Supermarket Meltdown!! Well nearly!!!

Redsnapper · Sep 17, 2015

I have just got back from a very frustrating trip to the supermarket.So this is a bit of a moan.
I shall qualify this by saying it is almost exactly two months since diagnosis as type 2, also I am 50 and have enjoyed good health till now, and I have no complications as far as I know.Therefore I appreciate I am much luckier than some.
But I hit some sort of wall today,I have tried really hard to cut down my carbs,successfully and I spend much more time in the kitchen cooking things from scratch.I am enjoying my new diet.
But earlier I just got really fed up,in fact a little bit angry with discounting 90% of the stuff in view,and having to spend so much time examining the nutritional info on absolutely everything! And having to think sooooo hard about what I can put together to make interesting and varied meals.
I just wanted to grab a few easy meals and pick up whatever looked nice,just like everyone else.( I did achieve this in the red wine aisle tho).I suppose doing that over the years is why I am here,although I have discovered a family history since discussing my diagnosis.
Anyway I don't suppose I am any different and many others will have gone through the same thing,maybe just reality hitting home.Thank goodness for the low carb approach without which I would be lost even if I am finding it challenging now and then.
Rant over.Well you are allowed a rant now and then surely??

ButtterflyLady · Sep 17, 2015

Redsnapper said:
I have just got back from a very frustrating trip to the supermarket.So this is a bit of a moan.
I shall qualify this by saying it is almost exactly two months since diagnosis as type 2, also I am 50 and have enjoyed good health till now, and I have no complications as far as I know.Therefore I appreciate I am much luckier than some.
But I hit some sort of wall today,I have tried really hard to cut down my carbs,successfully and I spend much more time in the kitchen cooking things from scratch.I am enjoying my new diet.
But earlier I just got really fed up,in fact a little bit angry with discounting 90% of the stuff in view,and having to spend so much time examining the nutritional info on absolutely everything! And having to think sooooo hard about what I can put together to make interesting and varied meals.
I just wanted to grab a few easy meals and pick up whatever looked nice,just like everyone else.( I did achieve this in the red wine aisle tho).I suppose doing that over the years is why I am here,although I have discovered a family history since discussing my diagnosis.
Anyway I don't suppose I am any different and many others will have gone through the same thing,maybe just reality hitting home.Thank goodness for the low carb approach without which I would be lost even if I am finding it challenging now and then.
Rant over.Well you are allowed a rant now and then surely??

I felt the same way yesterday, but managed to remind myself I am eating this way for my health and it is working, and all those people eating high carb diets don't realise the damage they are doing to themselves. It makes me glad I stumbled across this forum and found out about low carbing.

seadragon · Sep 17, 2015

Redsnapper said:
I have just got back from a very frustrating trip to the supermarket.So this is a bit of a moan.
I shall qualify this by saying it is almost exactly two months since diagnosis as type 2, also I am 50 and have enjoyed good health till now, and I have no complications as far as I know.Therefore I appreciate I am much luckier than some.
But I hit some sort of wall today,I have tried really hard to cut down my carbs,successfully and I spend much more time in the kitchen cooking things from scratch.I am enjoying my new diet.
But earlier I just got really fed up,in fact a little bit angry with discounting 90% of the stuff in view,and having to spend so much time examining the nutritional info on absolutely everything! And having to think sooooo hard about what I can put together to make interesting and varied meals.
I just wanted to grab a few easy meals and pick up whatever looked nice,just like everyone else.( I did achieve this in the red wine aisle tho).I suppose doing that over the years is why I am here,although I have discovered a family history since discussing my diagnosis.
Anyway I don't suppose I am any different and many others will have gone through the same thing,maybe just reality hitting home.Thank goodness for the low carb approach without which I would be lost even if I am finding it challenging now and then.
Rant over.Well you are allowed a rant now and then surely??

