amount of days, or were @ or under their calories or exercised then I say something encouraging. I don't see what they've eaten.
I think we all need to support each other. If someone IS eating poorly but is under their calorie goal, they know it, they chose to do it, hopefully they will choose better next time.

Good lord, it's not a "personal thing" for me and I don't "feel that strongly" about it. I was just posting some musings about why such a diary would be congratulated. I have no intention nor desire to offer my construction criticism to anyone. I'm not perfect either.

You feel strongly enough about it to come here and complain so you can get validation, instead of confronting the person directly.

Gee whiz, what's wrong with a little validation??

What's wrong with it? Let me think. You just want to complain about other people without confronting those people directly, and you want others to pat you on the back for it so you can feel superior. There's a lot wrong with that.

Would you just STFU. and lighten up please.

*wild applause*

Been waiting to hear someone say that for a LOOOOONG time. :flowerforyou:

Back to the subject at hand: I agree with you. But, I also think that some read through the newsfeed, see something that *might* look positive, comment, and move on. I even had people congratulating me for losing weight after I had already reached my goal -- even after I had commented that I wasn't happy with that.

I think it depends on the person, for some people simply staying WITHIN their calories is amazing and very difficult. So for them that IS a victory. Some people are simply not (and some may never care to be) at the macro-managing stage. We are all at different stages of our journeys and even on very different journeys. Now, there is no disputing that eating more whole foods is probably optimal for our health, but I am not sure that we should be judging what other people are eating or why other people are supporting them.

Sometimes, being accountable even when you fail a day is a massive victory and a wonderful first step in making lasting lifestyle change for the better, but that will still be by their choices and their own interpretation of what they want THEIR lifestyle to be, whether anyone else shares those ideals or not.

To someone eating low carb, a high raw fruit and vegetable diet would not look good at all. To a vegan, a high animal meat diet looks repulsive. Know what I mean?

I do agree with your sentiment however as I see people purposely starving themselves (with excuses and reasons usually) and getting a lot of "propping" support. I don't question the support itself though, because I think people are genuinely (usually) trying to be supportive and help others on their journey. *shrug* I think we are just bothered by the things we are trying to focus on changing in our own lives, which is pretty normal probably.

:noway: @ some of the comments!! LOL


Ummm....well, I feel a certain kind of way about unsolicited advice regarding my diary (which is why folks that I VALUE their opinion/advice can view it)...otherwise...who the hell are you (not literally you OP) to say whether someone is eating crap...I think the positive comments on unhealthy diaries are to say, at least you logged it and that's being held accountable...which is HUGE for some of us that do mindless eating!


I'm here for support...not for some random person I really don't know 'calling me out', like some of the comments I've seen. :indifferent: If they log crap...they know it is...you're not telling them anything new boo boo.

Anywho...if the person eats crap and you're annoyed folks are putting positive comments, unfriend them....surround yourself with folks that eat just as healthy as you are. Problem solved. :happy:

Good lord, it's not a "personal thing" for me and I don't "feel that strongly" about it. I was just posting some musings about why such a diary would be congratulated. I have no intention nor desire to offer my construction criticism to anyone. I'm not perfect either.

You feel strongly enough about it to come here and complain so you can get validation, instead of confronting the person directly.

I have to agree with other posters that being able to share opinions or thoughts like these is the purpose of the forums. I, too, have had the same thoughts that the OP addressed in her post. As have most of us since many of us have commented on this thread, either to offer their insights, or, as in your case, to pass judgment on her post. It's a conversation, albeit *slightly* controversial, but a conversation nonetheless. Users on MFP should be allowed to feel comfortable posting their thoughts in the forums without fearing undue criticism from other users. I've seen other users use the forums to discuss anything from who's hotter to abortion. Why the heat?

On the topic, I comment on diaries only occasionally. I would feel a bit taken aback if someone commented negatively or criticized my diary, but it is open and can be viewed by my friends. I think positive comments encourage MFP users to post and to get in the habit of simply logging their food. That is a challenge in and of itself for most people. I think constructive criticism should be withheld unless you've made personal contact with that user and there's a level of trust. And certainly, I would appreciate any criticism (positive or otherwise) of my diary to be put in a PM so that, while I'll appreciate it, I won't become unnecessarily embarrassed by it.

I log my food like a religion but I never hit the complete button and frankly I never comment on my "friends" diaries. I don't really see it as any of my business what they eat if they are happy with their results who am I to judge, if they aren't they will be able to use their diary to reflect on what to change. It's a rare person who can be shamed into change most people have to come to it on their own. then again depending on their age and metabolism they could eat a lot more "junk" then I could and get the same results so I'm inclined to live and let live.

My diary is open because I asked for people to help me get ideas a while back, and I just left it that way. If someone comments on a day where I only ate popsicles and donuts and netted 1000 cals with a "good job," I'm not going to unfriend them, but I'd rather they didn't comment if they weren't going to read. If I had a bad day, I had a bad day. The great part about most of my friends is that they DO read the log first and THEN say something (and if it's a bad day, they'll say something to the effect of "you'll kill it tomorrow!").

I personally won't comment unless I read the log. As someone else inferred, congratulating a crappy diet isn't why we're here. I'm also more likely to comment on a log that DOES NOT say "and was under their calorie goal" because that's usually when people need the support - one of my friends went over yesterday, for example, but ate well almost all day and had one chocolate bar which pushed him over. He was depressed about it. I posted to tell him how well he did and that everyone needs chocolate now and then.

Slightly off topic, but this irked me a bit: to the person who "manages to stay under 1200 and IS NOT FOOD POLICE" - I hope that you educate yourself a little more about your body and its needs. I don't know where you started from, your history, or your goals, but there are a lot of people on here who will gladly help you get a better idea about nutrition if you only allow them the chance -- and they won't even be "policey" about it. I'm glad that your current methods are working for you, and lord knows I'd like to lose 11 more pounds, but starving your body won't help you for much longer - and that's what you're doing if you constantly net under 1200 (unless, perhaps, you're 5'1").

To the OP: I wouldn't feel bad about asking this question. People here just need to chillax.
:flowerforyou: