To feel down about food this weekend

[Megapops]

The heatwave seems to have brought with it tons of sugary/fatty food adverts everywhere, and everyone talking about BBQs and all the delicious food and booze they're going to be having this weekend. I feel really overwhelmed and bombarded by it (I don't even have social media or anything.)

I'm not overweight (BMI 21) but have a high risk of getting diabetes (rife in my family) so I eat very plain foods, no sugar, no booze. I also put on weight incredibly easily. It's a real burden for me as I love food.

Just been to the supermarket and everyone is piling up their trollies with ice cream, cream cakes, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks. How comes everyone else can stuff their faces with sugar and fat with no consequences? Makes me sad.

We do get consequences... I'm fat! 😆
It's your choice, plenty of pre-diabetic people have treats in moderation and also healthy food doesn't have to be bland.
Something like the Guuud frozen yoghurt lollies are delicious. One of them 2 or 3 times a week will do no harm

It doesn't have to be and shouldn't be all or nothing. You can eat shite in moderation!

Oh people have consequences to eating those things and they know it, they just don’t give a shit. Or they give themselves a weekend off and start again the following week.

I have health issues and I’m a size 20 but I’m eating whatever I like in this heatwave. There isn’t much else to do!

How comes everyone else can stuff their faces with sugar and fat with no consequences?

Umm, they can't. There is a widespread obesity problem in the UK, there is a widespread problem with people being diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, both of these are causing major demands on the NHS. Even if people do not get diabetes there are numerous health conditions caused by stuffing their faces with sugar and fat.

One meal is not going to give you diabetes. What a fuss about nothing.

Having food like that over weekend doesn't mean people it like that all week.
We totally indulge on weekend, rest of the week is healthy. For most people life is about balance (and not just with food)

You don't have to eat plain food when you're pre-diabetic. Just don't eat too much sugar or carbs. It's all about moderation and balance. Have a healthy meal and then ice cream. Or have a burger and then some frozen yoghurt or a fruit juice lolly.

To be honest you sound full of self-pity over something so small in the grand scheme of things.

What does "plain food" mean btw.

Same here @Megapops . I am diabetic and its really hard.At bbq people seem to only have white rolls (they spike my blood sugar) pasta salads and as you say sweet, high fat stuff. If I bring my own I get called picky and so I just don't eat. If I was vegetarian/vegan I would be catered for but not a medical condition I was born with! Do you low carb or follow the keto diet

I've just eaten an ice cream and it was delicious.

I would suggest your food issues are your own and you should focus on healing your own mindset, seeking some joy, and not concerning yourself with what other people are doing.

One of my favourite meal substitutes in this heatwave is a frozen smoothie made from frozen banana, frozen berries, cocoa and almond milk. You can also add things like peanut butter, oats, chia seeds etc. It's so healthy but feels unhealthy because its so cold and delicious. If you don't put much milk in it comes out like ice-cream so could literally eat a bowl of ice-cream for breakfast and still be healthy (and much much healthier than cereals or toast).

Feeling 'down', 'sad', 'overwhelmed' and 'burdened' seems extreme.

You're not diabetic. A BBQ, some drinks and treats on the odd weekend are not going to harm you.

Maybe you need to talk to someone professional about this.

I’m in Italy and was just in Lidl. Could only find a small tiny area with sweets. Really tiny selection. Crisps the same. Yes too much brioche and sweet pastries but still way less than the UK. Made me think we are not normal at all and a bit disgusting without sugar and junk consumption.

Could you have a healthy burger in a bun with some lovely salad, and a healthy summer dessert ?

Without = with our.

anyway forgot to make my point. YAVU to feel like you’re being denied something. The shore people are eating is gross.

Have you talked to someone about your issues around food OP?

I'm T2 diabetic, and have no choice but to watch my carb and sugar intake.

With a BMI of 21 and no medical issues, you're choosing to eat a limited diet and looking down on others who don't......... that's quite worrying, tbh. Nothing does you any harm in moderation especially when you're young, fit and healthy.

For me it's all about making sure I really enjoy my junk food. I absolutely do buy and cook unhealthy food, but I try not to mindlessly stuff crap down my neck if I'm not even enjoying it!

For me, there's no much point sacrificing my mental healthy entirely for the sake of my physical health.

Also, is it really the food that's upsetting you, or is it the super charged consumerism? Don't forget that it's all very carefully designed to make you feel like your life is shit if you're not buying all that crap (that you possibly don't want all that much anyway?)

Dh & I are both reevaluating our diets for health reasons & trying v hard not to fall into the mindset that we're dieting (We are though)

He's pre-diabetic. Today we're having:

B: porridge made with low fat milk & water / coffee

L: grilled tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, scrambled eggs (local, free range ) & low sugar baked beans (mostly eaten by him)

D: cold baked salmon (cooked with soy sauce (tiny drizzle), ginger, spring onion, red pepper, chilli flakes & fresh coriander) I cooked double portion last night so tonight we'll have it on a salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, avocado, herbs, slices of raw sugar snaps & homemade dressing

I made a large fruit salad last night with raspberries from the garden, local strawberries, blackberries, red grapes, pineapple & passion fruit. Dh has a v small portion after dinner

Tomorrow we will have a bbq - chicken breasts flattened & marinaded in lemon zest & juice, fresh rosemary , garlic & a spoon extra virgin olive oil.

We'll have griddled courgette & asparagus & peppers with that. Maybe a baked sweet potato, maybe not

We don't feel deprived. The food is not bland but it's a lot better than pizza or burgers which we might have been tempted by.

You can have delicious food whilst looking after your health. I find bbc good food & delicious magazine online recipes brilliant for healthy eating options

Bbq isn't necessarily unhealthy, I always make chicken and veg skewers to eat with salad. Very healthy and low.carb. you can find a middle ground its really not that difficult

Why do you just eat plain food? What do you class as plain food? There are plenty of ways to eat flavourful food without it being unhealthy.

In this hot weather I an planning to eat lots of lovely salads with some good quality sour dough bread. My latest discovery is pomegranate seeds and blueberries on my salad which is lush. We had goats cheese and walnuts last night. Even my non salad liking dh thought it tasted amazing. You don’t have to have pastries, sweets and sugary cakes to be tasty.

Unfortunately it really does depend on who is hosting the bbq. What we do is similar to yours @HangOnToYourself .

This is how alcoholics feel at Christmas and Bank Holidays. Supermarkets rammed with walls and walls of booze and at the end of every aisle. Everyone else with trollies piled up with beer and wine. Andi sadly look on and in my head I go, "why can't I have some!!".