Absolutely know how you feel. Was told I had pre diabetes so not quite type 2 but it seems it's more of a sliding scale of 'carb intolerance' so I'm definitely finding the low carb approach is really good for me but can be very frustrating when almost everything in the ready meals line is carb based. I did find M & S had some ready meals that were pretty low carb and well marked as such so depending on how many carbs you can eat then it may be worth a trip to Marks' food aisles. I think the paleo/low carb idea is beginning to catch on as I have seen a few more things that fit with such diets in the supermarkets recently. Paleo cereals (nut based with no grains) in Waitrose for example (though rather expensive). When I get annoyed or upset about it I find it helps to remember what I can have and give myself a treat of some berries with double cream, a square of dark chocolate and a glass of red wine (which doesn't have too bad an effect on blood sugars).

Redsnapper · Sep 17, 2015

I take on board both replies thank you.I do appreciate that my new low carb regime is not a lifestyle choice but a necessity for my health.I also maybe need to try some other supermarkets as I am a little bit of a creature of habit.I very rarely buy ready meals but it would be easier to put meals together with less restrictions on what I can have.
I have just cobbled together frozen strawberries, truvia and double cream for a pretty good version of strawberry ice cream so I am much better, and it wasn't too difficult.
Think I was just blowing off steam!!

seadragon · Sep 17, 2015

Redsnapper said:
I take on board both replies thank you.I do appreciate that my new low carb regime is not a lifestyle choice but a necessity for my health.I also maybe need to try some other supermarkets as I am a little bit of a creature of habit.I very rarely buy ready meals but it would be easier to put meals together with less restrictions on what I can have.
I have just cobbled together frozen strawberries, truvia and double cream for a pretty good version of strawberry ice cream so I am much better, and it wasn't too difficult.
Think I was just blowing off steam!!

We all need to do that now and again I think - it can be pretty frustrating having to change the habits of a lifetime and seem annoying and unfair when other people don't have to. Am off to view the 'silver linings' thread as I just realised that I do have my diagnosis (and threat of medication) to thank for getting me to lose the wight I've been meaning to lose for years and this forum to thank for giving me an relatively easy way to do that. Have just got back into an old dress I loved that hasn't fit for me for about 20 years!

Redsnapper · Sep 18, 2015

seadragon said:
We all need to do that now and again I think - it can be pretty frustrating having to change the habits of a lifetime and seem annoying and unfair when other people don't have to. Am off to view the 'silver linings' thread as I just realised that I do have my diagnosis (and threat of medication) to thank for getting me to lose the wight I've been meaning to lose for years and this forum to thank for giving me an relatively easy way to do that. Have just got back into an old dress I loved that hasn't fit for me for about 20 years!

Now that is a silver lining, I went through my wardrobe recently as not only have I lost weight but my body shape has changed quite a bit.Found some jeans and shirts etc that fit me better than ever.Some still don't but that is motivation.
Last week I was working for the day at a safari park,it was a busy family day out on a weekend.I had not taken any appropriate food or snacks and was a bit stuck due to the food options available ie burgers,hot dogs,pizza and donuts etc.Not too much of a hardship really as I managed to get a black coffee and a chicken salad.Without being too holier than thou,what really struck me though was the overwhelming consumption of carbs and fizzy drinks.Now I know what I know it is jaw dropping.I certainly did not eat like that when I was a kid,and habits are being set for a lifetime.
Easy to be critical I know.

seadragon · Sep 18, 2015

Redsnapper said:
Now that is a silver lining, I went through my wardrobe recently as not only have I lost weight but my body shape has changed quite a bit.Found some jeans and shirts etc that fit me better than ever.Some still don't but that is motivation.
Last week I was working for the day at a safari park,it was a busy family day out on a weekend.I had not taken any appropriate food or snacks and was a bit stuck due to the food options available ie burgers,hot dogs,pizza and donuts etc.Not too much of a hardship really as I managed to get a black coffee and a chicken salad.Without being too holier than thou,what really struck me though was the overwhelming consumption of carbs and fizzy drinks.Now I know what I know it is jaw dropping.I certainly did not eat like that when I was a kid,and habits are being set for a lifetime.
Easy to be critical I know.

