8 Hot Weather Survival Tips From A Fat Girl
If you’re in the UK right now, you might be finding it uncomfortably toasty. Everyone can find it hard to cope with the heat, but fat folks have challenges others may not. So here are my hot weather survival tips if you’re fat. This is something of a follow on from my summer self care tips but these tips are geared more towards coping with the heat.
PS I’m not gatekeeping! If you’re not fat and feel these tips are useful, please feel free to use them.
Tip One: Dress For The Weather
One of the awful effects of the rampant fatphobia in our society is that fat people believe their bodies are ugly and must be covered at all times in public. I hate this philosophy in general; it makes me sad and angry enough to scream. In hot weather, though, it’s beyond fatphobic and could actually be dangerous.
So, the first of my hot weather survival tips is this: please, PLEASE, dress in cool clothes when the mercury rises. Everyone is allowed to wear short sundresses, shorts, vests, and even bikinis! Do not sit sweltering, fully covered, and risk dehydration or heatstroke to make other people more comfortable. If someone doesn’t like how you look, it’s their problem! They can feel free to look away.
Tip Two: Sunscreen
Skin cancer is no joke, and sunscreen is vital when you spend time in the sun. Not only will it protect you, but as UV rays are the top cause of premature ageing, it’ll keep you looking young too 🙂 Also, no messing about with factor 20, please! Factor 30 minimum and ideally factor 50, especially if you have pale skin as I do. My rotten sister Jayne got all the melanin – sob!
Also, remember to reapply it during the day if you’re sweating a lot or go swimming.
Tip Three – Protect Your Thighs
One challenge thin people don’t have to cope with is chub rub. It can happen all year round but is a particular problem in summer when you’re sweaty. If you’re not familiar with this problem, it’s caused by your thighs rubbing together when you walk, causing the skin to become inflamed. It’s not a problem if you’re wearing trousers or tights, but sundresses, short skirts and short shorts are a problem.
My saviour is the chub rub shorts by Snag tights. They’re thin and stretchy and come in a gorgeous range of colours. I wear them under shorts and dresses, and the chub rub is banished!
There are also deodorant sticks designed for this purpose, but I’ve never tried them personally. Perhaps try either the shorts or the deodorant, and if it doesn’t work, then try the other. If you try the deodorant, please report back and let me know if it works.
Tip Four – Stay Hydrated
As fat people, our bodies are bigger and therefore need more water to sustain them. As a result, I drink a crazy amount, even on a typical day. When it’s really hot, you must be vigilant and ensure you are drinking plenty of cold drinks throughout the day.
The advice is that we should all be drinking eight 8oz glasses of water each day. I would recommend you increase that by at least 50% on very hot days as you’ll be sweating more.
Also, I enjoy an ice cold cider or a cocktail as much as anyone but remember alcohol causes dehydration. Go easy on the booze if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in the sun.
Tip Five – Know Your Limits
In my experience, fat people just aren’t as good at releasing heat as thinner people are. Yes, of course, there will be exceptions on both sides. However, this seems to be the case in my own life and observing other fat people I know. The flip side is I am almost never cold! Jayne tells me I look ridiculous in winter when it’s 3ºC outside and I’m only wearing a light jacket.
If you’re the same, your body temperature may become too high if you spend a lot of time in direct sunlight. Please be mindful of this as you don’t want your fun day out to end with you fainting or being taken away in an ambulance with heatstroke.
I’m not saying you need to stay home; I just want you to be careful. When you arrive at your destination, look for areas that provide shade. Don’t be afraid to tell your companions that you need some time to cool down; if they care about you, they’ll be happy to do it. Don’t push yourself too far because you’re afraid of spoiling the fun. Your health should always come first.
Tip Six – Cold Water
This is one of my key hot weather survival tips, particularly if i’m stuck in a hot office. If the heat is getting to me running my wrists under the cold tap can provide some relief. Keep it in mind if you’re going to be in an area without shade for a while. Most places have public bathrooms you can use.
Tip Seven – Freeze Your Box Drinks
Every school kid in the UK was sent on school trips with a box drink. It is a carton of fruit juice with a hole for a straw. I’m sure the rest of the world has them, too, with a different name. If you’re going on a trip, buy some box drinks and put them in the freezer the night before. You won’t need them at the start of your day out, so by the time you do, the heat will have thawed them, and they’ll be ice cold!
Other benefits are that they’ll keep the rest of your picnic cold if you made one. Also, they can be used as an ice pack in a pinch.
Tip Eight – Ice Lollies Are For Oral Consumption Only!
I can’t believe I have to write this as one of my hot weather survival tips. I love ice lollies in summer; they’re perfect for getting into the summer vibe and cooling down at the same time. However, they should only go in your mouth. Where else would they go? You’re going to be sorry you asked! I saw this delightful piece of “journalism” in the trashy UK tabloid The Sun.
I did not click on it as I refuse to support this type of clickbait content. It did raise some questions, though:
- Does ANYONE do this? I’ve been pretty warm, but sticking an ice lolly in my lady garden never made it to my list of solutions.
- What would it do to the delicate balance of bacteria in your vajayjay? If antibiotics can cause thrush, what the hell would a sugar and chemical-packed ice lolly do?
- Why would it cool you down? The heat spreads throughout our entire body, so what difference would it make?
- Surely, it would hurt? Surely they’re not serious?
What Are Your Hot Weather Survival Tips?
Those are my hot weather survival tips for fat folks, but what are yours? Do have any gems you use ever summer? Please let me know in the comments.
