Sometimes it can be hard when we as human beings don’t see the number or the progress that we want to have. That is no different for one who is in a constant battle of losing weight. While at first, I was doing very well by not gaining any weight for around 15 weeks in a row, a halt arrived and It took me about a month to realize that I need to step up my game plan.
I want to say that this week at my weight loss support group that it came as a surprise that I had lost all the weight I gained over a month and then some. I had not been doing much walking and realize that my food choices had become a barrier to achieving my goal as well. I learned that you just waste liquid calories and not worry about them catching up with your weight challenge. My settling point was two-fold of why I needed to become more mindful of the liquids that I am putting in my body. One, as I mentioned last week was the harmful products that I learned that counteract with my medicine and lessen the ability to work, thus causing unwanted behavior.
The other I found earlier this week while surfing the web on my lunch period at work. It stated that drinking diet sodas and other beverages with artificial sweeteners increased your risk three-fold for stroke and doubled your chance at other ailments. As a man in his 30s who has spent the majority of his adult life consuming a superfluous mix of both calorized and diet beverages of the caffeinated variety and experienced a meltdown because of overconsumption of these beverages, realized the need to have to make the change for me, regardless of whether or not it helped the weight loss, I knew it had to be done so that I can keep the life I have in check and my mental health well.
I couldn’t say that it has been easy, but I have limited my beverage palate to caffeine-free sodas and the fact is that I want water or milk more than the pop and it can be a challenge for me to finish the pop where in the past I would just guzzle down the beverage without thinking. Now, I have to think “do I really want that?” because it really won’t give me that buzz that I was once used to and frankly I keep having thoughts of that meltdown that I had and I know I can’t go back on the caffeine. So, this is life now and as I have accepted many other things in my life for their value, like taking medicine, this too is something that has to be accepted. If I had listened to my parents all those years ago on both fronts before finally realizing that I should take their knowledge into consideration instead of just dismissing it because of the source.
Over the past 12 days as I first limited my caffeine and then eliminated it two days later, except at small intervals. I have seen a change in myself back to an even more reserved self in my behavior. I am not the amplified person I still was as I am still taking my medicine, I don’t overly worry as much as I did, things are getting better, and I don’t get into other things that I feel like others are talking about me near as much.
It can be very hard to go out in public and see everyone else having high sugared, caffeinated and drinks, then I have to remember that we are all here to be different in our own unique way. Not having caffeine and artificial sweeteners is a part of my story that has to keep growing and learning even at 36. Sometimes you have to help yourself or you will dig your own grave, and I know I still have some work to do yet on improving my life before I meet my maker. I have goals and dreams as everyone should so they can be their best person. If you are struggling, reach out and get the help you need its there. Yes, there is going to be those pushers that want to taunt their way to what they think you want but you know you and what is best for your body. I guess that is what I had to accept because I am tired of flirting with disaster and want to beat the odds and stereotypes that people with autism and other behavioral and cognitive challenges face. I have to bounce back and be the example.
Dustin's Dynasty 