Yes it is sad that so many people are eating stuff that is so bad but often it seems those are the only choices. Personally I believe the demonisation of fat ever since the 80's should take some of the blame as it meant everyone went mad on low fat stuff without realising it usually meant high sugar instead. And also we seem to be following America in 'super sizing' everything now.
Recently I was lucky enough to go to the Grand Prix in Italy and we found there a food stall that sold roast pork shins and chicken legs. My son and I both really enjoyed gnawing on a pork shin and wished there were food stalls like that here. You could also buy chips etc if you wanted but we thought it was great to just get the meat and not have to throw away half of what we paid for which is what happens mostly when you end up ditching the bun off a burger or hot dog.

Celeriac · Sep 19, 2015

With seven supermarkets, the town I live in is hardly a food desert, but in every one of them, processed and packaged food makes up 95% of the aisles. Supermarkets put crisps on offer, not carrots.

My local ASDA is large, clean and has friendly staff. It doesn't have much organic but IMO the quality and pricing of all its veggies are really good. But look for meat and you could lose it in the sea of ready meals. It has a huge aisle just for crisps, too.

Supermarket websites are useful, because you can look up all the nutritional info at your leisure and then make a shopping list, instead of standing in the supermarket, deliberating.

If you have a loyalty card or have food delivered from them, all your purchases will show up in your Favourites. You should be able to delete all the bad stuff, so that you aren't tempted to order it online again.

www.mysupermarket.co.uk is really useful. You can join up, get price alerts by email on chosen items, import all your Favourites from supermarkets and shop online, checking out special offers and making price comparisons. You can use it to make shopping lists for different supermarkets too. The only thing it doesn't do, is give you nutritional info and make you a mug of tea !

I do most of the shopping, but if husband offers to do a quick top up shop on a Saturday morning, I can give him a shopping list. It might have items for Sainsbury's, Lidl and ASDA, but not a long list for each and he can use self-scans where poss. Just doing price comparisons saves money. Currently Lindt Excellence 90% cocoa chocolate is £2 each in Sainsbury's, 2 for £3 in Morrisons and 1.41 each in Waitrose.

Supermarket websites have another use too btw. If a HCP is being sceptical about dietary changes, ask if they have Internet access, log on to the supermarket website and let them look through your orders or favourites.

Sobeit · Sep 19, 2015

Redsnapper said:
I have just got back from a very frustrating trip to the supermarket.So this is a bit of a moan.
I shall qualify this by saying it is almost exactly two months since diagnosis as type 2, also I am 50 and have enjoyed good health till now, and I have no complications as far as I know.Therefore I appreciate I am much luckier than some.
But I hit some sort of wall today,I have tried really hard to cut down my carbs,successfully and I spend much more time in the kitchen cooking things from scratch.I am enjoying my new diet.
But earlier I just got really fed up,in fact a little bit angry with discounting 90% of the stuff in view,and having to spend so much time examining the nutritional info on absolutely everything! And having to think sooooo hard about what I can put together to make interesting and varied meals.
I just wanted to grab a few easy meals and pick up whatever looked nice,just like everyone else.( I did achieve this in the red wine aisle tho).I suppose doing that over the years is why I am here,although I have discovered a family history since discussing my diagnosis.
Anyway I don't suppose I am any different and many others will have gone through the same thing,maybe just reality hitting home.Thank goodness for the low carb approach without which I would be lost even if I am finding it challenging now and then.
Rant over.Well you are allowed a rant now and then surely??

Yes u r definitely allowed a rant ! That could have been written by me ,every word u said ,even about the red wine Thats one area of less restriction .sugar police dont man that isle of the supermarket it seems
!
Have nearly had a few melt downs of my own recently also in the grocery section ! Felt so despondant and frustrated having to read all the labels and its so hard to keep feeling positive when its like "no cant have this " and "no cant have that".. The mental energy from all the thinking ,reading labels ,reading on this site(although great and very helpful indeed)) planning,searching for suitable recipes etc is huge so u deserve at the very least a rant! ..Its tough !!Got my diagnosis around same time as u so we r newbies to all this ..

