Wellness Wednesday: Taking Care of IT

The past week and the entire month of July has been a challenge in regards to me losing weight. For a while I had the thought of “I don’t care what anyone thinks,” kind of attitude. It proved me wrong. The answer that I think that I need to get me back on track with both weight loss and also being well is to cut the soda. For years it has become a challenge, but I have finally realized that drinking it can be a benefactor in not only being able to continue the weight loss journey that I’ve been doing so well at and then broke at it. I also now realized that when my senses are heightened that it can make it harder to get calm and get in a stable sense of thinking.

I know in the autism community that it is not an end-all catch-all answer whether or not to drink sugary beverages. But experiencing a really bad meltdown last week and having a longer than normal recovery stage than after other events and then taking time for some self-care made me realize that it is essential for me to cut the soda out of my life. This plan was further agreed to when watching some videos on Facebook from the closed empowerment group of the headquarters of my weight loss support group. In watching one of the videos the speaker was discussing how we have “it” – those triggers that makes us get off of track of what we are doing and how it can make us get out of line. That made me think into this further. I realized after not gaining weight for 15 weeks at the support group, then in a continual gain for a month, I realized that it was when my soda addiction creeped up on me really bad, it had me sold that the next day I would be giving up on soda for good. Not because someone told me to, but because I know now that my emotional, physical and mental health depends on it.

Yes, I have spoken about the medication causing weight gain over the years and it does, but I wasn’t combating it by walking and the weight wasn’t coming off. I am never going to improve my chances of being able to do the things I want to and the good spirits if I can not control the elements of my overhaul health by eliminating this product once and for all. I eliminated deli meats from my home so why can’t I ditch the soda for good? Well, my friends it is an addiction that for me could very well turn into an obsession of when I can have it and will I really enjoy it? Do I want to pay the after effects after having it? Do I want to better my chances of living? These are all things I thought.

It isn’t going to be easy as I have weaned down at the beginning of the week once thinking I could cut back. But listening to that Facebook video and realizing that it has been what has been making me go off of the weight loss thing, it has made me lose my focus. This is why it is important to keep a food journal if attempting to lose weight. This way, if you want to do it, and especially with your FitBit (If you have one, it can be a real notice that things are indeed working for you in the end. You may not see that loss at the beginning but within time, you will get there for sure.

I know I didn’t put this weight on overnight, it was a massive amount most of my adult life. However, for four out of five months, I was doing it the right way and the weight was coming off in slow increments and I was realizing what was working to get it off vs. what wasn’t. I know fighting the soda demons will be a challenge as it is a staple in nearly every establishment but for me and the medications, I take it is like a bad drug mixing in my system that can make me very volatile given the right situation. I had to learn from a really bad meltdown that even with taking my medications, that the soda mixed with them isn’t a good thing. Period. I have to do it for this reason. Not because my mother, the doctor, day program staff, coworkers, therapists, etc. tell me that I need to do it. I know I have to and want to do it because I know it is the right thing to do for my overall health and that everyone who interacts with me will be happy that I did it and being content and eliminating meltdowns as much as possible is what is best for any autistic to have the best life they can have and they can live life to their fullest potential.