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Nightmare Before Christmas

ShellyC23

Well-Known Member
Messages
169
Location
Newcastle upon Tyne
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Sorry all but I need to vent my anger !

While the news is full of figures informing us in the rise of the number of people developing type 2 diabetes and the number of obese people being offered gastric band surgery on the NHS, what about those people who have developed diabetes through no fault of their own who are struggling to maintain their current body weight due to the amount of goods that they must avoid.. Christmas parties and meals out often leave me feeling hungry as there is no "diabetic or low carb option" offered yet if I chose to be vegetarian that would be ok as almost every menu will have at least one vegetarian option. So whilst there may not be a vast choice at least a choice is given.

However I did not "choose" to be diabetic yet my choice when going out for a Christmas meal this weekend was no bread with soup, no potatoes with turkey dinner and no dessert unless I chose to eat sugar. As the price was for 3 courses its a little unfair not to fully cater for diabetics. I ended up having a spoonful of Christmas pudding as I felt I deserved a small treat but it was so delicious it took all my willpower not to pass it over for my partner to finish off. To make matters worse my choice of drink to accompany it was water or diet coke as there was nothing else available which contained no sugar or alcohol.

I think it's time restaurants started to cater more for diabetics, if they can manage vegetarians and wheat intolerances surely it can't be that difficult. It may go some way to help the increasing numbers who develop diabetes due to bad diet.

The End
Merry Christmas bah humbug -LOL
 
Well said I am finding it all very difficult especially eating out.
 
Well as the nhs and idiots in charge say diabetics HAVE to eat carbs has that not answered your question?
 
None of us chose to be diabetic. Not even we fatties. Just imagine you were being blamed for both your obesity and your diabetes! The insulin resistance makes us fat. I tried for so many years to lose weight and couldn't. I tried every diet/healthy eating plan going. I still became morbidly obese. I don't have a problem while eating out. I'll have maybe a burger and leave the bun and replace the chips for more salad. I rarely have room for a starter or dessert because I've never eaten that much. So I would have been happy with the turkey dinner without the potatoes and I wouldn't have had the soup or dessert.

I didn't choose to have fat genes. You are so lucky that you used to be able to have three courses.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
None of us 'choose' to be diabetics.
But then neither do people with allergies, Crohnes disease, IBS or any one of a thousand other problems 'choose' their problem.

I actually quite like your rant

But the reality is that we diabetics don't actually have it too bad. I've never been to a restaurant where I couldn't find something that I could eat, usually with pleasure. Ok, so dessert is out and I leave the potatoes, but really, grand scheme of things... I would rather be doing that, keep my feet and eyesight, and have a portion of berries and cream when I get home.

I have a friend with Crohns. Her fear of eating out is so great that she simply doesn't do it. Ever. She can have months of agony, confined to the bathroom, innards ripping themselves apart - all because of a hidden ingredient she didn't know was there. And there was a boy I knew at college who could only eat fresh foods he bought, and personally prepared. Peanut allergy. No idea if he is still alive. His lifestyle restrictions were awful. He had one bout of anaphylactic shock from smelling peanut on someone's breath!
 
I was talking to a guy over the weekend who works in the pharma industry looking into cures for diseases. I said to him pity you have not found a cure for Type 2 diabetes. He said he worked on diabetes cures for 4 years and alas you cannot put a gym membership in a pill. I'm now starting to see that because I am a type 2 I'm looked upon as being like something unworthy and it was my own fault for being fat. Even though my Gran had type 1 and two uncles and aunts on both parents side have type 2. First time I've actually felt ashamed to by a type 2 since diagnosis.
 

I'd be annoyed for wasting my time in the company of an idiot .... but not before I gave him a decent serve. Never did suffer fools gladly.

Neither should you.
 
@ShellyC23. You got turkey and veg. That sounds like a Christmas dinner to me! Us spoiled vegetarians don't get bread, potatoes or pudding either
 
No amount of gym work can save us from genes and the prescribed NHS diet. Chin up
 
I recently went for my works Christmas dinner. For starter I had ham hock terrine, left the bread. For main Turkey, left the potatos. For dessert I had the cheese platter whilst everyone around was eating the most divine looking things. And I left the grapes and crackers that came with the cheese platter. I don't have a problem when eating out, if a meal comes with chips or potato I ask for it to be swapped for some veg. Obviously with a set menu Christmas meal that wasn't possible, so you make the best of it.
 
There are very few people on this forum who will agree that they ate their way to Type2 diabetes. Unless you understand the condition then you really should not make rash statements as they stigmatise people and can be very upsetting. The last thing we want here are divisions between the community. Anyone with diabetes can eat out and if you feel you did not get your money's worth then why did you not have a word with the organisers prior to the event? There are suitable places where foods can be exchanged for something suitable, more veggies/salads less starches. If you feel you need for special catering then speak up before the event. Get the word out there if you feel hard done by. The more you educate the general public then the more things will change.