Im feeling more positive now though as I have found a recipe for low carb carrot cake cupcakes for which I now have ingredients in the house to make so I cant wait as it is something to bring if I go and meet someone for a coffee or just for the odd treat . I miss having the odd treat so this will be a Godsend and I hope to embark on baking many more suitable low carb nibbles over time!

Anyway I just wanted to say I hear ya and I empathise !Good luck to you finding or making suitable foods to satisfy and fill the gap! We all in this together. Good to rant ,share our stories, listen to others and find little gems of ideas and wisdom along the way!

purplepenguin · Sep 19, 2015

We are all entitled to a rant and I think most of us here could empathise with you. You reflected absolutely my week this week. I spectacularly fell off the wagon for 3 days this week and feel disgusted with myself but I just remind myself that it happens and that I can get back on track.
I did actually go to Asda today to do the shopping but usually I do it online, if only because the smell of baked bread is too much for me to handle. I have willpower but I'm not superwoman!
It's good to share, I wish you all the best and just remember that we are all here when you need to vent

Redsnapper · Sep 19, 2015

Celeriac said:
With seven supermarkets, the town I live in is hardly a food desert, but in every one of them, processed and packaged food makes up 95% of the aisles. Supermarkets put crisps on offer, not carrots.

My local ASDA is large, clean and has friendly staff. It doesn't have much organic but IMO the quality and pricing of all its veggies are really good. But look for meat and you could lose it in the sea of ready meals. It has a huge aisle just for crisps, too.

Supermarket websites are useful, because you can look up all the nutritional info at your leisure and then make a shopping list, instead of standing in the supermarket, deliberating.

If you have a loyalty card or have food delivered from them, all your purchases will show up in your Favourites. You should be able to delete all the bad stuff, so that you aren't tempted to order it online again.

www.mysupermarket.co.uk is really useful. You can join up, get price alerts by email on chosen items, import all your Favourites from supermarkets and shop online, checking out special offers and making price comparisons. You can use it to make shopping lists for different supermarkets too. The only thing it doesn't do, is give you nutritional info and make you a mug of tea !

I do most of the shopping, but if husband offers to do a quick top up shop on a Saturday morning, I can give him a shopping list. It might have items for Sainsbury's, Lidl and ASDA, but not a long list for each and he can use self-scans where poss. Just doing price comparisons saves money. Currently Lindt Excellence 90% cocoa chocolate is £2 each in Sainsbury's, 2 for £3 in Morrisons and 1.41 each in Waitrose.

Supermarket websites have another use too btw. If a HCP is being sceptical about dietary changes, ask if they have Internet access, log on to the supermarket website and let them look through your orders or favourites.

Thanks for the input.I will give the websites a go.BTW Aldi do excellent high quality chocolate under the name Moser Roth.Comes in five little bars in a pack.The 75% dark chocolate from the Dominican Republic is 7.6g carbs per 25g bar.However I am currently treating myself with their 85% dark chocolate with sour cherry and chilli mousse!! 36g carbs per 100g.So a little treat now and then.

Redsnapper · Sep 19, 2015

Sobeit said:
Yes u r definitely allowed a rant ! That could have been written by me ,every word u said ,even about the red wine Thats one area of less restriction .sugar police dont man that isle of the supermarket it seems
!
Have nearly had a few melt downs of my own recently also in the grocery section ! Felt so despondant and frustrated having to read all the labels and its so hard to keep feeling positive when its like "no cant have this " and "no cant have that".. The mental energy from all the thinking ,reading labels ,reading on this site(although great and very helpful indeed)) planning,searching for suitable recipes etc is huge so u deserve at the very least a rant! ..Its tough !!Got my diagnosis around same time as u so we r newbies to all this ..

Im feeling more positive now though as I have found a recipe for low carb carrot cake cupcakes for which I now have ingredients in the house to make so I cant wait as it is something to bring if I go and meet someone for a coffee or just for the odd treat . I miss having the odd treat so this will be a Godsend and I hope to embark on baking many more suitable low carb nibbles over time!

