Day 12: 'BBQ Syndrome'

What a glorious Sunday we have just enjoyed! The only things missing for me were a BBQ and a bucket of ice cold Bud Lights to finish off a pretty productive day all round. I've washed cars, cut grass, sunbathed, read books and eventually finished my work out.

I say eventually because it literally took me all day. I don't know what it is about Sunday's during Ramadan but I feel like the day takes an eternity to get to Iftar. As a positive, I gave myself loads more to do today to keep me going, but I still managed to feel sluggish and demotivated to complete my muscle-up workout. It's not even the toughest workout of the week, or the longest to complete. But some of the moves are the most energy-sapping in the moment, and I had to battle myself to keep going. 

Eventually, I got all reps and sets done and could pat myself on the back, having not worked out at all last Sunday whislt feeling quite low all day. The prolonged workout, inbetween garden and household chores, also gave me plenty of time to even out my farmer's tan (t-shirt tan) which has been causing me some concern watching my calisthenics videos back on social media.

Now, I'm going to talk completely seriously about a comical mental health condition I have developed just this weekend...

'BBQ Syndrome', as I'm going to coin it, can be described as a sunny-weekend-triggered state of low mood, or intense FOMO (Fear-Of-Missing-Out), when fasting for Ramadan, whilst all of your neighbours and family members are opening bottles of wine, cracking tins of ale and sizzling their sausages from midday 'til dusk. 

I am not sure that confessing to jealousy is permitted during fasting hours, but I have to be honest. I am absolutely gasping for a cold beer in front of the BBQ today and am so envious of anyone who has been able to enjoy that this weekend. Anyone who knows me will be aware I am quite the carnivore. I will prescribe eating more meat to anyone for any health problem they might ask for my advice about.

The sun is shining the best it has shone this year and all I want in the world is a beer and barbie. Welcome to 'BBQ Syndrome'. Now, I know what you're thinking. There isn't anything that is stopping me from drinking a cold beer after breaking fast this evening, but I have committed myself to not drink alcohol until Eid. Similarly, I am not eating pork during Ramadan either, so there's no sizzling sausages in my immediate future. Still, I could fire up the BBQ later on tonight and stand out in the cold, on my own, cooking a few burgers...but it doesn't quite have the same appeal, does it?

Alas, despite my slightly comical made-up mental health condition that I have developed and coined this weekend, I will not be breaking my fast ahead of Iftar at 8:50PM this evening. I have had a pretty good day, and I might still enjoy a one-man-BBQ later on. Regardless, cheeseburgers are on the menu after Iftar!

Consider this final sentence an announcement for all family and friends...

I will be having an all day BBQ (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at the nearest sunny opportunity in the weekends after Ramadan. Anyone who brings beer, bangers and banter is invited.



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