Perhaps you are cross because it brought it home to you that things have changed and you have to be more careful now of what you choose to eat?

This forum is for helping and supporting people, their carers and relatives regardless of type.

How to combat the stigma of Type 2 Diabetes.
http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189184_1,00.html
 

It's not compulsory to eat at a party is it? Saying that though there is plenty of food you can have. AS to eating out for an actual meal, all you have to do is ring in advance and speak to the chief. I have diabetes, coeliac and lactose intolerant, Yet I have no problem at all. Since when have diabetics been stopped from drinking alcohol?
 
OK, so for me, yesterday was my first Christmas Dinner of 2014, and I loved it. On the table were:

Roast turkey
Stuffing (no bread)
Pigs in blankets
Gravy, made properly from roasting tin and veg water
Brussell sprouts
Steamed Carrots
Brocolli and Cauliflower cheese
Roast potatoes
Honey Roast Parsnips
Yorkshire puddings

And we voted off pudding!

Of course, I didn’t eat everything on that list, but I was absolutely stuffed with beautiful food, prepared with love, surrounded by people I wanted to be with. All-in-all, that did it for me. Life’s about balance. I was also designated driver for the trip home, so no wobbly water for me, but I didn’t miss it.

I have never, ever been in a social situation where I was unable to eat. If I’m going to be passing on pudding, I make sure I have plenty of main, then I genuinely can’t be bothered to stuff any more food into myself. We have eaten out continually since I was diagnosed, and have never, ever requested anything special, nor have I ever come home hungry. I might not have been as stuffed of left feeling slightly icky because I just had to try just a bit of all the desserts, but to be honest, I feel better leaving the table without my waistband garrotting me.

I’m sorry if that doesn’t seem sympathetic, but in this life, we have to fit in with the bigger picture. It’s just some of our challenges have changed a bit. It's here to stay so I find my life is happier if I can look for the upsides rather than how awful this thing is. In the scheme of things, I'd far rather be diabetic that coeliac or any other of the plethora of afflictions.

I do hope it gets better for you.
 
Works Xmas dinner last Friday, I actually attended as there were safe options for me to have:

Starters was antipasti, plenty of whole olives, fried calamari, cured meats... ignored the garlic bread though, just picked the mozzarella off of it......

Main for me was Chicken and Prosciutto Salad

and desert was Tiramisu, and that was quite low in carbs compared to the Gelati and Chocolate Melt or Vanilla Pannacotta
 
For Christmas you need to view the food as an exception and be prepared for the BS to go higher. Mince pies are dire so I have 1/2 of one and avoid the worst of the carbs e.g. icing covered cake. It is a problem and I've gradually learned which restaurants have the better food. Given time it will change now that sugar (plus carbs overall) has been accepted as the culprit and not fat. I take the opportunity when I can to explain to friends etc that carbs are the issue and not fat for all of us and not just diabetics. I discovered some success with an M&S microwave beef meal the other day. It claimed to be a 'balanced carb meal' and really was low carb but tasted superb; we're are getting there albeit slowly.
 
My Christmas dinner out, I had hot chicken wings for starters, and then a steak with chips for the main. I had a few of the chips, a quarter of a very large onion ring, the mushrooms and that was it, Didn't even touch the peas. Everything on the menu had carbs. I just made the best of it,
 

Shelly - As you are T1.5, on "novorapid, variable dose", I can't really see where your issues actually are. Surely, if you really want something over the festive period, you can cover it with insulin - provided you're not in free-fall forever?? I would suggest many T2s are far more hog-tied than you might be, although I'm happy to be robustly corrected if my assumptions are all wrong.
 
People should read CCs thread "Don't involve yourself in the blame game" again. People get T2DM as they are greedy, lazy and fat is a myth. Every diabetic is in this together. Let's not perpetuate this stereotype and let the ill informed get on with their ignorance.
 
My understanding of @ShellyC23 's post is that she felt short changed, having paid for three course meal, but not being able to eat most of it as no alternative to the high carb options was available.

I would agree with her need to rant, but just a bit. No necessarily the fault of the restaurant if it was clear at the start what the menu on offer was. Perhaps a bit thoughtless of whoever organised the meal out not to have considered her dietary needs. However, in such a situation I would have, declined the invitation; or offered to arrange the meal venue at a place that would cater for me (but that would mean I would then be responsible for the dietary needs of others attending) ; or, what I usually do, ask at the restaurants for substitutions of the carb heavy stuff, eg, extra veg to replace potatoes, cheese for dessert etc. Never had a restaurant refuse.
 
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