Anyway I just wanted to say I hear ya and I empathise !Good luck to you finding or making suitable foods to satisfy and fill the gap! We all in this together. Good to rant ,share our stories, listen to others and find little gems of ideas and wisdom along the way!

You are spot on I think after 30 or so items that were as you say "no can't have that" steam started to appear from my ears.I did my usual when this happens tho and headed for wine and the biggest steak I could find!!! I am sure as others have said to me in the past, it will get easier and become second nature.For example I got home earlier and headed directly to pate,with cucumber batons and walnuts.Really tasty, so I think my palate is changing.I don't crave carbs just the convenience I guess.
Good to know it's not just me tho!!!

DeejayR · Sep 19, 2015

We are obviously very enterprising on here. The food industry won't mind as long as we're in a minority. What a shame all this useful research and information is largely steamrollered by the NHS. I can now ignore 80% of supermarket aisles since I use the local veg shop (Jason and Katie), the butcher (Ron) and occasionally the health food shop (Vanessa). The local baker (another Jason) does a lovely granary and walnut loaf and Mrs DeeJay has that plus, I suspect, rather a lot of his pastries so that's all good for the town's trade.
Some really good suggestions in this thread for price comparisons, thanks.

Redsnapper · Sep 19, 2015

purplepenguin said:
We are all entitled to a rant and I think most of us here could empathise with you. You reflected absolutely my week this week. I spectacularly fell off the wagon for 3 days this week and feel disgusted with myself but I just remind myself that it happens and that I can get back on track.
I did actually go to Asda today to do the shopping but usually I do it online, if only because the smell of baked bread is too much for me to handle. I have willpower but I'm not superwoman!
It's good to share, I wish you all the best and just remember that we are all here when you need to vent

You just gotta pick yourself up and get back in the race!!! As Mr Sinatra says.
I haven't had a falling off the wagon episode yet,but it's in the post.I reckon it is gonna involve a really good homemade stew (fine you say!!) it's the puff pastry and cheesy mash that will be the culprit.After my 1st 3 month Ha1bc test, that's in about a month I am already talking myself into a blow out with the above and some nice I.P.A. but only if I can stick with it till then.I think you have to reward yourself now and then, otherwise frankly what's the point.

purplepenguin · Sep 19, 2015

Redsnapper said:
You just gotta pick yourself up and get back in the race!!! As Mr Sinatra says.
I haven't had a falling off the wagon episode yet,but it's in the post.I reckon it is gonna involve a really good homemade stew (fine you say!!) it's the puff pastry and cheesy mash that will be the culprit.After my 1st 3 month Ha1bc test, that's in about a month I am already talking myself into a blow out with the above and some nice I.P.A. but only if I can stick with it till then.I think you have to reward yourself now and then, otherwise frankly what's the point.

Agreed! It was inevitable that it was going to happen, and I'm glad it happened so early on. The upside is that I felt so awful afterwards, tired, sick and headachy, that I won't be doing it again in a hurry. The food wasn't really worth it either.

Redsnapper · Sep 19, 2015

purplepenguin said:
Agreed! It was inevitable that it was going to happen, and I'm glad it happened so early on. The upside is that I felt so awful afterwards, tired, sick and headachy, that I won't be doing it again in a hurry. The food wasn't really worth it either.

I am sorry it made you feel bad,to me that just compounds the problem.I think the trick is to find treats that you can tolerate.Whilst I do not advocate this regularly,I have found that I can enjoy a KFC now and then.Just the original chicken pieces as the only carbs are in the flour in the coating which is much thinner than the supermarket stuff.Obviously no buns sauces or fries.Just Chicken and they do diet 7up as well.Makes me feel normal every now and then.

Sobeit · Sep 19, 2015

Redsnapper said:
You are spot on I think after 30 or so items that were as you say "no can't have that" steam started to appear from my ears.I did my usual when this happens tho and headed for wine and the biggest steak I could find!!! I am sure as others have said to me in the past, it will get easier and become second nature.For example I got home earlier and headed directly to pate,with cucumber batons and walnuts.Really tasty, so I think my palate is changing.I don't crave carbs just the convenience I guess.
Good to know it's not just me tho!!!

Funny picture the steam coming out of your ears! Yes I understand re the convenience of just being able to eat whatever and its a pity we cant just do that.. but we have to look.at the positives and what we CAN have.. But its sometimes easier said than done-We are only human after all! My readings are a little high today so Im just having some cooked brocoli some nuts and red wine! Was very tired today but forced myself nevertheless to go for my walk. And Im giving myself a pat on the back for that.Im finding the walking great for the head!
...There will be off days and off times along the way but Im telling myself we have to grab on to the positives rather than focusing on the negatives .Only way to go..I dont always listen to my own advice though.LOL...but I will try

Redsnapper · Sep 20, 2015

Sobeit said:
Funny picture the steam coming out of your ears! Yes I understand re the convenience of just being able to eat whatever and its a pity we cant just do that.. but we have to look.at the positives and what we CAN have.. But its sometimes easier said than done-We are only human after all! My readings are a little high today so Im just having some cooked brocoli some nuts and red wine! Was very tired today but forced myself nevertheless to go for my walk. And Im giving myself a pat on the back for that.Im finding the walking great for the head!
...There will be off days and off times along the way but Im telling myself we have to grab on to the positives rather than focusing on the negatives .Only way to go..I dont always listen to my own advice though.LOL...but I will try

I have been really tired recently too.Although this has been a problem for a couple of years now.I think it is to do with insulin resistance as it seems to stop the cells in your body receiving the appropriate amounts of glucose.More research needed on my part I think.It is strange tho that I can't seem to get off to sleep, but when I do I sleep for hours then still wake up feeling knackered.Very draining.
I am gonna get an excersise bike.I am too old to pound the streets and have a brother in law who keeps falling off or being knocked off his real bike.Plus I have done the swimming pool bit before and it is very time consuming.Maybe I should set it up in front of the telly and watch some low carb cookery vids on YouTube???

Sobeit · Sep 20, 2015

N

Redsnapper said:
I have been really tired recently too.Although this has been a problem for a couple of years now.I think it is to do with insulin resistance as it seems to stop the cells in your body receiving the appropriate amounts of glucose.More research needed on my part I think.It is strange tho that I can't seem to get off to sleep, but when I do I sleep for hours then still wake up feeling knackered.Very draining.
I am gonna get an excersise bike.I am too old to pound the streets and have a brother in law who keeps falling off or being knocked off his real bike.Plus I have done the swimming pool bit before and it is very time consuming.Maybe I should set it up in front of the telly and watch some low carb cookery vids on YouTube???

Sobeit · Sep 20, 2015

Thats a great idea @Redsnapper about getting an excercise bike ! And putting it in front of tv to watch some program to inspire you is such a good idea to make sure you use it as lots of people start off with good intentions but dont follow through since its a bit more boring than.a proper cycle so watching inspirational tv or your favourite music ro similar would be a great idea I would think.

Im looking forward to begin swimming again as I feel so good after a swim ,mentally and physically . Might be time consuming but its worth it ..sometimes I couldnt be bothered with the thoughts of going but would always be glad and would feel super afterwards .But whatever particular excercise works for various individuals is all that matters . Whats important is to enjoy it enough to keep it up.

Not being able to sleep or not feeling refreshed when we do sleep is a bummer! I know this too well but I find supplementing with magnesium to be a great help with sleep matters. That tiredness u speak of is disabling isnt it ? Sometimes I feel like Im 90...must be the blood sugars and what you describe.I feel a real weakness too at times and body aches and pains! I would love to know is this also related to diabetes... Anyway Im hoping all these symptoms improve as my blood sugars get down further! I suspect I may not be drinking enough water so I need to work on this matter too..

Supermarket Meltdown!! Well nearly!!!

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